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Wednesday 26 January 2022
Cottage Grove Man Charged in Bank Robbery SpreeRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minnesota – A Cottage Grove man has been charged following a string of Twin Cities bank robberies, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Charles J. Kovats.
According to court documents, in November 2021, Michael Thomas Prall, 43, used force, violence, and intimidation to steal thousands of dollars from three separate banks. On November 30, 2021, Prall stole approximately $775 from a Wells Fargo bank in Cottage Grove. On November 19, 2021, Prall stole approximately $4,589 from a Bremer Bank in Woodbury. On November 5, 2021, Prall stole approximately $2,558 from a US Bank in Bloomington.
Prall, who is charged with three counts of bank robbery, made his initial appearance today before Magistrate Judge Hildy Bowbeer in U.S. District Court. Prall was detained pending further court proceedings.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Cottage Grove Police Department, the Woodbury Police Department, the Bloomington Police Department, and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Washington County Attorney’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander D. Chiquoine is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Convicted Sex Trafficker Is Sentenced to More Than 19 YearsRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. District Judge Frank D. Whitney has sentenced Simone Cherelle McIllwain, 30, of Charlotte, to 235 months in prison and 20 years of supervised release for sex trafficking of a minor, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Robert R. Wells, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to filed court documents and statements made in court during yesterday’s hearing, on January 1, 2020, law enforcement were notified that a 13-year-old female was a suspected victim of sex trafficking. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement determined that, from December 2 to December 25, 2019, McIllwain did in fact engage in the sex trafficking of the minor in the Charlotte area. Court documents show that the minor victim was introduced to McIllwain through a mutual acquaintance, and shortly thereafter McIllwain began to advertise the victim online for commercial sex. McIllwain also arranged for the minor to engage in sex acts at McIllwain’s hotel room and she kept a portion of the proceeds. At the time of the offense, McIllwain was on supervised release for a 2014 federal conviction in Florida, for transporting a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity.
On April 19, 2021, McIllwain pleaded guilty to sex trafficking of a minor. She is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of federal facility.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the FBI and CMPD for their investigation of the case.
Assistant United States Attorney Erik Lindahl prosecuted the case.
If you believe you are the victim of a trafficking situation or may have information about a potential trafficking situation, call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) at 1-888-373-7888. NHTRC is a national, toll-free hotline, with specialists available to answer calls from anywhere in the country, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, every day of the year related to potential trafficking victims, suspicious behaviors, and/or locations where trafficking is suspected to occur. You can also text NHTRC at 233733 or submit a tip online.
Columbus man sentenced for methamphetamine chargeRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Devante Crutez Taylor, of Columbus, Ohio, was sentenced today to 84 months of incarceration for a drug charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Taylor, 29, pleaded guilty in September 2021 to one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine.” Taylor admitted to having 50 grams or more of methamphetamine in August 2019 in Ohio County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn M. Adkins prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Wheeling Police Department investigated.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Colombian National Pleads Guilty to Falsely Representing Himself as a Citizen of the United StatesRead the Press Release
St. Croix, USVI – U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced that a Colombian national pleaded guilty today to falsely claiming he was a United States citizen.
According to court documents, on December 8, 2021, Andres Bejarano, 33, presented himself to U.S. Customs and Border Protection ("CBP") officers for inspection to board a flight from St. Croix to Florida with a Florida driver’s license. It was later determined that the license belonged to his brother, Daniel Bejarano. When questioned, the defendant falsely claimed to be a U.S. citizen. He subsequently admitted that he took and used his brother’s identification, because he was aware that he had an active warrant for his arrest.
Bejarano is scheduled to be sentenced on May 27, 2022 and faces a maximum penalty of 3 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Homeland Security Investigations is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Huston is prosecuting the case.
Co-Founder and Former CEO of Foreign Oil Company Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison for Failure to File Tax Returns Causing over $20 Million in Losses to the U.S. TreasuryRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Thomas Fattorusso, the Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”), announced today that TODD KOZEL, the former Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) of a multi-national foreign oil company, was sentenced in Manhattan federal court to 60 months in prison following KOZEL’s guilty plea to five counts of willful failure to file individual income tax returns for the calendar years 2011 through 2015. U.S. District Judge Kimba M. Wood, who previously accepted Kozel’s guilty plea, imposed today’s sentence.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “For years, Todd Kozel failed to file income tax returns, or pay the federal tax liabilities that were owed under those returns, despite earning millions of dollars in compensation as the CEO of an overseas oil company. Today’s sentence shows that no one is above the law—all citizens must pay their fair share of taxes, including Americans who earn compensation from working in foreign countries.”
IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent-in-Charge Tom Fattorusso said: “U.S. citizens are required to pay taxes on worldwide income from all sources, including income earned overseas. Kozel earned tens of millions of dollars, and as a result, was required by law to pay taxes – more than $20 million – on those earnings. By not paying his fair share, he cheated the American people out of millions of dollars.”
According to the Information and other documents filed in the case, as well as statements made during public court proceedings:
Pursuant to the Internal Revenue Code and attendant regulations, all United States citizens and residents who had annual income in excess of a threshold amount are required to report accurately their income, tax obligations, and, where appropriate, any claim for a refund on a United States Individual Income Tax Return, Form 1040 (“Form 1040”), which must be filed annually with the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”). This obligation applies to all sources of income, including income earned through overseas employment and from foreign financial accounts.
From at least in or about 2004 through at least in or about 2014, TODD KOZEL was the co-founder and CEO of a London-based petroleum company with operations in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (the “Oil Company”). During the period 2011 through 2015, KOZEL, a United States citizen, earned substantial compensation as the CEO of the Oil Company, totaling more than approximately $66 million during the five-year period. But despite earning this substantial income, KOZEL willfully failed timely to file any personal federal income tax returns for calendar years 2011 through 2015, resulting in well over $20 million in unpaid federal tax liabilities. As part of his criminal conduct, KOZEL used sophisticated offshore structures, trusts, and bank accounts to conceal a portion of his undeclared income from the U.S. government.
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In addition to the prison sentence, KOZEL, 55, of New York, New York, was sentenced to two years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution to the IRS in the amount of $29,462,965.23.
Mr. Williams praised the IRS-CI for their outstanding investigative work on this case, and thanked the Large Business and International Division of the IRS for its assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Louis A. Pellegrino and Olga I. Zverovich are in charge of the prosecution.
Chicago Man Who Conspired to Distribute Drugs Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who was found in possession of 370 methamphetamine tablets, almost 200 grams of cocaine, and marijuana, was sentenced yesterday to more than 15 years in federal prison.
Brian Hale, age 35, from Chicago, Illinois, received the prison term after pleading guilty in July 2021 to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
In a plea agreement, Hale admitted that he possessed 151 grams of marijuana, 370 tablets containing 134 grams of methamphetamine, 195 grams of cocaine, and $5,262 in cash. The drugs and cash were found during a traffic stop of the car Hale was driving through Dubuque County. During the traffic stop, a drug dog alerted to the odor of drugs coming from the car. Hale had attempted to disguise the smell of drugs by sprinkling chili powder over the packages containing the drugs. Law enforcement then searched the car and found the drugs and money. Hale further admitted that he had agreed to distribute at least some of the methamphetamine to other people and that the cash was either proceeds from drug sales or was intended to be used to further drug-trafficking activities.
Hale has prior convictions for drug offenses. Hale had previously been convicted of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, manufacturing/delivering cocaine, and possession with intent to deliver heroin.
Hale was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Hale was sentenced to 188 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 4-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Hale is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorneys Devra Hake and Alex Geocaris and was investigated by the Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office and the Dubuque Drug Task Force.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-CR-01036.
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Career Offender Sentenced to over 12 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking and Firearms PossessionRead the Press Release
HOT SPRINGS – A Hot Springs man was sentenced today to 152 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release on one count of Possession with the Intent to Distribute Cocaine and one count of Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense. The Honorable Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Hot Springs.
In September, 2019, detectives with the Hot Springs Police Department conducted a controlled purchase of cocaine from Bobby Nutt. The next day, Nutt reported to his parole officer for an office visit. During his parole visit, Nutt’s vehicle was searched and approximately 148 grams of cocaine was seized as well as a loaded Glock pistol with a round in the chamber.
Due to the nature of Nutt’s prior felony convictions, he was sentenced as a Career Offender.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes made the announcement.
The Hot Springs Police Department and the ATF investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Harris prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website at www.pacer.gov.
Canadian man sentenced to federal prison for trafficking stolen identities on the dark webRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Slava Dmitriev has been sentenced for access device fraud in connection with his possession and sale of over seventeen hundred stolen identities on the dark web. Dmitriev, a Canadian citizen, was arrested while on vacation in Greece in September 2020 and extradited to the United States in January 2021.
“This defendant profited off buying and selling people’s stolen identities, including victims in this district,” said U.S. Attorney Kurt R. Erskine. “As a result of the diligence of federal agents coupled with valuable cooperation of Greek law enforcement, Dmitriev was arrested, extradited, and is now sentenced to federal prison.”
“Dmitriev stole the identities of hard-working citizens of the United States and thought he was safe from prosecution while overseas,” said Phil Wislar, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “This sentence will serve as a reminder that the FBI will always work diligently with International Law Enforcement partners to bring justice to citizens who have been victimized.”
According to U.S. Attorney Erskine, the charges and other information presented in court: Dmitriev used the moniker “GoldenAce” to buy and sell stolen identities, including social security numbers, on the darknet marketplace AlphaBay. From May 2016 through July 2017, Dmitriev sold 1,764 items on AlphaBay for approximately $100,000. The vast majority of these items were stolen identities, including names, dates of birth, social security numbers, and other personally identifiable information. There were at least five victims residing in the Northern District of Georgia.
