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Wednesday 19 January 2022
Massachusetts Man Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Sending Threatening Emails to Police CommissionerRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Peter Fratus, 40, of West Dennis, MA, was sentenced to four years in prison, and three years of supervised release by United States District Judge Gerald J. Pappert for sending racist, misogynistic threats via email to Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw.
In September 2021, the defendant was convicted after a three-day trial on charges of transmitting threatening communications in interstate commerce. As established during trial, Fratus sent two June 2020 emails to the Philadelphia Police Commissioner’s official City of Philadelphia email address. Both emails contained racist, offensive, and threatening language, with one communication asking where Commissioner resides. Further, the defendant has a long history of sending racist, misogynistic threats and assaulting law enforcement officers.
“Sending threats online is a serious federal crime, whether the victim is a private citizen or a prominent civic leader,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “The public can rest assured that our Office, together with our law enforcement partners, will work tirelessly to identify anyone who does this in order to ensure they’re held accountable for their actions.”
“Peter Fratus apparently thought he could make violent physical threats with impunity, but today’s sentencing proves how wrong he was,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “Threats to life are most certainly not protected speech, and the FBI will continue to work with our partners to hold accountable anyone who crosses the line and commits these criminal acts.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Philadelphia Police Department and the Dennis Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Robert J. Livermore and Sarah M. Wolfe.
Massachusetts Man Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Transportation of Stolen Property and Possession of a Firearm with an Obliterated Serial NumberRead the Press Release
CONCORD - Nicholas Jewett, 30, formerly of Woburn, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty on Tuesday in federal court to transportation of stolen property and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 26, 2020, Salem police responded to a report of suspicious activity involving a Cadillac at a motel. The officer sought to speak to Jewett, who was the operator of the Cadillac. Although, Jewett initially ignored the officer, the officer was able to stop him and approached the vehicle.
Jewett initially provided incorrect identifying information and was placed under arrest. He had an empty gun holster in his possession. The Cadillac was later searched pursuant to a warrant. Investigators found that the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) was covered up with a label containing a fraudulent VIN. Investigators determined that the vehicle had been stolen from a Woburn car dealership. Also located in the vehicle was a .22 caliber handgun with an obliterated serial number and a key fob for a Ford Fusion.
Further investigation revealed that Jewett had presented a false identity to rent the Fusion in Nashua on August 5, 2020. The car was never returned and was later reported stolen. The Fusion was subsequently located in a parking lot in Woburn on September 8, 2020.
Jewett is scheduled to be sentenced on April 28, 2022.
“When an armed criminal like this defendant appears at a motel while possessing a handgun and operating a stolen car, the risk to public safety is substantial,” said U.S. Attorney Farley. “Thanks to good police work, this criminal was stopped in his tracks before he could do more harm. This case is a great example of the way that law enforcement agencies work together to investigate crimes and protect the public from potential violence.”
“This case is a good example of what police officers face every day and how there is no such thing as a routine car stop. Today, Nicholas Jewett admitted to possessing two stolen vehicles, fake IDs, and a handgun with an obliterated serial number that he went to great lengths to conceal,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “The FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and reduce violent crime in our communities.”
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the Salem Police Department, Woburn Police Department, and Nashua Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Rombeau.
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Marijuana smuggler who crossed the river in a floating truck sent to prisonRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 32-year-old local man has been ordered to federal prison for possession with intent to distribute more than 100 kilograms of marijuana, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Carlos Torres, Brownsville, pleaded guilty April 15, 2021.
Today, U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera ordered Torres to serve a 31-month sentence to be immediately followed by two years of supervised release.
On Oct. 21, 2020, authorities observed a white pickup truck floating across the Rio Grande River from Mexico into the United States. After arriving onshore, the vehicle headed north toward a gap in the border fence.
Authorities noticed a male, later identified as Torres, driving the truck and activated the emergency lights to conduct a vehicle stop. He drove the vehicle into an open field in an attempt to flee, but eventually drove off a small embankment into a water-filled sandpit. Authorities searched the truck and found 17 bundles of marijuana weighing 184.47 kilograms.
The drugs had an estimated value of $325,360.
Torres has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and Border Patrol conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Coronado prosecuted the case.
Man from Shiprock pleads guilty to sexually abusing a minorRead the Press Release
ALBUQERQUE, N.M. – Bennick Yazzie, 32, of Shiprock, New Mexico, and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, pleaded guilty in federal court on Jan. 14 to sexual abuse of a minor. Yazzie will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled.
According the plea agreement and other court records, between Oct. 26, 2019, and Oct. 25, 2020, Yazzie sexually assaulted Jane Doe, who was 13 years old, on the Navajo Nation Reservation.
By the terms of the plea agreement, Yazzie faces four years and nine months in prison.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Chelsea N. Van Deventer is prosecuting the case.
Lynn Man Indicted for Drug and Firearms Conspiracy Involving over 400 Grams of Fentanyl and Multiple Machine GunsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lynn man was indicted by a federal grand jury today in connection with operating a drug trafficking organization in which he allegedly used pill presses to produce thousands of counterfeit pills per hour and distributed the counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl to suppliers on the North Shore.
Vincent Caruso, 26, a/k/a “Fatz,” was indicted on one count of conspiracy to manufacture, distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, cocaine, marijuana and other controlled substances; one count of conspiracy to possess firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; one count of possession of a machine gun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act robbery); and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Caruso was arrested and charged by Complaint on June 30, 2021 along with co-conspirators Ernest Johnson, Laurie Caruso and Nicole Benton. On Oct. 1, 2021, Benton pleaded guilty to her role in the conspiracy and is awaiting sentencing which is set for April 12, 2022.
According to the charging documents, Caruso, an alleged Crip gang member, operated a large drug trafficking organization with multiple subordinates, to sell counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl to street gangs for further distribution on the North Shore. It is alleged that Caruso possessed and used firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking activities. Caruso allegedly posted and messaged photos and videos using social media that depicted firearms and machine guns in his possession, large quantities of fentanyl that would be distributed by his organization, large amounts of cash and high-end jewelry. It is further alleged that Caruso conspired with others to conduct transactions in order to launder portions of the illegal proceeds of the drug trafficking operation.
The charge of conspiracy to manufacture, distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, at least 10 years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. The charge of conspiring to possess firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking conspiracy involving a machine gun provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession of machine gun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime provides for a sentence of at least 30 years, to be served consecutive to the sentence associated with the underlying drug trafficking crime, and up to life in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $500,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
First Assistant United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy: Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Division; and Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts States Police made the announcement today. Assistance was provided by the Essex, Middlesex and Suffolk County District Attorneys’ Offices; Essex, Middlesex, Suffolk and Hancock (Maine) County Sheriffs’ Departments; U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine; Maine Drug Enforcement Agency; and the Boston, Cambridge, Chelsea, Danvers, Everett, Lynn, Malden, Salem, Saugus, Somerville, Revere, Bolton (Maine), Bangor (Maine), Portland (Maine) and Westbrook (Maine) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Luzerne County Man Sentenced to 5 Years’ Imprisonment for Possessing A Firearm in Furtherance of Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Iglesias McEntyre, a/k/a “Max Pain,” age 33, of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on January 12, 2022, to five years’ imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release by United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion. He had previously pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, McEntyre provided a drug user with approximately a gram of crack in exchange for a firearm. McEntyre is a previously convicted felon and was on probation in Luzerne County for a drug trafficking charge at the time he committed that offense.
The matter was investigated by the Scranton Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Detectives of the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office, the Wilkes-Barre City Police Department, and the Luzerne County Drug Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Olshefski prosecuted the case.
This matter was prosecuted as part of the 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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Local Adoption Agency Bookkeeper Sentenced to Federal Prison for Scheme to Defraud Employer and FamilyRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Hillsboro, Oregon woman was sentenced to federal prison today for engaging in a multi-year scheme to defraud her employer, a non-profit adoption and surrogacy agency operating in Oregon and Washington, and her extended family.
Melodie Ann Eckland, 56, was sentenced to 54 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release. She was also ordered to pay more than $1.6 million in restitution.
“Melodie Eckland used her position of trust within a local adoption agency to steal funds intended to help children across the world find loving families. She further stole thousands of dollars from a deceased family member’s estate in a failed attempt to keep her employer from discovering her scheme. Eckland’s selfishness and greed caused great loss and hardship for many people and pushed her employer agency to the brink of insolvency,” said Scott Erik Asphaug, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
“Preying on the trust of her employers, her friends, and her family, Ms. Eckland stole from those who trusted her most. In doing so, Ms. Eckland irreparably hurt local families attempting to do just that – become families,” said Special Agent in Charge Bret Kressin, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS:CI), Seattle Field Office. “Financial and tax crimes are not victimless, and today’s sentence is justice served for Ms. Eckland’s wanton disregard and theft from those around her.”
According to court documents, from at least 2011 and continuing until April 2018, Eckland was employed as a bookkeeper for a local adoption and surrogacy agency. Her duties included maintaining agency books and records, managing payroll, filing employment tax returns, and paying quarterly employment taxes to the IRS. Eckland also provided financial statements to the agency’s board of directors, but did not have signature authority over the organization’s business bank account.
