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7 March 2022
Former Public Utility Executives Indicted for Conspiring to Steal Millions of Dollars from the City of Jacksonville Upon the Sale of the Jacksonville Electric AuthorityRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return by a grand jury of an indictment charging former Jacksonville Electric Authority (JEA) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Aaron Zahn (42, Jacksonville Beach) and former JEA Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Ryan Wannemacher 40, Santa Rosa Beach) with conspiring to steal and obtain by fraud funds from the City of Jacksonville, which would have been generated from the sale of the JEA, Jacksonville’s municipal electric and water utility company. If convicted on all counts, Zahn and Wannemacher each face up to 25 years in federal prison.
According to the
indictment , Zahn and Wannemacher worked together to devise a lucrative bonus plan known as the Performance Unit Plan (PUP) that would have paid millions of dollars to Zahn, Wannemacher, and others had JEA been sold during the Invitation To Negotiate (ITN) in 2019. Ultimately, once information began to develop about the true nature of the PUP and the certainty of significant bonuses paid from the net proceeds to the City of Jacksonville from the sale of JEA, the JEA Board stopped the ITN process on December 24, 2019. During the ITN, Zahn and Wannemacher worked together to craft the PUP formula using JEA’s financial statements and net position to ensure that they would receive millions of dollars when JEA was sold. The indictment alleges that Zahn and Wannemacher made material misrepresentations about and otherwise hid the true nature of the PUP from the JEA Board, members of the Jacksonville City Council, other JEA executives, and members of the public. During the ITN, Zahn crafted minimum requirements for the sale of JEA that would appeal to the JEA Board, members of City Council, and the public and, at the same time, ensure that the PUP bonus plan would pay out millions of dollars to holders of PUP units, the overwhelming majority of which would have been available to Zahn, Wannemacher, and certain others, had JEA been sold.An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and investigators from the State Attorney’s Office for the Fourth Judicial Circuit. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tysen Duva.
Former Postal Manager Sentenced for Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former U.S. Postal employee was sentenced today in connection with stealing mail believed to contain controlled substances.
Shawn M. Herron, 47, of Whitman, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 18 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Herron was also ordered to pay forfeiture in the amount of $4,000. On Oct. 22, 2021, Herron pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess cocaine with intent to distribute and one count of theft of mail by a postal employee.
Beginning in September 2005, Herron was employed with the Postal Service where he served as Supervisor of Customer Service at the Canton Post Office and later as Manager of Customer Services at the Fall River Post Office (FPO).
Herron tracked packages he suspected of containing narcotics and, rather than dealing with them appropriately, opened them and stole the contents. Specifically, Herron profiled priority parcels from Puerto Rico and West Coast states as well as parcels flagged by law enforcement as potentially containing illegal narcotics and then removed them from the mail stream. Herron tracked the suspected parcels through Postal Service databases and monitored their arrival at the FPO. After their arrival Herron located the parcels and brought them to his personal office space, where he stole the narcotics for distribution and sold them for personal gain. Over a period of about a year and half, Herron stole at least 15 packages from the mail. One of the stolen packages contained 271 grams of suspected cocaine, which Herron sold to an apparent drug dealer for $4,000. Herron intended to use the proceeds from the narcotics he stole for personal expenses, including renovations for his home.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Matthew M. Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eugenia M. Carris, Deputy Chief of Rollins’ Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit, and Charles Dell-Anno, of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit, prosecuted the case.
Former Hialeah Police Sergeant Pleads Guilty to Three Civil Rights OffensesRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – A former Hialeah Police Department Sergeant has pleaded guilty to three counts of depriving women of their civil rights under color of law by sexually abusing them.
As part of his change of plea, Jesus Manuel Menocal Jr., 34, of Miami admitted that he kissed a woman and caused her to touch his exposed penis; had a second woman, who was in psychiatric crisis, perform oral sex on him; and coerced a third woman, who was walking alone at night, into submitting to oral and vaginal sex. While not directly related to the offenses to which he pleaded guilty, Menocal also admitted to bringing a fourth female into a Hialeah Police Department building and ordering her to remove her shorts and underwear, causing her to expose her buttocks to him. Menocal admitted that he was on-duty and in uniform during all of these acts, abusing his official authority.
“Menocal sexually exploited the very people he swore to protect,” said U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez of the Southern District of Florida. “He betrayed his oath as a police officer and cast a dark shadow over the outstanding work done by the fine law enforcement professionals who serve our communities. Such egregious civil rights violations will not be tolerated.”
“We will not stand by idly when law enforcement officials abuse their power and position to sexually exploit and harm women,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Civil Rights Division will continue to vigorously investigate and prosecute government officials who use the power of their office to sexually abuse and harm vulnerable people in their communities. We hope that this conviction sends a strong message to survivors of law enforcement sexual misconduct, that their allegations will be investigated and taken seriously.”
“Jesus Menocal is a predator who disgraced the badge he once wore by using his status as a police officer to sexually abuse women,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge John J. Bernardo of FBI Miami. “His actions are depraved and serve only to diminish the hard work and professionalism of the vast majority of South Florida law enforcement officers who follow their oath of office and whose conduct is above reproach.”
Menocal is scheduled for sentencing on May 12, at 2:00 p.m. before U.S. District Judge Kathleen M. Williams. He faces a statutory maximum sentence of three years in prison.
The case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Hialeah Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward N. Stamm and Monica K. Castro of the Southern District of Florida, and Trial Attorney Kyle Boynton and Special Litigation Counsel Samantha Trepel of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice.
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-20822.
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Former Chief of Staff to Convicted Fall River Mayor Sentenced for False StatementsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The former Chief of Staff to the now-convicted former Fall River Mayor Jasiel Correia III was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for making false statements in connection with lying to federal authorities about her salary-kickback arrangement with the former Mayor.
Genoveva Andrade, 50, of Somerset, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock to time served, one year of supervised release. Andrade was also ordered to pay a $50,000 fine. Earlier in the hearing, Andrade pleaded guilty to making a false statement.
“Ms. Andrade had many choices – rather than serve the people of Fall River with the integrity she swore to provide, she chose to support the corrupt leadership of Jasiel Correia by lying to federal authorities in an effort to protect him. This prosecution is about the citizens of Fall River who have every right to expect that their government will focus on improving the lives of the people who live in this great City. The Mayor and his Chief of Staff put their own self interests above the needs of their constituents,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “My office will continue to hold government officials who abuse their positions of trust accountable. We will continue to work with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to root out corruption wherever it lies.”
“Instead of doing right by the citizens of Fall River, Genoveva Andrade repeatedly lied to us about Mayor Jasiel Correia’s criminal conduct in an effort to obstruct our investigation and protect components of City Hall under their leadership,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Today’s sentence brings this sordid chapter in Fall River history to a close, while also making it crystal clear that anyone who lies to the FBI during the course of a public corruption investigation will not get away with it.”
“Ms. Andrade’s admission to making false statements to special agents reveal her efforts to hide facts in this investigation,” said Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division, Boston Office. “Today’s sentencing reflects the serious nature of her role in the kickback arrangement for which she will now be held accountable.”
“Today’s events are the result of Ms. Andrade placing her loyalty to Jasiel Correia above her duty to the people of Fall River,” said Massachusetts Inspector General Glenn A. Cunha. “My office and our federal partners are committed to ensuring that public officials in Massachusetts who choose a similar path will face consequences for their criminal acts.”
Soon after Correia hired Andrade as his Chief of Staff in November 2017, she began kicking back half of her salary to Correia on a bi-weekly basis until July 2018. She also kicked back nearly all of the $10,000 city-funded “snow stipend” that Correia approved for Andrade.
Andrade made false statements to federal agents in December 2018 in connection with her salary kickback arrangement with Correia.
On May 14, 2021, Correia was convicted by a federal jury of nine counts of wire fraud, four counts of filing false tax returns, four counts of extortion conspiracy and four counts of extortion. Judge Woodlock dismissed six counts of wire fraud and four counts of filing false tax returns, for which the jury convicted Correia. On Sept. 21, 2021, Correia was sentenced by Judge Woodlock to six years in prison and three years of supervised release. He still has yet to surrender. On March 3, 2022, the Court delayed Correia’s self-surrender date for the sixth time – he was scheduled to surrender the following day. Correia was previously ordered to report to prison on Dec. 3, 2021; Jan. 10, 2022; Jan. 28, 2022; Feb. 13, 2021; Feb. 14, 2022; and March 4, 2022. He is now scheduled to begin his prison sentence on April 5, 2022. The Government will continue to strongly advocate that Correia begin to serve his sentence.
U.S. Attorney Rollins, FBI SAC Bonavolonta, IRS SAC Simpson, Massachusetts Inspector General Cunha, and Christina Scaringi, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Regional Office, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Tobin and Dustin Chao, of Rollins’ Criminal Division, prosecuted the case.
Florida Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking OffenseRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that NELIOBET DeJESUS, 44, of Orlando, Florida, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 30 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for trafficking narcotics.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2018, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force began investigating a Hartford area narcotics trafficking operation that involved the use of the U.S. Mail to ship parcels of drugs and drug proceeds. Investigators determined that Israel Mendoza, also known as “D-Nice,” supplied Michael Copeland, of Bloomfield, with large quantities of cocaine, and that Copeland, at Mendoza’s direction, mailed parcels containing cash to individuals in California. In September and October, U.S. Postal Inspectors in California intercepted and seized two parcels, each containing approximately $13,000 in cash, that Copeland mailed in Connecticut to addresses in the Fresno area. Investigators analyzed postal records and identified dozens of additional parcels connected to this drug trafficking network that are suspected to have contained narcotics or drug proceeds.
In February 2019, investigators seized a parcel containing nearly 500 grams of cocaine that had been mailed from California to a Bloomfield residence that was connected to Copeland.
Mendoza worked with others, including DeJesus and Danny Rhodes, in the Hartford area to distribute heroin and cocaine. During the investigation, after DeJesus had moved to Orlando, Florida, investigators identified a mail parcel that was destined for a residence in Orlando that was linked to DeJesus. A court authorized search of the parcel revealed approximately 500 grams of cocaine and approximately five grams of fentanyl.
