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2 March 2022
Woman Previously Convicted in Fraud Scheme Admits to Defrauding the Federal Housing Administration, Business and Unemployment COVID Relief ProgramsRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A North Providence woman today admitted in federal court that she provided false information to a mortgage lender when applying for a Federal Housing Administration (FHA)-backed mortgage, and that she fraudulently applied for a COVID Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and unemployment insurance benefits under both the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Juliana Martins, 53, who was on federal supervised release at the time of the charged fraudulent activities, pleaded guilty to false statement on a loan application and theft of government property. She is scheduled to be sentenced on August 4, 2022.
At the time of her guilty plea, Martins admitted to the court that while on federal supervised release for her role in a stolen identity refund scheme, as well as while on state probation for an unrelated 2014 conviction for forgery and counterfeiting, she applied for an FHA-guaranteed loan. As part of the application process, she provided false explanations as to her gaps in employment while serving her federal sentence, claiming she was unemployed due to a “family emergency.” Martins also failed to disclose the fact that she was subject to a $385,533 federal restitution order.
Following the application, Martins and a co-borrower were issued an FHA-insured mortgage in the amount of $265,109.
Additionally, Martins admitted that in July 2020, she submitted a fraudulent application for a Small Business Administration (SBA) low-interest COVID-related Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), falsely claiming that she was an independent contractor in the health service business, and that her business had been impacted by the pandemic. Finally, Martins admitted that she fraudulently applied for and received COVID-related unemployment insurance benefits while she was in fact employed as an office manager in April 2020. In total, Martins received over $40,000 in COVID relief benefits to which she was not entitled.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys G. Michael Seaman and Sandra R. Hebert.
The matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development - Office of Inspector General; U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General; FBI; and Rhode Island State Police, with the assistance of the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training Unemployment Insurance Fraud Unit.
Rhode Islanders who believe their personal identification has been stolen and used to fraudulently obtain unemployment benefits are urged to contact the Rhode Island State Police at [email protected] or the FBI Providence office at (401) 272-8310.
On May 17, 2021, the United States 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.
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Wichita Falls, Texas Drug Dealers Sentenced to Combined 50 YearsRead the Press Release
Three Wichita Falls, TX drug dealers were sentenced to a combined 50 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Nathaniel Collazo, 20, Calvin Cruz, 25, and Annaleigh Trevino, 22, all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance. Mr. Collazo and Mr. Cruz were sentenced to 20 years apiece in federal prison; Ms. Trevino was sentenced to 10 years.
In plea papers, the defendants admitted the conspired to distribute methamphetamine. In general, Mr. Collazo and Mr. Cruz obtained the stimulant, then distributed it to Ms. Trevino and others, who dealt it on the streets.
During a search of the defendants’ residence on June 3, 2021, law enforcement seized nine firearms, approximately eight pounds of methamphetamine, and $28,313 cash.
The Wichita Falls Police Department's Organized Crime Unit conducted the investigation with the assistance of The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frank Gatto, Laura Montes, and Rob Boudreau prosecuted the case.
Waterbury Man Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation OffenseRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that YEHUDI MANZANO, 37, of Waterbury, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to a child exploitation offense.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 21, 2016, Manzano used his cell phone to record a video of himself engaging in sexual intercourse with a 15-year-old girl, and then uploaded the video to his Google Photos account.
Manzano was arrested on related state charges on November 10, 2016, and charged federally by indictment on May 3, 2018. Today, he pleaded guilty to one count of transportation of child pornography, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. Judge Underhill scheduled sentencing for May 25.
Manzano is released on a $300,000 bond pending sentencing.
This matter has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Waterbury Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Neeraj N. Patel and Nancy V. Gifford.
U.S. Attorney Boyle thanked the State’s Attorney’s Office for the Judicial District of Waterbury for its close cooperation in investigating and prosecuting this matter.
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.
Un“lucky” fugitive pleads guilty to double firearms chargesRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 44-year-old Corpus Christi resident has pleaded guilty to illegally possessing a firearm as a felon and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Joe Adam Ramirez aka Lucky admitted that on Sept. 4, 2020, he was in possession of drugs and a gun.
Ramirez was a known fugitive. However, authorities were able to locate him at a hotel in Corpus Christi. They conducted surveillance and observed him exit the hotel, enter the passenger side of a truck and depart the location. Law enforcement performed a traffic stop, at which time Ramirez attempted to flee on foot, but he tripped and fell.
At the time of the arrest, authorities discovered a loaded 9mm Taurus pistol, several bags of meth, Xanax and other prescription pills.
Ramirez knew he was aware of being a convicted felon and was not allowed to own a firearm. He said he ran because he did not want to go back to prison.
Ramirez has five prior felony convictions involving burglary of a vehicle, burglary of a habitation, theft from a person, aggravated robbery and possession of controlled substance. As such, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Ramos will impose sentencing June 8. At that time, Ramirez faces at least 15 years and up to life in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. He also faces faces a five-year mandatory consecutive jail term for possessing the firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Marshals Service conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Corpus Christi Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Marin and John Marck are prosecuting the case.
United States Attorney Breon Peace Announces Formation of Consumer Protection Team in the Office’s Civil DivisionRead the Press Release
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced today the creation of a Consumer Protection Team in the Office’s Civil Division. The Consumer Protection Team, comprised of six Civil Division Assistant U.S. Attorneys, including the Civil Division’s Chief of Affirmative Civil Enforcement, enhances the Office’s focus on protecting the health, safety, economic security, and dignity of individuals in the Eastern District of New York and nationwide, including our most vulnerable residents – older adults and children. The Office has responsibility for the enforcement of our nation’s laws in the Eastern District of New York, which encompasses three of the five boroughs of New York City – Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island – and Nassau and Suffolk Counties on Long Island. The Eastern District of New York encompasses over eight million people.
This Office has long been committed to bringing high-impact consumer protection cases. Together with its law enforcement partners, the Office has enjoined robocall scams, interdicted mass mailing fraud schemes, stopped the distribution of adulterated and misbranded dietary supplements, and brought other first-of-a-kind cases in this area. The Consumer Protection Team will strengthen the Office’s capacity to investigate and enforce laws that protect potentially vulnerable individuals from current and emerging consumer threats. The Consumer Protection Team will pursue all appropriate measures to stop culpable entities and individuals that engage in conduct threatening the health, safety, economic security, or dignity of those individuals, including affirmative civil enforcement cases seeking injunctive relief, civil penalties, equitable monetary relief, and corrective action. Among the areas that the Consumer Protection Team will focus on are financial frauds and scams; fraudulent and deceptive marketing practices; consumer product safety; food, drug, and dietary supplement safety; and other conduct that may cause or threaten to cause serious harm to the people in this district and throughout the country.
In announcing the formation of the Consumer Protection Team, United States Attorney Peace stated: “I am proud to announce the formation of our Consumer Protection Team which will enhance our Office’s ability to protect older adults, children, and other potentially vulnerable victims from insidious fraud schemes and other illegal conduct committed by those who disregard the health, safety, and economic security of our residents for their own gain. Our goal is to use all available means to protect the residents of the Eastern District and improve their lives. The Consumer Protection Team is a critical part of the Office’s longstanding commitment to vigorously pursue those who prey on the public through increasingly sophisticated schemes.”
“The Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch is pleased to strengthen its longstanding partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York,” stated Deputy Assistant Attorney General Arun G. Rao for the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch. “We look forward to working with the office’s newly-formed Consumer Protection Team to advance significant consumer protection investigations and litigation. Our combined efforts will help safeguard the health, safety, economic security, and identity integrity of older adults, children, and other potentially vulnerable individuals both in the Eastern District of New York and throughout the United States.”
The Consumer Protection Team is led by the Civil Division’s Chief of Affirmative Civil Enforcement, Bonni J. Perlin; the Consumer Protection Team is made up of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Blume, Michael Castiglione, David Cooper, Melanie Speight, and Kevin Yim. The Consumer Protection Team is overseen by Civil Division Chief Joseph A. Marutollo and Civil Division Deputy Chief Richard K. Hayes. The Team will continue to partner and coordinate with the Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch and federal agencies.
U.S. Department of Justice Awards $150,000 Grant to Wisconsin Department of JusticeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard G. Frohling of the Eastern District of Wisconsin joined the United States Department of Justice in announcing that it has awarded $150,000 to the Wisconsin Department of Justice for law enforcement agencies in the state for their immediate emergency response and subsequent investigation and prosecution of the Waukesha parade attack that occurred on November 21, 2021.
“Every day, the United States Department of Justice seeks to make our communities safer not only through prosecution of federal offenders but also by seeking to provide financial support, training resources, and technical assistance to our state, local, and tribal partners,” stated U.S. Attorney Frohling. “Today’s grant – to help agencies whose men and women responded to the Waukesha parade attack – is another example of that commitment.”
“November 21, 2021, is a day the City of Waukesha will never forget. On that day first responders answered the call to serve,” said Dan Thompson, Chief of Police, Waukesha Police Department. “On behalf of the Waukesha Police Department and all of the Law Enforcement agencies who assisted in this unprecedented incident, we are honored to hear that the state was awarded funds by the Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance to assist law enforcement agencies in this tragic event.”
The grant awarded will be utilized to reimburse agencies that have experienced a significant financial impact from the parade tragedy and the subsequent interventions that have been necessary to cope with the event. The grant program is managed by the Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Assistance.
About the Office of Justice Programs:
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Amy L. Solomon, provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal justice system. More information about OJP and its components can be found at https://www.ojp.gov
For Additional Information Contact:
Public Information Officer Kenneth Gales 414-297-1700
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U.S. Attorney Cindy Chung Names Leadership Team, Reorganizes Criminal DivisionRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – United States Attorney Cindy Chung has announced the office’s new executive leadership team and a restructuring of the Criminal Division that will allow the office to best effectuate the Administration’s priorities.
“This restructuring aligns the legal expertise and talents of the 59 Assistant United States Attorneys working in our Pittsburgh, Johnstown, and Erie offices with our priorities to uphold the Constitution, apply the law equally and fairly, and protect the citizens of western Pennsylvania,” said U.S. Attorney Chung. “I am confident that this reorganization will allow us to focus our attention on reducing violent crime, confronting the growing fentanyl threat and the rise of extremist ideology, prosecuting cyber criminals, and targeting those who exploit children and other vulnerable populations.”
Ms. Chung named Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy Rivetti as First Assistant U.S. Attorney. Mr. Rivetti served as Chief of the Criminal Division since 2019. Mr. Rivetti obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree from Dickinson College and his Juris Doctor from Georgetown University. Following graduation from law school, Mr. Rivetti was employed for five years as a litigation associate at a large Pittsburgh law firm. He then served as a law clerk for two years for the Honorable D. Brooks Smith. Mr. Rivetti has been employed as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Western District of Pennsylvania for over 20 years. His primary areas of concentration have involved the investigation and prosecution of large-scale drug trafficking organizations, firearms offenses, and other violent crime.