Dmitriev also collaborated with the cyber-extortionist group “the Dark Overlord” (“TDO”), including:
- On June 16, 2016, Dmitriev sent TDO access credentials for a New York dentist that Dmitriev had purchased on a criminal marketplace. The dentist was subsequently breached and extorted by TDO.
- On July 11, 2016, Dmitriev received a spreadsheet from TDO containing approximately 200,000 stolen identities.
- On May 24, 2017, Dmitriev sold information stolen by TDO that contained the identity of a victim living in La Quinta, California.
On September 8, 2020, Dmitriev was arrested while traveling in Greece. The following day, Greek authorities executed a search warrant on the residence where Dmitriev was staying and located a computer containing emails discussing the buying and selling of identities and social security numbers, as well as a video about how to perpetrate identify theft.
Slava Dmitriev, 29, of Vaughn, Ontario, Canada has been sentenced to three years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Dmitriev pleaded guilty on August 30, 2021 to the charge of fraud and related activity in connection with access devices.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with valuable assistance provided by the Hellenic (Greek National) Police, Naxos Public Prosecutor's Office, and the Ministry of Justice Directorate of Special Legal Affairs.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Herskowitz, Chief of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section, and Nathan Kitchens, Chief of the Public Integrity and Special Matters Section, prosecuted the case. Valuable assistance was also provided by the Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Computer Crimes and Intellectual Property Section and Office of International Affairs.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Canadian Man Charged with Production of Child Pornography and Extortion in Relation to Five Minor VictimsRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Muhammad Luqman Rana, age 32, of City of Vaughan, Ontario, for the federal charges of production of child pornography and extortion by threat to injure the reputation of another. The indictment was returned on December 11, 2019 and unsealed yesterday upon his extradition from Canada.
The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Chief Mark Saunders of the Toronto Police Services (Canada).
According to the 10-count indictment, from June 2014 to June 2016 Rana persuaded, induced, and coerced five minor victims, residing in Maryland, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Washington and New York, to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography and extorted the victims by threatening to injure their reputation.
Rana is made his initial appearance in the U.S. District Court in Baltimore today before U.S. Magistrate Judge David Copperthite and is detained pending trial.
If convicted, Rana faces a minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison for production of child pornography and up to two years of imprisonment for extortion by threat to injure the reputation of another. The maximum statutory penalty for all of the charged conduct is 160 years in federal prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "Resources" tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron and Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. commended the FBI and the Toronto Police Services for their work in the investigation. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Canada to secure the arrest of Rana in Canada and his extradition to the United States. Mr. Barron and Mr. Polite thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph R. Baldwin and Jennifer Leonardo of the Justice Department’s Criminal Child Exploitation and Obscenity Unit, who are prosecuting the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Canadian Man Charged with Production of Child Pornography and Extortion in Relation to Five Minor VictimsRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Maryland returned an indictment in December 2019, which was unsealed today, charging a Canadian man with production of child pornography and extortion.
According to court documents, Muhammad Luqman Rana, 32, of Vaughan, Ontario, from June 2014 to June 2016, persuaded, induced, and coerced five minor victims, residing in Maryland, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Washington, and New York, to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography and extorted the victims by threatening to injure their reputation.
Rana is charged with five counts of production of child pornography and five counts of extortion by threat to injure the reputation of another. If convicted of all counts, Rana faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of 160 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Rana made his initial appearance in the U.S. District Court in Baltimore today before U.S. Magistrate Judge A. David Copperthite.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office; and Chief Mark Saunders of the Toronto Police Services made the announcement.
The FBI and the Toronto Police Services are investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Canada to secure the arrest of Rana in Canada and his extradition to the United States.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph R. Baldwin for the District of Maryland and Senior Trial Attorney Jennifer Toritto Leonardo of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
CEO of Major Online Cryptocurrency Exchange Company Indicted for Defrauding Company’s Customers, Destroying Evidence, and Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – A 17-count indictment was unsealed in federal court in Miami, Florida charging Paul E. Vernon, 48, the founder, operator, and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Project Investors Inc., doing business as Cryptsy, with criminal violations for his involvement in a sophisticated theft scheme involving his cryptocurrency exchange. The charges include tax evasion, wire fraud, money laundering, computer fraud, tampering with records, documents, and other objects, and destruction of records in a federal investigation.
According to the Indictment, Paul E. Vernon solicited and caused cryptocurrency investors to trust the safety of Cryptsy, an online cryptocurrency exchange company, for storing and trading their virtual currency. Vernon exercised control over cryptocurrencies deposited on the Cryptsy website. Between May 2013 through May 2015, Vernon used his control over Cryptsy’s accounts, known as wallets, to steal over one million dollars from Cryptsy’s cryptocurrency wallets. Once Vernon stole his customers' funds from Cryptsy’s wallets, he deposited the funds into a personal cryptocurrency wallet and then transferred the same funds into his personal bank account. At no time during this time period did Vernon disclose this theft of his customers’ funds from his customers’ Cryptsy wallets.
On about July 29, 2014, Vernon informed Cryptsy employees that Cryptsy had been hacked by an unidentified party, and that the hacker had stolen more than five million dollars’ worth of bitcoins and other cryptocurrency from Cryptsy. For six months following this disclosure to his employees, Vernon continued to operate Cryptsy, including soliciting new customers, without disclosing to his customers that the website's security had been compromised. In or around November of 2015, Vernon abruptly moved to China and, shortly thereafter, publicly reported to Cryptsy customers the 2014 hack of the Cryptsy wallets and loss of bitcoins and other cryptocurrency. In April 2016, after being notified that Cryptsy was in receivership, Vernon hacked into Cryptsy servers from a remote location, stole Cryptsy’s database containing customers’ funds, and destroyed the customer database to conceal his illicit activity.
The Indictment further alleges that Vernon attempted to evade his federal income tax obligations for 2014 and 2015. In each of 2014 and 2015, Vernon caused to be filed false and fraudulent U.S. individual income tax returns in which he underreported the tax due and owing to the United States. Based on his actual taxable income in 2014 and 2015, Vernon’s tax due and owing to the United States was substantially more in each of these years than the amounts reported to the United States.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Matthew D. Line, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Miami Field Office, and George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the IRS-CI and FBI’s Miami Field Office, with assistance from the United States Secret Service’s Miami Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brooke Watson is prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daren Grove is handling asset forfeiture.
Charges contained in an indictment are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If you were a Cryptsy.com customer and would like to file a complaint, please visit www.IC3.gov. Please reference “Cryptsy” in your complaint.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 19-cr-20509.
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Casper Man Pleads Guilty to Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Bob Murray announced today that DANIEL HENDRICKS, 33, of Casper, Wyoming pleaded guilty to four counts of production of child pornography. Hendricks appeared for a change of plea hearing before Chief United States Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on January 13, 2022. Sentencing has been set for April 7, 2022.
Hendricks faces 15 to 120 years of imprisonment and 5 years to life of supervised release. He could also be ordered to pay a $5,000 special assessment pursuant to the Victims of Sex Trafficking Act of 2015 and a $100 special assessment on each count. In addition, he could pay up to $50,000 in special assessments and mandatory restitution of not less than $3,000 per requesting victim pursuant to the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act of 2018.
This crime was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Christyne M. Martens is prosecuting the case.
Case No. 21-cr-00133-SWS
Bridgeport Man Sentenced to More Than 3 Years n Federal Prison for Gang-Related Drug SalesRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ANTHONY GILCHRIST, 32, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 37 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing heroin and fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the FBI, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service and Bridgeport Police have been investigating multiple Bridgeport-based gangs, including the “Greene Homes Boyz” (“GHB/Hotz”), a gang based in the Charles F. Greene Homes Housing Complex in Bridgeport’s North End, whose members and associates distributed heroin, crack cocaine, marijuana and Percocet pills; committed numerous acts of violence against rival gang members and other individuals, and celebrated their criminal conduct on social media websites such as Facebook and YouTube. GHB/Hotz members and associates also committed acts of intimidation and made threats to deter potential witnesses to their crimes and to protect gang members and associates from detection and prosecution by law enforcement authorities.
In January and February 2020, investigators made controlled purchases of a mixture of heroin and fentanyl from Gilchrist at the Greene Homes Housing Complex. Gilchrist was a member or associate of GHB/Hotz who had recently been released from state custody after receiving a 15-year jail sentence, suspended after eight years, for selling narcotics.
Gilchrist was arrested on March 13, 2020. On November 20, 2020, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl.
This ongoing investigation is being conducted by ATF, the FBI’s Safe Streets and Violent Crimes Task Forces, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Bridgeport Police Department, Connecticut State Police and the Bridgeport State’s Attorney’s Office, with the assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory and the Naugatuck Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys, Rahul Kale, Jocelyn C. Kaoutzanis, Karen L. Peck and Stephanie T. Levick.
This prosecution is a part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), Project Longevity and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programs.
PSN is 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.
Project Longevity is a comprehensive initiative to reduce gun violence in Connecticut’s major cities. Through Project Longevity, community members and law enforcement directly engage with members of groups that are prone to commit violence and deliver a community message against violence, a law enforcement message about the consequences of further violence and an offer of help for those who want it. If a group member elects to engage in gun violence, the focused attention of federal, state and local law enforcement will be directed at that entire group.
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.