DeJesus was arrested on October 22, 2020. On June 3, 2021, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine.
Copeland and Rhodes, also of Bloomfield, have pleaded guilty. On December 8, 2021, Rhodes was sentenced to 87 months of imprisonment, and on December 16, 2021, Copeland was sentenced to 30 months of imprisonment.
Mendoza, last residing in Reading, Pennsylvania, is being sought by law enforcement. U.S. Attorney Boyle stressed that, as to Mendoza, charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter has been investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force, which includes members from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service – Office of the Inspector General, the Connecticut Army National Guard, and the Hartford, New Britain, Meriden and Town of Groton Police Departments. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Connecticut State Police and Hartford Police Department assisted the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey M. Stone.
Felon Sentenced for Sex Trafficking, Drug, and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
A Norfolk man was sentenced today to 460 months in prison for sex trafficking, fraud, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and other drugs, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, LeAnthony Winston, 34, is a six-time convicted felon. Shortly after he was released from state prison in December 2019 for firearm and drug convictions, Winston obtained another firearm and began to traffic methamphetamine, marijuana, cocaine, and cocaine base.
From March through May 2020, Winston trafficked two homeless women in Norfolk and coerced them into engaging in commercial sex. He used a combination of false promises of love and protection, threats, and violence, including beatings and pointing a firearm at the women to gain compliance. Winston’s co-conspirator, Tonya Hardesty, 37, of Norfolk, trained the women, created advertisements, and set up commercial sex “dates” with clients, while Winston set the prices and kept all of the proceeds from commercial sex. He also distributed drugs to the women, including methamphetamine and crack, to keep them awake so that they could have as many “dates” as possible and so that they would be indebted to him for the cost of the drugs.
On April 15, 2020, Norfolk Police Department patrol officers responded to the Ocean View Inn Motel in Norfolk after Winston beat, choked, and threatened to kill one of the women in a dispute about money. The female victim stated that she was assaulted by her “pimp,” so the patrol officers referred the case to Norfolk vice and narcotics detectives for further investigation.
After an investigation, Winston was arrested in Norfolk on May 27, 2020. At the time of his arrest, Winston had approximately 16.8 grams of crack cocaine in his pocket. Within the hotel room, law enforcement found the second female victim and Winston’s loaded firearm. After Winston was taken into custody, he continued to coerce the second female to engage in commercial sex, claiming that he would be out on a bond soon. He also threatened her over a jail call.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Raymond Villanueva, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C. Field Office; and Larry D. Boone, Chief of Norfolk Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Robert G. Doumar.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda Turner and Megan Montoya are prosecuting the case.
This investigation was conducted by the Hampton Roads Human Trafficking Task Force, a collaboration between federal, state, and local law enforcement and prosecutors, as well as non-governmental organizations, working together to combat human trafficking in the Hampton Roads Region. The Virginia Army National Guard Counterdrug Task Force provided significant assistance in this investigation.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:20-cr-108.
Federal jury convicts two Texas men on federal fraud and false statements chargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A federal jury sitting in Albuquerque on March 2 returned a verdict finding Nick L. Medeiros, 49, and Bobby D. Greaves, 62, both of San Antonio, Texas, guilty of federal fraud and false statement charges following a seven-day trial.
A federal grand jury indicted Medeiros and Greaves on June 13, 2018, charging the two men with conspiracy, major fraud against the United States, and two counts of false statements. The indictment also included forfeiture provisions. On March 10, 2020, a federal grand jury returned a four-count superseding indictment charging Medeiros and Greaves with unlawfully obtaining more than $3 million in government contracts by falsely and repeatedly representing to the United States that Medeiros, a service-disabled veteran, was operating independently from Greaves, his brother-in-law. The indictment alleged that instead Medeiros relied on Greaves, who is not a veteran, to complete all of Medeiros’ government contract work by providing the labor and equipment. The superseding indictment alleged that two of the government contracts involved in the defendants’ fraudulent scheme involved construction projects at Cannon Air Force Base in Clovis, New Mexico, and included a $1.9 million contract to build a “Drop Zone” cybercafé.
The trial began on February 22 and concluded on March 2, when the jury returned guilty verdicts on all four counts.
During the trial, the evidence established that Greaves and Medeiros agreed to create a pass-through entity to get access to programs set aside for service-disabled veterans, and that both made material false statements on which government agencies and personnel relied in awarding contracts to Medeiros’ company. Evidence also established that Medeiros altered documents, such as bank signature cards and employee resumes. and submitted the altered versions to the Air Force, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Small Business Administration.
The jury deliberated for three hours before returning its guilty verdicts.
“The fraudulent acquisition of contracts intended for service-disabled veterans is an abuse of the system,” said Fred J. Federici, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico. “Such fraud not only profits unscrupulous parties, it necessarily deprives veterans, who have made a permanent sacrifice in service to our nation, of the opportunity to compete for government contracts to once again serve their country. This office will honor its duty in prosecuting these crimes to restore justice to our veterans.”
“Conspiring to gain federal contracts set aside for service-disabled veterans is reprehensible,” said Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Breen of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s South Central Field Office. “These guilty verdicts send a clear message that anyone who attempts to do so will be held accountable. We thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our other law enforcement partners for their efforts in this case.”
“The collaboration between the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, OSI and the Department of Justice, was significant in this investigation” said Special Agent in Charge Blair Holmstrand of the Office of Special Investigations, Procurement Fraud Detachment 3, San Antonio, Texas. “The guilty verdicts reflect the results of the hard work put forth by all agencies involved.”
The investigation began when a concerned citizen brought the close association between Medeiros and Greaves to the attention of the VA OIG, who requested assistance from AFOSI when the initial investigation revealed questionable conduct on Cannon AFB in New Mexico.
Medeiros and Greaves each face up to 25 years in prison, fines of up to twice the amount of money gained by the fraud, and forfeiture of all proceeds involved in the fraud. The defendants remain on conditions of release pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled.
The Department of Veterans Affairs Office of the Inspector General and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Paul J. Mysliwiec and Jonathon M. Gerson are prosecuting the case.
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Federal Prison Sentences for Two SoCal Men Who Targeted Turkish Victims in Hate Crime Attack on Family-Owned RestaurantRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Two Los Angeles County men today were sentenced to federal prison on conspiracy and hate crime charges for attacking five victims inside a family-owned Turkish restaurant in 2020 while shouting ethnic slurs, hurling chairs at the victims, and threatening to kill them.
William Stepanyan, 23, of Glendale was sentenced to five years in federal prison, and Harutyun Harry Chalikyan, 24, of Tujunga was sentenced to 15 months in prison. Both defendants pleaded guilty in October 2021 to one count of conspiracy and one count of committing a hate crime.
In September 2020, long-simmering tensions in Turkish and Armenian communities escalated worldwide – including in the United States – in response to a war breaking out between Armenia and its Turkish-backed neighboring country, Azerbaijan.
According to court documents, the defendants, who identify as members of the Armenian American community, attacked the victims inside the restaurant on November 4, 2020, because of their anger about Turkey’s support of Azerbaijan in its conflict with Armenia. Earlier that day, Stepanyan sent a text message saying that he planned to go “hunting for [T]urks.”
That evening, the defendants drove to the restaurant with a group of approximately nine individuals who planned to demonstrate outside the establishment because they considered it symbolic of Turkey. Upon arriving at the restaurant, Stepanyan and Chalikyan stormed inside, threw hard wooden chairs at the victims, smashed glassware, destroyed a plexiglass barrier, and overturned tables. One of the defendants asked the victims, “Are you Turkish?” and shouted, “We came to kill you! We will kill you!”
During the attack, three victims were injured, including one individual who lost feeling in their legs and collapsed multiple times due to the injury. Also, during the attack, Stepanyan ripped out the restaurant’s computer terminals and stole a victim’s iPhone.
The attack caused at least $20,000 of damage to the restaurant and physically injured multiple victims.
“These defendants were driven by hate, and their actions were deplorable,” said United States Attorney Tracy L. Wilkison. “The physical injuries and emotional trauma to the victims cannot be understated. We hope that the sentences handed down today will help vindicate those harms.”
“The defendants violently attacked people inside a family-owned restaurant because of their perceived nationality,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Such violence based on national origin has no place in our society. The Justice Department will continue to vigorously prosecute bias-motivated crimes in an effort to secure justice for the victims and the communities they are meant to target and intimidate.”
“The victims in this case were brutally attacked by the defendants who trampled their civil rights and likely caused lasting psychological pain for nothing more than the perception of where they were born,” said Kristi Johnson, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The FBI is committed to investigating civil rights violations and holding accountable individuals who commit violent acts motivated by hate.”
The defendants were ordered to pay $21,200 in restitution.
The FBI conducted the investigation in this matter and received substantial assistance from the Beverly Hills Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Lindsey Greer Dotson of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section, and Trial Attorney Michael J. Songer of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted this case.
Federal Jury Convicts Muskogee Resident of Murder and Robbery Offenses in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, announced today that Kevin Marvell Jackson, age 20, of Muskogee, Oklahoma was found guilty by a federal jury of murder in Indian country, along with robbery and firearm offenses.
The jury trial began with testimony on Tuesday, March 1, 2022, and concluded on Thursday, March 3, 2022, with the guilty verdicts. Based on the jury’s verdict, the defendant is facing a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment.
During the trial, the United States presented evidence the defendant attempted to rob Bradley Dillon and Dakota Berryhill of what he believed to be a large amount of casino winnings during the early morning hours of October 19, 2020. The defendant hatched the plan to rob Dillon and Berryhill after overhearing telephone conversations about the winnings between friends of Dillon. Unbeknownst to defendant, Dillon and Berryhill were simply joking about the casino winnings and had very little money when defendant attempted to rob them at gunpoint. While Berryhill escaped the robbery, defendant shot Dillon at least five times. Defendant fled the scene and was apprehended in the Oklahoma City area after a manhunt led by the FBI.