Ms. Chung named Assistant U.S. Attorney Soo C. Song as Chief of the Criminal Division. From October 2010 through March 2018, Ms. Song served as the First Assistant U.S. Attorney and Acting U.S. Attorney (November 2016 – December 2017). She also recently served as the Antiterrorism Advisory Coordinator and Senior Litigation Counsel for the Western District of Pennsylvania. Ms. Song is a founding member of the Veterans Treatment Court in Pittsburgh. Prior to joining the Western District of Pennsylvania, Ms. Song worked as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of Arizona and served as Deputy Director of the Office of Tribal Justice at the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. She is a graduate of Yale University and the George Washington Law School.
Ms. Chung named former Acting U.S. Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman as Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney. Mr. Kaufman served as First Assistant U.S. Attorney from 2018 to 2021, and previously served as Chief of the Criminal Division from 2010 to 2018. In his 29 years as a federal prosecutor, Mr. Kaufman has handled a wide variety of violent crime, narcotics, child exploitation and white collar cases. Notable cases include the successful eight-week trial of the Pittsburgh La Cosa Nostra organized crime family on RICO charges, the prosecution of the distributors of China White, a deadly synthetic form of heroin which caused the overdose deaths of 17 individuals in 1988, the prosecution of Michael Carlow, owner of Pittsburgh Brewing and Clark Candy, for perpetuating a $31 million dollar check kiting scheme against PNC Bank, and obtaining the conviction of and an 11-year prison sentence for Dr. Oliver Herndon, a physician who was the most prolific illegal distributor of oxycodone in the Pittsburgh area prior to his arrest. Mr. Kaufman is a graduate of Allegheny College and Harvard Law School.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee J. Karl has been named Chief of the Civil Division. Mr. Karl joined the office in 2004 as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the civil division where he defended the United States, its agencies and employees in a wide range of civil lawsuits. In 2010, he transferred to the Economic Crimes Section of the Criminal Division, where he prosecuted a variety of crimes, including frauds schemes, embezzlements, public corruption, tax violations and child exploitation. In 2018, he became the Deputy Chief of the Economic Crimes Section and assisted with supervising the section. Mr. Karl has held other positions within the office, including Ethics Officer, Asset Forfeiture Coordinator, Financial Litigation Coordinator and District Election Officer. Prior to joining the Office, Mr. Karl spent two years as a Litigation Associate at a large Pittsburgh law firm and spent one year as a Federal Judicial Law Clerk for the Hon. Ronald Buckwalter in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. He is a graduate of Ohio University and the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Irwin will continue to serve as Appellate Division Chief. Ms. Irwin is a 1991 graduate of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. Following her graduation from law school, she served as a law clerk to the Hon. William W. Wilkins, Jr. on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. After several years in private practice in Pittsburgh following her clerkship, Ms. Irwin joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2000 as a member of the Civil Division. She transferred to the Appellate Division in 2004. In September 2018, she was named the Chief of the Appellate Division.
Don Haley will continue to serve as the Administrative Officer for the District.
In addition to naming her leadership team, Ms. Chung announced a restructured Criminal Division with two sections. The Violent Crime/Narcotics Section will be led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tonya Goodman as Chief, and the Deputy Chief will be Assistant U.S. Attorney Barbara Doolittle. The Economic/Cyber/National Security Crimes Section will be led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Olshan as Chief.
Tonya Goodman is a graduate of the University of Michigan and the University of Virginia School of Law. Following her graduation from law school, she served as a law clerk to the Hon. Robert I. Richter in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. In 2001, Ms. Goodman joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, where she prosecuted both local and federal crimes, from misdemeanor domestic violence to federal drug offenses to homicide and violent crimes. From 2006 to 2012, she worked as an Associate at Reed Smith, LLP, where she focused on White Collar Criminal Defense and Internal Investigations. In 2012, Ms. Goodman joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Western Pennsylvania, originally working in the White Collar Section before transferring to Violent Crimes. Ms. Goodman has previously served as Chief and Deputy Chief of the Narcotics/Organized Crime Section.
Eric G. Olshan joined the office in 2017 as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Economic Crimes Section. During his time in the office, he has served as the Civil Rights Coordinator, Health Care Fraud Coordinator, Public Corruption Coordinator, Environmental Crime Coordinator, and District Election Officer. From 2007 to 2017, Mr. Olshan was a Trial Attorney and Deputy Chief in the Public Integrity Section at the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., where he prosecuted public corruption and election crimes in federal districts throughout the United States. Mr. Olshan joined the Department through the Attorney General’s Honors Program following a clerkship for the Honorable Richard C. Tallman of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Mr. Olshan is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law.
Barbara K. Doolittle joined the United States Attorney’s Office in 2009, after serving for two years as an Assistant Public Defender for Allegheny County. In her years as an AUSA, she has prosecuted violations of laws related to narcotics, firearms, Hobbs Act robberies, bank robberies, and human trafficking, among others. Ms. Doolittle was recognized as an Outstanding Prosecutor for her work on a lengthy wiretap investigation into drug trafficking in and around Fayette County. She has served most recently as a Deputy Chief in the Major Crimes section of the Criminal Division. Ms. Doolittle is a graduate of Brown University and Boston College Law School.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecutes civil and criminal matters on behalf of the United States of America and its agencies and defends claims against the United States in the 25 counties that make up the western part of the Commonwealth. The office currently employs 59 Assistant U.S. Attorneys across the Criminal, Civil and Appellate Division, and 55 support staff in Pittsburgh, Erie, and Johnstown.
Two Sentenced for Cheating on Coal Mine Dust SamplingRead the Press Release
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Last week, in United States District Court in Louisville, Kentucky, Steve DeMoss and Ron Ivy, two former mine managers, were sentenced for repeatedly violating the Mine Safety and Health Administration’s (MSHA) regulations requiring accurate respirable coal-dust-sampling in underground coal mines. Respirable coal dust causes coal workers’ pneumoconiosis or black lung disease. Black lung is a progressive and irreversible disease leading to lung failure and death. Yet it is preventable by reducing the levels of respirable coal dust to which miners are exposed.
Starting in 2013 and continuing through 2015, DeMoss and Ivy were Safety Directors at Parkway and Kronos mines operated by the Armstrong Coal Company. As Safety Directors, they oversaw the required regular dust-sampling that would ensure that the mines’ ventilation and engineering controls were adequate to keep respirable coal dust at safe levels. Mine operators can lower respirable dust by adjusting air flow in the mine and by using water sprays and other engineering controls. Mine operators must also comply with MSHA’s dust regulations, which require regular testing of the air where miners are actually working to ensure respirable coal dust is at safe levels. Both DeMoss and Ivy, rather than conducting the dust-sampling as required for full shifts, repeatedly took the dust-sampling monitors off miners wearing them. DeMoss and Ivy would then move the monitors out of the dusty working areas and into areas with clean air in an attempt to ensure the monitors would not register elevated dust levels.
DeMoss, 52, of Hopkins County, was sentenced to six months of probation for removing dust-sampling devices from miners before the end of the designated sampling period.
Ivy, 53, of Hopkins County, was sentenced to six months of probation for removing dust-sampling devices from miners before the end of the designated sampling period.
“We will continue to aggressively prosecute those whose actions violate safety regulations put in place to protect the health of our coal miners,” stated United States Attorney Michael A. Bennett. “I commend the work of the prosecutors assigned to this case and the investigators from the MSHA’s Madisonville District Office who worked tirelessly to investigate the violations.”
“The Department of Labor is committed to protecting the health and safety of Kentucky’s miners,” said Solicitor of Labor Seema Nanda. “Working with our partners at the MSHA and the Department of Justice, we will continue to investigate and prosecute those who put coal miners at risk by ignoring critical health and safety requirements.”
The investigation of the case was conducted by MSHA’s Madisonville District Office.
Western District of Kentucky Assistant United States Attorney Corinne Keel and Special Assistant United States Attorneys Jason Grover and Dana Ferguson from the Department of Labor prosecuted the case for the United States.
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Tennessee Woman Sentenced to 24 Months’ Imprisonment for Smuggling Narcotics into Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Lisa Montpelier, 48, of Johnson City, Tennessee, was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment to be followed by two years of supervised release by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Matthew W. Brann for smuggling suboxone into the United States Penitentiary (USP Allenwood) in Allenwood, Pennsylvania.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Montpelier pleaded guilty in March 26, 2021 to the offense of providing contraband to an inmate. During a visit to an inmate at USP Allenwood in 2017, Montpelier used an open-mouth kiss to pass a balloon containing 21 suboxone strips to an inmate. The incident was monitored via a closed-circuit camera and the suboxone was later recovered from the inmate.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Prisons. Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey W. MacArthur prosecuted the case.
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Tax preparer sent to prison for tax fraud…againRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A woman is headed to prison for falsely preparing tax returns following a prior order not to engage in that business, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Marcia Angella Johnson pleaded guilty Sept. 7, 2021.
Today, U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks Jr. sentenced her to a total of 15 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by one year of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional testimony that described how Johnson received probationary sentences in her three prior state criminal cases and yet continued to commit crimes. The court also heard testimony about Johnson’s 2011 case, which the United States elected to pursue civilly instead of criminally and which involved her submission of over 200 tax returns with a loss the government of over $1 million. In that case, a stipulated preliminary injunction and default judgment were issued against Johnson barring her from preparing tax returns. The tax credits she tried to obtain in that case were described in a filing as “so exaggerated that no reasonable person could conclude they were anything but deliberately fabricated.”
At the time of her plea, Johnson admitted that since 2016, she had been preparing income tax returns for clients even though she had been prohibited from doing so. During this time, she prepared numerous false returns which claimed various false items on her clients’ behalf. These included false wages, salaries, tips and tax credits such as earned income credit, child tax credits and American opportunity credits.
As a result of her criminal acts, the United States suffered a loss of at least $54,545 in tax revenue, which Johnson was ordered to pay back as part of her sentence. Johnson herself admitted to pocketing between $13,000 and $15,000 after preparing tax returns each year from 2016 through 2019.
Johnson previously admitted to preparing or assisting to prepare approximately 200 false tax returns. In 2011, the court banned her from conducting a tax preparation business.
She was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
IRS – Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Laurence Goldman prosecuted the case.
Syracuse Man Pleads Guilty to Two Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Akiem Howard, age 22, of Syracuse, pled guilty yesterday to robbing two Syracuse convenience stores and brandishing and discharging handguns in furtherance of both robberies, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, John B. DeVito. Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Chief Kenton Buckner, City of Syracuse Police Department, and William Fitzpatrick, Onondaga County District Attorney.