Bridgeport Gang Member Sentenced to More Than 24 Years for Racketeering and Witness Tampering OffensesRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that SHAKALE BRANTLEY, also known as “Charlie Wilson,” “Kellz,” and “Man Man,” 22, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 292 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for racketeering and witness tampering offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the FBI, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service and Bridgeport Police have been investigating multiple Bridgeport-based gangs whose members are involved in narcotics trafficking, murder and other acts of violence. Brantley was a member of the Original North End (“O.N.E.”), a gang based in the Trumbull Gardens area of Bridgeport that committed acts of violence against rival gang, including the East End gang, the East Side gang, and the PT Barnum gang. O.N.E. members also robbed drug dealers, sold narcotics, laundered narcotics proceeds, stole cars from inside and outside Connecticut and used them to commit crimes, and tampered with witnesses who might testify against them.
On August 8, 2018, Brantley and other O.N.E. members stole a white Jeep Grand Cherokee in Newburgh, New York, and drove it back to Bridgeport. In the following days, Brantley conspired to use the car to kill East End gang members and their allies who Brantley had learned through social media were at a deli on Stratford Avenue in Bridgeport. Although that plan fell through, in the early morning hours of August 13, 2018, O.N.E. members drove the stolen Jeep to Union Avenue in Bridgeport where they shot and killed Len Smith, 25, who they mistook for a rival East End group member, and shot and seriously wounded Smith’s female companion, both of whom were seated in a parked car. After the shooting, Brantley and other O.N.E. members transported the Jeep to Indian Wells State Park in Shelton where they burned the vehicle in an effort to destroy evidence of the murder.
In October 2018 in Bridgeport, and in November 2018 in Stratford, Brantley and other O.N.E. members and associates attacked a marijuana dealer and stole marijuana from him. After Brantley was arrested on federal charges on March 23, 2020, and while he was incarcerated, he attempted to solicit others to kill the victim of the marijuana robberies, who Brantley had learned had become a federal witness, in order to prevent Brantley’s prosecution for those offenses. Specifically, Brantley reached out by prison call to associates and by letters addressed to those associates in an effort to have his associates kill the robbery victim and then cover his nose with fentanyl to make it appear as if he overdosed.
On July 12, 2021, Brantley pleaded guilty to one count of engaging in a pattern of racketeering activity and one count of solicitation of witness tampering.
This ongoing investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s Safe Streets and Violent Crimes Task Forces, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Bridgeport Police Department, Connecticut State Police and the Bridgeport State’s Attorney’s Office, with the assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory and the Waterbury Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rahul Kale, Jocelyn C. Kaoutzanis, Karen L. Peck and Stephanie T. Levick.
This prosecution is a part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), Project Longevity and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programs.
PSN is 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.
Project Longevity is a comprehensive initiative to reduce gun violence in Connecticut’s major cities. Through Project Longevity, community members and law enforcement directly engage with members of groups that are prone to commit violence and deliver a community message against violence, a law enforcement message about the consequences of further violence and an offer of help for those who want it. If a group member elects to engage in gun violence, the focused attention of federal, state and local law enforcement will be directed at that entire group.
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.
Bartonsville Man Indicted for Pandemic Loan FraudRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on January 25, 2022, Nazim Hassam, age 70, of Bartonsville, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury on bank fraud and money laundering charges.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that Hassam applied for and received multiple loans under the federal Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) while making false statements on the applications. Hassam was indicted along with two businesses he co-owns, the Pocono Plaza Inn and Om Sri Sai, Inc., in 2019 on felony sex and drug trafficking charges. When asked whether he or the companies applying for the loans were under indictment, Hassam falsely answered, “No.” The indictment alleges that Hassam fraudulently obtained loans totaling $89,308. Hassam then conducted unlawful monetary transactions with the bulk of those funds.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean A. Camoni is prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
If convicted, Hassam faces a maximum total penalty under federal law for these offenses of 120 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Bangor Man Sentenced for Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Bangor man was sentenced today in federal court for distributing and possessing with the intent to distribute cocaine, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr., sentenced Christian Barreto, 35, of Bangor to five years imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release. Barreto pleaded guilty on June 8, 2021.
According to court records, on July 14, 2020, Barreto distributed over 187 grams of cocaine to a law enforcement informant. On July 28, 2020, agents executed a search warrant at his residence in Holden where they found an additional 166 grams of the cocaine, $1,635 in cash, several cellular telephones and a handgun. The investigation revealed that over the course of two-and-a-half years, Barreto sold nearly 14 pounds of cocaine in Penobscot County.
The case was investigated by the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Holden Police Department and the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office.
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Baldwinsville Man Pleads Guilty to Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Richard Curtis, age 22, of Baldwinsville, New York, pled guilty yesterday to one count of receiving child pornography over the Internet.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and New York State Police Superintendent Kevin P. Bruen.
As part of his guilty plea, Curtis admitted that in September 2017 he asked an 11-year-old child to send him sexually explicit videos over Instagram. In his exchanges with the child, the defendant pretended that he was a female fashion designer looking for models.
Sentencing is scheduled for May 24, 2022, before Chief United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby. Curtis faces at least 5 years and up to 20 years in prison, and a term of supervised release of between 5 years and life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. Curtis will also be required to register as a sex offender.
This case was investigated by the FBI Syracuse Mid-State Child Exploitation Task Force, comprised of FBI Special Agents and Investigators of the New York State Police, Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) and Computer Crimes Unit (CCU), and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey J. L. Brown as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Albany Felon Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Zachary Green, age 36, of Albany, pled guilty today to illegally possessing a loaded shotgun as a felon.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and John B. DeVito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
As part of his plea, Green admitted that on September 28, 2021, he knowingly possessed a loaded shotgun in his vehicle and on his person while driving and walking on South Pearl Street in the city of Albany. A prior felony conviction for criminal possession of a weapon prevented Green from legally possessing the firearm in New York.
Green faces up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of up to 3 years when he is sentenced on May 26, 2022, by Chief United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby.
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 ATF and the Albany Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmet O’Hanlon.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
After Three-Month Federal Trial Four MS-13 Gang Members Convicted of Racketeering Conspiracy Involving Multiple MurdersRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – On January 24, 2022, a federal jury convicted Milton Portillo-Rodriguez, a/k/a “Little Gangster,” age 26; Juan Carlos Sandoval-Rodriguez, a/k/a “Picaro,” age 22; Oscar Armando Sorto Romero, a/k/a “Lobo,” age 22; and Jose Joya Parada, a/k/a “Calmado,” age 20, for a racketeering conspiracy and for racketeering, connected to their participation in La Mara Salvatrucha, a transnational criminal enterprise also known as MS-13. Portillo-Rodriguez, Sandoval-Rodriguez, and Sorto Romero were each also convicted of multiple counts of murder in aid of racketeering.
The convictions were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations, Baltimore Office; Chief Jason Lando of the Frederick City Police Department; Frederick County Sheriff Charles A. “Chuck” Jenkins; Frederick County State’s Attorney J. Charles Smith, III; Chief Amal E. Awad of the Anne Arundel County Police Department; Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess; Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department; Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy; Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department; and Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy.
“The brutal and tragic violence perpetrated by these defendants and their fellow MS-13 gang members is totally unacceptable. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Maryland and our local, state and federal partners are working together to remove these violent gang members to keep our communities safe from the threat of MS-13,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron. “We will continue to work to bring to justice these transnational gangs, and we welcome the continued support from members of our communities in order to carry on our work against MS-13.”
“These convictions mark a profound victory for the people of Maryland, who do not deserve to be intimidated by the reprehensible actions of these criminals,” said James R. Mancuso, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Baltimore. “Hopefully this prosecution and the sentences facing these defendants will deter others from joining criminal organizations. We thank all of our federal and local law enforcement partners for their hard work in making these convictions happen.”
MS-13 is a national and international gang composed primarily of immigrants or descendants from El Salvador and other central American countries. Branches or “cliques” of MS-13, one of the largest street gangs in the United States, operate throughout Frederick County, Anne Arundel County, Prince George’s County, and Montgomery County, Maryland. The defendants were members of the Fulton Locos Salvatruchas (“FLS”) and Parque Vista (“PVLS”) cliques.
The evidence at the three-month trial established that between 2015 and 2017, the defendants engaged in drug trafficking, extortion, and brutal acts of violence against suspected rivals of the gang in an effort to increase MS-13’s power in the Frederick County, Montgomery County, and Anne Arundel County areas of Maryland.
At all times of this conspiracy, members of MS-13 were expected to protect the name, reputation, and status of the gang from rival gang members and other persons. To protect the gang and to enhance its reputation, MS-13 members were expected to use any means necessary to force respect from those who showed disrespect, including acts of intimidation and violence. MS-13 had mottos consistent with its rules, beliefs, expectations and reputation including “mata, viola, controla,” which translates as, “kill, rape, control,” and “ver, oir y callar,” which means, “see nothing, hear nothing and say nothing.” One of the principal rules of MS-13 is that its members must attack and kill rivals, often referred to as “chavalas,” whenever possible.
MS-13 members are required to commit acts of violence both to maintain membership and discipline within the gang, as well as against rival gang members. Participation in criminal activity by a member, particularly in violent acts directed at rival gangs or as directed by gang leadership, increase the respect accorded to that member, resulting in that member maintaining or increasing his position in the gang, and opens the door to promotion to a leadership position.
As detailed during the trial, from 2015 through 2017, the Fulton clique of MS-13 sought to increase its presence in Frederick, Wheaton, and Annapolis, Maryland through numerous acts of violence, extortion, and drug sales. Trial evidence focused on the defendants’ participation in four grisly murders of those suspected of association with rival gang members carried out in 2017. First, on March 31, 2017, the gang lured a 17-year old from Annapolis to Wheaton Regional Park, where they stabbed him over 100 times, dismembered him, removed his heart, and buried him in a clandestine grave. Two days later, the gang kidnapped another individual from Silver Spring, Maryland and brought him to a wooded area in Frederick, where he was killed with knives and machetes before being buried in a shallow grave. On June 24, 2017, the gang used a female associate to lure a 21-year old woman into a car and then took her to a wooded area in Crownsville, where she was killed, her body was dismembered, and she was buried in a clandestine grave. Finally, on August 5, 2017, the gang lured another victim to Quiet Waters Park in Annapolis, where he was hit in the head with a hammer and slashed with a machete until he died. He was also buried in a grave in the park.