Eckland used her position to steal funds from the agency by making unauthorized wire transfers and writing unauthorized checks to herself. Eckland also transferred agency funds in the form of bonuses to her personal bank account. To conceal her scheme, Eckland maintained two sets of financial records. One version, which she provided to the board of directors, showed the business books as they should have been maintained. The other version showed the true payments she made to herself over the course of her employment.
To cover the money she had stolen, Eckland applied for loans from at least five lending agencies on behalf of the adoption agency, using the names of the agency’s owners without their permission. Eckland altered agency financial records to make it appear as though she owned the agency and was authorized to enter into the loan agreements. Beginning in 2016, Eckland stopped making the agency’s quarterly employment tax payments to the IRS and stopped filing employment tax returns. As a result, the agency owed more than $94,000 in past due employment taxes.
To further conceal her scheme, Eckland stole funds from a bank account opened on behalf of her deceased brother-in-law’s estate. As executor of the estate, Eckland’s husband was tasked with selling his brother’s assets, paying estate bills, and preserving the remaining funds for the benefit of his brother’s children. Eckland forged her husband’s signature on unauthorized estate checks and made unauthorized wire transfers of estate funds to herself. She sent a portion of the more than $123,000 stolen from the estate to the adoption agency’s bank account to conceal her theft of agency funds.
IRS records indicated that Eckland did not report any of the embezzled funds on her federal income tax returns for 2013, 2014, and 2017. In 2015 and 2016, she reported more than $550,000 as “other income,” but failed to pay the taxes due. Between 2013 and 2017, Eckland failed to report more than $675,000 in income, resulting in a tax loss of more than $345,000. As a result of her scheme, Eckland’s victims—including the adoption agency and its owners, her brother-in-law’s estate, and the IRS—suffered a total loss of more than $1.6 million.
On June 2, 2021, Eckland was charged by criminal information with wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, filing a false tax return, and willfully failing to collect or pay payroll taxes. On June 29, 2021, she pleaded guilty to all four charges.
U.S. Attorney Asphaug and Special Agent in Charge Kressin made the announcement.
This case was investigated by IRS:CI and the Hillsboro Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Claire M. Fay, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Lawrence County Man Sentenced to 57 years for Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
ASHLAND, Ky. – A Lawrence County man, Dale Allen Fraley, 49, was sentenced on Tuesday, to 57 years in prison, by U.S. District Judge David L. Bunning, after previously being convicted of five counts of production, four counts of receipt, one count of distribution of child pornography, and one count of possession of a matter containing visual depictions of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
According to the evidence at trial, Fraley used various online “personas” to induce, persuade, or coerce minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct, for the purpose of producing visual depictions of that conduct. Fraley, using the online “personas,” would threaten minor females to engage in various sexual acts and record that activity, or send the images to him “live,” via Skype or other applications. He also persuaded the minors to come to his home, sometimes at the behest of the “personas,” to get “sexual experience” with Dale Fraley as the teacher. Fraley would sometimes record the sexual activity between himself and the minors at his home, or record the minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
Fraley was convicted in May 2021.
Under federal law, Fraley must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for life.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; and Chief Brian Mullins, Eastern Kentucky University Police, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI, with assistance from the Eastern Kentucky University Police Department. The United States was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Marye and Mary Melton.
This case was prosecuted 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 (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Lawrence County Man Sentenced for Fentanyl Conspiracy and FraudRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to time served to be followed by a 6-year term of supervised release on his conviction for distributing fentanyl, conspiring to possess with intent to distribute and distribute fentanyl, and conspiring to commit an offense (mail fraud) against the United States, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab imposed the sentence on Jerell Huddleston, 31.
According to information presented to the court, Huddleston conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, distributed fentanyl, and conspired to commit fraud against the United States.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan D. Lusty and Yvonne M. Saadi prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Chung commended the Pennsylvania State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Huddleston.
KCK Man Sentenced for Heroin ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Kansas, man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a heroin trafficking conspiracy.
Solomon B. Hawthorne, 31, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to 12 years and one month in federal prison without parole. Today’s sentence includes a term of two years for violating his federal supervised release in another, unrelated case.
On Aug. 12, 2021, Hawthorne pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to possess heroin with the intent to distribute.
A detective with the Missouri Western Interdiction and Narcotics (MoWin) Task Force located a suspicious box at a Kansas City, Missouri, FedEx facility on Nov. 20, 2020. The parcel had been shipped from California and contained a black metal safe. Inside the safe were three heat-sealed bundles that contained a total of 3,000.32 grams of heroin.
Law enforcement officers conducted a controlled delivery of the parcel to a Kansas City, Mo., residence later the same day. An officer acting in an undercover capacity posed as a FedEx delivery driver and left the parcel on the porch steps. Officers conducted surveillance until Hawthorne arrived, driving a 2016 Dodge Ram truck. Hawthorne and another man drove past the residence and around the block before pulling into the driveway. Both men were arrested.
Officers searched Hawthorne’s truck and found a clear storage bag in the center console that contained approximately 127.31 grams of heroin. A black bag that contained $48,680 was found in the front passenger floorboard. The black bag also contained a Glock 9mm magazine with ammunition; another Glock 9mm magazine with ammunition was found in a hidden compartment in the center console. Drug paraphernalia was found in the back seat of the cab.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily A. Morgan. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
Jefferson County man indicted on firearms chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Richard Brent Collum, of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, was indicted today on a firearms charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Collum, 36, was indicted today on one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.” Collum, a person prohibited from having a firearm because of a prior conviction, is accused of having a .45 caliber handgun in August 2021 in Jefferson County.
Collum faces up to 10 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 for each count. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy D. Helman is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Charles Town Police Department investigated.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Jamestown Man Going to Prison for 10 Years on Fentanyl ChargeRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, NY—U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Wade J. Paulisick, Jr., 25, of Jamestown, NY, who was convicted of possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of acetyl fentanyl, an analogue of fentanyl, was sentenced to serve 120 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles E. Watkins and Joshua A. Violanti, who handled the case, stated that in September 2019, a search warrant was executed at Paulisick’s residence on Tower Street in Jamestown. Investigators seized narcotics including quantities of acetyl fentanyl, fentanyl and methamphetamine, and a stolen handgun.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson; the New York State Police, under the direction of Major James Hall; the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Timothy Foley; and the Southern Tier Regional Drug Task Force, under the direction of Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Office and Sheriff Timothy Whitcomb.
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Jamaican National Charged for Role in Sweepstakes Scheme that Targeted Older AmericansRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Bridget M. Brennan announced that a federal grand jury returned a five-count indictment charging Javon Jonathan Spencer, 30, a Jamaican national, whose last known address was in Euclid, Ohio, for his role in a conspiracy that allegedly stole more than $250,000 from victims and targeted older Americans in Northern Ohio and elsewhere.
According to the indictment, from March of 2018 through April of 2019, a co-conspirator would contact victims and falsely claim that the victim had won a prize through the lottery, sweepstakes or other contest. The co-conspirator would then inform the victim that an upfront fee or tax was required to collect the full amount. The indictment alleges that the victims were then directed to mail cash, checks or money orders payable to the defendant at his address in Euclid.
In one instance, the indictment alleges that in June of 2018, a co-conspirator called a victim and claimed that the victim had won money in a sweepstakes and, to collect the full amount, had to pay $4,500 to the defendant as a fee. The victim then mailed the fee to the defendant as directed, and the defendant deposited the funds into his bank account.
As a result of the scheme, it is alleged that the conspiracy members caused a total combined loss of more than $250,000 from victims.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it is the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation.
In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum, and in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
This investigation was conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS). This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. McDonough.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This U.S. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is staffed seven days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. eastern time. English, Spanish and other languages are available.
Ijamsville Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Federal Prison for Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher today sentenced David William Jai Herder, age 41, of Ijamsville, Maryland, to seven years in federal prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, for distribution of child pornography. Judge Gallagher also ordered Herder to pay restitution totaling $45,000 to identified victims abused by others to produce the child pornography that Herder subsequently distributed, received, and/or possessed.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron: Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Frederick County Sheriff Charles A. “Chuck” Jenkins.
According to his guilty plea agreement, in January of 2020 investigators at the Federal Bureau of Investigation received information regarding the trading of child pornography in several chat groups on a messaging application. Herder was identified as one of the individuals participating in the trading and distribution of child pornography images. For example, in June of 2020, Herder distributed at least two images of child pornography, both depicting prepubescent females between the ages of four and nine years old. Records received from the messaging application and Internet service provider resolved to the residence where Herder was living.
On August 27, 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Herder’s residence, seizing several electronic devices, including two phones and a tablet. It was determined that Herder used one of the phones to access his messaging account when engaging in the distribution and receipt of child pornography. Further investigation of the phone revealed between 150 and 300 image and video files documenting the sexual abuse of minors, including prepubescent minors, sadistic and masochistic abuse, and other depictions of violence. Evidence was presented at today’s sentencing hearing that Herder possessed a total of 887 videos and 597 image files of child pornography and that he distributed a total of 100 videos and 70 image files depicting the sexual abuse of minors.