As part of his guilty plea yesterday, Howard admitted that on December 13, 2020, and again on December 21, 2020, he robbed two convenience stores in Syracuse, NY. During both robberies, Howard pointed handguns at store clerks. During the second robbery, Howard was accompanied by another alleged robber carrying a rifle. While fleeing the store, Howard fired several rounds from his handgun at the store clerk. One of the bullets struck the other alleged robber in the leg. The other alleged robber’s case is pending, and she is presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty. As part of his guilty plea yesterday, Howard also admitted to committing three other armed robberies in Syracuse on December 19, 2020.
Sentencing is scheduled for July 6, 2022, before the Hon. Thomas J. McAvoy in Binghamton, New York, at which time Howard faces a minimum term of imprisonment of 17 years, a maximum term of life, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 5 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
This case was investigated by the Syracuse Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division (CID), the SPD Intelligence Section (Intel), the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office, and the United States Marshals Fugitive Task Force, and is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Sutcliffe.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Staten Island Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a ChildRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Blaise Caroleo was sentenced by United States District Judge Eric N. Vitaliano to 30 years in prison for sexual exploitation of a minor. Caroleo pleaded guilty to the charge in November 2019.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced the sentence.
“Today’s lengthy sentence underscores the commitment of this Office to seeking justice and healing for children who are sexually abused and exploited,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “We will continue to prosecute dangerous online predators like the defendant who victimize vulnerable minors.” Mr. Peace thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI) and the FBI’s Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Task Force for their investigative work on the case.
Between approximately January 24, 2016, and October 12, 2016, Caroleo enticed a 14-year-old girl to produce sexually explicit images of herself, and to send these images to him using an Internet application called Kik. The account username for the application on Caroleo’s cell phone was “Nimfeater.” A review of Nimfeater’s Kik account revealed a series of messages in which Caroleo requested sexually explicit photos of Kik users who have been identified as minors, some as young as 12 years old.
This prosecution is 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 United States Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The government’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Nicholas Axelrod and Erin E. Argo.
The Defendant:
BLAISE CAROLEO
Age: 57
Staten Island, NYE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 17-CR-177 (S-1) (ENV)
South Bend Man Sentenced to 222 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Miles Wilbourn, 29 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to three counts of carjacking, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Wilbourn was sentenced to 222 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, in August and September of 2019, Wilbourn and accomplices lured victims to South Bend apartment complexes on several different dates under false pretenses. When the victims arrived, Wilbourn and his accomplices attacked and robbed them, stealing their cars, and wallets. One of the victims was so severely beaten they had to be hospitalized.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the South Bend Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joel Gabrielse.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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Six Drug Traffickers Are Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. District Judge Frank D. Whitney has ordered six defendants responsible for trafficking narcotics in Mecklenburg and Gaston Counties to serve prison terms ranging from seven to 25 years, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
The federal prosecutions are the result of investigations conducted by the Western District’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), which focuses on disrupting and dismantling drug trafficking networks operating in Western North Carolina.
The charges the defendants were convicted of and the sentences they received are as follows:
- Dietrich O’Brian Sarratt, 37, of Gastonia, North Carolina, pleaded guilty on May 19, 2021, to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and was sentenced on Tuesday to 300 months in prison and five years of supervised release.
- Daniel William Brock, IV, 35, of York, South Carolina, pleaded guilty on May 6, 2021, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced on Tuesday to 228 months in prison and five years of supervised release.
- Dakota Reese Davis, 34, of Maiden, North Carolina, pleaded guilty on April 21, 2021, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced on Tuesday to 144 months in prison and five years of supervised release.
- Christopher Dewayne Jenkins, 31, of Gastonia, North Carolina, pleaded guilty on April 7, 2021, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine and was sentenced today to 120 months in prison and five years of supervised release.
- Chad Richard Tate, 51, of Cherryville, North Carolina, pleaded guilty on January 26, 2021, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced on Tuesday to 120 months in prison and five years of supervised release.
- Mildred Marie Johnson Colon, 33, of Dallas, North Carolina, pleaded guilty on November 5, 2020, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced on Tuesday to 78 months in prison and three years of supervised release.
Since 2019, these OCDETF investigations have led to the federal prosecution of more than 60 individuals for drug trafficking, and law enforcement have seized more than 87 kilograms of narcotics, including over 24 kilograms of fentanyl, 66 firearms, more than $385,000 in cash, and over $800,000 in other property.
OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles criminal organizations using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King commended the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office, the Huntersville Police Department, and the Gastonia Police Department for their investigative efforts.
Assistant United States Attorney Steven Kaufman, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, is in charge of the prosecution.
Sioux Falls Man Sentenced for Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender was sentenced on February 28, 2022, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.
Chester Dennis Marshall, age 55, was sentenced to five years of supervised release and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Marshall was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 4, 2021. He pled guilty on October 25, 2021.
The conviction stems from Marshall failing to register as a sex offender as required by federal law between January 2, 2021, and January 25, 2021. Marshall had previously been convicted of a sex offense in federal court, which required him to register for the rest of his life.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper prosecuted the case.
Sex Offender Sentenced to over Five Years in Federal Prison for Failure to Register in MarylandRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar today sentenced Lawrence A. Marvitz, age 44, of Hagerstown, Maryland, to 69 months in federal prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, for failing to register as a sex offender and for violating his supervised release for a previous federal conviction. Judge Bredar also ordered that, upon his release from prison, Marvitz must continue to register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.
According to his guilty plea, on July 13, 2012, Chief Judge Bredar sentenced Marvitz to a year and a day in federal prison, followed by 20 years of supervised release, for possession of child pornography. As a condition of his supervised release, Marvitz was prohibited from possessing or using any computer, except with the permission of his probation officer, or in connection with authorized employment. Marvitz was also required to cooperate with U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services Office monitoring of compliance with this condition, including participating in a computer and internet monitoring program, identifying computer systems and internet-capable devices to which Marvitz had access, and permitting random, unannounced examinations of electronic devices under his control.
As detailed in his plea agreement, Marvitz was released from custody in May 2013. In January 2017 Marvitz’s case was transferred to the U.S. Probation Office for the Northern District of West Virginia for supervision. On September 19, 2019, Marvitz moved to an apartment in Hagerstown, Maryland. Marvitz did not obtain permission from his U.S. Probation Officer prior to changing his residence, nor did he update his sex offender registration by registering his new address in West Virginia or by registering as a sex offender in Maryland.
On October 9, 2019, a U.S. Probation Officer (USPO) conducted an unannounced home visit to Marvitz’s new address and observed what appeared to be an empty computer box. Marvitz advised the USPO that he had just purchased the new computer and that he was planning to remove his old laptop. Marvitz had not obtained the permission of the USPO prior to purchasing the new computer. The USPO instructed Marvitz to contact the monitoring company immediately so the monitoring software could be installed on the new computer. After the visit by the USPO, Marvitz did update the West Virginia and Maryland sex offender registries with his address.
On November 20, 2019, the USPO returned to Marvitz’s residence. Marvitz advised the USPO that he had wiped his old laptop and sold it to a local pawn shop. The USPO observed an internet cable that disappeared behind a computer desk. Upon further inspection, the USPO located Marvitz’s old laptop and an external hard drive hidden behind the computer desk. Search warrants were subsequently obtained for Marvitz’s apartment and for a total of 20 electronic devices that were ultimately seized. A forensic examination of the old laptop and external hard drive found by the USPO revealed seven videos and five images depicting prepubescent minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The files had been downloaded from the internet between January 12, 2018 and September 30, 2019.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "Resources" tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI for its work in the investigation and thanked the U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services Office for its assistance in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Judson T. Mihok, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Seventeen Kentuckians Indicted for Animal Fighting ChargesRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky.- In four separate indictments, issued by a federal grand jury sitting in London, 17 Kentuckians have been indicted with various offenses related to animal fighting and cruelty.
In the first indictment, the grand jury charged Cruz Alejandro Mercado-Vazquez, 43, of Maysville, Ky., with two counts of attempted bribery and one count of possessing animals for the purpose of having the animals participate in an animal fighting venture.
The indictment alleges that, on two separate occasions, Mercado-Vaquez offered a bribe of more than $5,000, to the Mason County Sheriff, to influence the Sheriff in connection with a planned animal fighting venture. The indictment further alleges that Mercado-Vazquez knowingly bought, possessed, and trained roosters to participate in an animal fighting venture.
In the second indictment, the grand jury charged Rickie Dale Johnson, 55, Jacklyn Rachelle Johnson, 31, Harold “Fuzzy” Hale, 72, all of London, Ky, with conspiracy to knowingly sponsor and exhibit animals in an animal fighting venture, in connection with the Bald Rock chicken pit in Laurel County. The indictment alleges that Rickie Johnson rented property from Hale and, for at least two months in 2021, operated regular animal fighting ventures at that location, with assistance from Jacklyn Johnson. The following individuals were also charged with exhibiting an animal, specifically a rooster, in the animal fighting venture at the Bald Rock pit:
Orville D. Asher, 39, of London, Ky
Dallas Cope, 35, of Livingston, Ky
Hiram B. Creech, Jr., 47, of East Bernstadt, Ky
Bradley Cye Rose, 72, of Parkers Lake, Ky.
Joshua Westerfield, 36, of London, Ky
In the third indictment, the grand jury charged Millard Oscar Hubbard, 72, of Manchester, Ky.; Timothy Sizemore, 42, of Manchester, Ky.; Beachel Collett, 28, of Oneida, Ky.; Lester Collett, 25, of Manchester, Ky.; and Justin Smith, 33, of Manchester, Ky., with one count each of conspiracy to knowingly sponsor and exhibit animal fighting ventures. Sizemore was also charged with knowingly promoting the animal fighting events using instrumentalities of interstate commerce.
The third indictment alleges that, between November 2018 and January 2020, the defendants conspired to operate weekly animal fighting ventures at Riverside Game Club, in Manchester, Ky. The indictment further alleges that Riverside Game Club was owned and operated by Hubbard. Sizemore, with the assistance of Beachel and Lester Collett, organized the participants into various fights, cataloged the entry fees, the weight of the roosters, tracked the weapons used on the animals, arranged the fights and tracked the wins and losses of various participants. Sizemore allegedly distributed advertising material about the fights, and Hubbard collected admissions fees and had trailers that could be rented to individuals who participated in the animal fighting. It was also alleged that, the defendants paid regular employees, including Smith, to work the fights.
The third indictment further charged Sizemore with one count conspiracy to operate a weekly animal fighting venture at Blackberry Chicken Pit, located in Pike County, Kentucky. It alleges that Sizemore, with the assistance of others, operated weekly animal fighting ventures at Blackberry between May 2020 and December 2021.
In the fourth indictment, the grand jury charged Walter H. Mitchell, 55, of Ewing, Ky, Jerrard McVey, 47, and Linda McVey, 42, of Carlisle, Ky, with conspiracy to knowingly sponsor and exhibit animals in an animal fighting venture, in connection with the Valley, a chicken pit on the border of Nicholas and Fleming Counties.
“Animal fighting ventures are cruel and illegal,” said Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “We are committed to enforcing federal animal cruelty laws and I want to commend the efforts of our law enforcement partners, whose dedication and effort led to these indictments for the Eastern District of Kentucky.”