According to trial evidence, these murders were all intended to maintain and increase the status of MS-13, as well as allow individual MS-13 members to maintain or increase their status within the gang.
As a result of this guilty verdict, more than 30 defendants have been convicted in this and a related case.
Portillo-Rodriguez, Sandoval-Rodriguez, and Sorto Romero each face a mandatory sentence of life in prison for each of the murder in aid of racketeering charges. Joya Parada faces a maximum sentenced of life in prison for the racketeering conspiracy and for racketeering. Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar has scheduled sentencing for Joya Parada for April 8, 2022, at 10 a.m.; Sandoval Rodriguez for April 22, 2022, at 4 p.m.; Sorto Romero for May 6, 2022, at 10 a.m.; and Portillo Rodriguez for May 13, 2022, at 10 a.m.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case is an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Anyone with information about MS-13 is encouraged to provide their tips to law enforcement. The FBI and Homeland Security Investigations both have nationwide tiplines that you can call to report what you know. You can reach the FBI at 1-866-STP-MS13 (1-866-787-6713), or you can call HSI at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI; HSI; the Frederick Police Department; the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office; the Anne Arundel, Montgomery, and Prince George’s County Police Departments; and the Anne Arundel, Frederick, Montgomery, and Prince George’s County State’s Attorneys for their work in the investigation, and the Baltimore County Police Department for its assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth S. Clark, Zachary Stendig, and Anatoly Smolkin, who are prosecuting this case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Tuesday 25 January 2022
Westville Man Sentenced to 300 Months of ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
HAMMOND-Josiah Phillips, 34, of Westville, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon following his guilty plea to two counts of production of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Phillips was sentenced to 300 months in prison, 10 years of supervised release and ordered to pay $27,000 in restitution.
According to documents filed in the case, in 2019 and 2020, Phillips produced videos of himself engaging in sexual acts with victims under the age of five.
This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Chang.
Webster Man Going to Prison on Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Cody Fingland, 23, of Webster, NY, who was convicted of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, was sentenced to serve 84 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn M. Hartford, who handled the case, stated that on February 22, 2021, law enforcement officers observed Fingland sell marijuana and THC vape cartridges to another person in exchange for cash. Subsequently, officers conducted a search of a residence on South Clinton Avenue where Fingland had been staying. During the search, officers recovered 30 grams of cocaine, 572 grams of marijuana packaged for sale, 83 oxycodone pills, a scale, a loaded 22-gauge shotgun, and a box of additional ammunition. Fingland maintained the residence to prepare, manufacture, package, sell, and store controlled substances. Also on February 22, 2021, officers searched a residence on Whiting Road in Webster, NY, where Fingland had previously lived with his parents, and recovered 11 kilograms of marijuana, various THC products packaged for sale, 85 clonazepam pills, and a scale. In addition, on December 4, 2020, law enforcement intercepted two packages containing marijuana intended for Fingland.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Timothy Foley, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Barry Chase, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter, and the Webster Police Department, under the direction of Chief Dennis Kohlmeier.
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Webster City Man Sentenced to over 10 Years Federal Prison for Meth OffenseRead the Press Release
A man who possessed with intent to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced January 24, 2022, in federal court in Sioux City.
On August 23, 2021, Joshua Boice, 35, from Webster City, Iowa, pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
On March 7, 2020, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of Boice for suspected driving while impaired. Boice admitted using methamphetamine and marijuana before work that day, and to possessing needles used to inject methamphetamine. During a subsequent search, law enforcement seized methamphetamine, marijuana, drug paraphernalia, pills, and needles. On October 18, 2020, law enforcement conducted another traffic stop of Boice in Ames, Iowa. Law enforcement discovered drug paraphernalia, approximately $4,700 cash, a firearm, and methamphetamine. In total, Boice possessed with intent to distribute approximately 2 pounds of meth.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Boice was sentenced to 128 months 16 days imprisonment and must serve a 5-year term of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Boice remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Iowa State Patrol, Webster City Police Department, Iowa State University Police Department, and Iowa DCI Laboratory.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-3048. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Utica Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Civil Rights Violation FelonyRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Matthew Felitto, age 37, of Utica, New York, pled guilty today to violating the constitutionally protected right of an arrestee to be free from excessive force by a law enforcement officer. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
As part of his guilty plea today, Felitto admitted that on September 4, 2020, while working as a police officer for the Utica Police Department, he arrived on the scene of an arrest to assist in transporting the arrested individual to the station. The arrestee was handcuffed behind his back and in leg shackles when Felitto arrived, because the arrestee had been refusing to comply with the commands of other officers already on-scene. Felitto helped those officers place the arrestee in the back of a police van. Once the arrestee was lying on the floor of the van face up and restrained, Felitto kicked him several times in the face and upper chest while wearing work boots. The kicks were without legal justification and were made with sufficient force to cause the arrestee pain and a bruised/swollen lip.
Pursuant to the terms of the plea agreement, Felitto was required to, and did, resign from the Utica Police Department effective immediately. Sentencing is scheduled for May 25, 2022. If the Court accepts the parties’ plea agreement, the defendant will receive a sentence of probation for a term and under conditions set by the Court, and a fine of $7,500. As a felon, Felitto will also be prohibited from owning or possessing a firearm.
“My office is committed to holding police officers accountable when they violate the constitutional rights of the citizens they are sworn to serve, even those under arrest,” said United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman. “Police officers routinely respond to high-stress and high-stakes situations, and they regularly handle those responsibilities with professionalism and poise, but when an officer uses excessive force and violates the civil rights of others, we will pursue those cases aggressively.”
“Law enforcement officers are given incredible power to enforce the law and ensure justice. The privilege of wearing a badge does not come with the authority to violate the Constitution or the rights of the very people they have taken an oath to protect. The FBI will continue to work with our partners to hold accountable law enforcement officers who break the law and tarnish the reputation of the many dedicated, honest, and hard-working officers who serve their communities every day,” said Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
This case was investigated by the FBI, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael D. Gadarian and Michael F. Perry with the assistance of the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice.
Top Member of Chester “3rd Bone” Drug Gang Sentenced to 12 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Dwayne Butler, 27, of Chester, PA, was sentenced to 12 years in prison, five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $4,000 special assessment by United States District Court Chief Judge Juan R. Sanchez for his role as one the most prolific members of the “3rd Bone” drug trafficking group, a violent street gang that sold large amounts of crack, cocaine, and heroin in downtown Chester.
In October 2019, Butler and nearly two dozen others were arrested pursuant to parallel Indictments of rival drug gangs operating in and around Chester: “3rd Bone,” which held power in the area of 3rd and Lamokin Streets; and their rivals, “William Penn,” which controlled the territory surrounding the Chester Housing Authority’s William Penn Homes.
Butler and 12 of his “3rd Bone” co-conspirators were charged in a 70-count Indictment alleging conspiracy to distribute crack, cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin (one count); distribution and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances (57 counts); unlawful use of a communications facility in furtherance of a drug felony (five counts); possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime (three counts); felon in possession of a firearm (two counts); and aiding and abetting. In September 2021, Butler pleaded guilty to more than 35 drug-related counts, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a felon.
Earlier this year, another “3rd Bone” defendant, Jamel Covington, 31, also of Chester, was sentenced to 10 years in prison, four years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $500 special assessment. Covington pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and firearms offenses, including maintaining a small arsenal of semiautomatic weapons and bulk amounts of crack and fentanyl in a storage facility rented in his name.
“The defendant and his co-conspirators in 3rd Bone, together with the defendants in the William Penn gang, terrorized the Chester community for years with their drug dealing and associated violence,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “Butler dealt dangerous narcotics and illegally possessed weapons to further his drug-dealing business, and for that he will now spend more than a decade in prison. Thanks to the efforts of investigators at the FBI and DEA, the 3rd Bone and William Penn drug operations have been permanently shut down, making the streets safer and improving the quality of life for the Chester community.”
“For years, Butler and his fellow gang members terrorized the hard-working residents of Chester – and he now will pay the price for his crimes. The FBI and its law enforcement partners will never stop working to make our communities safer and free from violent crime,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Jacqueline Maguire
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The case was investigated jointly by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), working closely the Chester City Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Meaghan A. Flannery and Matthew T. Newcomer.
Texan admits to smuggling people in coffinRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 33-year-old Galveston man has entered a guilty plea to attempting to smuggle individuals in a flag-draped coffin, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Zachary Taylor Blood admitted to one count of alien smuggling.
On Oct. 26, 2021, Blood drove a grey van modified to transport caskets into the primary inspection lane of the Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint near Falfurrias.
Authorities observed a coffin in the back of the van and asked what he was transporting. He replied “Dead guy, Navy guy.” However, the coffin was in poor condition and the American flag was taped to the top with packing tape.
Law enforcement then referred him to secondary inspection. There, they discovered two Mexican nationals, both unlawfully present within the United States, concealed inside the coffin.
The two men admitted to paying a smuggler to get them to San Antonio. They claimed that after crossing the river into the United States, they were taken to a parking lot where Blood was waiting for them. He had them get into the coffin and began driving north.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos will impose sentencing May 11. At that time, Blood faces up to five years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
BP conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert D. Thorpe Jr. is prosecuting the case.