The guilty verdicts were the result of an investigation by the Muskogee Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma prosecuted the case because the victims in this case are members of a federally-recognized Indian tribe and the crimes occurred in Muskogee County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, and within the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma in Muskogee, presided over the trial and ordered the completion of a presentence report. Sentencing will be scheduled following completion of the report. Jackson was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal pending the imposition of sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Michael Cooper represented the United States.
Federal Jury Convicts Kissimmee Man of Sexually Exploiting A Minor Child Using A Cell Phone CameraRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Rafael Antonio Bracero-Navas (50, Kissimmee) guilty of seven counts of sexually exploiting a minor child. Bracero-Navas faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison on each count and will be required to register as a sex offender. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 1, 2022. Bracero-Navas had been indicted on August 4, 2021.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, between approximately July 2018 and April 2021, Bracero-Navas used a minor child to produce pornographic pictures that depicted the lascivious exhibition of the child’s pubic area. He did so surreptitiously from outside a bathroom door, taking pictures using a cellphone camera pointed through the crack under the door as the child was stepping out of the shower. Although Bracero-Navas later deleted the full-sized images from his phone, thumbnail images remained and were later discovered by law enforcement.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Emily C. L. Chang and Amanda S. Daniels.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Fayetteville Woman Detained on Bank Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft ChargesRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Fayetteville woman was captured and arrested by the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft charges on Monday, February 28, 2022.
According to court documents, Erica Andrea Monique Johnson, Age 27, devised a scheme and artifice to engage in a scheme colloquially known as “card-cracking”, where she made check deposits, often via Automated Teller MachineS (“ATM”), into checking accounts opened using the personal identifying information of unsuspecting victim accountholders. After the deposits were made, Johnson made point of sale (“POS”) purchases and cash withdrawals against the deposit credit to obtain money during the “float” period before the financial institution recognized the fraud. The documents allege that between March 2018 and June 2020, Johnson and her coconspirators withdrew and received over $430,000 from the Pentagon Federal Credit Union.
Johnson is charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349, bank fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1344, and aggravated identity theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1028A. She faces a maximum penalty of 240 months in prison if convicted.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. The Department of Treasury - Office of Inspector General and the Fayetteville Police Department are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan Ontjes is prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information are located on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No.5:20-cr-334-BO-1.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
FBI Impersonator Guilty of Wire Fraud, StalkingRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — On Friday, March 4, 2022, after a four–day trial, a federal jury found Ivan Isho, 44, of Peoria, Arizona, guilty of two counts of wire fraud, one count of false impersonation of a federal officer, and stalking, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to evidence presented at trial, in 2016 and 2017, Isho pretended to be an FBI agent and claimed to members of the Assyrian community in Ceres that he could help them obtain visas for their family members living outside the United States. He displayed fake FBI credentials and a gun to aid his misrepresentations to his victims. They paid him thousands of dollars, including by means of interstate wire transmission, and provided him with copies of personal family documents. However, Isho had no ability to obtain and never helped to obtain visas for the victims’ family members. Isho was never employed in any capacity by the FBI.
Additionally, between April 2017 and April 2018, Isho held himself out as an FBI Special Agent to a female victim whom he harassed by means of repeated phone calls and threatening and harassing voicemail messages to both the victim and her husband.
At trial, Isho testified and claimed he only possessed the fake FBI credentials as part of a Halloween costume, despite recordings in evidence of his voicemails claiming to be with the FBI received in the months of April and August 2017. He further admitted to threatening the stalking victim with abusive language and various threats.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura D. Withers and Laura Jean Berger are prosecuting the case.
Isho is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd on May 31, 2022. Isho faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Essex County Man Charged with Illegally Possessing Firearm in Connection with June 2021 ShootingRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man with a previous felony conviction made his initial appearance today on a criminal complaint charging him with two counts of illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition, the first count related to a June 2021 shooting in Newark, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Kevin Hills, 21, of Newark, was charged by complaint on Feb. 24, 2022, appeared today by videoconference before U.S. Magistrate Judge André M. Espinosa, and was detained.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On June 19, 2021, a shooting took place in Newark. Responding officers of the Newark Police Department (NPD) found an abandoned Jimenez Model JA-Nine 9-millimeter semiautomatic pistol in a vacant lot near the scene and multiple spent shell casings on the sidewalk. NPD detectives later recovered video from the vicinity of the shooting recorded during the morning of the shooting. One video showed an individual matching Hills’ appearance firing a handgun in the same area where the shell casings and handgun were found.
On July 20, 2021, an NPD detective who had been assigned to investigate the shooting saw and stopped Hills. The detective then recovered a Ruger 9-millimeter caliber handgun loaded with 11 rounds of ammunition from Hill’s waistband.
Hills had previously been convicted in January 2019 in the New Jersey Superior Court of aggravated assault on a corrections officer, for which he was sentenced to three years in prison.
Each count of illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited officers of the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Brian O’Hara, and members of the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Trombly of the Cybercrime Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Erie Man Sentenced to 5 Years for Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Erie, Pa, - A resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 5 years in jail and 5 years supervised release on his conviction of violating federal laws relating to the sexual exploitation of children, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
United States District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter imposed the sentence on Jordan Lee Perrin, 25.
According to information presented to the court, Perrin received computer images and movies depicting prepubescent minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Chung commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Erie County Detectives Bureau for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Perrin.
Enfield Man Admits Defrauding the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to Receive BenefitsRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Veteran Affairs, Office of the Inspector General, Northeast Field Office; and James M. Noble, Special Agent in Charge, Coast Guard Investigative Service, Northeast Region, today announced that, on March 4, DERRICK BREWER, 37, of Enfield, pleaded guilty via videoconference before U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala to an offense related to his theft of nearly $70,000 from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (“VA”).
According to court documents and statements made in court, in March 2018, Brewer submitted paperwork to the VA offices in Hartford as part of an application for service-connected disability benefits. Specifically, Brewer submitted a form known as a “DD-214,” which indicated that his discharge from his former service in the U.S. Coast Guard was characterized as “Honorable.” The DD-214 had been altered prior to its submission, as official Coast Guard records show that Brewer’s discharge was characterized as “Other Than Honorable Conditions” following Brewer’s convictions under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. There is no record of the discharge characterization ever having been upgraded. As a result of this submission, Brewer collected approximately $69,584.16 in VA benefits from March 2018 through September 2020.
Brewer was arrested on a criminal complaint on October 29, 2020.
Brewer pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government funds, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. Judge Nagala scheduled sentencing for May 27, 2022.
Brewer is released on a $10,000 bond pending sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of the Inspector General, Northeast Field Office, and the Coast Guard Investigative Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elena L. Coronado and Margaret M. Donovan.
Dayton man sentenced to 11 years in prison for distributing images of child sexual abuseRead the Press Release
DAYTON, Ohio – Jason Pollet, 48, of Dayton, Ohio, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 132 months in prison for distributing child pornography.
According to court documents, throughout 2020 and 2021, law enforcement agents and task force officers in the Southern District of Ohio conducted an online investigation to identify individuals using social media and messaging apps to commit child exploitation offenses.
Between November and December 2020, Pollet used Kik Messenger and Wickr – two internet-based messaging apps – to distribute more than 30 images and videos of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct to an undercover law enforcement officer.
Pollet pleaded guilty in November 2021 to distributing child pornography.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Dayton Police Chief Kamran Afzal and other members of the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force announced the sentence imposed by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Thomas M. Rose. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas A. Dingeldein represented the United States in this case.
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Darknet drug trafficker pleads guilty to conspiracy and firearm chargesRead the Press Release
Seattle – 28-year-0ld Nicholas Partlow of Issaquah, Washington, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to drug and gun charges, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. Partlow admits selling drugs on the darknet more than 400 times as part of a conspiracy with the operators of darknet marketplaces and other drug traffickers. Partlow also admits selling drugs locally and possessing five firearms during and in furtherance of his drug-trafficking activities. After law enforcement searched Partlow’s residence in November 2020, he continued selling drugs. U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones will sentence Partlow on July 1, 2022.
According to the plea agreement, over the course of 2020, postal investigators seized multiple parcels mailed by Partlow to his drug customers. Inside the packages, investigators found heroin, fentanyl pills, and other controlled substances. Investigators also covertly ordered heroin, methamphetamine, and other drugs from Partlow through the darknet.
In November 2020, law enforcement obtained a search warrant for Partlow’s Issaquah residence. That search turned up heroin, methamphetamine, fentanyl, ketamine, GHB, and other drugs; electronic equipment that Partlow used as part of his trafficking operation; and drug proceeds in cash and cryptocurrency.
Investigators also seized Partlow’s five firearms—including a sawed-off shotgun and a pistol equipped with a silencer.
After the November 2020 search, Partlow continued trafficking drugs. He also tried to obtain another gun. In March 2021, police in Bellevue, Washington, arrested Partlow and an associate. Partlow carried narcotics and a notebook containing information about his trafficking activities. A few months later, in September 2021, Partlow crashed a car in Renton, Washington, while carrying narcotics and a taser. At the time, Partlow was wanted on a federal arrest warrant. He has been in federal custody since then.
Under the plea agreement, Partlow is forfeiting to the government a range of items, including guns, electronics, cryptocurrency, cash, and seven wristwatches.
Partlow pleaded guilty to two felonies: conspiring to distribute controlled substances and possessing firearms in furtherance of that crime. For the conspiracy charge, Partlow faces up to 20 years in prison; for the firearms charge, he faces a mandatory-minimum five-year prison term, which will run consecutive to any sentence imposed on the conspiracy charge. The ultimate sentence will be determined by Judge Jones after considering U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Bellevue Police Department.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jonas Lerman.