“The gruesome ritual of animal fighting simply has no place in a civilized society. Animal cruelty, however, is just one criminal aspect surrounding this barbaric activity. Whether it is illegal gambling or the attempted corruption of our public officials, the criminal enterprise surrounding cockfighting operations will not be tolerated,” said Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen, FBI Louisville Office. “Through outstanding cooperation and great work, the FBI and its state and federal law enforcement partners have dealt a serious blow to cockfighting and a multitude of other criminal activities in the Eastern District of Kentucky.”
United States Attorney Shier; Jason M. Williams, Acting Special Agent in Charge, United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General; Special Agent in Charge Cohen; Colonel Phillip Burnett, Jr., Commissioner, Kentucky State Police; and Superintendent Rob Townsend, Indiana Gaming Commission, jointly announced the indictments.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by USDA, FBI, KSP, and the Indiana Gaming Commission. The cases are being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kate Smith and Andrea Mattingly-Williams.
Each defendant faces up to 5 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. Mercado-Vasquez faces up to 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 for the attempted bribery counts. However, any sentence following a conviction would be imposed by the Court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal sentencing statutes.
Any indictment is an accusation only. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
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SeaTac man sentenced to 25 years in prison for crimes involving the sexual abuse of young boysRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 38-year-old SeaTac, Washington, man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 25 years in prison for four federal felonies related to child sexual abuse, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. Brandan L. Wilkins pleaded guilty in February 2021, to travel with intent to engage in a sexual act with a minor; possession of child pornography; receipt of child pornography; and enticement of a minor. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour noted that the sexual abuse of minors had occurred over a long period of time, and he said he was “particularly offended” by examples of Wilkins electronic chats with young children where he pressured them to send him sexually explicit images.
“Mr. Wilkins’ pattern of predatory and dangerous conduct left a trail of traumatized children in his wake,” said U.S. Attorney Brown. “This lengthy sentence and the lifetime of supervised release imposed, are necessary to protect the children in our community.”
According to records filed in the case, in July 2018, an electronic service provider notified the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that an internet account later linked to the defendant received a video of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Law enforcement identified Wilkins as the owner of the internet account. A search of his online activity revealed Wilkins was posing as a 13-year-old boy to solicit sexually explicit pictures from young teens. When law enforcement served a search warrant at Wilkins’ residence, they seized electronic devices containing thousands of images of child pornography.
When law enforcement searched Wilkins’ wallet, they found a student ID card for a youth that Wilkins had befriended. Interviews with Wilkins and the youth revealed Wilkins had traveled with the victim to various locations to engage in sexual activity. In 2009 and 2011, Wilkins traveled with the youth who was then 12-years old to Disneyland and other locations where he engaged in sexual activity with the child. Wilkins admits he posed as a ‘father figure’ for the boy so he could have access to the child. The abuse began when the child was just 8 years old.
In asking for the lengthy sentence and lifetime supervised release Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson wrote to the court, “By sexually exploiting his many victims, the defendant has forever impacted their lives in ways that may have significant long-term health consequences. What these victims endured at his hands has the potential for severe lifelong psychological consequences to their self-esteem and well-being.”
Wilkins was employed as a TSA agent at Sea-Tac airport. He has been in custody since his arrest in December 2018.
Wilkins will next be appearing in King County Superior Court to face charges of sex offenses against a minor. King County is recommending a sentence of 290 months in custody – that sentence will run concurrently with his federal sentence.
The case was investigated by the Kent Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations as part of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC).
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by 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 better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Schenectady Man Charged with Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Daniel Quintero, age 36, of Schenectady, New York, was arrested and charged today with receiving child pornography.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
According to the complaint, Quintero used the Internet to access, view and download images and videos of child pornography.
The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Quintero appeared today before United States Magistrate Judge Christian F. Hummel, and was detained pending further proceedings. If convicted on this charge, Quintero faces a minimum 5 years and up to 20 years in prison, a maximum $250,000 fine, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. 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 is being investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes Investigators from the New York State Police and Colonie Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Williams.
This case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Santa Fe resident sentenced for receiving child pornography via KikRead the Press Release
GALVESTON, Texas – A 25-year-old local resident has been ordered to federal prison following his convictions of receipt and possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Joshua Allen Kasper pleaded guilty Aug. 10, 2021.
Today, U.S. District Judge Jeffrey V. Brown ordered him to serve a total of 78 months in federal prison. Kasper was further ordered to pay $13,500 in restitution to the victims and will serve 10 years on supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Kasper will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.
In 2016, law enforcement learned of a Dropbox account that contained what was suspected to be child exploitation material. The investigation revealed that the account, which belonged to Kasper, was comprised of multiple folders that contained hundreds of images and videos meeting the federal definition of child pornography.
Authorities traced the account to an IP address registered to a residential address in Santa Fe. Kasper was living there.
Law enforcement executed a search warrant in August 2018 and seized Kasper’s cell phone, which was found to contain five photos and four images of child pornography. Several months prior to the search, Kasper had received the videos over the Kik messenger application on his phone.
Previously released on bond, Kasper was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Houston Metro Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and Pearland Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sherri Zack and Stephanie Bauman prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
Red Springs Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Money Laundering and Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
Derek McNeill Washington, 31, was sentenced on February 24, 2022, to 300 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and money laundering, announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Hairston.
Washington was indicted as part of a sixteen-count indictment in May 2021 alongside ten co-defendants for various drug trafficking, firearms, money laundering, and conspiracy charges in Rowan County. Washington was ordered to forfeit various firearms to authorities and will face five years of supervised release in addition to his 25-year prison sentence.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Terry M. Meinecke. Homeland Security Investigations-Charlotte and the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
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Providence Man Detained on Fraud Charges, Threatening a Corrections OfficerRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A Providence man has been ordered detained in federal custody on charges that he filed fraudulent applications for pandemic unemployment assistance payments in at least eight states and that he threatened to assault a corrections officer, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha and Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Neronha.
Mackenzy Scott, 25, is charged by way of a federal superseding indictment with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, seven counts of wire fraud, four counts of aggravated identity theft, theft of government money, and threat to assault a federal corrections officer. He was arraigned in U.S. District Court on Tuesday.
It is alleged in charging documents that Scott filed fraudulent applications seeking unemployment insurance benefits provided for by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act and the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) Program from the states of North Dakota, Massachusetts, Arizona, Nevada, California, Kentucky, Texas, and Pennsylvania. It is alleged that Scott filed at least four applications using the personal identifying information of others in three different states, and that he filed fraudulent applications in his own name in at least seven states.
Scott’s alleged fraudulent activity was discovered by a Rhode Island U.S. Probation Officer during a routine inspection of Scott’s cellphone. At the time, Scott was serving a term of federal supervised release, having completed a term of incarceration of 60 months on a conviction for conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a child. Scott’s cellphone was turned over to the FBI and Rhode Island State Police to further investigate Scott’s alleged fraudulent activity.
It is alleged that Scott fraudulently collected at least $102,000 in PUA benefits.
Scott was charged by federal criminal complaint for the alleged fraudulent unemployment insurance activity on June 1, 2021, and, after making his initial appearance on the complaint, he was ordered detained on June 2, 2021. It is further alleged that while detained on the criminal complaint, Scott threatened a corrections officer at the Donald W. Wyatt Correctional Facility.
A federal indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case, as well as other instances of criminal activity related to fraudulent applications for pandemic-related unemployment insurance benefits are being investigated jointly by the FBI, the Rhode Island State Police, and the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General. Cases are jointly reviewed, charged, and prosecuted by a team of prosecutors that include Assistant U.S. Attorneys Denise M. Barton, Stacey P. Veroni, and G. Michael Seaman, and Rhode Island Assistant Attorney General John M. Moreira, chief of the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Public Integrity Unit.
Rhode Islanders who believe their personal identification has been stolen and used to fraudulently obtain unemployment benefits are urged to contact the Rhode Island State Police at [email protected] or the FBI Providence office at (401) 272-8310.
On May 17, 2021, the United States 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.
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Polk County Man Sentenced to Federal Prison Sentence for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Livingston man has been sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston today.
Paul Michael Oliver, 54, pleaded guilty on Aug. 26, 2021 to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 235 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Thad Heartfield today.
According to information presented in court, on Nov. 2, 2020, Oliver was arrested at his residence on an outstanding parole violation warrant. During the arrest, Oliver was observed attempting to conceal a clear bag containing a crystal substance in a closet. A laboratory analysis determined that the substance was 684 grams of methamphetamine. A search of the residence also produced drug paraphernalia including scales and multiple clear plastic baggies. Oliver was indicted by a federal grand jury on Feb. 3, 2021.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tommy L. Coleman.
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Pittsburgh Man Sentenced to 3 Years for Drug Law ViolationsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - Seth Lindsey was sentenced to a total of 39 months in prison for conspiring to distribute fentanyl while on federal supervised release for a prior heroin trafficking conviction and also for conspiring to distribute Schedule I synthetic cannabinoid controlled substances, also known as “K2,” while serving a prior federal prison sentence, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Lindsey, age 27, of Pittsburgh, was sentenced by United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan. Judge Ranjan also directed that Lindsey serve six years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
In 2017, Lindsey was incarcerated at the federal prison in Loretto, Pennsylvania, when he conspired to distribute K2 controlled substances (Schedule I synthetic cannabinoids). He was serving a prison sentence at that time for conspiring to distribute at least 100 grams of heroin and using minors to commit that crime. In 2019, he was released from prison on federal supervised release as well as on bond. In 2020, he conspired to distribute fentanyl in violation of federal law, his supervised release conditions, and his bond conditions.
Assistant United States Attorneys Nicole A. Vasquez Schmitt and Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General led the multi-agency investigation that also included the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Beaver County District Attorney’s Office, the Department of Homeland Security/Homeland Security Investigations, the Pittsburgh Police Department, the United States Marshals Service, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Munhall Police Department, the Robinson Township Police Department, the McKees Rocks Police Department, the Stowe Township Police Department, the Etna Police Department, and the Erie County District Attorney’s Office.
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.
Pittsburgh Man Pleads Guilty to Obstructing Police during May 20, 2020 Pittsburgh ProtestRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to a charge of obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Jordan Coyne, 26, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on May 30, 2020, Coyne did knowingly and willfully throw multiple objects, including bricks, pieces of concrete, and a tear gas canister at uniformed Pittsburgh police officers, causing the obstruction, impediment and interference of law enforcement officers engaged in the lawful performance of their official duties. The tear gas canister struck an officer in the hand, causing his thumb to bleed and swell.
Judge Schwab scheduled sentencing for July 19, 2022. Judge Schwab permitted the defendant to remain on bond. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than five years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan D. Lusty is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
Pine Ridge Man Indicted for Robbery and AssaultRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Pine Ridge, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Robbery, Assault with Intent to Commit a Felony, and Assault on a Federal Officer.