Santa Fe duo appears in court on firearm and drug trafficking chargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Werni Lopez-Perez, 25, and Mario Guizar-Anchondo, 19, both of Santa Fe, New Mexico, made an initial appearance in federal court today, facing charges of conspiracy, possession with the intent to distribute 400 grams and more of fentanyl, possession with the intent to distribute 500 grams and more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. They will remain in custody pending an arraignment and detention hearing scheduled for Jan. 27.
Lopez-Perez and Guizar-Anchondo were indicted on Jan. 11. According to the indictment and other court records, on Dec. 30, 2021, Guizar-Anchondo allegedly was driving and Lopez-Perez allegedly was a passenger in a pickup truck when Santa Fe police performed a traffic stop for nonfunctioning tail lights. Neither Guizar-Anchondo nor Lopez-Perez had a valid driver license and the officer informed them the truck would be impounded. During a subsequent search of the truck, investigators allegedly recovered approximately 1,730.7 grams of methamphetamine, approximately 3,401.5 grams of fentanyl, five loaded firearms, and $5,563 in cash.
An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted on the drug charges, Lopez-Perez and Guizar-Anchondo face a minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison. If convicted on the firearm charge, they would face a consecutive 5 years and up to life in prison.
The Santa Fe Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Santa Fe Police Department, New Mexico State Police and Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Louis Mattei is prosecuting the case.
San Jose Man Sentenced to More Than 16 Years Following Jury Convictions for Meth Trafficking and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Armando Daniel Calderon was sentenced today in United States District Court to 198 months in federal prison following convictions for two counts of methamphetamine trafficking, one count of conspiracy to traffic methamphetamine, and one count of carrying a firearm during drug trafficking, announced United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Wade R. Shannon. The sentence was handed down by Senior United States District Judge William Alsup.
On June 23, 2021, a federal jury convicted Calderon, 35, most recently from San Jose, of the following four counts:- possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(A), on August 20, 2018;
- carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c), on August 20, 2018;
- conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 846, during the month of September 2018; and
- possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(A), on September 25, 2018.
According to evidence presented at trial, on August 20, 2018, San Jose State University Police Department officers stopped Calderon’s pickup truck in the vicinity of Keyes Street and South 3rd Street in San Jose. Calderon was the driver and sole occupant. Police officers learned that Calderon had multiple outstanding arrest warrants and took him into custody. Upon arrest, officers discovered $5,363 in cash and six .40 caliber bullets in Calderon’s pants pockets. Inside the truck, officers found three bags. One bag contained methamphetamine and .40 caliber ammunition. The second contained methamphetamine. The third contained a high-capacity pistol magazine loaded with 18 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition. Officers also discovered a .40 caliber pistol loaded with nine rounds of .40 caliber ammunition next to the driver’s seat.
In total, police recovered approximately 1.83 pounds of methamphetamine from Calderon’s truck.
Further evidence presented at trial showed that in September 2018 – just weeks after the traffic stop – Calderon conspired to distribute a large quantity of methamphetamine. In that month, Calderon repeatedly spoke on the phone and met in the San Mateo area with a prospective buyer to negotiate the sale of 15 kilograms (33 pounds) of methamphetamine. The negotiations settled on a price of $4,700 per kilogram of methamphetamine, for a total price of $70,500 for 15 kilograms. During the negotiations, Calderon guaranteed the quality of the methamphetamine for the buyer and agreed to exchange it for other methamphetamine if the buyer was dissatisfied.On September 25, 2018, Calderon met with the buyer early in the day and agreed to deliver the methamphetamine to the parking lot of a Menlo Park shopping center. Later in the day, Calderon and two others were arrested near that shopping center. Calderon fled on foot when officers approached but was apprehended. Law enforcement seized 989 grams (more than two pounds) of pure methamphetamine at that arrest scene. During their search of a nearby stash house connected to Calderon, agents recovered an additional 6,492 grams (more than 14 pounds) of pure methamphetamine as well as documents bearing Calderon’s name.
Trial evidence also showed that prior to his arrest on September 25, 2018, Calderon hid methamphetamine inside a red Mustang parked outside the stash house. Law enforcement officers seized that methamphetamine too, which weighed 317 grams (more than two-thirds of a pound).In a memorandum filed for sentencing, the government pointed out that Calderon exhibited dangerousness during his encounters with police in August and September of 2018. During the August 20th traffic stop by San Jose University police officers, Calderon had a loaded firearm wedged between his driver’s seat and the truck’s center console. During a September 11th traffic stop by law enforcement in San Mateo County, Calderon fled the scene and left behind a privately-made firearm without a serial number, also known as a “ghost gun.” At his September 25th arrest, Calderon again fled on foot. When apprehended, Calderon struggled with the officers, got his hands on an officer’s gun, and pointed the gun at officers before they overcame Calderon and placed him in handcuffs.
In addition to imposing a 198 month prison term, Judge William Alsup sentenced Calderon to five years of supervision following his release from prison. Calderon has been in custody since his September 25, 2018 arrest. His sentence begins immediately.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erin Cornell and Sloan Heffron prosecuted the case with the assistance of Patricia Mahoney, Andy Ding, Hector Lopez, and Madeline Wachs. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by DEA, the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office, the San Mateo County Narcotics Task Force, and the San Jose State University Police Department.This investigation and prosecution are part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”), which 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.
Rochester Meth Trafficker Going to PrisonRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Joseph Marchione, 51, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, was sentenced to serve 72 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. McGrath, who handled the case, stated that on January 5, 2021, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officers in Anchorage, Alaska, intercepted a FedEx parcel originating from China and addressed to Joseph Marchione, which contained approximately eight kilograms of 1,4 butanediol (BD), a controlled substance analogue of Gamma Hydroxybutyric Acid (GHB). Homeland Security Investigations conducted a controlled delivery of the parcel to Marchione’s apartment in Rochester on January 21, 2021. After Marchione accepted the package, agents entered the residence and executed a search warrant. During the search, they seized 225 grams of methamphetamine, approximately 1,327 grams of Gamma-butyrolactone (GBL), which is also similar to GHB, digital scales, new and unused plastic baggies, numerous new and unused glass vials, and approximately $19,400.00 in cash. Marchione was taken into custody.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino, the United States Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector-in-Charge Ketty Larco-Ward, Boston Division, and the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Interim Chief David Smith.
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Portland Man Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud After Stealing Covid-Relief FundsRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Portland man pleaded guilty today for perpetrating a scheme to steal funds intended to help small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Benjamin Tifekchian, 47, pleaded guilty to bank fraud.
According to court documents, in May 2019, Tifekchian incorporated Bencho Jewelry Inc. (Bencho) in the State of Oregon and served as the company’s sole owner and officer. Bencho never had any employees and never generated more than $500 in revenue in any calendar year.
After Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act in March 2020 to provide emergency financial assistance to millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Tifekchian devised and perpetrated a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration (SBA) by fraudulently applying for CARES Act-authorized Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans on behalf of Bencho.
In EIDL applications submitted to SBA in April and August 2020, Tifekchian falsely claimed Bencho had generated as much as $758,000 in revenue, had been operating for 20 years, and employed 12 people. SBA denied both applications. In June 2020, Tifekchian successfully obtained more than $884,000 in PPP funding after falsely claiming Bencho employed 78 people and had an average monthly payroll of $353,698. SBA guaranteed the loan and paid Bank of America, the FDIC-insured loan issuer, more than $26,000 in fees.
Tifekchian used the PPP loan to pay for gambling, vacations, and other personal expenses. Suspecting fraud, Bank of America froze the loan funds, but only after Tifekchian had spent more than $68,000.
On July 13, 2021, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a two-count indictment charging Tifekchian with bank fraud and wire fraud.
Tifekchian faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine and five years’ supervised release. With his continued acceptance of responsibility, the government will recommend Tifekchian be sentenced to at least 21 months in prison. Tifekchian will be sentenced on April 18, 2022, before U.S. District Court Judge Karin J. Immergut.
As part of the plea agreement, Tifekchian has agreed to pay $910,773.35 in restitution, including $26,527 to SBA.
U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug of the District of Oregon made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), the SBA Office of Inspector General, and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan W. Bounds is prosecuting the case.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Portland Man Affiliated with Two Local Street Gangs Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegal Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Portland man affiliated with the Hoover Criminal Gang and Krude Rude Brood was sentenced to federal prison today for illegally possessing a short-barrel shotgun as a convicted felon.
Christopher Raymond Fox-Southard, 23, was sentenced to 40 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release.
In March 2021, Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office deputies attempted to stop a stolen vehicle driving recklessly, when the driver fled at a high rate of speed. Fox-Southard was a passenger in the vehicle along with three other Brood associates. Deputies eventually found the vehicle unoccupied and located Fox-Southard in a nearby parking lot. While searching the area, deputies found a stolen, short-barreled shotgun abandoned in a stairwell. Video surveillance footage of the area later reviewed by the deputies showed Fox-Southard walk away from the abandoned vehicle, remove his backpack and jacket, take out the shotgun, and discard it in the stairwell.
On May 11, 2021, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a two-count indictment charging Fox-Southard with felon in possession of a firearm and possession of an unregistered firearm. On November 2, 2021, he pleaded guilty to the former charge.
U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug of the District of Oregon made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI. It was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon with assistance from the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office. Today’s sentencing is part of a global resolution of Fox-Southard’s federal and state criminal cases.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is 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.
Political Consultant Admits Role in Murder for Hire SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A New Jersey-based political consultant today admitted hiring two men to kill a longtime associate who had worked for him on various political campaigns, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Sean Caddle, 44, of Hamburg, New Jersey, pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge John Michael Vazquez to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit murder for hire. Judge Vazquez allowed Caddle to remain out on $1 million unsecured bond, home detention with electronic monitoring and travel restrictions.