According to Herder’s plea agreement, Herder informed investigators that he created the instant messaging account associated with the child pornography and that he used chatrooms to distribute, as well as receive, child pornography. Herder also detailed that he had been looking at child exploitive material one to two times a day for sexual pleasure, preferring children 6-7 years old and older.
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 and 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 and the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Judson T. Mihok who is prosecuting the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Honduran National Sentenced for Soliciting Murder-For-Hire of Family MembersRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Honduran national residing in Port Arthur has pleaded guilty to federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston today.
Santos Orellana-Hernandez, 47, pleaded guilty on July 23, 2021, to use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire, tampering with a witness by intimidation and threats, and conspiracy to commit witness tampering. Orellana-Hernandez was sentenced to 100 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Thad Heartfield.
According to information presented in court, from January to March of 2020, Orellana-Hernandez, residing in Port Arthur, Texas, solicited the murder of two extended family members residing in Honduras. Specifically, Orellana-Hernandez solicited Gustavo Ramires, a person located in Honduras, to kill Orellana-Hernandez’s mother-in-law, G.V., and brother-in-law, J.A.V. The purpose of the intended murders was revenge against Orellana-Hernandez’s soon-to-be ex-wife, who was seeking a divorce from Orellana-Hernandez in Jefferson County, Texas. Orellana-Hernandez reportedly told E.A.V. that he would make her “cry tears of blood.”
Orellana-Hernandez offered to pay Ramires $200,000 in Honduran Lempira (approximately $8,000 in U.S. dollars) upon proof that Ramires had killed G.V., J.A.V., and two other individuals. Orellana-Hernandez directed Ramires to perform the killings on or after April 21, 2020, the date when the divorce was to become final. Ramires was additionally instructed to provide photographic proof of the killings before he would receive payment. Ramires later placed a recorded telephone call to Orellana-Hernandez, in which the two discussed the murder-for-hire plot, using code language such as “planting the corn,” to refer to the killings. Ramires later told investigators that “planting the corn” meant burying victims’ bodies.
Orellana-Hernandez was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 20, 2020 and taken into federal custody. In early June, while he was jailed, Orellana-Hernandez conspired with his brother to intimidate E.A.V. in an attempt to make her “withdraw” the murder-for-hire accusation. On November 4, 2020, the grand jury returned a superseding indictment that added the witness tampering charges.
“This case exemplifies excellent local and federal law enforcement cooperation, and the FBI collaborated with our international partners in Honduras to successfully stop a senseless act of violence by Orellana-Hernandez,” said U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston. “The Port Arthur Police Department and the FBI did an excellent job! Crimes of violence, here or abroad, will not be tolerated and all the tools of law enforcement will be utilized to stop violent crime and prosecute the perpetrators to the fullest extent of the law.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Port Arthur Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John B. Ross and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean C. Day.
Hartford Man Indicted on Gun and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and David Sundberg, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that a federal grand jury in Hartford has returned an indictment charging MICHAEL DAVIS, 33, of Hartford, with narcotics distribution and firearm possession offenses.
The indictment was returned on October 21, 2021. Davis, who has been detained in state custody since April 2021, appeared today via videoconference before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert M. Spector and pleaded not guilty.
According to the indictment, on February 10, 2021, Davis possessed crack cocaine and ecstasy that he intended to distribute, and a Remington Arms, model RP9, 9mm handgun.
It is further alleged that Davis’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for firearm and narcotics offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
The three-count indictment charges Davis possession with intent to distribute cocaine base (“crack”) and MDMA (“ecstasy”), which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years; possession of a firearm by a felon, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, which carries a mandatory minimum five-year term of imprisonment and up to life imprisonment.
The indictment also seeks forfeiture of the handgun and $1,020 seized from Davis at the time of his arrest.
U.S. Attorney Boyle stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the FBI’s Connecticut Violent Crime Task Force and the Hartford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Konstantin Lantsman.
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.
Hamden Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Distributing Cocaine and CrackRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that FRANK BIGGS, 63, of Hamden, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 27 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing powder and crack cocaine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from a joint investigation led by the FBI and the Norwich, New London and Hartford Police Departments into a narcotics distribution network that stretched from southeastern Connecticut to the Hartford, New Britain and Waterbury areas. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps, surveillance, search warrants, and seizures of cocaine and crack cocaine, revealed that Biggs purchased cocaine and crack from his supplier, Aaron Clayton, and then sold the drugs to his own network of drug dealers and users.
On March 17, 2020, law enforcement conducted court-authorized searches of Clayton’s residence and two other residences connected to this drug trafficking organization and seized approximately three kilograms of cocaine and nearly $100,000 in cash.
On June 30, 2020, a grand jury returned an indictment charging Biggs, Clayton and seven other individuals with offenses related to their involvement in this drug ring. Biggs was arrested on July 6, 2020.
On September 22, 2021, Biggs pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine base (“crack”).
Biggs, who is released on bond, is required to report to prison on March 18.
Clayton, of New Britain, has pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.
This matter has been investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Norwich, New London and Hartford Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Margaret Donovan and Maria del Pilar Gonzalez through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Grant County man sentenced for fentanyl chargeRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Joshua Allen Hinkle, of Cabins, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 77 months of incarceration for a fentanyl charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Hinkle, 36, pleaded guilty in July 2021 to one count of “Conspiracy to Distribute at Least 40 Grams of Fentanyl.” Hinkle admitted to working with others to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl in April 2020 in Grant County and elsewhere.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Potomac Highlands Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; and the Grant County Sheriff’s Office investigated. The Task Force consists of members from the Drug Enforcement Administration, West Virginia State Police, the FBI, the Mineral County Sheriff’s Office, the Hampshire County Sheriff’s Office, the Hardy County Sheriff’s Office, the Grant County Sheriff’s Office, and the Keyser Police Department.
U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Original case press release here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/grant-and-hardy-county-residents-indicted-fentanyl-and-firearms-charges
Grady County, Oklahoma Jail Officer Pleads Guilty to Using Excessive ForceRead the Press Release
Johnnie Drewery, 27, a former Sergeant with the Grady County Jail, in Chickasha, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty today to using unreasonable force against an inmate, thereby violating the inmate’s constitutional civil rights.
According to court documents and admissions Drewery made during the plea hearing, Drewery, on July 11, 2020, was involved with changing an inmate, D.H., into a suicide smock and then moving D.H. into a first floor holding cell. Drewery put D.H. into the holding cell and, as the cell door was closing, D.H. spit on Drewery. Drewery then screamed for the cell door to be reopened. When the cell door was unlocked, Drewery rushed into the cell and, in retaliation for being spit on, began to use his hands and knee to strike D.H, which resulted in D.H. suffering a fractured rib as a result of this assault.
“The defendant is being held accountable for using excessive force against a man inside of a jail cell who was not posing a threat at the time he was assaulted,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Civil Rights Division will continue to investigate and prosecute law enforcement officials who deprive individuals of their Constitutional rights by using excessive force against them.”
“Law enforcement and corrections officers put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe,” said U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester for the Western District of Oklahoma. “But when an officer betrays the badge and the public’s trust, as the defendant did here, they dishonor their profession and endanger the safety of their fellow officers. I commend the Oklahoma City FBI Field Office and the entire prosecution team for their diligent work on this case.”
“The FBI is the primary federal agency tasked with investigating violations of federal civil rights,” said Special Agent in Charge Edward J. Gray of the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office. “Along with our partners at the Department of Justice, we work to protect the civil rights of all to ensure that individuals are treated fairly when they are in the custody of law enforcement. We take this responsibility seriously and will hold law enforcement officers accountable when they abuse their authority by using excessive force.”
The crime Drewery pleaded guilty to carries a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing will be set by the court in approximately 90 days.
The case was investigated by the Oklahoma City FBI Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia E. Barry of the Western District of Oklahoma and Trial Attorney Laura Gilson of the Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.
Grady County, Oklahoma Jail Officer Pleads Guilty to Using Excessive ForceRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY — Today, Johnnie Drewery, 27, a former Sergeant with the Grady County Jail, in Chickasha, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to using unreasonable force against an inmate, thereby violating the inmate’s constitutional civil rights.
According to court documents and admissions Drewery made during the plea hearing, Drewery, on July 11, 2020, was involved with changing an inmate, D.H., into a suicide smock and then moving D.H. into a first floor holding cell. Drewery put D.H. into the holding cell and, as the cell door was closing, D.H. spit on Drewery. Drewery then screamed for the cell door to be reopened. When the cell door was unlocked, Drewery rushed into the cell and, in retaliation for being spit on, began to use his hands and knee to strike D.H, which resulted in D.H. suffering a fractured rib as a result of this assault.
"The defendant is being held accountable for using excessive force against a man inside of a jail cell who was not posing a threat at the time he was assaulted," said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. "The Civil Rights Division will continue to investigate and prosecute law enforcement officials who deprive individuals of their Constitutional rights by using excessive force against them."
"Law enforcement and corrections officers put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe," said U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester for the Western District of Oklahoma. "But when an officer betrays the badge and the public’s trust, as the defendant did here, they dishonor their profession and endanger the safety of their fellow officers. I commend the OKC FBI Field Office and the entire prosecution team for their diligent work on this case."