Clifton Park Doctor Sentenced to 37 Months for Unlawful Drug DistributionRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Adrian Morris, age 65, of Clifton Park, New York, formerly a licensed psychiatrist specializing in addiction recovery, was sentenced today to serve 37 months in prison for distributing controlled substances outside the course of professional practice and for no legitimate medical purpose.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Acting Special Agent in Charge Timothy Foley of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division; and Special Agent in Charge Janeen DiGuiseppi of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
As part of his guilty plea, Morris admitted that he dispensed controlled substances, including Adderall and Xanax, for no legitimate medical purpose, to people he never met or treated. Morris also admitted that he engaged in personal relationships with female patients seeking treatment from him for addiction to controlled substances.
United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino also imposed a 2-year term of supervised release, which will start after Morris is released from prison.
This case was investigated by the DEA, FBI, Albany County Sheriff’s Office, and the New York State Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Wayne A. Myers and Emmet J. O’Hanlon.
Charlotte Man Is Sentenced to More Than 11 Years for Carjacking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. District Judge Frank D. Whitney sentenced Jontez Xavier McLeod, 27, of Charlotte, to 141 months in prison today for carjacking and gun charges, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Judge Whitney also ordered McLeod to serve three years under court supervision after completing his prison term and to pay restitution to the victim of the carjacking.
Vincent C. Pallozzi, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field 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 the sentencing hearing, on the night of January 13, 2021, Jontez Xavier McLeod and his co-defendant, Ricky Lewis Bush, carjacked at gunpoint a female victim identified in court documents as C.K. Court records show that C.K. was exiting her vehicle which was parked at the parking lot of an apartment complex in Charlotte, when McLeod and Bush approached the victim. Bush pointed a firearm at the victim, and the two men grabbed the victim and pulled her from her vehicle. McLeod and Bush then got into the victim’s car and fled the scene, leaving the victim in the parking lot.
According to court documents, CMPD officers located the victim’s car. McLeod was driving the vehicle and Bush was in the front passenger seat. When officers attempted to stop the vehicle, the defendants sped off in an attempt to evade the police. CMPD officers eventually pulled over the vehicle and arrested the two men. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement recovered several “selfie” videos from Bush’s cell phone, taken shortly before and after the carjacking. In one video the defendants are together prior to the carjacking and in a second video McLeod and Bush are together in the victim’s vehicle. In both videos, Bush is brandishing the same firearm used in the carjacking.
On April 16, 2021, McLeod pleaded guilty to carjacking and aiding and abetting, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to, and in furtherance of, a crime of violence. He is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. Bush was previously sentenced to six and a half years in prison after pleading guilty to the same charges.
The ATF and CMPD investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor G. Stout, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, handled the prosecution.
Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston man pleaded guilty today to a federal gun crime.
According to court documents and statements made in court, during the summer of 2021, Michael Antonio Smith, 49, kept firearms and drugs in his residence in Rand for a member of a multi-state methamphetamine distribution organization operating in and around Charleston. On September 29, 2021, police executed a federal search warrant at Smith’s residence on Elaine Drive where they recovered four firearms and approximately 34 grams of methamphetamine. Smith is prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his two prior felony convictions in Kanawha County Circuit Court for wanton endangerment with a firearm and possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance.
Smith is one of seventeen defendants charged as a result of this investigation. Angie Lane Harbour and Denise Marie Cottrill pleaded guilty to methamphetamine charges in February. James Edward Bennett pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm on March 2, 2021. Brian Dangelo Terry and Jason Robert Oxley are scheduled to plead guilty on March 14, 2022.
Smith pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and faces up to 10 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on June 9, 2022.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department, and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT).
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the plea hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Joshua Hanks and Alex Hamner are handling the prosecution.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 2:21-cr-211, 2:21-cr-172, and 2:21-cr-171.
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Central Valley Man Sentenced to over 12 Years in Federal Prison for Transporting Teenager Across State Lines to Engage in ProstitutionRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – A Stockton man was sentenced today to 151 months in federal prison for transporting a teenage girl from Southern California to Nevada and Arizona so she could work as a prostitute for his financial benefit.
Christian Alexander Augustus, 26, a.k.a. “Sir Ceeco” and “Ceeco,” was sentenced by United States District Judge James V. Selna.
Augustus pleaded guilty in July 2021 to one count of transportation of a minor in interstate commerce to engage in prostitution and criminal sexual activity.
From December 2018 to July 2019, Augustus directed the transportation of the victim from Los Angeles and Orange counties to locations – including Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Phoenix – in order for her to work as a prostitute to obtain money for him.
Augustus forced the victim to work on the streets and advertised her services on the internet. He also admitted that he collected the money the victim obtained by committing commercial sex acts.
“[Augustus’] egregious conduct victimized a minor by causing her to engage in sex with unknown customers purely for defendant’s financial benefit,” prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum. “The seriousness of the offense is furthered by [Augustus’] used of violence in this case. [Augustus] was repeatedly violent with the minor victim in order to maintain the control needed to continue to have the minor victim work for his financial benefit.”
The Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force, which is comprised of local law enforcement agencies, including Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Jake D. Nare of the Santa Ana Branch Office prosecuted this case.
California Man Pleads Guilty to Smuggling Four Kilos of Meth Aboard BusRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Desert Hot Springs, California, man pleaded guilty in federal court today to smuggling more than four kilograms of methamphetamine from Los Angeles, Calif., to Indianapolis, Indiana aboard a bus traveling through Kansas City, Missouri.
Gary A. Aquerrebere, 63, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.
According to today’s plea agreement, Aquerrebere was traveling through Kansas City on April 15, 2019. Members of the Missouri Western Interdiction and Narcotics Task Force (MoWIN) utilized a drug-sniffing dog, which alerted to a suitcase in the luggage compartment of the bus. Initially, none of the passengers on the bus claimed ownership of the luggage, which had a baggage claim ticket with Aquerrebere’s name, but eventually Aquerrebere admitted the suitcase was his.
When officers searched the suitcase, they found 10 bundles inside a cardboard box. The bundles, wrapped in clear cellophane and black electrical tape, contained a total of 4.356 kilograms of pure methamphetamine.
Under federal statutes, Aquerrebere is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney D. Michael Green. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
Centralia Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison on Child Pornography and Sextortion ChargesRead the Press Release
BENTON, Ill. – Bryan Flanagan, 35, of Centralia, Illinois, was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison on Thursday, March 3, 2022, on two counts of distribution of child pornography and five counts of interstate communication with intent to extort. Flanagan pleaded guilty to charges in federal court on September 16, 2021.
Flanagan extorted multiple minor girls online to send him sexual videos and images. Beginning in
February 2020, Flanagan used fake profiles pretending to be a teenage boy on Facebook to contact multiple underage girls across the United States. Flanagan pressured and threatened his victims into sending him sexually explicit videos and images. When some victims refused to do so, Flanagan lied and told them that he was babysitting a young child and would rape or molest the child unless his online victims sent him the requested images. Flanagan distributed images of child pornography to at least two of his victims.This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May
2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child
Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield-Division.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Chris Hoell and George Norwood.Cahokia Woman Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – Jasmine Davison, 29, of Cahokia, Illinois, was sentenced to eighteen months in prison on Friday, March 4, 2022, for her involvement in an ID-theft scam from
2015 to 2018.
Davison and her fellow conspirators used the stolen names and social security numbers of real people to set up new cellular service accounts at Sprint stores across southern Illinois. In addition, they used the accounts to acquire cellular telephones without paying for them and resold the phones to other cellular retail stores for cash.Davison is the third defendant to be sentenced in the case. On February 18, 2021, Michael Henderson was sentenced to serve 24 months and 1 day in prison. Kyetia Hines was sentenced on May 5, 2021, to serve 28 months, 4 of which ran concurrent with a prior sentence. Antoinette
Davis, the last defendant in the case, is scheduled to be sentenced later this month.The investigation was conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Cahokia
Police Department.Burbank, Illinois, Woman Sentenced to Prison for Mail Fraud, Wire Fraud, and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A Burbank, Illinois, woman, Tarnavis Lee, 42, of the 6000 block of 80th Street, was sentenced on March 2, 2022, to 36 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for mail fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering.
At the sentencing hearing, the government presented evidence that Lee engaged in schemes with co-defendants Demetra Jackson and Elizabeth McFarland to defraud the Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS) through its administration of the Child Care Assistance Program, which funded childcare services for low-income parents while they worked or participated in approved educational programs. Between approximately January 2009 and approximately April 2019, Lee, individually and together with Jackson and McFarland, submitted false and fraudulent claims to DHS for childcare services that were not provided or not provided to the extent claimed. In addition, Lee paid a total of approximately $158,000 in kickback payments to parents participating in the program in exchange for those parents allowing their personal information and that of their children to be used to submit false and fraudulent childcare claims to DHS. As a result of her schemes, Lee caused a loss to DHS of approximately $913,390.66. The government argued at sentencing that Lee’s greed, her conduct involving years-long and extensive schemes to defraud DHS and its childcare program, and the resulting substantial loss to DHS of more than $900,000 warranted a significant imprisonment sentence.
Also at the hearing, Senior U.S. District Judge Richard Mills ordered Lee to pay restitution in the amount of $913,390.66 to the Illinois Department of Human Services, jointly and severally in the amount of $125,000.00 with each co-defendant, Jackson and McFarland.
“The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to prosecuting individuals who defraud our public agencies, which were established to serve low-income individuals who need financial assistance, including with child care, a critical need,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Harris.
“Ensuring that citizens’ tax dollars are protected from fraud and abuse is among our top priorities,” stated Special Agent in Charge Curt L. Muller of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “In collaboration with our law enforcement partners, HHS-OIG is committed to investigating illegal acts and holding bad actors accountable.”
“The Illinois State Police takes great pride in working with our federal partners,” stated Illinois State Police Director Brendan F. Kelly. “The ISP will never stop pursuing individuals who break the law and victimize the honest taxpayer.”
Lee was indicted on October 7, 2020, and pleaded guilty on September 7, 2021. Co-defendants Jackson and McFarland also each previously pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and are scheduled to be sentenced on April 7, 2022, and April 12, 2022, respectively. In a separate but related case, Lashonda Hudson pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering in connection with a similar scheme to defraud DHS and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 22, 2022.