“This was a callous and violent crime, and this defendant is as responsible as the two men who wielded the knife,” U.S. Attorney Sellinger said. “There is no more serious crime than the taking of another person’s life. The defendant has admitted arranging and paying for a murder by two other people. His admission of guilt means he will now pay for his crime.”
“Today’s guilty plea will bring some sense of closure to the victim’s family who have been left to wonder – for nearly eight years – who murdered their loved one,” Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr. said. “This should serve as a warning to criminals and potential criminals, alike – while you are going about your life, thinking you ‘got away with it,’ the FBI is piecing together the facts that will serve as your undoing.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In April of 2014, Caddle solicited one of his conspirators (identified as “CC-1”), a Connecticut resident, to commit a murder on Caddle’s behalf in exchange for thousands of dollars. CC-1 then recruited a longtime accomplice from Philadelphia (identified as “CC-2”), to join the plot.
On May 22, 2014, CC-1 and CC-2 traveled from out of state to the victim’s apartment in Jersey City. After entering the apartment, CC-1 and CC-2 stabbed the victim to death and then CC-1 set fire to the victim’s apartment.
After Caddle learned the following day that the victim had been murdered, he met CC-1 in the parking lot of a diner in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Caddle paid CC-1 thousands of dollars in exchange for the murder, and CC-1 shared a portion of those proceeds with CC-2.
Caddle faces a maximum potential penalty of life imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for June 7, 2022.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr. in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office for its assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee M. Cortes Jr., Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Health Care Fraud Unit, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Farrell, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Cybercrime Unit.
Pittsburgh Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Distributing Child Sex Assault ImagesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 10 years (120 months) in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release on his conviction of distribution of material depicting the sexual exploitation of children, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan imposed the sentence on George Goodwin, 50, of the city’s North Point Breeze neighborhood.
According to information presented to the court, Goodwin distributed videos of prepubescent children engaged in sexual activity with adults over the social networking service MeWe. After law enforcement agents learned of the distribution, they executed search warrants on Goodwin’s residence and phone, where they found a large and disturbing collection of child pornography, as well as online chats in which Goodwin distributed the videos. The collection included prepubescent children, sadistic and masochistic abuse and in excess of 600 images.
Assistant United States Attorney Lee J. Karl prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Chung commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Allegheny County Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Goodwin.
Peoria Man Charged with Host of Felony Offenses in Bank Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – A grand jury indicted Chad D. Campen, 32, of the 6100 block of Pfeiffer Road, in Peoria, Illinois on January 19, 2022, with 17 felony counts related to a bank fraud scheme. Campen was arrested on January 24, 2022, and appeared in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Jonathan E. Hawley at the federal courthouse in Peoria today for an initial appearance.
The indictment, which was unsealed at the hearing, charged Campen with five counts of bank fraud; eight counts of wire fraud; two counts of illegal monetary transaction; one count of bankruptcy fraud; and one count of false statements under oath. The indictment alleges that beginning as early as January 2013, Campen engaged in a scheme to defraud in which he made a number of false and fraudulent statements to banks and others. Specifically, the indictment alleges that he obtained funds by falsely claiming his success in multiple business ventures and falsely representing to others the amount of land he was farming, that he sold agricultural inputs, that he had substantial amounts of grain stored, his assets, and his overall financial status.
At today’s initial appearance, the government requested that Campen be detained pending trial. Magistrate Judge Hawley issued a temporary order of detention for Campen pending a detention hearing that is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. on January 26, 2022.
If convicted, the maximum statutory penalties for the alleged crimes charged are:
- Bank Fraud, Counts 1-5: up to thirty years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 5 years of supervised release for each count;
- Wire Fraud, Counts 6-13: up to twenty years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years supervised release for each count;
- Illegal Monetary Transaction, Counts 14-15: up to 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine (or twice the amount of the criminally derived property), and 3 years of supervised release for each count; and
- Bankruptcy Fraud and False Statement Under Oath, Counts 16-17: up to 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years supervised release for each count.
Agencies participating in the investigation include the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas F. McMeyer is representing the government in the prosecution.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Owners of Florida Teacher Certification Preparation Company Sentenced to Federal Prison for Racketeering Conspiracy and Conspiracy to Commit Theft of Trade SecretsRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Kathleen M. Jasper, 43, and Jeremy M. Jasper, 41, of Estero, Florida, were sentenced today to ten months and four months in federal prison, respectively, plus six months of home confinement, after previously pleading guilty to charges of racketeering conspiracy and conspiracy to commit theft of trade secrets. The sentences were announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
“The defendants’ profiteering scheme is an insult to the dedicated public school teachers and administrators of Florida, who studied and worked hard to become certified in their professions,” said U.S. Attorney Coody. “Floridians expect and deserve to know that the public schools to which they entrust their children to learn are being led by teachers and administrators who properly earned their certifications. Today’s sentence reiterates a valuable, but basic lesson. Notably, that hard work and diligence are rewarded, but acts of theft and dishonesty, as demonstrated by these defendants, are to be punished.”
Court documents reflect since January 2016, the Jaspers, who were both certified Florida teachers, stole content and conspired with others to steal content from the Florida Teacher Certification Exams (FTCE) and the Florida Educational Leadership Exam (FELE), and included the stolen content in the test preparation materials and services that were sold through their business, NavaEd, LLC (“NavaEd”) for personal profit.
NavaEd, LLC, was a company that offered tutoring and training to prepare prospective Florida educators to successfully take and pass the FTCE and the FELE. Passage of these exams are required for certification in the state of Florida. NavaEd offered training publications for sale worldwide directly through its website and through third-party e-commerce websites such as Amazon and Shopify. Both Kathleen and Jeremy Jasper took the FTCE and FELE multiple times – after having already passed the exams – in order see and memorize, or harvest, as many different exam questions as possible. After being barred by the Florida Department of Education from taking more offerings of the FTCE and FELE, the Jaspers directed NavaEd employees and independent contractors to take the FTCE and FELE for the purpose of harvesting exam questions and answers.
“These so-called ‘educators’ knowingly and willfully preyed on the unsuspecting teachers who trusted them. The Jaspers bullied their employees into committing felonies in order to line their own pockets, and that is unacceptable,” said Reginald France, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General’s Southeastern Regional Office. “I’m proud of the work of our special agents and colleagues in holding these criminals accountable for their unlawful actions.”
The Jaspers and NavaEd customers shared the stolen FTCE and FELE test content with each other and the Jaspers republished the stolen FTCE and FELE test content – verbatim and almost verbatim – into NavaEd publications that were written to prepare future Florida teachers and school administrators for the certification exams. These publications and other NavaEd FTCE and FELE preparation materials were also disseminated and used during NavaEd training seminars and tutoring sessions.
Both defendants’ imprisonment will be followed by three years of supervised release. The court ordered both defendants to pay approximately $135,000 in restitution to the State of Florida Department of Education, and also entered a $690,879.96 forfeiture money judgment against both defendants. As part of the sentences imposed, the Court ordered the forfeiture of the NavaEd website (www.NavaEd.com), multiple electronic devices, and NavaEd publications relating to the FTCE and FELE.
This case was jointly investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the United States Department of Education – Office of Inspector General, and the Florida Department of Education, with assistance by Pearson VUE, the company with whom the Florida Department of Education contracted to administer, and provide test security for, the FTCE and FELE. Assistant United States Attorney Justin M. Keen prosecuted the case.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Orchard Park Gang Associate Pleads Guilty to Drug and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An associate of the Orchard Park gang pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to firearm and drug charges arising from his involvement in a Boston-area drug trafficking organization.
Raymond Gaines, 42, of Bridgewater, pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for Feb. 10, 2022. Gaines was arrested on June 1, 2021 and has remained in custody since then.
In April 2021, an investigation was opened into a drug trafficking organization involving Gaines. The investigation revealed that Gaines was an associate of the Orchard Park gang and that he actively sold cocaine in and around the Boston area. On June 1, 2021, Gaines was found in possession of cocaine intended for sale, as well as a Ruger .380 LCP semiautomatic handgun, loaded with one round of .380 caliber ammunition and a Glock 9mm semi-automatic handgun, along with numerous rounds of additional ammunition.
The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of possession with intent to distribute cocaine provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to life in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
First Assistant United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Boston Police Acting Commissioner Gregory Long; and Bridgewater Police Chief Christopher D. Delmonte made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Dawley of the Organized Crime and Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Novus Hospice CEO Sentenced to 13+ Years for Healthcare FraudRead the Press Release
The CEO of a local hospice agency has been sentenced to 13 years and 3 months in federal prison for defrauding Medicare and Medicaid, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Bradley J. Harris, the 39-year-old former head of Novus and Optimum Health Services, pleaded guilty last March to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and healthcare fraud. He was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge Barbara M.G. Lynn, who ordered him to pay $27,594,875.52 in restitution.
“This defendant systematically lied to federal healthcare programs, dolling out powerful pain medication without the physician oversight that Novus’ patients deserved,” said U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham. “Brad Harris allowed greed to corrupt his judgement, and he will pay dearly for it. The Northern District of Texas will not tolerate healthcare fraud.”
“Mr. Harris’ actions to steal tens of millions of dollars through fraudulent practices will now be answered by both a substantial sentence and restitution. More importantly, today’s sentence is another step in pursuit of justice for the patients and families that were deceived by Novus’ offerings and hospice services,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Matthew DeSarno. “We are proud to continue our work with our state and federal partners to hold those who commit health care fraud accountable, and to seek justice for patients that are harmed in furtherance of fraud schemes.” According to his plea papers, Mr. Harris admitted that from 2012 to 2016, he billed Medicare and Medicaid for hospice services that were not provided, that were not directed by a medical professional, or that were provided to patients who were not actually eligible for hospice care. He further admitted that he used blank, pre-signed controlled substance prescriptions to doll out potent drugs without physician input.