"The FBI is the primary federal agency tasked with investigating violations of federal civil rights," said Special Agent in Charge Edward J. Gray of the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office. "Along with our partners at the Department of Justice, we work to protect the civil rights of all to ensure that individuals are treated fairly when they are in the custody of law enforcement. We take this responsibility seriously and will hold law enforcement officers accountable when they abuse their authority by using excessive force."
The crime Drewery pleaded guilty to carries a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing will be set by the court in approximately 90 days.
The case was investigated by the Oklahoma City FBI Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia E. Barry of the Western District of Oklahoma and Trial Attorney Laura Gilson of the Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.
Glastonbury Business Owner Sentenced to Prison for Filing False Federal Income Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that GEORGE LEE, 51, of Glastonbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to six months of imprisonment, followed by one year of supervised release, for filing false tax returns. Judge Bryant also ordered Lee to pay a $5,500 fine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Lee owns and operates American U.S.A. Paving. For the 2015 through 2018 tax years, Lee provided his tax return preparer with information that substantially understated the gross receipts for the paving business. As a result, Lee’s personal federal income tax returns for the 2015 through 2018 tax years, which Lee authorized his preparer to file with the IRS, underreported his income by a total of more than $588,000, resulting in a tax loss of $154,238.
Lee has paid full restitution to the IRS.
On July 20, 2021, Lee pleaded guilty to one count of filing a false tax return.
Lee who is released on bond, is required to report to prison on March 30.
This investigation was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher W. Schmeisser.
Georgia Dog-Fighting Trainer and Breeder Sentenced to Five Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
A well-known dog-fighting trainer and breeder, who owned Cane Valley Kennels, was sentenced to the statutory maximum of five years in prison resulting from an investigation into a significant multi-state dog-fighting and cocaine trafficking ring.
Vernon Vegas, 49, of Suwanee, Georgia, was also sentenced to three years of supervised release to follow his imprisonment and a $10,000 fine by U.S. District Judge Tilman E. “Tripp” Self III after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to participate in an animal fighting venture. Additionally, pursuant to his plea agreement, Vegas agreed to forfeit $116,819 in cash seized during the investigation.
“Vernon Vegas is being held accountable for his violent, illegal and inhumane actions,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “This case illustrates that dog-fighting is intimately connected with the underworld of drugs and organized crime, and that the Department of Justice will investigate and prosecute it to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Vernon Vegas has received the maximum prison sentence for training others in the brutal and bloody business of dog-fighting, a world that fosters a multitude of other dangerous criminal activity,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary for the Middle District of Georgia. “Our office, working alongside local, state and federal law enforcement, will hold individuals and groups that participate in illegal dog-fighting accountable for their crimes.”
According to court documents, law enforcement investigated a criminal organization involved in both cocaine distribution and organized dog fighting based out of Roberta, Georgia, which extended into North Georgia, Florida and Alabama from May 2019 until February 2020. In February 2020, law enforcement executed 15 residential search warrants and seized more than 150 dogs that were being used for organized dog fighting.
Between October 1996 and February 2020, Vegas, the owner of Cane Valley Kennels, bred, trained, sold and transported dogs for the purpose of dog fighting, including Grand Champion “Baby Gracie,” Champion “Son of Sam 2XBis,” Champion “Spider,” Champion “Bucky Mike,” Champion “Bear,” Champion “Kocky Mike,” Champion “Fantasmin,” Champion “Julie the Great,” and one-time winner, “Brenda.” As part of his business, Vegas designed and offered a seven-week “keep” where he trained dogs for animal fighting ventures, prepared online pedigrees for the fighting dogs bred and trained at Cane Valley Kennels, provided advice to his co-conspirators on how to train dogs for purposes of engaging in animal fighting ventures and kept a multitude of training and conditioning equipment including slat mills, chains, a staple gun, hanging weight scales, break sticks, flirt poles and various medicines to treat injuries or disease sustained by dogs made to fight. Between January 2017 and February 2020, Vegas attended dog fights with co-conspirators Derrick Owens and Christopher Raines at locations in the Middle District of Georgia and advised Owens on various matters related to preparing dogs for animal fighting.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Department of Agriculture, Office of the Inspector General (USDA-OIG), the U.S. Marshals Service, the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD), the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office, the Houston County Sheriff’s Office, the Merriweather County Sheriff’s Office, the Peach County Sheriff’s Office, the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office, the Webster County Sheriff’s Office, the Byron Police Department and the Fort Valley Police Department.
Trial Attorney Banu Rangarajan of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Will Keyes for the Middle District of Georgia prosecuted the case.
Gaston Man Sentenced to 27 Years in Federal Prison for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — United States Attorney Corey F. Ellis announced today that Sean Michael Bandelier, 44, of Gaston, was sentenced to 27 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to the production of child pornography.
Evidence presented in court showed that Bandelier coerced a minor child under six years old to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing photographs and videos of the abuse, which Bandelier then distributed by text message and the internet. Evidence indicated Bandelier was communicating with a person he believed was the mother of a child in another state making her child available for sexual abuse. The pair discussed past and potential future abuse of multiple children. In truth, Bandelier was speaking with a man in New Mexico who was a target of authorities in that state for offenses related to the sexual abuse of children. During their conversations, Bandelier distributed photographs and videos of the sexual abuse of children to the New Mexico target.
On August 5, 2020, investigators with the South Carolina Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force at the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office and the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department received a lead indicating a victim may be in immediate danger of being abused. Search warrants and the arrest of Bandelier were executed that same day, with the assistance of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and other federal and local agencies. Bandelier was charged by way of Criminal Complaint and has remained in custody since that time.
Bandelier ultimately pled guilty to the production of child pornography. Facts presented at sentencing also provided evidence that Bandelier formatted a phone as law enforcement approached, likely destroying evidence, for which the court enhanced Bandelier’s sentence for obstruction of justice.
United States District Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Bandelier to 324 months in federal prison, to be followed by a lifetime term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. The court also ordered Bandelier to pay restitution to one victim, and Bandelier will have to register as a sex offender after release.
The case was investigated by HSI, the South Carolina ICAC Task Force at the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office, Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, the New Mexico ICAC Task Force, and the Albuquerque, New Mexico Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Elliott B. Daniels prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the 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 sexually exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.
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Fort Dodge Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A man who received child pornography was sentenced December 3, 2021, to 10 years in federal prison.
Billy Jack Canavan, age 48, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 9, 2021, guilty plea to receipt of child pornography.
In a plea agreement, Canavan admitted that from April 13, 2018, to October 21, 2019, he received visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. In July of 2019, The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a cyber tip from Dropbox, Inc. of an account registered to a user in Fort Dodge that contained child pornography. The Fort Dodge/Webster County Cyber Crimes Unit executed a search warrant on the Dropbox account and seized a hard drive containing additional images and videos of prepubescent minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Canavan confirmed the Dropbox account belonged to him and he knowingly received the child pornography through the account. On October 25, 2019, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Canavan’s residence and seized a Google Pixel cellular phone, Samsung Galaxy J7 Sky Pro, a Cool Pad cellular phone, and Toshiba hard drive. Canavan admitted to using these devices to access multiple online accounts in which he stored child pornography that he had received over the internet, including inter alia MEGA Ltd, Kik, and Dropbox.
Canavan was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Canavan was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment. He was ordered to make $15,000 in restitution to the victims. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Canavan is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mikala Steenholdt and Timothy Duax and investigated by Webster County Sheriff’s Office and the Fort Dodge Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-CR-3054.
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Former Rochester Pawn Shop Owner Pleads Guilty to Selling Stolen GoodsRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Devin Tribunella, 37, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa to transportation of stolen goods in interstate commerce. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire, who is handling the case, stated that Tribunella owned and operated Royal Crown Pawn & Jewelry on Dewey Avenue in Rochester. Tribunella and his employee, Wade Shadders, purchased stolen goods and merchandise from individuals, commonly referred to as “boosters,” who shoplifted the goods and merchandise from Rochester area retail stores. Tribunella routinely advised the boosters what type of merchandise to steal from the retail stores, such as Lowes, Home Depot, Target, and Walmart, and then paid the boosters a fraction of the true retail value for the goods. Tribunella listed the stolen goods for sale on eBay, advertising the goods as “New” or “New-In-Box” and priced below retail value. Between January 2017, and November 2019, Tribunella sold and shipped (or caused to be shipped) approximately $3,248,426 worth of those stolen goods to buyers located outside of New York State.
As part of his plea, Tribunella will forfeit over $200,000 cash, four luxury vehicles, and will be required to pay a $1,600,000 money judgement.
Wade Shadders was previously convicted and is awaiting sentencing.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations Division, under the direction of Thomas Fattorusso, Special Agent-in-Charge, New York Field Office; the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Interim Chief David Smith; the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter; the Greece Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael Wood; and the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, under the direction of District Attorney Sandra Doorley.
Sentencing is scheduled for April 19, 2022, before Judge Siragusa.