Faron John Apple, age 32, was indicted on February 17, 2022. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann on February 25, 2022, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is fifteen years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release, and a $100 assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that in June 2021, Apple robbed an on-duty Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety officer and then assaulted the officer. The charges are merely an accusation and Apple is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelsey Blair is prosecuting the case.
Apple was detained pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Philadelphia Drug Dealer Sentenced to over Eight Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Anthony Cintron, 20, of Philadelphia, PA, was sentenced to eight years and one month in prison and five years of supervised release by United States District Judge Eduardo C. Robreno for numerous gun and drug offenses, including illegally possessing a firearm that had been modified to be fully automatic.
In November 2021, the defendant pleaded guilty to charges including possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a machinegun. The charges stemmed from an investigation conducted earlier in 2021 after law enforcement observed the defendant possessing firearms in social media posts. Investigators executed a search warrant at the defendant’s residence and seized distribution-level quantities of crack cocaine, two loaded firearms near the drugs, and a Glock pistol equipped with a machinegun conversion device—i.e., a device that attached to the pistol and converted it into a fully automatic weapon. That seized, modified pistol was highlighted as an illegal weapon recently taken off the streets during the City of Philadelphia’s first biweekly gun violence briefing held nearly one year ago on March 17, 2021.
“At the time this weapon was found in the defendant’s possession and seized by law enforcement officers, City leaders asked for assistance from all partners to tackle the violence crisis in Philadelphia,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “Our Office and our federal partners heeded that call and responded that we would be All Hands On Deck in doing our part. The sentence handed down today putting Cintron behind bars for more than eight years demonstrates our commitment to this pledge.”
“Cintron’s brazen display of possessing firearms on social media shows how prevalent the gun threat is and has been in our city,” said Thomas Hodnett, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Philadelphia Field Division. “His criminal acts, to include possession of a full-automatic machinegun, show the level of violence that is associated with the illegal drug-trade. Working to stem the gun violence that has plagued Philadelphia is one of our top enforcement priorities working with our partners in the Philadelphia Police Department.”
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Philadelphia Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Francis A. Weber.
Pain Clinic Owners Convicted of Unlawfully Distributing Opioids and Multimillion-Dollar Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
A federal jury convicted a Tennessee physician and his wife yesterday in the Northern District of Alabama for unlawfully distributing opioids, providing unnecessary services and defrauding insurers from their now-shuttered Alabama clinics.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Mark Murphy, 65, and his wife, Jennifer Murphy, 65, both of Lewisburg, owned and operated North Alabama Pain Services (NAPS), which closed its Decatur and Madison offices in early 2017. Over the approximately five-year period leading up to the clinic closing its Alabama locations, Murphy and his wife, who was the office manager, caused over $50 million in fraudulent or unnecessary medical services to be charged to Medicare, TRICARE, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama and others. Evidence at trial showed that NAPS provided pre-signed prescriptions to thousands of patients a month, including prescriptions written outside the usual course of professional practice without a legitimate medical purpose. The Murphys also solicited and received unlawful payments for referring fraudulent or unnecessary services to patients. Jennifer Murphy was also convicted of tax-related charges for underreporting clinic income.
Both defendants were convicted of conspiracy to unlawfully distribute controlled substances and conspiracy to commit health care fraud, along with various substantive counts related to the same. They were also convicted of conspiring to defraud the United States and receiving kickbacks. The Murphys face a maximum of 20 years in prison for the drug charges and a maximum of 10 years in prison for the health care fraud charges. Both defendants face a maximum of five years in prison for charges stemming from violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute, and Jennifer Murphy faces up to three years in prison for the tax charges. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing is scheduled for June 30.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona for the Northern District of Alabama; Special Agent in Charge Bradford L. Byerly of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) New Orleans Field Division; Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp Jr. of the FBI Birmingham Division; Special Agent in Charge James E. Dorsey of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Atlanta Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Tamala E. Miles of the Department of Health and Human Service Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Atlanta Region made the announcement.
FBI, HHS-OIG, IRS-CI and DEA investigated the case.
Assistant Chief Jillian Willis and Trial Attorney Emily Gurskis of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney J.B. Ward of the Northern District of Alabama are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid (ARPO) Strike Force. Since its inception in October 2018, the ARPO Strike Force, which operates in 10 districts, has charged more than 90 defendants who are collectively responsible for distributing more than 105 million pills. The ARPO Strike Force is part of the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program, which since March 2007 has charged more than 4,200 defendants who collectively have billed the Medicare program for more than $19 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at: https://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Pain Clinic Owners Convicted of Unlawfully Distributing Opioids and Multimillion-Dollar Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal jury convicted a Tennessee physician and his wife yesterday for unlawfully distributing opioids, providing unnecessary services and defrauding insurers from their now-shuttered Alabama clinics.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Mark Murphy, 65, and his wife, Jennifer Murphy, 65, both of Lewisburg, owned and operated North Alabama Pain Services (NAPS), which closed its Decatur and Madison offices in early 2017. Over the approximately five-year period leading up to the clinic closing its Alabama locations, Murphy and his wife, who was the office manager, caused over $50 million in fraudulent or unnecessary medical services to be charged to Medicare, TRICARE, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama and others. Evidence at trial showed that NAPS provided pre-signed prescriptions to thousands of patients a month, including prescriptions written outside the usual course of professional practice without a legitimate medical purpose. The Murphys also solicited and received unlawful payments for referring fraudulent or unnecessary services to patients. Jennifer Murphy was also convicted of tax-related charges for underreporting clinic income.
Both defendants were convicted of conspiracy to unlawfully distribute controlled substances and conspiracy to commit health care fraud, along with various substantive counts related to the same. They were also convicted of conspiring to defraud the United States and receiving kickbacks. The Murphys face a maximum of 20 years in prison for the drug charges and a maximum of 10 years in prison for the health care fraud charges. Both defendants face a maximum of five years in prison for charges stemming from violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute, and Jennifer Murphy faces up to three years in prison for the tax charges. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing is scheduled for June 30.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona for the Northern District of Alabama; Special Agent in Charge Bradford L. Byerly of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) New Orleans Field Division; Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp Jr. of the FBI Birmingham Division; Special Agent in Charge James E. Dorsey of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Atlanta Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Tamela Miles of the Department of Health and Human Service Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Atlanta Region made the announcement.
FBI, HHS-OIG, IRS-CI and DEA investigated the case.
Assistant Chief Jillian Willis and Trial Attorney Emily Gurskis of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney J.B. Ward of the Northern District of Alabama are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid (ARPO) Strike Force. Since its inception in October 2018, the ARPO Strike Force, which operates in 10 districts, has charged more than 90 defendants who are collectively responsible for distributing more than 105 million pills. The ARPO Strike Force is part of the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program, which since March 2007 has charged more than 4,200 defendants who collectively have billed the Medicare program for more than $19 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at: https://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Out of state man indicted for stalking local victimRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 45-year-old Colorado man has been charged with threatening a woman with releasing sexually explicit images unless she moved with him across the country, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Moses Cano was originally charged by criminal complaint. Today, the grand jury returned the indictment. He is is expected to appear for an arraignment before U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew Edison in the near future.
The complaint alleges Cano and the victim dated for a brief amount of time. At the end of that relationship, Cano made threats to her if she did not agree to come to Colorado with him, according to the charges. The victim allegedly refused. In retaliation, according to the complaint, he then sent sexually explicit images of the victim to her place of employment and several of her friends. He took over her Facebook account and used it to send the images and other messages to her contacts, according to the charges. He also allegedly posted a sexually-explicit video of the victim to a well-known adult pornography site.
In distress, the victim contacted authorities.
If convicted, Cano faces up to five years in federal prison and a 250,000 maximum possible fine.
Cano made his initial appearance Feb. 22, following the filing of the complaint. At that time, he was ordered to remain in custody pending further criminal proceedings.
The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of and Matagorda County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherri L. Zack is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Nigerian National Sentenced to over Four Years in Federal Prison for Mail Fraud Conspiracy Resulting in the Loss of More Than $500,000Read the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Samson A. Oguntuyi, age 29, of Atlanta, Georgia, yesterday to 54 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and mail fraud, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Imari R. Niles of the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General; Postal Inspector in Charge Greg Torbenson of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division; and Special Agent in Charge J. Russell George of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA).
According to his plea agreement, between July 25, 2016, and February 5, 2019, Oguntuyi conspired with Johnson B. Ogunlana, age 25, of Middle River, Maryland and others to steal bank checks and credit and debit cards from the mail, open fraudulent business banking accounts using the names of victim businesses and the stolen identities of victim postal customers to negotiate the stolen checks by depositing them into the fraudulent bank accounts, and then conduct transactions with stolen payment cards and with money derived from the stolen checks. Ogunlana was a letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) in Brooklyn, Maryland.
As part of the scheme to defraud, Ogunlana intercepted and stole mail pieces containing credit cards addressed to individual victims and sent photos of the stolen mail pieces and credit cards through a messaging application to Oguntuyi and other conspirators. Oguntuyi then used the victims’ personal identifying information (“PII”) to activate the stolen credit cards and to obtain new credit cards the victims never requested or applied for. Once the stolen credit cards were activated, members of the conspiracy used the credit cards to make retail purchases.
As detailed in his plea agreement, members of the conspiracy registered fraudulent businesses with state government agencies using the names of victim businesses and the names and identifying information of postal customer identity theft victims as the agents and/or incorporators of the businesses. Ogunlana and others used stolen payment cards issued to identity theft victims to pay fees to register some of the fraudulent businesses. Ogunlana also stole banks checks payable to victim businesses, whose mail was serviced out of the USPS facility where Ogunlana worked, by intercepting their mail. Oguntuyi and Ogunlana then endorsed some of the checks by forging the signatures of identity theft victims and deposited the checks into the fraudulent business bank accounts the conspirators opened in the names of the victim businesses. The conspirators then withdrew the money from the accounts through cash withdrawals, debit card purchases and cash back transactions at retail merchants, wire transfers, and by writing checks drawn on the accounts.
As stated in his plea agreement, at least $565,000 was stolen from two victim businesses and at least eight postal customers were victims of identity theft.
Ogunlana was sentenced to six years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and mail fraud, access device fraud, aggravated identity theft, and theft of mail by a postal employee on February 18, 2022.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and TIGTA for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Davio, who prosecuted the case.
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New Orleans Man and Woman Indicted for Gun and Drug Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that TONI JONES, age 33, and TIMREK ANDREWS, age 43, both of New Orleans, Louisiana, were charged on February 25, 2022 in a four-count indictment by a Federal Grand Jury for violations of the Federal Gun Control Act and Federal Controlled Substances Act. Specifically, TONI JONES is charged with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C) and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i) in Counts 1 and 2 of the indictment. TONI JONES and TIMREK ANDREWS are each charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2) in Counts 3 and 4 of the indictment.