The statutory penalties for mail and wire fraud are up to 20 years imprisonment, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. The statutory penalties for money laundering are up to 20 years imprisonment; up to three years of supervised release; and up to a $500,000 fine or twice the value of the property involved in the transaction, whichever is greater.
The cases were the result of a joint investigation by the Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General, St. Louis Field Office, and the Illinois State Police Medicaid Fraud Control Bureau, Central Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy A. Bass represented the government in the prosecution.
Box Elder man admits trafficking methamphetamine, fentanyl on Rocky Boy’s Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Box Elder man accused of trafficking both methamphetamine and fentanyl pills on and around the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation admitted to a drug crime today, U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
Michael James Lamere, 39, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. Lamere faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. Chief Judge Morris set sentencing for June 8. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Lamere was detained pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that in late 2020 and early 2021, investigators received reports that Lamere was obtaining meth and other drugs in Washington and distributing them on and around the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation. In August 2021, law enforcement stopped in Hill County a vehicle in which Lamere was the only passenger and had an active arrest warrant. Based on the investigation and observations during the stop, officers suspected drugs were in the vehicle, had the vehicle towed and searched pursuant to a warrant. Law enforcement found meth, heroin and 369 pills that appeared to be fentanyl. One of the pills was tested and found to contain fentanyl. Lamere admitted in an interview to trafficking both meth and fentanyl and identified himself as one of the larger drug distributors in that area.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan R. Plaut is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI, Tri-Agency Task Force and Hill County Sheriff’s Office.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime. Through PSN, federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement partners in Montana focus on violent crime driven by methamphetamine trafficking, armed robbers, firearms offenses and violent offenders with outstanding warrants.
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Berkeley County man admits to drug chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Edson Velasquez-Lopez, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, has admitted to a drug charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Velasquez-Lopez, 51, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Unlawful Use of a Communication Device.” Velasquez-Lopez admitted to using a phone to distribute cocaine hydrochloride in March 2021 in Berkeley County.
Velasquez-Lopez faces up to four years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lara Omps-Botteicher and Timothy D. Helman are prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Baltimore Fentanyl Dealer Admits to Selling Narcotics to Customers Across Four StatesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Devin Cunningham, age 26, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Acting Special Agent in Charge L.C. Cheeks, Jr. of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.
According to his guilty plea, Cunningham engaged in a years’ long conspiracy to sell and distribute narcotics including fentanyl, heroin, and other controlled substances in Baltimore, Maryland. During the existence of the conspiracy, which spanned from January 2017 to December 2020, scores of customers from Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia traveled to the Forest Park area of Baltimore, where they would purchase between a half of a gram and several grams of fentanyl or heroin and other controlled substances from Cunningham and his associates.
From June 2018 to October 2018, law enforcement conducted numerous controlled narcotics purchases from Cunningham and his co-conspirators. In four of the controlled purchases, Cunningham either distributed or participated in the distribution of narcotics, including fentanyl, to a confidential informant. For example, on July 24, 2018, Cunningham and an accomplice sold less than two grams of a mixture containing fentanyl and heroin to a confidential informant for $200.
As stated in his plea agreement, Cunningham continued to sell heroin and fentanyl until his arrest on December 10, 2020. During his arrest, agents seized a 9mm semi-automatic pistol, four cell phones, and approximately several thousand dollars cash. Law enforcement also executed a search warrant on the vehicle that Cunningham operated. As a result of the executed search warrant, law enforcement recovered drug packaging and labeling materials, digital scales, approximately 68 grams of fentanyl, approximately 41 grams of a heroin/tramadol mixture, and approximately 383 grams of marijuana.
Cunningham and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Cunningham will be sentenced to between six and ten years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has scheduled sentencing for June 22, 2022, at 11 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. PSN, an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime, is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. 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.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the ATF, DEA, and FBI for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher M. Rigali, who is prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Amtrak Employee Charged with Cares Act Fraud and Theft of Government FundsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that STACEY V. SANTEMORE, SR., age 46, formerly of New Orleans but now a resident of Houston, Texas, was charged on March 3, 2022 in a two-count bill of information with making false statements and theft of government funds related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).
The CARES Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, to provide emergency financial assistance in connection with economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, through the PPP. The PPP allows qualifying small businesses and other organizations to receive loans with a maturity of two years and an interest rate of 1%. PPP loan proceeds must be used by businesses on payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities. The PPP allows the interest and principal on the PPP loan to be forgiven if the business spends the loan proceeds on these expense items within a designated period of time after receiving the proceeds and uses at least a certain percentage of the PPP loan proceeds on payroll expenses. In April 2020, Congress authorized over $300 billion in additional PPP funding.
In addition, the CARES Act created a temporary federal unemployment insurance program called Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) after a major disaster declaration for this funding. PUA, administered by the Louisiana Workforce Commission (LWC), provided unemployment insurance benefits for individuals who are not eligible for other types of unemployment benefits (e.g., the self-employed, independent contractors, or gig economy workers).
According to the charging documents, SANTEMORE, in July 2020, made false statements to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for the purpose of fraudulently obtaining pandemic-related relief loans funded by the federal government, including PPP funds, which he received in the amount of approximately $89,000.
SANTEMORE also applied for Louisiana unemployment benefits through the LWC with PUA funding despite at all times being fully employed by Amtrak, the national passenger railcar company. He obtained more than $1,000 from April 2020 through March 2021, and this amounts to a theft of government funds.
SANTEMORE faces a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to $250,000 in fines, and up to three years of supervised release for the false statements count. He faces up to ten years in prison, up to $250,000 in fines, and up to three years of supervised release for the theft count. There is also a $100 mandatory special assessment fee due after conviction. U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that a bill of information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
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.
For more information on the Department of Justice’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.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Amtrak Office of Inspector General – Criminal Investigations and the Department of Labor – Office of the Inspector General, in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward J. Rivera is in charge of the prosecution.
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Aliquippa Felon Sentenced to 5 Years for Drug and Gun Law ViolationsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA -- A resident of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 60 months in jail on his conviction of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Dejuan Hill, age 30.
According to information presented to the court, between 2018 and June of 2020, Hill regularly received cocaine from Cadee Akins Sr., which he distributed to users and other co-conspirators. During the investigation, law enforcement conducted three controlled purchases from Hill at his Aliquippa residence. A federal search warrant upon that same residence resulted in the seizure of a loaded handgun containing an extended magazine with 23 rounds of .45 caliber ammunition. Due to a prior felony drug trafficking conviction, the defendant is prohibited from the possession of firearms and ammunition.
Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Bissoon stated that the crimes which Hill committed are serious and are a blight upon the community.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Chung commended the Drug Enforcement Administration, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, and Beaver County Anti-Drug Task Force for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Hill.
6 March 2022
Aurora Drug Dealer Sentenced to 23 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
DENVER – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Candelaria Vallejo-Gallo, age 43, of Aurora, Colorado, was sentenced to 23 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin. She was also sentenced to 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit money laundering. Both sentences are to be served concurrently.
According to the plea agreement, the defendant led a conspiracy from March 2019 through February 2020 to transport and distribute large quantities of illegal drugs, working with Mexico-based sources of supply to pick up those drugs in California and employing a network of interstate load transporters, local runners, multi-pound drug customers, and lieutenants to carry out the conspiracy.
During this period, law enforcement seized over three hundred pounds of methamphetamine, over two kilograms of heroin, approximately two kilograms of cocaine, and approximately a kilogram and a half of fentanyl pills. These illicit drugs came from load runs or packages destined for the defendant and seized in Utah and Colorado. Intercepted calls from members of the defendant’s organization in 2019 also indicated the defendant’s receipt of multiple additional loads of more than fifty pounds of methamphetamine destined for redistribution. From March 2019 through January 2020, the FBI purchased over six kilograms of methamphetamine, as well as a quantity of heroin, in over a dozen controlled purchases of drugs from the defendant. The defendant was also observed actively distributing drugs, including a ten-pound methamphetamine distribution in July 2019.
To carry out this conspiracy, the defendant threatened violence to organization members perceived to be disloyal and expressed a desire to kill rivals, as reflected in calls intercepted pursuant to a court-authorized wiretap.
“Removing dangerous drug dealers from our streets is a core part of our strategy to make Colorado safer,” said United States Attorney Cole Finegan. “We thank our law enforcement partners for their effective collaboration in this effort.”
“Friday’s sentence is a direct result of the dedicated work of the FBI and our federal, state, and local partners to combat criminal organizations that distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, and other dangerous substances in our communities,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Michael H. Schneider. “The FBI will continue to investigate individuals and groups who attempt to further the scourge of drugs and violence in the areas we serve. The FBI thanks our partners, including DEA, HSI, ICE-ERO, IRS-CI, USPIS, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Attorney's Office for their diligence and collaboration.”
“The laundering of illegal drug profits is as important and essential to drug traffickers as the distribution of their illegal drugs. Without access to these ill-gotten gains, the drug kingpins are not able to finance their operations,” said Andy Tsui, IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge, Denver Field Office. “The role of IRS:CI in narcotics cases is to investigate and prosecute the financial violations that support the disruption and dismantling of major drug trafficking organizations. We are proud to provide this financial expertise as we worked alongside our law enforcement partners to bring the members of this organization to justice.”
“Drug trafficking organizations who bring methamphetamine and other illegal drugs also bring unprecedented violence to Colorado and our communities,” said John Fabbricatore, Field Officer Director, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations, Denver. “ERO is dedicated to working with our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to keep our communities safe.”
“We continue to bring all our investigative capabilities to bear on Drug Trafficking Organizations who distribute dangerous poison like meth and fentanyl in Colorado,” said Ryan L. Spradlin, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, Denver. “This sentence holds Candelaria accountable for her crimes and serves as a warning that HSI and its law enforcement partners will work diligently to keep highly addictive drugs out of Colorado.”