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Former New Castle Man Sentenced to Prison for Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA -- A former resident of New Castle, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced on two indictments in federal court today on his conviction of violating federal drug trafficking laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan imposed the sentence on Donte Calhoun, age 32. As to the first indictment, the defendant was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment and as to the second indictment, the defendant was also sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment, with those sentences to run concurrently. Upon release from imprisonment, the defendant shall be placed on supervised release for a term of six years.
According to information presented to the court, on August 14, 2018, a confidential informant provided $2,250 to purchase cocaine and heroin from a target, who was not Calhoun. During the transaction, as established through surveillance, photographs, and recordings, Calhoun delivered approximately 27 grams of cocaine that the target provided to the confidential informant.
Later in 2018, the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted an investigation of a drug trafficking organization centered in New Castle. That investigation included court-authorized interception of communications in which Calhoun was intercepted discussing cocaine trafficking with a member of the drug trafficking organization.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway and Maureen Sheehan-Balchon prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney, Cindy K. Chung, commended the Lawrence County District Attorney’s Office, Pennsylvania State Police and the Drug Enforcement Administration for their work leading to the prosecution of Donte Calhoun.
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.
Former Federal Credit Union President Sentenced to More than Four Years in Prison for Embezzlement and Failing to File TaxesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - An Ohio resident has been sentenced in federal court to 51 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, which includes 12 months of home detention, on her conviction of embezzlement from a federal credit union and willful failure to file tax returns, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan imposed the sentence on Stacey Shaw, 48, of Salem, Ohio, 44460.
According to information presented to the court, Shaw was the President and CEO of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local Union 712, Federal Credit Union when she opened six unauthorized credit cards in her name. After opening the credit cards, Shaw, without authorization, repeatedly raised the credit limits on the cards over the course of approximately three years. When Shaw’s conduct was ultimately discovered, she had accumulated a total outstanding balance of approximately $2.1 million on the credit cards. The loss to the credit union, which had been in existence since 1964, was so profound that it had to be permanently closed and liquidated.
Assistant United States Attorney Lee J. Karl prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Chung commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Shaw.
Former Federal Background Investigator Sentenced for Falsifying Background Investigation ReportsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Michelle Layton, 57, a former background investigator for the National Background Investigations Bureau, now the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency, was sentenced today to three years of probation and ordered to pay more than $100,000 in restitution for falsifying reports of investigation she submitted as part of background investigations of individuals seeking national security clearances.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA), and Amy K. Parker, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Office of Personnel Management Office of the Inspector General (OPM OIG).
Layton, of Phoenix, Arizona, pleaded guilty in November 2021, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to making a false statement. She was sentenced by the Honorable James E. Boasberg. As part of her plea, Layton resigned her position. She also must pay $101,344 in restitution to the government, representing the cost to rework numerous background investigations. The judge also ordered her to perform 200 hours of community service.
As part of her plea, Layton admitted to falsifying multiple reports of investigation for background investigations over the course of a year, between February 2018 to February 2019. Layton admitted that she would submit reports in which she claimed she had interviewed a source about a background investigation subject or that she had collected records about the subject when she had not. Layton falsified reports of investigation in background investigations for individuals seeking national security clearances, including Top Secret clearances, and the U.S. Department of Defense relied on the falsified reports to determine whether a subject was eligible for a security clearance.
DCSA has a robust integrity assurance program which uses a variety of methods to ensure the accuracy of reported information. The falsification of investigative work was detected through that program.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management Office of the Inspector General. He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda R. Vaughn and Veronica Sanchez, and Paralegal Specialist Quiana Dunn-Gordon.
Former Bureau of Prisons Chaplain Sentenced for BriberyRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Ericjon Thomas, age 46, residing in Hermitage, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on January 13, 2022, to three years’ probation by United States District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani after pleading guilty to bribery of a public official.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Mr. Thomas, while employed as a prison chaplain at the United States Penitentiary at Canaan in Waymart, Pennsylvania, received money in exchange for smuggling items of contraband into the penitentiary, which included, among other things, cigarettes, a G-Shock watch, a pair of Gucci sunglasses, and pornographic magazines. His illegal conduct spanned a period of approximately 11 months.
Thomas resigned his position as a Bureau of Prisons chaplain on April 26, 2017. Thomas also forfeited $15,000 to the U.S. Marshal Forfeiture Fund prior to sentencing.
The matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice – Office of Inspector General, Trenton, New Jersey. Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Olshefski prosecuted the case.
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Federal Grand Jury Indicts Man for the Murder of a Terre Haute Police Detective Who Served as an FBI Task Force OfficerRead the Press Release
TERRE HAUTE – A federal grand jury in Indianapolis returned an indictment today charging a Terre Haute man with the murder of a federal officer, attempted arson of federal property, and using a firearm during a crime of violence causing death. The charges against Shane Meehan, 45, stem from the July 7, 2021 killing of Terre Haute Police Detective and FBI Task Force Officer Gregory Ferency. Meehan was previously charged by a federal criminal complaint filed on July 8, 2021.
According to court documents, on July 7, 2021, Meehan drove his pickup truck to the gate of the FBI resident agency building in Terre Haute. Meehan exited his truck and threw a Molotov cocktail toward the building. Shortly thereafter, Terre Haute Police Detective and FBI Task Force Officer Gregory Ferency walked out of the FBI building and was confronted by Meehan, who was holding a firearm. Meehan shot TFO Ferency, who died of his injuries.
“Every day, federal, state, and local law enforcement officers are entrusted to protect the public and uphold equal justice under law, all at the risk of their own lives. As such, the murder of a federal law enforcement officer in the line of duty is an attack against our entire community,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Perpetrators of such crimes must be held accountable. Our thanks and admiration go out to those who selflessly responded to the assault at the Terre Haute FBI resident agency. The Department of Justice extends its heartfelt sympathies to TFO Ferency’s family, friends, and colleagues for his tragic death.”
“This indictment is another step forward in bringing resolution to the ambush of Task Force Officer Greg Ferency, who was one of 73 law enforcement officers intentionally killed in the line of duty last year, and one of three of our own FBI family to lose their lives at the hands of others,” said FBI Indianapolis Acting Special Agent in Charge Gregory Nelsen. “We continue to mourn Greg's tragic loss and are reminded every day of the ultimate sacrifice he made while serving his community and country. We are committed to a thorough and meticulous investigation to bring resolution to this case and ensure accountability.”
The defendant was arrested on July 7, 2021 and has been ordered detained in the custody of the United States Marshal, pending trial. He will make his initial appearance on the indictment before a United States Magistrate Judge at a later date.
The murder and firearms charges are capital-eligible offenses, punishable by lifetime imprisonment or death. Should the Attorney General of the United States determine that the circumstances of the offenses are such that a sentence of death is justified, the law requires that notice be filed with the court at a reasonable time before trial.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case. The Terre Haute Police Department and the Indiana State Police also provided valuable assistance.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorneys William McCoskey, Lindsay Karwoski, and Kathryn Olivier, who are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Ex-Pro Skateboarder Sentenced to over 8 Years in Prison for Selling Methamphetamine and Laundering Bitcoin Drug ProceedsRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – A former professional skateboarder was sentenced today to 97 months in federal prison for selling nearly two pounds of methamphetamine and laundering Bitcoin for the dark-web operations of other drug traffickers.
Evan Jaime Hernandez, 35, of Long Beach, was sentenced by United States District Judge David O. Carter.
Hernandez pleaded guilty in June 2021 to one count of distribution of methamphetamine and one count of laundering of monetary instruments.
According to court documents, from at least March 2018 to March 2019, Hernandez distributed narcotics, conspiring with drug dealers to distribute the controlled substances over one of the world’s largest dark-net marketplaces.
Hernandez not only supplied drugs that were sold over the dark-net by drug dealers such as William Glarner IV, 36, of Irvine, but he also distributed drugs on his own. Glarner pleaded guilty in June 2019 to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and is serving a 10-year prison sentence for that offense.
In March 2018, Hernandez sold approximately 895 grams (1.97 pounds) of methamphetamine for $5,000 to an individual whom he thought was a money launderer, but who was working with federal law enforcement at the time.
Hernandez also was responsible for laundering Bitcoin for dark-net drug trafficking operations. Hernandez utilized the services of an individual – the same one working with law enforcement – to exchange Bitcoin into cash. Hernandez conducted four Bitcoin-to-cash transactions with the individual, including the exchange of approximately 7.95 Bitcoin for $50,000 in September 2018. By using cryptocurrency and an unlicensed exchanger to liquidate the proceeds, Hernandez intended to conceal the source and ownership of the drug proceeds.
In total, Hernandez conducted four Bitcoin-to-cash exchanges that totaled approximately $171,300.
In March 2019, law enforcement conducted a search warrant of a location controlled by one of Hernandez’s drug dealing associates, where agents found 10 vacuum-sealed bags in United States Postal Service and Federal Express envelopes, as well as four separate vacuum-sealed bags and one gallon-size freezer bag. During this search, agents recovered approximately 6.7 kilograms (14.8 pounds) of methamphetamine that Hernandez distributed and which would have been used to fill orders placed on the dark-net.
“[Hernandez] was involved in a highly sophisticated drug trafficking operation, where he personally took on various roles to ensure its success: obtaining multiple types of narcotics, selling them directly to customers, and laundering money on the backend in a sophisticated manner,” prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum.