According to court documents, JONES was previously convicted of illegally possessing heroin and fentanyl in St. Bernard Parish and ANDREWS was previously convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. Due to their criminal history, they are prohibited from having a firearm and are now charged with possessing a Glock 43, 9mm handgun. JONES is additionally accused of possessing that firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on February 10, 2022 along with possession with intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, cocaine base (“crack”), and methamphetamine, all Schedule II controlled substances, with the intent to distribute.
If convicted of Count 1, JONES faces a maximum of twenty (20) years imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000,000.00, at least three (3) years of supervised release, and a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee. If convicted of Count 2, she faces a minimum of five (5) years up to a maximum of life imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to five (5) years of supervised release, and a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee. JONES, if convicted of Count 3, and ANDREWS, if convicted of Count 4, each face a maximum of ten (10) years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to three (3) years of supervised release, and a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendants must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The case was investigated by the New Orleans Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles D. Strauss.
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New Mexico Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Meth and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
PECOS – Yesterday, a New Mexico man was sentenced to 240 months in prison for importing and possessing methamphetamine and 60 months in prison for a firearm charge.
According to court documents, Jarod Richard Melancon, 38, was arrested on May 5, 2021, after a federal search warrant was executed on a hotel room in Kermit where Melancon was staying. In the hotel room, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents discovered about 464.3 grams of crystal methamphetamine in a nightstand and approximately 593.5 grams of crystal methamphetamine in a minifridge. Agents also seized a 9mm pistol located near the nightstand.
On July 6, 2021, Melancon pleaded guilty to one count of Importation of Methamphetamine; one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine; and one count of Possessing a Firearm During and in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking crime.
Melancon received 240 months in prison for each of the drug counts to run concurrently. He received another 60 months in prison for the firearm charge that will run consecutive to the drug sentences.
“Methamphetamine is a highly addictive, destructive and dangerous drug,” said U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff. “Our office is proud to work with our partners at DEA in order to hold traffickers accountable and we resolve to rid our communities of this poison.”
“Methamphetamine trafficking and abuse causes terrible harm to our communities,” said Greg Millard, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s El Paso Division. “DEA will continue to hold meth dealers accountable by having them face justice, shutting down their distribution networks, and seizing their profits.”
The DEA El Paso Division’s Alpine Resident Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Ellis prosecuted the case.
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New Haven Man Charged with Federal Drug and Gun OffensesRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MAURICE MENAFEE, also known as “Mo,” 32, of New Haven, was arrested today on a federal criminal complaint charging him with drug and firearm offenses.
Menafee appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert M. Spector in New Haven and is detained pending a detention hearing that is scheduled for March 4 at 9:30 a.m.
As alleged in court documents, in the morning of February 9, 2022, members of the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force and the New Haven Police Department Shooting Task Force observed a car involved in suspected drug transactions at the intersection of Baldwin Street and Davenport Avenue in New Haven, and then traveling recklessly at high-rate of speed throughout the city. Investigators subsequently located the vehicle parked at a residence on Plymouth Street and identified the driver as Menafee. After Menafee was apprehended, a search of his person revealed $564 in cash and a search of the car revealed a Sig Sauer P238 .380 caliber pistol, 64 baggies of crack cocaine, and 116 wax folds of fentanyl.
Menafee was arrested on state charges on February 9 and released on bond.
It is alleged that Menafee’s criminal history includes state firearm and drug convictions. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
The complaint charges Menafee with possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
U.S. Attorney Boyle stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The DEA New Haven Task Force includes participants from the U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, Connecticut State Police and the New Haven, Hamden, West Haven, North Haven, East Haven, Branford, Ansonia, Meriden, Derby, Middletown, Naugatuck and Waterbury Police Departments.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine E. Boyles and Nathaniel J. Gentile.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Mission Woman Sentenced for AssaultRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Mission, South Dakota, woman convicted of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury was sentenced on February 28, 2022, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.
Teyaune Clairmont, a/k/a Teyaune Clairmont Escobedo, age 30, was sentenced to 28 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Clairmont was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 9, 2020. She pled guilty on November 29, 2021.
The conviction stemmed from an incident that occurred in the early morning hours of June 27, 2020, in Todd County, South Dakota. Clairmont went to the victim’s residence and argued with her. After arguing with the victim for several minutes, Clairmont became angry and lunged at the victim, biting the victim on the arm, back, and nose. The injury to the victim’s nose was severe and required reconstructive surgery
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
Clairmont was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Miami Man Charged with Attempting to Murder FBI Task Force OfficersRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – Today, a South Florida federal grand jury indicted a 21-year-old Miami man, James Robert Mills, Jr., with attempting to murder, and using a deadly weapon to forcibly assault, two federal agents and one local police officer, and with discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. According to the indictment and an earlier-filed criminal complaint affidavit, Mills discharged a hail of gunfire at a vehicle occupied by two FBI task force officers and a City of Homestead police officer earlier this year.
The charging documents allege the following: On January 31, the three officers were on duty, driving an unmarked white sports utility vehicle (SUV) in the Homestead-Miami area. At about 8:30 p.m., as they drove north on S.W. 116th Avenue, an officer noticed a gun pointed at them from an open backseat window of a parked car. According to the allegations, it was defendant Mills pointing the gun, which he then fired at the SUV as it drove by. The officers’ SUV accelerated, trying to evade the gunshots. The three officers in the SUV managed to lose the suspects’ vehicle without being wounded or firing their weapons. Crime scene investigators recovered approximately 24 nine-millimeter (9 mm) bullet casings and one projectile from the scene, says the affidavit.
An investigation into the shooting led law enforcement officers to Mills, whom they arrested following a search of a Miami residence where he was staying. According to the charging documents, officers recovered a Glock 17, 9 mm pistol with an extended magazine from the attic of the house, where Mills stashed it after the January 31 shooting.
If convicted of all the offenses charged in the indictment, Mills faces a mandatory minimum term of ten years in federal prison for each of the three counts charging him with discharging a firearm during a crime of violence; and those sentences must run consecutively to all other sentences. Therefore, if convicted on all counts, Mills faces a mandatory minimum term of 30 years’ imprisonment for the firearm counts, consecutive to any sentences imposed for attempted murder and forcible assault. Moreover, the court may impose a maximum term of life imprisonment if Mills is convicted of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.
Yesterday, following a pre-trial detention hearing, a federal magistrate judge ordered that Mills remain in detention, without bond, pending his trial.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami, announced the charges.
FBI Miami investigated the case, with assistance from Homestead Police Department and Miami-Dade Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dwayne E. Williams is prosecuting the case.
Indictments contain mere allegations and defendants are innocent unless and until found guilty in a court of law.
This case stems from Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In 2017, PSN was reinvigorated as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime. It is also part of the Miami-Dade Chiefs of Police Operation Community Shield Initiative.
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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Mercer County Man Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Interfering with Law Enforcement Officers During Civil DisorderRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Mercer County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for attempting to interfere with law enforcement officers during a civil disorder when he attempted to set fire to a police vehicle during a riot in Trenton, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Earlja J. Dudley, 28, of Trenton, previously pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti to an information charging him with one count of attempting to obstruct, impede, or interfere with law enforcement officers during a civil disorder affecting commerce. Judge Martinotti imposed the sentence by videoconference today.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On May 31, 2020, large-scale protests were held throughout the United States, including in Trenton, in response to the death of George Floyd. Although the May 31st protest in Trenton was peaceful earlier in the day, violence erupted later. A group of individuals proceeded down East State Street in downtown Trenton and began to riot, smashing store fronts, looting stores, and attacking multiple marked Trenton Police Department vehicles parked on the 100 Block of East State Street.
A City of Trenton street camera and other video footage taken by an individual present on the street captured Dudley and an unidentified male open the hood of a police vehicle. Dudley was then joined by another unidentified male who ignited an object that Dudley was holding. Dudley then placed the flaming object into the engine well of a Trenton Police Department vehicle, attempting to set the police vehicle on fire. Law enforcement later identified Dudley through analysis of street camera and other video footage and he was arrested on June 17, 2020.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Martinotti sentenced Dudley to three years of supervised release.
Dudley is the third of four individuals sentenced in connection with the protest in Trenton. Killian F. Melecio was sentenced in June 2021 to 28 months in prison and three years of supervised release; Justin D. Spry was sentenced in September 2021 to 24 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Kadeem A. Dockery previously pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI and task force officers of the Joint Terrorism Task Force in Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr., with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. He also thanked officers of the Trenton Police Department, under the direction of Police Director Steve E. Wilson; troopers of the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan; and officers of the New Jersey Department of Corrections, under the direction of Acting Commissioner Victoria L. Kuhn, for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander E. Ramey and Michelle S. Gasparian of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton.
Memphis Man Receives 10-Year Federal Sentence for Possession of Firearm While Shooting GirlfriendRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Terrence Mull, 36, has been sentenced to 120 months in federal prison for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Joseph C. Murphy, Jr., United States Attorney announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, on January 8, 2019, Terrence Mull used a firearm to assault and shoot his girlfriend during an argument. Mull put a gun to his girlfriend's head and stated, "Til death do us part." He then attempted to shoot the victim, but the gun jammed and the two struggled, until Mull eventually shot the victim in the arm and neck. The defendant also choked the victim. She was able to escape the home with her two minor children.
Mull pled guilty on August 26, 2021, to being a felon in possession of a firearm. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition.
On March 1, 2022, United States District Judge John T. Fowlkes, Jr., sentenced Mull to the maximum statutory penalty of 120 months in federal prison to be followed by three years’ supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
There are also current charges pending against Mull with the State of Tennessee related to this incident.
This case was investigated by Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Task Force. The (PSN) initiative is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In 2017, PSN was reinvigorated as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement, and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Assistant United States Attorney Greg Wagner and Special Assistant United States Attorney (SAUSA) Samuel D. Winnig prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. SAUSA Winnig was assigned from the Shelby County District Attorney General’s Office for prosecuting violent crimes and firearms offenses in federal court.
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Members of Drug Trafficking Conspiracy Receive Sentences Totaling 75+ Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – Seven members of a drug trafficking conspiracy were recently sentenced by Chief United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr., with the lead defendant having been sentenced today, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown.
Demetrius DeAngelo Hall, 37, of Bossier City, Louisiana, was sentenced today to 262 months (21 years, 10 months) in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Hall’s co-defendants and their sentences are as follows:
Steve Mireles, 41, of Dallas, Texas, was sentenced to 96 months (8 years) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
John R. Wilson, 50, of Shreveport, Louisiana, was sentenced to 120 months (10 years) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Larry Nichols, 48, of Shreveport, Louisiana, was sentenced to 77 months (6 years, 5 months) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Aaron McKinney, 40, of Shreveport, was sentenced to 120 months (10 years) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Bland Mouncil, 57, of Dallas, Texas, was sentenced to 120 months (10 years) in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Nolan Washington, 35, of Bossier City, was sentenced to 120 months (10 years) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
From March 1, 2019, and continuing until on or about December 31, 2019, each of these defendants were involved in a drug trafficking conspiracy and pleaded guilty to possessing and distributing methamphetamine in the Caddo and Bossier Parish areas. Law enforcement officers began an investigation into their illegal drug trafficking activities and were able to obtain a court ordered wiretap on Hall’s cell phone. Through numerous intercepted communications, agents learned that Hall was obtaining his methamphetamine from multiple sources, including from Steve Mireles in Texas. Hall transported the narcotics himself or through a courier to the Shreveport area where he would distribute the methamphetamine to his co-defendants. Hall met individuals at various locations throughout the Shreveport and Bossier area.