United States District Court Judge Raymond Moore sentenced Vallejo-Gallo on March 4, 2022.
Agents and deputies assigned to the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Strike Force from the FBI, ICE ERO, HSI, IRS, and the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation and were assisted by officers and deputies from the Colorado State Patrol and the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Cyrus Y. Chung, Zachary Phillips, and Peter McNeilly handled the prosecution of the case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Case number: 20-cr-0028
5 March 2022
Utica Man Sentenced to 97 Months for Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Vennie Coleman, age 38, of Utica, New York, was sentenced yesterday to serve 97-months in federal prison for his role in a drug conspiracy that trafficked fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl in Utica from July 2018 through July 2019, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Oneida County District Attorney Scott McNamara, Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), New York State Police Superintendent Kevin P. Bruen, and Chief Mark Williams, Utica Police Department.
The multi-agency investigation began in March of 2017 and culminated in the federal arrest of Vennie Coleman on July 23, 2019, following the execution of several search warrants in Utica where drugs, cash, and other evidence was seized.
In addition to his prison sentence, Vennie Coleman was also sentenced to a post-incarceration term of supervised release of 4 years. The Court also directed the forfeiture of unrecovered assets Coleman acquired through the distribution of drugs consisting of a money judgment in the amount of $36,100.00.
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 New York State Police-Special Investigations Unit (NYSP-SIU), Investigators from the Oneida County District Attorney’s Office, members of the City of Utica Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Beaty, Special Assistant United States Attorney Grant Garramone, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Southwick.
Former Hialeah Police Sergeant Pleads Guilty to Three Civil Rights OffensesRead the Press Release
A former Hialeah Police Department Sergeant pleaded guilty today to three counts of depriving women of their civil rights under color of law by sexually abusing them.
Jesus Manuel Menocal Jr., 34, of Miami was previously charged with three counts of depriving women of their civil rights under color of law.
At the change of plea hearing held today before U.S. District Judge Kathleen M. Williams, Menocal admitted that he kissed a woman and caused her to touch his exposed penis; had a second woman, who was in psychiatric crisis, perform oral sex on him; and coerced a third woman, who was walking alone at night, into submitting to oral and vaginal sex. While not directly related to the offenses to which he pleaded guilty, Menocal also admitted to bringing a fourth female into a Hialeah Police Department building and ordering her to remove her shorts and underwear, causing her to expose her buttocks to him. Menocal admitted that he was on-duty and in uniform during all of these acts, abusing his official authority.
“We will not stand by idly when law enforcement officials abuse their power and position to sexually exploit and harm women,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Civil Rights Division will continue to vigorously investigate and prosecute government officials who use the power of their office to sexually abuse and harm vulnerable people in their communities. We hope that this conviction sends a strong message to survivors of law enforcement sexual misconduct, that their allegations will be investigated and taken seriously.”
“Menocal sexually exploited the very people he swore to protect,” said U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez of the Southern District of Florida. “He betrayed his oath as a police officer and cast a dark shadow over the outstanding work done by the fine law enforcement professionals who serve our communities. Such egregious civil rights violations will not be tolerated.”
“Jesus Menocal is a predator who disgraced the badge he once wore by using his status as a police officer to sexually abuse women,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge John J. Bernard of FBI Miami. “His actions are depraved and serve only to diminish the hard work and professionalism of the vast majority of South Florida law enforcement officers who follow their oath of office and whose conduct is above reproach.”
Menocal is scheduled for sentencing on May 12, 2022. He faces a statutory maximum sentence of three years in prison.
The case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Hialeah Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward N. Stamm and Monica K. Castro of the Southern District of Florida, and Trial Attorney Kyle Boynton and Special Litigation Counsel Samantha Trepel of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov/ or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov/.
4 March 2022
York, PA Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing a Kilo of Cocaine following a U.S. Postal Service InvestigationRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA -- A resident of York, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal narcotic laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Shaiquane Harrison, age 26, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge William S. Stickman.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on February 26, 2021, the United States Postal Service identified a suspicious parcel that was addressed to a residence in Monessen, Pennsylvania. A drug canine alerted to the presence of a controlled substance, and law enforcement obtained a federal search warrant for the parcel. The resulting search revealed that the parcel contained approximately one kilogram of cocaine.
Subsequently, law enforcement conducted a controlled delivery operation of the parcel on March 1, 2021. Approximately 30 minutes after delivery, Harrison arrived in a rental vehicle. Surveillance observed Harrison interact with a cell phone in a blue and white case before retrieving the parcel and returning to the rental vehicle.
Law enforcement then followed Harrison to another residence in Monessen, Pennsylvania. The defendant entered the residence, and law enforcement observed that an electronic transmitting device within the parcel stopped transmitting. Suspecting that the contents of the parcel were being destroyed, law enforcement entered the residence.
Upon entry, law enforcement observed Harrison, who had pieces of the opened parcel in his hands, flee from the residence. Law enforcement observed Harrison briefly stop at a shed behind the residence prior to jumping a fence. During a protective sweep, officers found a cell phone with a blue and white case outside the shed. A tire inside the shed contained a loaded 9mm caliber handgun. A federal search warrant on the recovered cell phone revealed texts putting Harrison on notice that the parcel was sent. The cellular phone also reflected that Harrison searched the parcel tracking number, which provided him with the delivery date.
Judge Stickman scheduled sentencing for July 8, 2022, at 10:30 a.m. The law provides for a term of imprisonment of not less than five years to a maximum of 40 years in prison, a fine of $5,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court continued Harrison on bond.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Postal Service conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Harrison.
York County Man Sentenced to 121 Months’ Imprisonment for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Luis D. Baez-Sierra, age 38, of York, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on March 2, 2022, to 121 months’ imprisonment to be followed by five years of supervised release by U.S. District Court Judge Sylvia H. Rambo for drug trafficking.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Baez-Sierra previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine between May 2015 and May 2017. Baez-Sierra was the leader of a drug trafficking organization operating in York County, Pennsylvania. Baez-Sierra was receiving narcotics through the United States mail sent from Puerto Rico.
Baez-Sierra was originally charged in May 2017, with seven codefendants:
- Ramon Puig Rodriguez – pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine hydrochloride and is awaiting sentencing;
- Chayann Torres-Santiago – pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine hydrochloride and was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment;
- Juan Rivera Marrero – pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams and more of cocaine hydrochloride, money laundering and was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment;
- Jean Carlos Torres-Santiago – pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams and more of cocaine hydrochloride and 100 grams and more of heroin, and was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment;
- Charlie Abdiel Cruz Velez – pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 5 kilograms and more of cocaine hydrochloride, and was sentenced to 57 months’ imprisonment;
- Henry Delgado – pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 5 kilograms and more of cocaine hydrochloride, and was sentenced to 84 months’ imprisonment; and
- Angel Santiago-Torres – pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine hydrochloride and was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, United States Postal Inspection Service and the York City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daryl F. Bloom prosecuted the case.
This case was part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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Westview Man Admits Distributing Cocaine in Allegheny CountyRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA -- A resident of suburban Pittsburgh pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of violating federal narcotic laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Curtis Foskey, age 52, of Westview, pleaded guilty to two counts before United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on or about November 21, 2017 and again on December 7, 2017, Curtis Foskey distributed cocaine in Allegheny County. The court was further advised that law enforcement conducted physical and electronic surveillance of Foskey both discussing and making distributions of approximately 480 grams of cocaine.
Judge Schwab scheduled sentencing for August 17, 2022, at 10:30 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of not more than 30 years in prison, a fine of $2,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court continued Foskey on bond.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
West Memphis Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—A West Memphis man has been sentenced to 120 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. United States District Judge Lee P. Rudofsky sentenced Deterrius Wilson, 36, Thursday afternoon in Little Rock. In addition to the ten-year sentence of imprisonment, which is the maximum allowed by law for this crime, Judge Rudofsky sentenced Wilson to three years of supervised release.
In March of 2018, West Memphis police officers initiated a traffic stop of a blue Ford Escape SUV. The vehicle refused to stop and instead sped up, resulting in a vehicle pursuit. During the chase, officers observed Deterrius Wilson turn toward them and point a handgun directly at them. After several minutes, the vehicle lost control and ran off the road.
Wilson exited the vehicle and fled on foot through an alley, wearing camouflage body armor and carrying a handgun in his right hand. Officers told Wilson to drop the gun, and he did, but he continued to flee while removing his body armor. When officers caught up to Wilson, they found two magazines fully loaded with 9mm ammunition. Officers also recovered his body armor, which contained 14 more rounds of 9mm ammunition. Wilson admitted ownership of the vest.
In the vehicle, officers found a Taurus .45 caliber handgun, and they also recovered the Smith and Wesson 9mm handgun Wilson had dropped during the pursuit. Both firearms were loaded, and the investigation revealed the 9mm handgun had been reported stolen. Wilson’s sentence was based on the offense as well as his criminal history, which included prior convictions for fleeing as well as numerous convictions for possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and multiple firearms convictions.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the West Memphis Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Julie Peters.
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This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
Twitter:
@EDARNEWS
Weight Management Companies Kurbo Inc. and WW International Inc. Agree to $1.5 Million Civil Penalty and Injunction for Alleged Violations of Children’s Privacy LawsRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice, together with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), announced today that the government entered into an agreement with Kurbo Inc. and its parent company, WW International Inc. (formerly Weight Watchers International Inc.) (collectively, “Defendants”) and will collect $1.5 million in civil penalties from defendants as part of a settlement to resolve allegations that they violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA Rule) in connection with their weight management service for children, Kurbo by WW.
In a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, the government alleged that defendants designed and marketed the Kurbo by WW mobile application and website for use by children as young as eight years old. The defendants also possessed actual knowledge that the application and website collected personal information from children, including their names, telephone numbers, email addresses and identifiers used to track their devices, as well as other sensitive information like height, weight, food intake and physical activity. The defendants nonetheless failed to notify parents that they were collecting children’s personal information and to obtain verifiable parental consent for that collection, as required by the COPPA Rule.