Hernandez has been ordered to forfeit to the government a 2010 Mercedes-Benz, approximately $35,000 in cash, and various watches, necklaces, rings and other jewelry.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated this matter. The Costa Mesa Police Department, the La Habra Police Department, the Brea Police Department and the Cypress Police Department assisted with the investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Kathy Yu of the Violent and Organized Crime Section prosecuted this case.
Evansville Man Sentenced to over 17 Years in Federal Prison for Drugging and Sexually Exploiting a ChildRead the Press Release
EVANSVILLE – An Evansville man was sentenced to over 17 years in federal prison for sexually exploiting a child in his care and creating images of the abuse.
According to court documents, on March 25, 2021 the Evansville Police Department responded to an address in Evansville. The officer spoke with an adult female who was reporting that Todd Johnson Jr., 33, Evansville, had sexually explicit images of a child on his cell phone. She reported that earlier that day, she saw an image on Johnson’s cell phone when he was asleep. Johnson awoke and after a confrontation, he fled the area, but the adult female was able to retain his cell phone.
After further investigation, it was discovered that Johnson Jr. used a prescription drug to sedate the minor victim, then he would sexually abuse the victim and take pictures of the abuse. The abuse images demonstrated that the child was heavily sedated or unconscious at the times of the abuse. An arrest warrant was issued for Johnson on April 7, 2021, and he was arrested on April 8, 2021.
Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, and FBI Indianapolis Acting Special Agent in Charge Gregory Nelsen made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigations investigated the case. The Evansville Police Department and the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office Cyber Crime Unit also provided valuable assistance. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Richard Young. As part of the sentence, Judge Young also imposed 15 years of supervised release and Johnson must register as a sex offender.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd S. Shellenbarger who prosecuted this case.
In fiscal year 2019, the Southern District of Indiana was second out of the 94 federal districts in the country for the number of child sexual exploitation cases prosecuted.
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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the 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.justice.gov/psc
Essex County Man Admits Role in Attempted Carjacking, Discharging Firearm, and Drug Possession with Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man today admitted his role in an attempted carjacking in Newark, during which a firearm was discharged, and possessing heroin and cocaine base with intent to distribute, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Antwan Malone, 34, of Newark, pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Julien X. Neals to one count of attempted carjacking, one count of using and carrying a firearm, which was brandished, during and in relation to the attempted carjacking; and one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine base.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Feb. 22, 2021, law enforcement officers responded to the area of the I-78 West entrance ramp and Irvine Turner Boulevard in Newark on a report of an attempted carjacking with a weapon. They learned that Malone had pulled up beside a BMW M5 SUV that was stopped at a stop light and blocked the BMW’s ability to enter I-78. Malone approached the vehicle brandishing a handgun, and then pointed the gun at the driver’s face while repeatedly telling the driver to either exit the vehicle or Malone would shoot them. The driver was able to escape by ramming the BMW into Malone’s vehicle and entering the I-78 entrance ramp. Malone fired two shots at the BMW.
Malone also admitted today that on. Jan. 12, 2021, he possessed cocaine base and heroin with intent to distribute.
The count of attempted carjacking carries a maximum potential sentence of 15 years in prison. The count of discharging of a firearm during a crime of violence is punishable by a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison, which must run consecutively to any term of imprisonment imposed on any other charges. The count of possessing heroin and cocaine base with intent to distribute carries a statutory maximum prison sentence of 20 years and a maximum fine of $1 million, twice the gross profits or other proceeds to the defendant, whichever is greater. Sentencing is scheduled for May 23, 2022.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan; the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II; special agents of the DEA, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Susan A. Gibson in Newark; and special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr. in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
This case is part of the Violent Crime Initiative (VCI), which was formed in August 2017 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, and the City of Newark’s Department of Public Safety for the purpose of combatting violent crime in and around Newark. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate and pool resources to prosecute violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, the DEA, the U.S. Marshals, the Newark Department of Public Safety, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, N.J. State Parole, Union County Jail, N.J. State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center, N.J. Department of Corrections, the East Orange Police Department, and the Irvington Police Department.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys George L. Brandley of the Health Care Fraud Unit and DeNae M. Thomas of the Violent Crimes Unit in Newark.
Elkton Man Pleads Guilty to Production of Child Pornography of Two Minor Females Entrusted in His CareRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Johnny William Kyte, Jr., age 62, of Elkton, Maryland, pleaded guilty yesterday to production of child pornography.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; the Cecil County State’s Attorney James Dellmyer; and Chief Carolyn Rogers of the Elkton Police Department.
According to his guilty plea, on September 10, 2020, the Elkton Police Department responded to a complaint reporting that images of child pornography had been located within Kyte’s residence. Kyte resided at his Elkton, Maryland residence for over 20 years. However, at the time that the complaint was reported, Kyte was not residing at his residence as he was serving a 36-month jail sentence for a third-degree sex offense at the Ceil County Detention Center.
After the execution of numerous search warrants, the Elkton Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security Investigations discovered several digital devices controlled and owned by Kyte that contained images of child pornography. The devices included a 1 Terabyte USB external hard drive and a 128 Megabyte SD card.
Evidence recovered from the devices revealed that from August 13, 2014 to July 4, 2017, Kyte produced sexually explicit images of two prepubescent females. Kyte used a variety of devices to produce the images including at least two digital cameras, a cell phone camera, and other devices. The child pornographic images depicted the genitalia of two prepubescent females and contained various identifying home items within Kyte’s residence in the background of the pictures. The minors depicted in the images had been entrusted in his care at the time the images were produced.
Kyte admitted that he employed, used, persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced the two minor victims to participate in the sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography.
Kyte faces a minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison and a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison followed by up to lifetime of supervised release for production of child pornography. U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake has scheduled sentencing for April 22, 2022 at 9:15 a.m.
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 HSI, the Office of the State’s Attorney for Cecil County, and the Elkton Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine Duey and Colleen McGuinn, who are prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Detroit City Councilman Andre Spivey Sentenced to Prison for Bribery ConspiracyRead the Press Release
DETROIT - Detroit City Councilman Andre Spivey, 48, of Detroit, was sentenced to 24 months in prison today for conspiring with a member of his staff to commit bribery by accepting over $35,000 in bribe payments in connection with the City Council’s oversight of towing in Detroit, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today.
According to court records, while serving as an elected member of the Detroit City Council, Andre Spivey accepted $35,900 from an undercover federal law enforcement officer and a confidential source of information for the FBI. On eight separate occasions between February 2018 and February 2020, Spivey, or a member of his staff identified as “Public Official A,” accepted bribe payments amounting to thousands of dollars from the undercover agent or the confidential source, all in connection with towing issues pending before the City Council. For example, on October 26, 2018, Spivey met with the undercover agent and the confidential source at the Side Street Diner in the City of Grosse Pointe, Michigan. During that meeting, Spivey accepted $1,000 in cash from the undercover agent and another $1,000 in cash from the confidential source. The payments were made to Spivey seeking Spivey’s assistance with a proposed towing ordinance pending before the City Council. As another example of the corrupt payments, on February 21, 2020, the confidential source gave $8,000 in cash to Public Official A, and the undercover agent gave Public Official A $4,000 in cash. Public Official A took the money knowing that it was given for the benefit of Spivey and in exchange for Spivey’s assistance with towing issues pending before the City Council.
Spivey served on the Detroit City Council from 2009 until September 2021, when he resigned from office immediately after pleading guilty in this case.
Spivey was the first case charged and first conviction of the government’s investigation of corruption within the government and the Police Department of the City of Detroit relating to the towing industry and other matters. So far, five men have been charged in the investigation, and two have pleaded guilty.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Josh Hauxhurst, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Michigan Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
United States Attorney Ison said, “Public corruption undermines the faith of the people in their leaders. Public officials who take bribes will be punished, and I am determined to take every action to root out corruption within the City of Detroit or anywhere else in this district where we find it.”
It is the mission of the FBI's Public Corruption Task Force to thoroughly investigate the conduct of elected officials who - like Mr. Spivey - abuse their positions of power and the public's trust for their own personal gain," said Josh P. Hauxhurst, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Detroit Field Office. "Today's sentencing serves as a warning to all public officials who allow greed to triumph over duty, that federal agents will never cease in their relentless pursuit for justice."
The investigation of this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David A. Gardey and Frances Carlson.
Defendant Who Stole Veteran and Social Security Benefits Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – A 27-year-old Georgia man who redirected the benefits of veterans and Social Security Administration beneficiaries to accounts that his co-conspirators set up and controlled has been sentenced to 78 months in federal prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. The defendant was also ordered to pay more than $1.3 million in restitution to his victims.
Defendant Jamare Mason was a member of a conspiracy that obtained the personal information (including names, dates of birth and Social Security numbers) of disabled veterans and Social Security beneficiaries. The conspirators used this information to fraudulently open bank accounts and prepaid debit cards in the victims’ names. They also forged documents in the victims’ names that directed the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the Social Security Administration to deposit benefit payments into those fraudulent accounts, instead of the victims’ legitimate bank accounts.