Mr. Harris admitted that two of his coconspirators, Dr. Mark Gibbs and Dr. Laila Hirjee, frequently certified that that his hospice patients faced terminal illnesses without actually examining with the patients in person, as required by Medicare. (A “terminal” patient is one with a life expectancy of six months or less, according to the Department of Health & Human Services.)
The doctors were paid around $150 for each false order they signed.
Mr. Harris also admitted that Dr. Gibbs, Dr. Hirjee, and another physician, Dr. Charles Leach, left him blank controlled substance prescriptions, sometimes a whole pad at a time. This allowed Mr. Harris, an accountant by trade, to “prescribe” Schedule II controlled substances to hospice beneficiaries without the guidance of a medical professional.
In plea papers, Mr. Harris admitted that in summer 2014, he realized he could avoid exceeding Medicare’s aggregate hospice cap by enrolling an influx of first-time hospice patients. So, he negotiated an agreement with a company called Express Medical that allowed him to access potential patient’s confidential medical information in return for using Express Medical for laboratory services and home health visits. His wife and other Novus staff then called on individuals that had at some point been patients of Express Medical to recruit them for Novus hospice services, regardless of whether they were eligible to receive benefits.
When the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services suspended Novus based upon credible allegations of fraud, Mr. Harris and simply transferred patients from Novus to a new company, “Company A.” Dr. Gibbs became a medical director for the “new” hospice company, which used Novus staff and transferred hospice reimbursements back to Novus, Mr. Harris admitted.
Ten of Mr. Harris’ codefendants, including Dr. Leach, also pleaded guilty. Three more, including Dr. Gibbs and Dr. Hirjee, were found guilty at trial. Dr. Gibbs was sentenced to 13 years in federal prison and ordered to pay $27,978,903 in restitution; Dr. Hirjee was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison and ordered her to pay $16,253,281 in restitution; and Dr. Leach was sentenced to more than five years in federal prison and ordered to pay $10,077,709 in restitution.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and the Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Donna Strittmatter Max and Marty Basu prosecuted the case with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen Gilstrap, Gail Hayworth, and Brian McKay.
North Carolina Man Sentenced for Trafficking FirearmsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A North Carolina man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for firearms trafficking.
Gabriel Gispert-Poe, 24, of Hope Mills, N.C., was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock to 18 months probation and was ordered to pay a fine of $1,000. On Sept. 22, 2021, Gispert-Poe pleaded guilty to one count of engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license.
At various times in 2019 and 2020, Gispert-Poe acquired firearms in North Carolina from straw buyers or other sources, and then sold these firearms to Chiweze Ihunwo at a profit. Ihunwo then transported the firearms he obtained from Gispert-Poe to Massachusetts and offered them for resale, including through social media. Gispert-Poe and Ihunwo communicated by phone regarding the proposed acquisition and subsequent resale of firearms.
On Dec. 16, 2021, Ihunwo was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to 15 months in prison and three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to trafficking firearms in August 2021.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives made the announcement. Assistance was provided by the Randolph Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Abely, Chief of Rollins’ Criminal Division, prosecuted the case
New Orleans Man Charged with Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that RENALDO RUFFIN, age 29, of New Orleans, was indicted by a federal grand jury for violations of the Federal Gun Control Act on November 12, 2021. The indictment was unsealed on January 24, 2022. Specifically, RUFFIN was charged with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1).
According to the indictment, RUFFIN possessed a Glock Model 23, .40 caliber semiautomatic handgun on or about August 30, 2020. If convicted of this charge, RUFFIN faces a maximum sentence of up to 10 years of imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to 3 years of supervised release. RUFFIN must also pay a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely an allegation and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Louisiana State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan L. Shih is in charge of the prosecution.
New Mexico Man Sentenced to Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A New Mexico man was sentenced to 156 months in prison for drug trafficking.According to court documents, in September 2021, Eric A. Estrada, 35, of Hobbs, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intention to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine.
In July 2020, the Kansas Highway Patrol pulled over two vehicles traveling together on Interstate 35 near Emporia for traffic violations. Estrada was driving a Nissan Sentra registered to the person driving the other vehicle, a Nissan Altima. In the Nissan Altima, troopers discovered approximately 15 kilograms of cocaine and 15 kilograms of methamphetamine.
The Kansas Highway Patrol and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger prosecuted the case.
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New Haven Man Sentenced to More Than 5 Years in Federal Prison for Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MICHAEL WEINSTEIN, 28, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 65 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for a federal firearm offense.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in October 2020, law enforcement observed Facebook video posts of Weinstein firing a handgun at a Connecticut shooting range, and possessing ammunition. Specifically, on October 14, 2020, he possessed .40 caliber ammunition, manufactured by Speer in Idaho, at the shooting range. A subsequent court-authorized search of Weinstein’s cellphone revealed a photo and multiple videos of Weinstein handling additional firearms.
Weinstein’s criminal history includes convictions in state court for criminal possession of a gun, conspiracy to commit robbery in the third degree, and robbery in the first degree. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
Weinstein was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on November 18, 2020. On July 23, 2021, he pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of ammunition by a felon.
Weinstein, who had been released on bond, has been detained since November 18, 2021, when he was arrested in New Haven and charged with state drug offenses.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Conor M. Reardon.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Multi-Convicted Felon Found Guilty for Possession with Intent to Distribute Crack Cocaine in TulsaRead the Press Release
A federal jury convicted a 41-year-old Muskogee man for possessing with intent to distribute crack cocaine in Tulsa, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
Michael Lamont Phillips, aka “Mike Mike,” was found guilty of possession of cocaine base with intent to distribute.
“Michael Phillips has a lengthy history of criminal conduct in northeastern Oklahoma,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “This time, he intended to deal crack cocaine in the Tulsa community and was arrested by Tulsa Police Department’s Street Crimes investigators. I am thankful they are on the job and committed to safeguarding our neighborhoods.”
On April 18, 2021, Tulsa Police Street Crimes investigators were patrolling around 4700 East Apache Street after several citizens had complained about drug and firearms offenses, gang activity, and shootings taking place in the area. While on patrol, an investigator saw a line of cars driving eastbound quickly and recklessly, including a gold Chevrolet Tahoe driven by Phillips.
The investigator stopped Phillips for speeding and driving recklessly without a seatbelt. During the stop, the investigator noted that Philips’ breath smelled like alcohol, and the officer smelled the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. He also found that Phillips had two outstanding warrants and was driving on a suspended license.
Phillips was taken into custody and a search of his vehicle was conducted for marijuana and open containers of alcohol. During the search, officers located what appeared to be crack cocaine in a natural void near the center console of the vehicle. The substance tested positive for cocaine and weighed almost 30 grams. Also located in the vehicle was an open bottle of Vodka, marijuana, and $246 in various denominations. Based on the quantity of the crack cocaine and the amount and denominations of that cash, officers concluded and testified in court there was cause to believe that Phillips possessed the crack with intent to distribute it.
Phillips was previously convicted in Muskogee County District Court of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, attempted robbery by force or fear, and intimidation of a witness in 2004. He was further convicted in federal court of two counts of possession of firearm and ammunition after former conviction of a felony in 2005. Finally, he was convicted in Tulsa Country District Court of possession of firearm after former conviction of a felony in 2014.
The FBI and Tulsa Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan H. Heatherman and Nathan M. Michel are prosecuting the case.
Monmouth County Man Sentenced to Six Months’ Home Confinement for Falsely Labeling International Shipment of Wildlife as ‘Toys’Read the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Monmouth County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to three years of probation, with six months of home confinement, for falsely labeling as “Toys” a package containing 10 live rhinoceros iguanas that was destined for Hong Kong, U.S Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Jason Ksepka, 44, of Farmingdale, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Zahid Quraishi in Trenton federal court to an information, charging him with one count of violating the Lacey Act by falsely labeling an international shipment of wildlife. Judge Quraishi imposed the sentence today by videoconference.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Nov. 7, 2017, Ksepka shipped a package via U.S. Priority Mail Express from the U.S. Post Office in Lambertville, New Jersey. The package contained 10 live rhinoceros iguanas and was destined for Hong Kong. Ksepka falsely described the contents of the package as “Toys” and the sender as “Luke Jacobs” on a U.S. Postal Service International Shipping Label and Customs Form that accompanied the package. On Nov. 8, 2017, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Inspectors intercepted the package at the mail facility at John F. Kennedy International Airport and recovered the rhinoceros iguanas from inside the package.
Ksepka was paid $500 by an individual to falsely label the package and ship it to Hong Kong. One year prior to the shipment, the same individual had paid Ksepka $500 to ship 10 additional rhinoceros iguanas to Hong Kong.
In addition to probation, Judge Quraishi ordered Ksepka refrain from engaging in the “take” of wildlife (defined by law as harassing, harming, pursuing, hunting, shooting, wounding, trapping, capturing, or collecting wildlife or attempting to engage in such conduct). He is also ordered to refrain from the import, export, transport, sale, purchase, or barter of any wildlife. Ksepka agreed, as part of his plea agreement, to pay a fine of $1,000 to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Lacey Act Reward Fund.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement, under the direction of Resident Agent in Charge Sean Mann, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen P. O’Leary of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Government Fraud Unit in Newark.
Mid-State Man Sentenced to 35 Years in Federal Prison for Child Sexual Exploitation CrimesRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – A Minor Hill, Tennessee, man was sentenced yesterday to 35 years in federal prison for crimes related to the production of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Mark H. Wildasin for the Middle District of Tennessee.