“Parents have a right to know and consent before companies collect their children’s personal information,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department is committed to enforcing the protections against unauthorized collection of information from consumers, particularly children.”
“Weight Watchers and Kurbo marketed weight management services for use by children as young as eight and then illegally harvested their personal and sensitive health information,” said Chair Lina M. Khan of the FTC. “Our order against these companies requires them to delete their ill-gotten data, destroy any algorithms derived from it, and pay a penalty for their lawbreaking.”
The stipulated order entered requires the defendants to pay $1.5 million in civil penalties and bars them from collecting personal information from children in a manner that violates the COPPA Rule. It also prohibits them from using children’s personal information that was previously collected unless they obtain verifiable parental consent and subjects them to compliance reporting obligations.
This matter was handled by Trial Attorneys Rachael Doud and Zachary Cowan and Assistant Director Lisa Hsiao of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch. Danielle Estrada and David Walko represented the FTC.
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at https://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. For more information about the FTC, visit its website at https://www.FTC.gov.
Vista Man Pleads Guilty to Fraudulently Obtaining More than $300,000 in Unemployment BenefitsRead the Press Release
Assistant U. S. Attorneys Michael A. Deshong and Alicia Williams (619) 546-9290
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY—March 4, 2022
SAN DIEGO - Darris Cotton of Vista pleaded guilty in federal court today to a fraud charge, admitting that he submitted false applications for unemployment benefits to California’s Employment Development Department.
As admitted in the plea agreement entered today before U.S. District Judge Todd W. Robinson, Cotton used third parties’ names, dates of birth, and social security numbers to submit false applications for benefits. Cotton listed an address in Vista, California on at least sixteen different applications. After California’s Employment Development Department (EDD) mailed debit cards containing the benefits to Cotton’s address, he took the cards to various locations to purchase money orders for the purpose of extracting the funds. Cotton admitted to fraudulently obtaining at least $312,000 in benefits. As part of his plea agreement, Cotton agreed to forfeit $97,400 in money orders and $15,139 in currency that was seized from him.
The United States Department of Labor funds unemployment benefits, but the administration of the benefits is overseen by EDD. To qualify for benefits, an individual must submit an application with their name, date of birth, social security number, and other personal information. If the information is approved, then EDD sends a debit card to the address provided in the application via U.S. Mail. In March 2020, the United States Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which included an economic relief package of more than $2 trillion designed to help the American people during the public health and economic crises that resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act expanded the population of persons eligible for benefits, the time period during which persons are eligible for benefits, and/or the amount of benefits.
As set forth in his plea agreement, Cotton began submitting fraudulent applications for benefits just a few months after Congress passed the CARES Act and expanded these benefits. Cotton also admitted that he submitted fraudulent applications for benefits to EDD in addition to the sixteen specified in the plea agreement, and submitted fraudulent applications for benefits in other states such as Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Arizona. Cotton used the benefits he fraudulently obtained to purchase luxury items such as Gucci-brand backpacks.
Agents from United States Secret Service, Homeland Security Investigation, and Department of Labor Office of Inspector General and detectives from the San Diego Police Department conducted the investigation into dozens of fraudulent applications that were submitted in July and August of 2020. During the investigation, law enforcement seized approximately $97,000 in U.S. Postal and MoneyGram money orders and $15,000 in U.S. currency from Cotton.
“While so many deserving people were suffering from pandemic-related economic challenges, this defendant used a global pandemic to cash in,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “These benefits are intended for those who truly need it, not for greedy people who exploit the system.” Grossman thanked the prosecution team and investigative agencies for their excellent work on this case.
“HSI special agents and our law enforcement partners have worked tirelessly to bring to justice criminal networks that are exploiting the global pandemic for personal financial gain,” said Special Agent in Charge Chad Plantz of HSI San Diego. “This guilty plea assures this individual can no longer illegally profit from resources dedicated toward those needing financial assistance due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“The Secret Service remains committed to pursuing those who seek to wrongfully benefit from CARES Act fraud,” said San Diego Acting Special Agent in Charge Timothy Scott. “The hard work from the skilled agents and investigators who worked this case, and many others like it, is making a difference not just here in San Diego, but around the country.”
Cotton is scheduled to be sentenced on May 27.
DEFENDANT Case Number 21cr1108-TWR
Darris Cotton Age: 30 Vista, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud—Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1349
Criminal Forfeiture—Title 18, U.S.C., Section 981
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison; $250,000 fine or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greater; criminal forfeiture of all proceeds derived from the offense.
AGENCY
United States Secret Service
Homeland Security Investigations
Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (OIG)
San Diego Police Department
Carlsbad Police Department
Violent Gang Members Receive 20 Years and 12 Years in Federal Prison for Their Role in Crime SpreeRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – Greer Old also known as “Ghost”, 26, and Daniel Reaves also known as “Goon”, 22, both of New Hanover County, were sentenced to 240 months and 144 months in federal prison respectively. Old pled guilty to discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence (aiding and abetting) and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Reaves pled guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Hobbs Act Robbery, Hobbs Act Robbery (aiding and abetting) and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence (aiding and abetting).
According to court documents, other evidence and information presented in court, on August 9, 2018, Old, Reaves and Brittany Moses planned to rob a former boyfriend of Moses of heroin in a parking lot in Wilmington. Moses lured him into her car. Old and Reaves then entered the car with firearms and demanded the heroin. He only had a small amount of heroin but Old, Moses and Reaves believed that he had more heroin and demanded that he give it to them. When he did not provide the heroin, he was pistol whipped several times. A struggle ensued in the car; Moses’ former boyfriend was shot in the arm. He was then pushed out of the car, bleeding from the gunshot wound, and abandoned on Klein Road in Wilmington. The assault in the car was so violent that another car followed them and provided aid to Moses’ former boyfriend until the police arrived. The pistol whipping was so severe that it left an imprint of the gun in the victim’s forehead.
On August 11, 2018, the Wilmington Police Department received a tip that Old and Reaves were driving the same car used in the robbery near the Travel Inn Motel in Wilmington. Officers observed the car and attempted to stop it. Old refused to stop for law enforcement, instead driving at a high rate of speed and running a stop light before losing control of his car. Both men fled on foot. During the foot chase of Old, he discharged a firearm at a Wilmington Police Officer who was attempting to arrest him. This forced the officer to return fire. Law enforcement then deployed a K-9 in an effort to apprehend Old. Old was found hiding in some bushes on the property of St. John’s Episcopal Church. Old refused to come out of the bushes and another Wilmington Police Officer dislocated his shoulder removing Old from the bushes. A gun that had been reported stolen earlier that day was found in close proximity to Old. During a search of their car by law enforcement the following items were found: a .25 caliber handgun, a .380 caliber handgun, 16 grams of methamphetamine and 438 doses of Xanax. Following his arrest, Old told the police the reason that he ran was because he believed that the mother of his child had taken a warrant out on him for shooting at her residence. Old denied having a gun but said that if he had one, he would have shot the K-9 and the officer. According to law enforcement, Old is a validated member of the Folk Nation gang. Old was on probation for Conspiracy to Commit Common Law Robbery at the time that he committed these offenses.
Reaves was not apprehended at the time; however, he was apprehended in Kentucky by the United States Marshal on August 29, 2018. According to law enforcement, Reaves is a validated member of the Folk Nation gang. Reaves was also on probation for a North Carolina State Felony.
Moses previously received a sentence of 105 months in federal court for Conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery, Hobbs Act Robbery (aiding and abetting) and Discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence (aiding and abetting).
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Wilmington Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Severo and Charity Wilson prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:19-cr-00010-FL.
Two South Florida Tax Preparers Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – Two South Florida tax preparers were sentenced to prison yesterday for conspiring to defraud the United States and preparing false tax returns.
Nikency Alexis, the owner and operator of Unity Tax & Financial Services (Unity Tax), a Broward County tax preparation business, was sentenced to 45 months in prison, and Thony Guillaume, who worked as a return preparer at Unity Tax, was sentenced to 40 months in prison. According to court documents, from 2011 through 2016 Alexis and Guillaume conspired to defraud the IRS by preparing returns for clients that claimed fictitious business and education expenses the clients never incurred. After learning about the criminal investigation, Alexis and Guillaume continued to file false returns and concealed their involvement in the filing of those returns by listing other individuals as the paid preparers. In total, Alexis and Guillaume sought more than $2.8 million in fraudulent refunds from the IRS.
In addition to the terms of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Raag Singhal ordered Alexis to serve 3 years of supervised release and to pay approximately $464,006 in restitution to the IRS. The judge ordered Guillaume to serve 3 years of supervised release and to pay approximately $221,823 in restitution to the IRS.
U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez for the Southern District of Florida; Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division; and Matthew D. Line, Special Agent in Charge, IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
IRS-CI Miami investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Deric Zacca for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Matthew Hicks of the Justice Department’s Tax Division prosecuted the case.
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.
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Two Men Sentenced for Paycheck Protection Program Loan FraudRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge announced that David Kurbanov of Wyoming, Michigan, and James Williams of Dacula, Georgia, were sentenced to 36 months’ and 33 months’ imprisonment, respectively, followed by 3 years’ supervised release, by U.S. District Judge Jane Beckering. Kurbanov and Williams both previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit concealment money laundering.
In 2020, law enforcement investigated Kurbanov, Williams, and others regarding certain CARES Act Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications and loans. The investigation revealed that between June 2020 and December 2020, Kurbanov and Williams conspired with each other and others to fraudulently obtain PPP loans from the Small Business Administration. Williams counseled Kurbanov on how to obtain a PPP loan for Kurbanov’s non-operational companies and assisted Kurbanov in preparing false tax documents submitted with PPP loan applications. Kurbanov and another individual ultimately obtained $1,495,067 in PPP loan funds. To date, law enforcement has seized and recovered over $1,123,567 traceable to the fraudulently obtained PPP funds through a parallel civil asset forfeiture action.