Mason, together with other co-conspirators, withdrew these funds from ATMs and banks throughout South Florida and Georgia for their own personal use. Much of the funds were ultimately funneled to the architects of the scheme in Jamaica.
Over the course of five years, from 2012 to 2017, members of the conspiracy attempted to redirect over $1.8 million in benefits from more than a hundred disabled veterans and Social Security beneficiaries. Although several of these attempts were blocked, the defendants’ scheme resulted in the actual loss of over $1 million, money that was diverted from disabled veterans and Social Security beneficiaries. In each instance, the federal government reimbursed these victims for the full amounts of their stolen benefits.
In November 2021, Mason pled guilty to conspiring to commit bank and wire fraud. U.S. District Judge Raag Singhal, who sits in Ft. Lauderdale, imposed Mason’s sentence.
U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Juan Antonio Gonzalez; Special Agent in Charge David Spilker of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General’s (VA-OIG) Southeast Field; Special Agent in Charge Rodregas W. Owens, Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General (SSA-OIG); and Inspector in Charge Tommy D. Coke, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Atlanta Division made the announcement.
U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez commended the investigative efforts of the Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force, including our partners at the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Office of the Inspector General, United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lois Foster-Steers and Sajjad Matin. Assistant U.S. Attorney Annika Miranda is handling asset forfeiture.
Combatting elder abuse and financial fraud targeted at seniors is a key priority of the Department of Justice. The mission of the Department’s Elder Justice Initiative is to support and coordinate the Department’s enforcement and programmatic efforts to combat elder abuse, neglect and financial fraud and scams that target our nation’s seniors. To learn more visit https://www.justice.gov/elderjustice. The public is encouraged to report their victimization and suspected fraud schemes. To find the right reporting agency visit https://www.justice.gov/elderjustice/roadmap or call the victim connect hotline at 1-855-484-2846.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 19-cr-60313.
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Defendant Pleads Guilty in Manhattan Federal Court to Armed Robbery SchemeRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that VICTOR RIVERA pled guilty to participating in a conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery between October 2019 and November 2020. RIVERA is scheduled to be sentenced on April 28, 2022, by U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As he has now admitted, Victor Rivera committed a year-long spree of armed robberies and attempted robberies of jewelers and other owners of luxury watches, threatening his victims with guns and, during the course of one robbery, shooting a victim. Now Rivera awaits sentencing for this terrifying conduct.”
According to the Superseding Indictment, statements made in court, as well as other publicly filed documents in this case:
From at least in or about October 2019 up to and including November 2020, VICTOR RIVERA, and others known and unknown, agreed to rob victims of luxury watches worth up to hundreds of thousands of dollars each. The watches owned by victims targeted in the robberies included Richard Mille, Rolex, Audemars Piguet, and Patek Philippe watches owned by jewelers as part of the jewelers’ businesses based in Manhattan’s Diamond District. RIVERA used guns to commit several of the robberies, and in one robbery, shot a victim, who survived.
The eleven robberies and attempted robberies included the following:
- On October 3, 2019, RIVERA and a co-conspirator robbed a jeweler in Long Island City, New York, of, among other things, a Richard Mille watch worth over $250,000.
- On October 25, 2019, RIVERA and a co-conspirator robbed a jeweler in Jamaica, New York, of, among other things, a Rolex watch worth over $150,000.
- On December 10, 2019, RIVERA and two co-conspirators robbed a jeweler in Brooklyn, New York, of, among other things, a Patek Philippe watch worth over $160,000 and a diamond necklace worth over $77,000. During the robbery, a firearm was shown to the victim.
- On January 14, 2020, RIVERA and a co-conspirator robbed a jeweler in Rego Park, New York, of, among other things, a Richard Mille watch worth over $500,000.
- On February 16, 2020, RIVERA and a co-conspirator robbed a jeweler in Jamaica Estates, New York, of, among other things, an Audemars Piguet watch worth over $28,000.
- On February 20, 2020, RIVERA and a co-conspirator robbed an individual in Long Island City, New York, of, among other things, an Audemars Piguet watch worth over $125,000.
- On June 11, 2020, RIVERA and a co-conspirator robbed a jeweler in Brooklyn, New York, of, among other things, a Richard Mille watch worth over $148,000. During the robbery, a firearm was shown to the victim and a victim was shot.
- On July 6, 2020, RIVERA and a co-conspirator robbed a jeweler in Hoboken, New Jersey, of, among other things, a Richard Mille watch worth over $81,000. Following the robbery, RIVERA and others transported the stolen watch from New Jersey to New York.
- On July 20, 2020, RIVERA and a co-conspirator participated in an attempted robbery of a jeweler in Queens, New York, attempting to steal a Richard Mille watch worth over $180,000.
- On August 2, 2020, RIVERA and a co-conspirator robbed an individual in the vicinity of Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, of, among other things, a Richard Mille watch worth over $250,000. During the robbery, a firearm was shown to a victim. Following the robbery, RIVERA and others transported the stolen watch from New Jersey to New York.
- On October 27, 2020, RIVERA and a co-conspirator robbed a jeweler in the vicinity of Woodbury, New York, of, among other things, an Audemars Piguet watch worth over $26,000 and assorted jewels and gold links worth over $60,000. During the robbery, a firearm was shown to a victim.
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RIVERA, 30, of Brooklyn, New York, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, which carries a maximum prison term of twenty years. The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Special Agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the New York City Police Department. Mr. Williams also thanked the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, the Englewood Cliffs Police Department, the Weehawken Police Department, and the Nassau County Police Department for their assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Mathew Andrews, Andrew K. Chan, and Celia Cohen are in charge of the prosecution.
Defendant Charged in $1.9 Million Covid-19 Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (“DOL-OIG”), Daniel B. Brubaker, Inspector in Charge, New York Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service (“USPIS”), and Sharon MacDermott, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Regional Office of the U.S. Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General (“SSA-OIG”), announced today the unsealing of a complaint charging YOHAURIS RODRIGUEZ HERNANDEZ with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit theft of government benefits, and aggravated identity theft in connection with a COVID-19 unemployment benefit scheme that attempted to steal more than $1.9 million from the New York State Department of Labor (“NYS DOL”) and various other states’ agencies tasked with the administration of unemployment benefits. YOHAURIS RODRIGUEZ HERNANDEZ was arrested this morning in Goshen, New York, and will be presented later today before United States Magistrate Judge Paul E. Davison.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, the defendant participated in a scheme to fraudulently obtain COVID-19 unemployment benefits under the names and social security numbers of at least 100 other people, which attempted to steal more than $1.9 million and resulted in the fraudulent disbursement of more than $500,000. The defendant is now in custody and facing serious federal charges.”
DOL-OIG Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone said: “The Unemployment Insurance Program exists to provide needed assistance to qualified individuals who are unemployed due to no fault of their own. Fraud against the Unemployment Insurance Program distracts state workforce agencies from ensuring benefits go to individuals who are eligible to receive them. The Office of Inspector General will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to investigate those who exploit the Unemployment Insurance Program.”
USPIS Inspector in Charge Daniel B. Brubaker said: “This defendant allegedly took advantage of the urgent need to assist those struggling financially during the coronavirus pandemic; allegedly stealing identities and using those identities to file for unemployment benefits in a scheme to enrich their own lifestyle while others suffered. Postal Inspectors and their law enforcement partners are committed to bring those to justice who break the law, and in this case justice has been served.”
SSA-OIG Special Agent in Charge Sharon MacDermott said: “Today’s arrest demonstrates that pursuing and prosecuting those who allegedly abuse the identities of innocent people and damage the integrity of the Social Security number for their own selfish gain remains a priority for us. We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners, and I thank New York Department of Labor, Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General, United States Postal Inspectors, Homeland Security Investigations, the New York Police Department, and the Yonkers Police Department for their efforts in this major investigation. I also thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for pursuing justice in this case.”
As alleged in the Complaint:[1]
From February 2020 through December 2020, YOHAURIS RODRIGUEZ HERNANDEZ and a co-conspirator (“CC-1”) engaged in a scheme to obtain COVID-19 unemployment benefits through the fraudulent filing and verification of applications using the names and social security numbers of at least 100 other people. Law enforcement agencies were first alerted to the scheme after YOHAURIS RODIRGUEZ HERNANDEZ and CC-1 fled a Yonkers hotel in December 2020 leaving behind in their previously occupied room over 500 pieces of NYS DOL mail containing information and NYS DOL-issued debit cards for approximately 76 individuals. Over the course of the relevant time period, YOHAURIS RODRIGUEZ HERNANDEZ and CC-1 exchanged text messages, images, and other communications that included, among other things, personal identifying information—such as names, social security numbers, and dates of birth—that were used in connection with the filing and verification of fraudulent applications for unemployment benefits. The scheme resulted in fraudulent claims for approximately $1.9 million and the fraudulent disbursement of over $500,000 in COVID-19 unemployment benefits.
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YOHAURIS RODRIGUEZ HERNANDEZ, 40, is charged with (1) conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, (2) conspiracy to commit theft of government benefits, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, and (3) aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory two-year consecutive sentence. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the DOL-OIG, the USPIS, the SSA-OIG, the NYS DOL, the City of Yonkers Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and the New York City Police Department. Mr. Williams noted that the investigation is ongoing.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Sullivan is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint, and the description of the Complaint set forth herein, constitutes only allegations, and every fact described therein should be treated as an allegation.