Joshua Marc Hendon, 36, and his wife, Lori Hendon, were indicted in October 2017, on charges of conspiracy to produce child pornography, nine counts of production of child pornography, and possession of child pornography.
“Protecting innocent children from sexual predators remains one of our highest priorities,” said U.S. Attorney Wildasin. “I commend our law enforcement partners and prosecutors who work diligently to identify these predators and bring them to justice so that they no longer have the opportunity to exploit any child again.”
In November 2019, Joshua Hendon pleaded guilty to all charges and admitted that in the fall of 2015, he was a registered sex offender when he and his wife moved to Minor Hill, Tennessee. There, they befriended a nearby family that included two minor girls under the age of 12, and their father, who was disabled and struggled to care for the girls. Both girls began to visit the Hendon home regularly, where Lori would take care of them.
In October 2015, Joshua began communicating with the girls online, using the text application Kik. On several occasions, Joshua convinced the younger of the two girls to send him explicit photos. During one Kik chat conversation, the girl offered to send explicit photos in an effort to avoid having Joshua physically molest her. Joshua also enlisted the help of his wife to take photos of the girls when they were nude and taking baths in the Hendon home.
A subsequent forensic examination of Joshua’s cell phones and other electronic devices found numerous images of child pornography, including over 30 sexually explicit images of the two girls. Forensic interviews of the girls disclosed that Joshua had touched them inappropriately.
“Because of the investigative efforts of our HSI agents, a child sex offender has been sent to federal prison, where he will be unable to victimize other vulnerable children,” said HSI Nashville Special Agent in Charge Jerry C. Templet, Jr. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to remove these offenders from our communities and ensure they pay for their heinous actions.”
The case against Lori Hendon remains pending and she is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Giles County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie Daughtrey is prosecuting the case.
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Michigan Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Abuse of a MinorRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Michigan man pleaded guilty in federal court today to sexual abuse of a minor, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
According to court records, in August 2009, Matthew Boyd, 32, was an active-duty sailor stationed at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. During this time, Boyd engaged in a sexual act with a minor who had attained the age 12 but who had not attained the age of 16.
Boyd faces up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He also faces up to three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Naval Criminal Investigative Service investigated the case.
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Methamphetamine and Heroin Distributor Sentenced to 77 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
A Tulsa drug dealer was sentenced Tuesday for distributing methamphetamine and heroin in the Tulsa-metro area, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced Kamau Jahi Williams, 43, to 77 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release.
On Sept. 29, 2021, a federal jury found Williams guilty of distribution of methamphetamine, drug conspiracy, and distribution of heroin.
“Kamau Williams’ profession of choice was drug distribution, and because of his chosen profession, he will spend more than six years in prison,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “Methamphetamine and heroin addiction is costly- it harms families and takes lives. Thanks to our partners at the DEA and Tulsa Police Department, Williams will no longer be dealing these dangerous drugs in Tulsa’s neighborhoods.”
In the Summer of 2020, the DEA agents and Task Force Officers with the Tulsa Police Department became aware of Williams’ potential criminal activity and began physical surveillance of the suspect. On Oct. 20, 2020, Williams met with another individual in a fast food restaurant parking lot in Tulsa. Williams was observed entering the lot in a black pick-up to meet the other man. Agents watched the man take possession of a white plastic bag from Williams and place it in the rear of his white SUV. Soon after, officers stopped the man for a traffic violation. He consented to a vehicle search and officers located 56 grams of methamphetamine in the rear of the vehicle in the same white bag he was seen receiving from Williams earlier. Fifty-six grams is equal to 24 dosage units and worth thousands of dollars. After the seizure, investigators continued their investigation into Williams.
In April 2021, two codefendants were charged in a superseding indictment with Williams and additional charges were added. Agents intercepted communication between Kamau Williams, Albert Thomas III, and Tanara Ruble involving a conspiracy to distribute heroin. The defendants used code words like “dog food” or “black Nike t-shirt” when discussing drug transactions. Agents learned from the communication that Williams was trafficking marijuana, methamphetamine, and heroin.
Williams was also found to be distributing heroin based on a March 4, 2021, drug deal. Ruble met with Williams at the Love More Hookah Lounge, a business owned by Williams. The two were observed entering the business and Ruble exited a short time later. Within the next hour, Williams called Thomas who then met him at the hookah lounge. The two men entered the lounge and emerged after several minutes. After leaving, Thomas was again stopped by uniformed officers, and heroin was discovered along with Glock .45 caliber pistol.
In addition to his convictions in this case, Williams recently pleaded guilty in a separate drug conspiracy case prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office where he purchased methamphetamine from a source of supply in California that was mailed to an abandoned Tulsa address. The packages were intercepted by several postal carriers who delivered the methamphetamine to Williams for redistribution. Williams faces a minimum of 15 years in federal prison in the case and will be sentenced in June 2022.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and Tulsa Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel-lyn A. McCormick and David A. Nasar prosecuted the case.
Mechanicsburg Man Sentenced to 48 Months’ Imprisonment for Product TamperingRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Robert K. Burns, age 61, of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner to 48 months’ imprisonment for tampering with consumer products. The sentence also included a two-year term of supervised release, which will follow the term of imprisonment.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Burns previously admitted that in May 2019 he replaced pills in multiple bottles of lansoprazole with other items, resealed the bottles, and then returned the bottles to a store in Enola, Pennsylvania. Burns similarly tampered with and then returned other products, including sinus relief products, which he returned to a Mechanicsburg store in May and June 2019, and toothpaste, which he returned to a different Mechanicsburg store in May 2019. In August 2019, police executed a search warrant at Burns’ Mechanicsburg residence and found additional products that had been tampered with and other items indicative of product tampering, including hundreds of cut-up product packages and tamper-resistant seals. In imposing the 48-month sentence, Judge Conner emphasized the sophisticated means Burns utilized, his repeated illegal actions, and the danger that this type of conduct creates.
“FDA is fully committed to the vigorous criminal investigation and prosecution of any individual who threatens the U.S. consumer product supply,” said Special Agent in Charge Mark S. McCormack, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations, Metro Washington Field Office. “Today’s sentencing sends a clear signal that illicit tampering activity will not be tolerated.”
The case was investigated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations, and the Silver Spring Township Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlo D. Marchioli and former Assistant U.S. Attorney James T. Clancy prosecuted the case.
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Massachusetts Man Arrested for Conspiracy to Steal FirearmsRead the Press Release
William Guerrero, 20, of Brighton, Massachusetts was arrested today on a complaint charging him with participating in a conspiracy to steal firearms from federally licensed firearm dealers, U.S. Attorney John J. Farley announced today.
According to the complaint, law enforcement agents have been investigating a series of efforts to conduct burglaries at federally licensed firearms dealers on January 22 and 23, 2022. On January 23, 2022, at approximately 5:00 a.m., a vehicle pulled into the front of a firearms business in Hooksett, New Hampshire. Four males were captured on video surveillance attempting to gain access to the store by smashing a window of the rear door, but were unable to gain access. Similar attempted burglaries occurred at firearms dealers on January 22, 2022, in Salem, Plaistow, and Kingston.
Guerrero was arrested on January 24, 2022, in Massachusetts. Guerrero had an initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge and was detained pending further proceedings.
The investigation is ongoing. Members of the public with information about these crimes are encouraged to contact the ATF at 1-800-ATF-GUNS.
This matter is investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and multiple local and state police agencies in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Georgiana MacDonald.
The charges in the complaint are only allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Marshall County man admits to drug chargeRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Lonnie James Tanner, Jr., of Cameron, West Virginia, has admitted to a drug charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Tanner, 53, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Distribution of Methamphetamine.” Tanner admitted to selling methamphetamine in July 2021 in Marshall County.
Tanner faces up to 20 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000. 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 Shawn M. Adkins is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Marshall County Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.
Madison Man Sentenced to 4 Years for Conspiring to Sex Traffic a MinorRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Jason J. Jordan, 49, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 4 years in federal prison for conspiracy to traffic a minor. This prison term will be followed by 10 years of supervised release. Jordan pleaded guilty to this charge on October 18, 2021.
This case came to light on February 2, 2021, when management at a hotel in Middleton, Wisconsin contacted law enforcement about a guest who had overstayed a reservation. When police responded to the hotel, they found a 16-year-old girl alone in a room rented in Jordan’s name. Interviews with the victim and further investigation revealed that the victim was from Utah, where she had been essentially homeless for several weeks at the end of 2020. In January 2021, a Wisconsin man she met in Utah bought her an Amtrak ticket and transported her to Wisconsin. When she arrived in Wisconsin, he told her that she was expected to perform sex acts for money.
Once in Wisconsin she met Jordan, an associate of the man who transported her to Wisconsin. The victim was in Wisconsin for approximately three weeks and during that time, Jordan transported her to hotels and rented rooms for commercial sex acts. In addition, on January 20, 2021, Jordan posted ads for the victim on a commercial sex website, arranged for the commercial sex to take place, and collected the money from the victim after the sex acts occurred.
The charge against Jordan was the result of an investigation conducted by the Middleton Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Pfluger prosecuted this case.
Lucedale Man Pleads Guilty to Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – A Lucedale man pled guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
According to court records, Justin Lee Miller, 32, was arrested on September 23, 2021, after fleeing a traffic stop resulting in a high-speed chase. During the pursuit, the deputy noticed Miller throw a firearm from car. The firearm, later determined to be a shotgun with a barrel length of less than 18 inches, was recovered. Miller has a prior felony conviction for possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.
Miller pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 10, 2022, and faces a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment. However, if the Court determines that he is an armed career offender, he faces a minimum of 15 years imprisonment and a maximum of life.
The ATF and George County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Buckner is prosecuting the case.