During the investigation, on October 21, 2019, law enforcement agents intercepted phone calls and text messages between Hall and his co-conspirators indicating that Hall was traveling to Texas to obtain more methamphetamine from Mireles. During these intercepted calls, Aaron McKinney was heard discussing a request for more drugs with Hall. Upon Hall’s and his co-conspirator, Bland Mouncil’s return from Texas, officers initiated a traffic stop. Mouncil then fled from law enforcement throwing the methamphetamine out the window. A high-speed pursuit with Mouncil began. During the pursuit, Mouncil called Hall and informed him he had thrown the methamphetamine out the window. Law enforcement was able to recover the drugs. Hall was later arrested on November 7, 2019, and he pled guilty to possessing with intent to distribute over 500 grams of methamphetamine. McKinney later admitted to law enforcement agents that he was buying and selling methamphetamine from Hall.
Larry Nichols participated in numerous phone calls with Hall in which they discussed various amounts of drugs, prices, and meeting locations, as well as making arrangements for Nichols to provide Hall with various amounts of drugs. On October 15, 2019, Nichols was found to be in possession of a stolen vehicle and was arrested by law enforcement officers. A search of the stolen vehicle revealed a clear plastic bag containing marijuana and methamphetamine. The seized methamphetamine was sent to the crime lab for analysis and determined to have a net weight of at least 5 grams or more.
Calls were also intercepted between Hall, Nolan Washington and John Wilson wherein they discussed the purchasing and selling of methamphetamine. Hall met with both Washington and Wilson at different times to conduct drug transactions. Through their surveillance, DEA agents observed both Washington and Wilson meet Hall to obtain the drugs. On November 5, 2019, agents observed Wilson get into Hall’s vehicle for a brief time, exit, and walk back to his vehicle. Agents followed Wilson and an officer conducted a traffic stop of his vehicle. A search was conducted, and the same amount of methamphetamine was found in the vehicle that they had discussed in the intercepted phone call. Wilson admitted to purchasing methamphetamine from Hall numerous times.
The two remaining defendants in this conspiracy, Michael C. Francis and David Williams, have each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and are scheduled to be sentenced at a later date.
This case was investigated by the DEA, ATF, Shreveport Police Department, Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, Greenwood Police Department, and Louisiana State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tennille Gilreath and Allison Duncan.
This effort is part of an ongoing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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Maple Grove Man Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Maple Grove man has been sentenced to 72 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release for receiving material depicting the sexual abuse of children. Acting U.S. Attorney Charles J. Kovats made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Donovan W. Frank sentenced the defendant.
According to court documents, between 2017 and 2020, Uriel Adan Vasquez-Rios, 29, created multiple social media accounts to solicit child pornography, the production of child pornography, and sexual contact with both children and adults. He also accessed websites depicting child pornography and downloaded a video depicting the sexual abuse of a minor. During this time, Vasquez-Rios was a student at the University of Minnesota’s School of Dentistry and had access to children.
On May 11, 2021, Vasquez-Rios pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Minneapolis Police Department, and the University of Minnesota Police Department.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily A. Polachek.
Manderson Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Manderson, South Dakota, man convicted at trial of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance was sentenced on February 18, 2022, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.
A federal jury found Alec Respects Nothing guilty in November 2021. Respects Nothing, age 31, has been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
During his involvement in the conspiracy, Respects Nothing obtained methamphetamine from multiple large scale methamphetamine suppliers, which he then sold to others, primarily on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Many of the people Respects Nothing supplied with methamphetamine went on to further distribute it to others.
This case was investigated by the Badlands Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, which is comprised of agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gina S. Nelson prosecuted the case.
Respects Nothing was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Lorain Man Convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl, Fentanyl Analogues, Heroin and CocaineRead the Press Release
Acting U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler announced that a federal jury returned guilty verdicts on Tuesday, March 1, 2022, against Defendant Brandon J. Sharp, 34, of Lorain, Ohio, following a three-day trial before U.S. District Judge Donald C. Nugent in Cleveland. Sharp was convicted of four counts of possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on June 29, 2020, law enforcement officers with the Lorain Police Department received an anonymous tip regarding the location of various amounts of narcotics stored under the bumper of a vehicle. Police responded to the site and confirmed the presence of the drugs.
While police were investigating, a woman arrived at the scene and explained to officers that the vehicle was used by her boyfriend, Defendant Brandon Sharp, for work. Sharp later spoke to police via phone and confirmed that the vehicle belonged to his employer.
Law enforcement investigators then obtained and executed a search warrant for the vehicle. During the search, investigators seized various amounts of fentanyl, fentanyl analogues, heroin, cocaine and over $2,000 dollars in U.S. currency. Investigators also discovered a cell phone linked to Sharp and various documents and pieces of mail bearing Sharp’s name, phone number and address in the vehicle. Sharp was later arrested on December 28, 2020.
Sharp is scheduled to be sentenced on June 21, 2022, and faces a maximum possible sentence of 40 years in prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler and FBI Special Agent in Charge Eric B. Smith made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Lorain Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert J. Kolansky and Vanessa V. Healy.
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Logansport Man Sentenced to 70 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Sean Beebout, 27 years old, of Logansport, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to possessing an unregistered sawed-off shotgun, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Beebout was sentenced to 70 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, the Law Enforcement Division of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources learned that Beebout was hunting deer without a license. During the execution of a search warrant at his residence, investigators found five firearms, including two sawed-off shotguns, as well as crossbows, a firearm suppressor, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Turns out Beebout had three prior felony convictions and committed this federal offense while on bond for another felony offense.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the assistance of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Law Enforcement. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kimberly L. Schultz and Jerome W. McKeever.
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Leader of Wholesale Drug Distribution Network SentencedRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Los Angeles man was sentenced today to 14 years in prison for leading a conspiracy involving the distribution of wholesale quantities of synthetic cannabinoids—commonly known as “spice” or “K2”—and laundering millions of dollars in the proceeds of the sale of that spice.
According to court documents, from 2017 through November 2019, Joseph Ruis, 56, was the leader of a Southern California-based wholesale spice manufacturing and distribution operation, along with co-defendants and sisters Kimberly Drumm, 52, and Bonnie Turner, 50, of Olive Branch, Mississippi. The illicit business presented as Aroma Superstore, and maintained a professional-looking website through which buyers around the country, including in the Eastern District of Virginia, could order packages of different varieties and flavors of spice.
The spice that Aroma Superstore sold almost uniformly contained chemicals listed as Schedule I controlled substances. The spice was sold in packages bearing the label “Not For Human Consumption” in an attempt to avoid regulatory or law enforcement scrutiny. The products were, in reality, intended to be consumed and induce a “high” similar to other controlled substances. The spice connected to this conspiracy was used by an individual from New Hampshire to fatally overdose.
Ruis controlled the operation and employed several individuals, including Drumm and Turner, who helped run the business. Ruis ran Aroma Superstore like a legitimate business in many ways, such as maintaining an office, hiring a financial manager, and issuing regular paychecks to employees. Ruis dictated the prices of the different sizes of the packages of spice and employed at least two individuals to answer phone calls and take orders for spice.
Ruis, Drumm, and Turner concealed the proceeds of their spice distribution by moving the profits through a network of shell corporations. Ruis directed Turner, who had no criminal record, to open bank accounts and register businesses in her name to avoid detection by law enforcement or by financial institutions.
In May 2019, law enforcement searched locations in Southern California used by Ruis, Drumm, and Turner for their business. In one warehouse location, agents seized approximately 30 kilograms of spice as well as a large volume of packaging material and equipment used in the distribution of the spice. At another warehouse location, law enforcement seized approximately 4,500 pounds of marijuana, approximately 300 kilograms of butane honey oil, lab equipment for the extraction of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and approximately $45,000. Law enforcement also searched the storage locker that Drumm had rented on behalf of Aroma Superstore and recovered approximately one kilogram of 5F-MDMB-PICA, a Schedule I chemical used to manufacture the spice. At the residence shared by Ruis, Drumm, Turner, and some of their employees, law enforcement seized three Rolex watches and one Philippe Patek watch that had belonged to Ruis; the total value of the four watches was appraised at approximately $137,200. Luxury vehicles, including a Ferrari belonging to Ruis, were also seized.
As part of his plea agreement, Ruis agreed to forfeit more than $2.9 million to the United States. Drumm and Turner each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and one count of distribution of Schedule I controlled substances. Drumm and Turner were sentenced to 6 years and 5 years of imprisonment respectively for their role in the conspiracy.
Three additional defendants pleaded guilty to their roles in the conspiracy and were sentenced to over 6 years in prison combined.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division; Raymond Villanueva, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C. Field Office; Greg L. Torbenson, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Washington Division; and Jeremy A. Falls, Fauquier County Sheriff, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Rossie D. Alston, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Rumbaugh and Bibeane Metsch prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation, Operation Scary Spice. 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.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:20-cr-76.
Leader of Alabama Chapter of Oath Keepers Pleads Guilty to Seditious Conspiracy and Obstruction of Congress for Efforts to Stop Transfer of Power Following 2020 Presidential ElectionRead the Press Release
A regional leader of the Oath Keepers pleaded guilty today to seditious conspiracy and obstruction of an official proceeding for his actions before, during and after the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His and others’ actions disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election.
Joshua James, 34, of Arab, Alabama, pleaded guilty to seditious conspiracy in connection with the Capitol breach. As part of the plea agreement, James has agreed to cooperate with the government’s ongoing investigation.
As described in court documents, James is the regional leader in charge of the Alabama chapter of the Oath Keepers. The Oath Keepers are a large but loosely organized collection of individuals, some of whom are associated with militias. Though the Oath Keepers will accept anyone as members, they explicitly focus on recruiting current and former military, law enforcement, and first-responder personnel.
In his guilty plea, James, a military veteran, admitted that, from November 2020 through January 2021, he conspired with other Oath Keeper members and affiliates to use force to prevent, hinder and delay the execution of the laws of the United States governing the transfer of presidential power. He used encrypted and private communications, equipped himself with a variety of weapons, donned combat and tactical gear, and was prepared to answer a call to take up arms.