At sentencing Judge Beckering noted that Kurbanov did not just take out one loan, but two loans, which were funded for the purpose of assisting families and small businesses who were financially desperate during the pandemic. She also noted the importance of deterring others from participating in such schemes in the future. Kurbanov and Williams were both ordered to pay $1,495,067 in restitution.
U.S. Attorney Birge said, “These individuals sought to illegally profit from a program designed to assist small businesses detrimentally affected by the pandemic. Like most ‘get rich quick schemes,’ their greedy actions did not pay out in the end. Those who, like Mr. Kurbanov and Mr. Williams, attempt to acquire wealth through illegal means will get our attention and face imprisonment.”
“By illegally taking money from the Paycheck Protection Program, these defendants harmed the owners and employees of small businesses struggling through the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Josh Hauxhurst, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “The FBI is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to investigate and hold accountable anyone taking advantage of a global health crisis to line their own pockets.”
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan C. Roth, and Kristin M. Pinkston and investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
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Two Florida Tax Preparers Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
Two Florida tax preparers were sentenced to prison yesterday for conspiring to defraud the United States and preparing false tax returns.
Nikency Alexis, the owner and operator of Unity Tax & Financial Services (Unity Tax), a Broward County tax preparation business, was sentenced to 45 months in prison, and Thony Guillaume, who worked as a return preparer at Unity Tax, was sentenced to 40 months in prison. According to court documents, from 2011 through 2016, Alexis and Guillaume conspired to defraud the IRS by preparing returns for clients that claimed fictitious business and education expenses the clients never incurred. After learning about the criminal investigation, Alexis and Guillaume continued to file false returns and concealed their involvement in the filing of those returns by listing other individuals as the paid preparers. In total, Alexis and Guillaume sought more than $2.8 million in fraudulent refunds from the IRS.
In addition to the terms of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Raag Singhal ordered Alexis to serve three years of supervised release and to pay approximately $464,006 in restitution to the IRS. The judge ordered Guillaume to serve three years of supervised release and to pay approximately $221,823 in restitution to the IRS.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez for the Southern District of Florida made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Matthew Hicks of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Deric Zacca for the Southern District of Florida prosecuted the case.
Two Cleveland Men Indicted for Using a Firearm in Connection with a Carjacking in ElyriaRead the Press Release
Acting U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler announced that a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment on March 3, 2022, charging Clinton Lindsey, 24, and Trayqwan Dunlap, 19, both of Cleveland, Ohio, with carjacking and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
“As the number of carjackings and other violent crimes persist, we will continue to marshal our federal resources and focus on apprehending and prosecuting those individuals that endanger our community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler.
“Carjacking is a borderless, brazen crime that can affect anyone at any time, often without provocation, said FBI Special Agent in Charge Eric B. Smith. “This indictment underscores our longstanding partnership with the Elyria Police Department and the commitment of the Federal Bureau of Investigation to protect the American public.”
According to court documents, on January 27, 2022, the defendants approached a victim pumping gas at a gas station in Elyria, brandished a pistol and threatened the victim. Court documents state that the defendants then entered the stolen vehicle and fled.
Elyria Police Officers responded and located the vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed. Officers observed the vehicle enter the downtown Elyria area and crash into a pillar. Officers then witnessed the defendants exit the vehicle and flee from the scene on foot. Court documents state that police officers later apprehended the defendants and located a Glock .45 caliber semiautomatic pistol in the stolen vehicle.
An indictment is only an allegation and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violations. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum, and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Elyria Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Zarzycki.
Trafficker of Cocaine, Methamphetamine, Fentanyl, and Marijuana Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle has sentenced Raymond Malara (38, Tampa) to nine years in federal prison for trafficking cocaine, fentanyl, and marijuana. The Court also ordered Malara to forfeit $ 37,820, which is traceable to proceeds of the offense. Malara had pleaded guilty on August 3, 2021.
According to court documents, between October 2020 and February 2021, a law enforcement investigation revealed that Malara and others had been distributing cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and marijuana. As part of the investigation, law enforcement conducted surveillance on Malara and observed him obtaining and distributing narcotics throughout the Middle District of Florida, including his barbershop in Pinellas County, the Westshore Plaza shopping mall in Tampa, the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, and various other locations.
On January 21, 2021, agents executed a federal search warrant at Malara’s apartment and located cardboard boxes containing vacuum-sealed bags of cocaine and marijuana, scales, and piles of cash stacked next to a money counter. Agents also located several firearms, including two fully loaded automatic rifles with high-capacity magazines and more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition. Malara had previously been convicted of second-degree murder. Therefore, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
Agents also searched Malara’s vehicle and recovered fentanyl pills and approximately four kilograms of marijuana from the trunk of the car.
This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the St. Petersburg Police Department, and the United States Postal Inspection Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Diego Novaes and Suzanne Nebesky.
OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Thompson Man Who Downloaded Child Sex Abuse Images from the Internet is SentencedRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that SHAYNE SHAYER, 40, of Thompson, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford to approximately one day of imprisonment, time already served, and 10 years of supervised release, for downloading child sex abuse videos from the dark web.
According to court documents and statements made in court, a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigation, which was initiated by law enforcement in Europe, revealed that, in January 2018, Shayer used cryptocurrency to access a dark web server and download 43 videos depicting the sex abuse of children. The videos included depictions of incest and sodomy, and some involved children under the age of 12.
On February 22, 2021, Shayer pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography.
Judge Chatigny ordered Shayer to perform 200 hours community service while on supervised release, and to pay a mandatory $5,000 special assessment, which will be deposited into a fund that supports victims of child pornography.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
Stonington Man Charged with Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and David Sundberg, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that MATTHEW X. SMITH, 28, of Stonington, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with child exploitation offenses.
Smith surrendered to law enforcement today. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert M. Spector in New Haven and was released on a $100,000 bond.
As alleged in the complaint, on August 12, 2021, Smith, using the Kik social media application, initiated contact with an FBI Online Covert Employee (“OCE”) who was posing as a 14-year-old girl. Smith sent sexually explicit messages to the OCE, requested the OCE send him sexually explicit pictures, and discussed meeting the OCE to engage in sexual conduct. The Kik communication continued in the following days, and investigators also determined that Smith, using a different Kik user account, had engaged in sexually explicit exchanges with the OCE in 2020. Smith and the OCE agreed to meet on August 18, 2021.
On August 18, 2021, Smith was arrested by New London Police after he arrived at the agreed upon meeting location.
The complaint charges Smith with attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor, attempted receipt of child pornography, solicitation of child pornography and attempted enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity.
U.S. Attorney Boyle stressed that a criminal complaint is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the New London Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Stolfi Collins.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
Statement from U.S. Attorney Rachael S. Rollins on Supreme Court Decision in U.S. v. TsarnaevRead the Press Release
“On April 15, 2013, Boston changed forever. Krystle Campbell, Lingzi Lu, Martin Richard, and Officer Sean Collier were murdered, while hundreds of other innocent victims were maimed and wounded. Over the course of four days, Boston and our surrounding towns and cities sheltered in fear and disbelief. Although the scar remains some nine years later, the resiliency of our city, the families of the victims, and the hundreds of brave survivors knows no bounds.
Today’s opinion by the Supreme Court reverses the decision vacating the death sentence imposed on Dzhokhar Tsarnaev following the jury’s verdict. There remain, however, other legal issues that must be addressed by various courts. Legal rulings don’t erase trauma and pain. Our focus today, and always, is on the hundreds of families that were deeply impacted and traumatized by this horrific act of domestic terrorism.”
St. Louis man pleads guilty for three separate incidents involving drug and gun crimesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – United States District Court Judge Henry E. Autrey accepted a plea of guilty from Carlos D. Bell, Jr. on March 3, 2022, for two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and two counts of possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl. A grand jury in the Eastern District of Missouri previously indicted Bell in November 2020. Judge Autrey set sentencing for June 8, 2022.
According to the plea agreement, Bell’s first encounter with law enforcement was on September 8, 2020, when Bell was arrested for outstanding warrants by members of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department (SLMPD). A subsequent search of Bell’s vehicle revealed a loaded .40 caliber pistol with a large capacity magazine. On October 3, 2020, Bell was stopped by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department after violating a stop sign. Deputies located a clear plastic baggy with 196 capsules filled with white powder during this encounter with Bell. The substance was later determined to be fentanyl.
After Bell was federally indicted in November 2020 for the conduct noted above, SLMPD detectives conducted surveillance to arrest Bell on the warrant. Detectives saw Bell conduct a hand-to-hand transaction in front of his residence. Bell was confronted and arrested without incident. A search of the home revealed a Glock pistol with a large-capacity magazine, a Davis Industries pistol, and 24 capsules containing fentanyl. Police also found plates and grinders with drug residue, empty capsules, and two loaded firearm magazines with ammunition in the kitchen.
The maximum possible penalties provided by law for the crimes to which Bell is pleading guilty are imprisonment of not more than imprisonment of not more than twenty years, a fine of not more than $1,000,000, or both such imprisonment and fine. The Court shall impose a period of supervised release of at least three years.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Zachary Bluestone.
Springdale Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for Firearms Possession and Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
FAYETTEVILLE – A Springdale man was sentenced on March 2, 2022, to 144 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release on one count of Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm and one count of Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense. The Honorable Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Fayetteville.
According to court documents, on October 27, 2020, detectives with the 4th Judicial District Drug Task Force (DTF) received information that Dylan Leon Coats, age 32, was staying at a hotel in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The information received was that Coats was in possession of a large amount of methamphetamine and that he was armed with a firearm.
Detectives located Coats as he arrived and parked at the hotel. A search of the vehicle resulted in detectives locating and seizing 3 firearms, a distribution amount of methamphetamine packaged for sale, $10,646.00 in U.S. currency, drug ledgers, baggies, a digital scale and a box of ammunition. Coats is a convicted felon and is prohibited from possessing a firearm.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
The 4th Judicial District Drug Task Force 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.