According to court documents, on Jan. 4, 2021, James and others traveled to the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. He brought a semi-automatic handgun and stored multiple firearms at a Virginia hotel. On Jan. 6, after learning the Capitol had been breached, James and others traveled to the Capitol on golf carts, driving around multiple barricades, including marked law enforcement vehicles. James was wearing a backpack, a combat shirt, tactical gloves, boots, a paracord attachment, and an Oath Keepers hat and patches. He and others unlawfully entered the Capitol together through the East Rotunda doors. Inside the Rotunda, James assaulted a Metropolitan Police Department officer by grabbing the officer’s vest and pulling him towards the mob. While pulling the officer, James yelled, “Get out of my Capitol! This is not yours! This is my Capitol!” James was expelled by law enforcement, including at least one officer who aimed chemical spray at him.
On the evening of Jan. 6, 2021, James and others heard that law enforcement was searching for them and immediately departed the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Soon after, James traveled to Texas to join with the leader of the Oath Keepers and other co-conspirators. There, he helped co-conspirators amass thousands of dollars’ worth of firearms, ammunition and firearms equipment – some of which he later stored in storage sheds in Alabama – and prepared to distribute the equipment to others and to engage in violence in the event of a civil war.
James was arrested on March 9, 2021. He was among 11 defendants indicted on Jan. 12, 2022, in the District of Columbia on seditious conspiracy and other charges; the others have pleaded not guilty. James faces up to 20 years in prison for seditious conspiracy and up to 20 years for obstruction of an official proceeding, along with potential financial penalties. No sentencing date was set. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington and Birmingham Field Offices.
In the 13 months since Jan. 6, more than 750 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 235 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.
Leader of Alabama Chapter of Oath Keepers Pleads Guilty to Seditious Conspiracy and Obstruction of Congress for Efforts to Stop Transfer of Power Following 2020 Presidential ElectionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A regional leader of the Oath Keepers pleaded guilty today to seditious conspiracy and obstruction of an official proceeding for his actions before, during and after the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His and others’ actions disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election.
Joshua James, 34, of Arab, Alabama, pleaded guilty to seditious conspiracy in connection with the Capitol breach. As part of the plea agreement, James has agreed to cooperate with the government’s ongoing investigation.
As described in court documents, James is the regional leader in charge of the Alabama chapter of the Oath Keepers. The Oath Keepers are a large but loosely organized collection of individuals, some of whom are associated with militias. Though the Oath Keepers will accept anyone as members, they explicitly focus on recruiting current and former military, law enforcement, and first-responder personnel.
In his guilty plea, James, a military veteran, admitted that, from November 2020 through January 2021, he conspired with other Oath Keeper members and affiliates to use force to prevent, hinder and delay the execution of the laws of the United States governing the transfer of presidential power. He used encrypted and private communications, equipped himself with a variety of weapons, donned combat and tactical gear, and was prepared to answer a call to take up arms.
According to court documents, on Jan. 4, 2021, James and others traveled to the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. He brought a semi-automatic handgun and stored multiple firearms at a Virginia hotel. On Jan. 6, after learning the Capitol had been breached, James and others traveled to the Capitol on golf carts, driving around multiple barricades, including marked law enforcement vehicles. James was wearing a backpack, a combat shirt, tactical gloves, boots, a paracord attachment, and an Oath Keepers hat and patches. He and others unlawfully entered the Capitol together through the East Rotunda doors. Inside the Rotunda, James assaulted a Metropolitan Police Department officer by grabbing the officer’s vest and pulling him towards the mob. While pulling the officer, James yelled, “Get out of my Capitol! This is not yours! This is my Capitol!” James was expelled by law enforcement, including at least one officer who aimed chemical spray at him.
On the evening of Jan. 6, 2021, James and others heard that law enforcement was searching for them and immediately departed the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Soon after, James traveled to Texas to join with the leader of the Oath Keepers and other co-conspirators. There, he helped co-conspirators amass thousands of dollars’ worth of firearms, ammunition, and firearms equipment – some of which he later stored in storage sheds in Alabama – and prepared to distribute the equipment to others and to engage in violence in the event of a civil war.
James was arrested on March 9, 2021. He was among 11 defendants indicted on Jan. 12, 2022, in the District of Columbia on seditious conspiracy and other charges; the others have pleaded not guilty. James faces up to 20 years in prison for seditious conspiracy and up to 20 years for obstruction of an official proceeding, along with potential financial penalties. No sentencing date was set. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington and Birmingham Field Offices.
In the 13 months since Jan. 6, more than 750 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 235 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.
Las Vegas Man Convicted of Carrying Out Mail Forwarding and Identity Theft SchemeRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A federal jury convicted a Las Vegas man yesterday for his role in a mail forwarding and identity theft scheme, which defrauded more than 300 victims.
Following a two-day trial, Nosa Frank Obayando (29) was found guilty of one count of mail theft, one count of using an unauthorized access device, and one count of aggravated identity theft. U.S. District Judge Andrew P. Gordon presided over the trial.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) was alerted in April 2017 to a fraudulent mail forwarding scheme. The USPIS’ investigation revealed that Obayando and co-defendant Efeturi Ariawhorai carried out a scheme where mail belonging to over 300 victims was forwarded to addresses under Obayando and Ariawhorai’s control, without the victims’ knowledge or consent. As part of the scheme, Obayando and Ariawhorai used a debit card — for a bank account opened in a victim’s name — to withdraw at least $5,000 in cash from ATMs in the Las Vegas area.
Obayando is scheduled to be sentenced on June 1, 2022. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of two years in prison and a statutory maximum penalty of 17 years in prison.
Co-defendant Ariawhorai has been arrested by authorities in Italy and is currently pending extradition proceedings.
Acting U.S. Attorney Christopher Chiou for the District of Nevada made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the USPIS. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Simon Kung and Tony Lopez are prosecuting the case.
Please report suspected mail fraud and mail theft to the USPIS by calling 877-876-2455 or by making a report online at https://www.uspis.gov/report.
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Large Clackamas County Drug Seizure Leads to Federal Indictment of Local Drug TraffickersRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A federal grand jury in Portland returned an indictment today charging two local men for trafficking and selling large quantities of methamphetamine and counterfeit prescription pills across the Portland Metropolitan Area.
Juan Manuel Angulo, 50, of Gresham, Oregon, and Enrique Ocegueda, 31, of Beaverton, Oregon, have been charged with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl.
According to court documents, on February 2, 2022, Angulo and Ocegueda were arrested when they showed up to a drug deal with an undercover law enforcement informant in Clackamas County, Oregon. Investigators found and seized a combined 50 pounds of methamphetamine and more than 10,000 counterfeit pills suspected to contain fentanyl from Angulo and Ocegueda’s vehicles. Later that same evening, agents executed federal search warrants on both men’s residences and a storage locker belonging to Ocegueda. They seized several thousand additional counterfeit prescription pills, 15 additional pounds of methamphetamine, one pound of heroin, and approximately $50,000 in cash.
Both defendants will be arraigned on March 4, 2022. If convicted, they face maximum sentences of life in prison with ten-year mandatory minimum sentences.
U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug of the District of Oregon made the announcement.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) and the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the FBI. It is being prosecuted by Scott M. Kerin, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Lake Elsinore Man Sentenced to 9 Years in Federal Prison for Bagman Role in Scheme to Defraud Elderly Victims with Threats of ArrestRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Riverside County man was sentenced today to 108 months in federal prison for participating in an international fraud scheme in which he helped collect more than $550,000 in cash conned out of elderly victims by other co-conspirators pretending to be federal agents threatening the victims with arrest on bogus warrants.
Anuj Mahendrabhai Patel, 32, a.k.a. “Mike” and “Indio,” of Lake Elsinore, was sentenced by United States District Judge Otis D. Wright II, who said, “I don’t understand how anyone could be so cruel and prey upon” elderly, vulnerable victims. Judge Wright also ordered Patel to pay $490,500 in restitution to his victims that investigators identified.
From April 2019 to March 2020, Patel participated in the international conspiracy that deceived elderly victims out of their money. Other members of the conspiracy, some of whom are believed to be in India, telephoned victims and pretended to be government employees or law enforcement officers. Using several false pretenses – including phony badge numbers and using spoofed government telephone numbers – the co-conspirators convinced the victims, most of whom were elderly, that their identities or assets were in trouble.
Some victims were told that their Social Security numbers had been linked to crimes and that there were warrants issued by courts authorizing the victims’ arrests. The co-conspirators further told the victims that to clear the warrants, they should withdraw their savings and send cash by mail to other members of the scheme.
The victims were ordered to send the parcels through shipping companies that allowed parcel recipients to pick up parcel so long as the recipients had identification matching the names listed on the parcel as the addressees. The addresses the defendants gave primarily were at locations in Riverside County, but also in Los Angeles and San Diego counties.
Patel used tracking numbers to monitor the victims’ parcels, and communicated with couriers – Elmer Miranda Barrios, 37, a.k.a. “Welbin Raul Mejia” and “Joe Rodriguez,” and William Margarito Barrios, 37, Elmer Barrios’s cousin, both of Lake Elsinore – who used fraudulent identification documents matching the names listed on the parcels as addresses. Patel also received or intended to receive 18 packages sent by victims.
William Barrios pleaded guilty in January 2021 to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, and he was sentenced to a time-served sentence of five months in federal prison. He was ordered released to immigration authorities for deportation. Elmer Barrios pleaded guilty in December 2021 to a conspiracy count, and he is scheduled to be sentenced on May 23.
This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations; the Social Security Administration; the United States Department of Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration; the Murrieta Police Department; the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department; the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department; the Huntington Beach Police Department; the Fullerton Police Department; the Stanislaus County (California) Sheriff’s Department; the Seattle Police Department; the Brownsville (Texas) Police Department; the St. James Parish (Louisiana) Sheriff’s Office; the Cook County (Illinois) Sheriff’s Office; the Addison (Illinois) Police Department; the Columbus (Ohio) Division of Police; the Northwest Lancaster County (Pennsylvania) Regional Police Department; the Edison Township (New Jersey) Police Department; and the St. Petersburg (Florida) Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Peter H. Dahlquist of the Riverside Branch Office prosecuted this case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles is one of six offices participating in the Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force, a joint law enforcement effort that brings together the resources and expertise of federal law enforcement and non-governmental organizations to combat international fraud schemes that disproportionately affect American seniors.
Lake Andes Man Sentenced for Receipt and Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Lake Andes, South Dakota, man convicted of Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography was sentenced on February 28, 2022, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.
Cameron Allen Zephier, age 25, was sentenced to 151 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Zephier was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 2, 2021. He pled guilty on November 30, 2021.
The conviction stemmed from incidents between May 6, 2020, and September 30, 2020, when Zephier used his Snapchat accounts to upload files containing child pornography. Zephier downloaded the files from the internet to his cellular phone.
Zephier admitted to knowingly having received the digital files containing child pornography that had been transported in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce via the means of his cellular phone. Zephier knew the files contained child pornography as they depicted minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Charles Mix County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper prosecuted the case.
Zephier was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.