Cedar Rapids Man Receives 140 Years in Federal Prison for Child Sexual Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
A man who sexually exploited two girls and committed child pornography offenses was sentenced on January 18, 2022, to 140 years in federal prison.
Nathan Nosley, age 30, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the sentence after a June 9, 2021 jury verdict finding him guilty of sexual exploitation of children, distribution of child pornography, receipt of child pornography, three counts of possession of child pornography, and accessing child pornography.
The evidence at trial showed that, between 2018 and 2020, Nosley persuaded, induced, and enticed two girls to produce and send him pornographic images of themselves. Nosley also distributed child pornography to others, used cell phone apps to receive child pornography, used a cell phone to access child pornography, and possessed child pornography on a cell phone, on a memory card, and in an e-mail account. The evidence at trial and sentencing also showed that, prior to these offenses, defendant sexually abused a seven-year-old-girl.
Nosley was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Nosley was sentenced to 1,680 months’ imprisonment. He was also ordered to make $12,000 in restitution to four victims depicted in child pornography he possessed. He also must serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term, and he must comply with all sex offender registration and public notification requirements.
“This case is a tragic example of the dangers children face on the internet.” said United States Attorney Sean Berry. “Child predators are constantly trying to manipulate kids into having sex or providing sexually explicit photos. We all must do our parts to prevent these crimes. Parents and loved ones should talk to kids about the dangers lurking on the internet and monitor what kids are doing online.”
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Iowa State Patrol, and the Marion Police Department.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is CR 20-101.
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Cane Valley Kennels Dog-Fighting Trainer and Breeder Sentenced to Five Years ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A well-known dog-fighting trainer and breeder, who owned Cane Valley Kennels, was sentenced to the statutory maximum of five years in prison resulting from an investigation into a significant multi-state dog fighting and cocaine trafficking ring.
Vernon Vegas, 49, of Suwanee, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 60 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $10,000 fine by U.S. District Judge Tilman E. “Tripp” Self, III on Tuesday, Jan. 18, after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to participate in an animal fighting venture. Additionally, pursuant to his plea agreement, Vegas agreed to forfeit $116,819 in cash seized during the investigation.
“Vernon Vegas has received the maximum prison sentence for training others in the brutal and bloody business of dog fighting, a world that fosters a multitude of other dangerous criminal activity,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Our office, working alongside local, state, and federal law enforcement, will hold individuals and groups that participate in illegal dog-fighting accountable for their crimes.”
“Vernon Vegas is being held accountable for his violent, illegal and inhumane actions,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “This case illustrates that dog-fighting is intimately connected with the underworld of drugs and organized crime, and that the Department of Justice will investigate and prosecute it to the fullest extent of the law.”
According to court documents, law enforcement investigated a criminal organization involved in both cocaine distribution and organized dog fighting based out of Roberta, Georgia, which extended into North Georgia, Florida and Alabama from May 2019 until Feb. 2020. In Feb. 2020, law enforcement executed 15 residential search warrants and seized more than 150 dogs that were being used for organized dog fighting.
Between Oct. 1996 and Feb. 2020, Vegas, the owner of Cane Valley Kennels, bred, trained, sold and transported dogs for the purpose of the dog fighting, including Grand Champion “Baby Gracie,” Champion “Son of Sam 2XBis,” Champion “Spider,” Champion “Bucky Mike,” Champion “Bear,” Champion “Kocky Mike,” Champion “Fantasmin,” Champion “Julie the Great,” and one-time winner, “Brenda.” As part of his business, Vegas designed and offered a seven-week “keep” where he trained dogs for animal fighting ventures, prepared on-line pedigrees for the fighting dogs bred and trained at Cane Valley Kennels, provided advice to his co-conspirators on how to train dogs for purposes of engaging in animal fighting ventures, and kept a multitude of training and conditioning equipment including slat mills, chains, a staple gun, hanging weight scales, break sticks, flirt poles and various medicines to treat injuries or disease sustained by dogs made to fight. Between Jan. 2017 and Feb. 2020, Vegas attended dog fights with co-conspirators Derrick Owens and Christopher Raines at locations in the Middle District of Georgia and advised Owens on various matters related to preparing dogs for animal fighting.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, The United States Department of Agriculture, Office of the Inspector General (USDA-OIG), U.S. Marshals Service, The Department of Justice, Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD), Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, Crawford County Sheriff’s Office, Houston County Sheriff’s Office, Merriweather County Sheriff’s Office, Peach County Sheriff’s Office, Taylor County Sheriff’s Office, Webster County Sheriff’s Office, Byron Police Department and the Fort Valley Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Will Keyes with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia and Trial Attorney Banu Rangarajan with the Department of Justice, Environmental Crimes Section prosecuted the case.
Canadian National Pleads Guilty to Sexually Abusing Minors on the Bois Forte ReservationRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Canadian national pleaded guilty to abusive sexual contact with two minors at the Fortune Bay Resort and Casino on the Bois Forte Indian Reservation, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Charles J. Kovats.
According to court documents, on June 22, 2018, Brady John Hillis, 32, a citizen of Canada, was at the Fortune Bay Resort and Casino on the Bois Forte Indian Reservation. Hillis was captured on Fortune Bay’s security surveillance video engaging in sexual contact with two minor victims who were under 12 years of age.
Hillis pleaded guilty yesterday before Chief U.S. District Judge John R. Tunheim to two counts of abusive sexual contact with a child under 12 years of age. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled for a later date.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the Bois Forte Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Deidre Y. Aanstad is prosecuting the case.
Cambridge Man Arrested on Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Cambridge man was arrested and charged today in connection with purchasing child pornography with digital currency from the dark web.
David H. Chang, 27, was charged with one count of receipt of child pornography. Following an initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Marianne B. Bowler, Chang was detained pending a hearing which is set for Jan. 21, 2022.
According to the charging documents, between on or about April 2021 and January 2022, Chang used digital currency to purchase child pornography from the dark web. A search of Chang’s apartment this morning resulted in the recovery of electronic devices onto which Chang allegedly downloaded the child pornography he purchased. Additionally, Chang admitted to agents that he bought child pornography from a site on the dark web.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Homeland Security Investigations in New Haven (Conn.) provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Tolkoff of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should call 617-748-3274.
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 CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to 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 details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Cody Man Arrested After Escaping CustodyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Bob Murray announced today that PHILLIP AARON DOBBINS, 44, of Cody, Wyoming was arrested on January 5 on a charge of escape from custody and appeared before Chief United States Magistrate Judge Kelly H. Rankin and pleaded not guilty to the charges. A trial has been set for March 14, 2022, and Dobbins was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshals Service.
The indictment alleges that on or about October 5, 2021, Dobbins escaped from the custody of The Life House of Sheridan, Wyoming, a residential treatment center, which had been ordered by Chief United States Magistrate Judge Kelly Rankin through an order of detention pending trial issued on October 5, 2021 in connection with felony charges pending in United States v. Phillip Aaron Dobbins, 21-CR-84-F.
Dobbins faces up to five years imprisonment, up to three years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment.
This crime is being investigated by the United States Marshals Service. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy J. Forwood is prosecuting the case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Case No. 21-cr-84-NDF
Brockton Man Sentenced for Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brockton man was sentenced yesterday for his role in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl throughout southeastern Massachusetts.
Filomeno Monteiro, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to 42 months in prison and six years of supervised release. In July 2021, Monteiro pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and one count of distribution of fentanyl.
In 2019 and 2020, law enforcement conducted an investigation into fentanyl traffickers operating in southeastern Massachusetts. In December 2019, Monteiro worked with co-defendant Christian Collins to distribute 20 grams of fentanyl to a cooperating witness and undercover police officer at a location in Plympton. At the time of the offense, Monteiro was on probation for a prior Plymouth Superior Court conviction for kidnapping and aggravated assault. Monteiro was also previously convicted twice in state court of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and heroin and possession with intent to distribute marijuana.
On Dec. 10, 2021, Collins was sentenced by Judge Saris to five years in prison and four of supervised release.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Brockton Police Chief Emanuel Gomes; East Bridgewater Police Chief Paul O’Brien; Douglas Bartlett, Acting U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts; and Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Pohl of Rollins’ Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
Bridgeport Man Sentenced to 3 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking NarcoticsRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that KEVIN LUCAS, also known as “Dutch,” 62, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today via videoconference by U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall to 36 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervise release, for trafficking narcotics.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between May and August 2019, law enforcement made a series of controlled purchases of redistribution quantities of heroin from Lucas. Lucas was arrested on August 22, 2019, and a search of his residence on that date revealed additional distribution quantities of heroin, approximately 139 grams of crack cocaine, approximately 365 grams of cocaine, items used to process and package narcotics, a 9mm handgun, two loaded magazines, ammunition, and $35,220 in cash.
On September 21, 2021, Lucas pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, heroin.
This investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force, including participants from the U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, and the New Haven, East Haven, West Haven, Branford, Ansonia, Meriden, Middletown, Naugatuck and Waterbury Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel J. Gentile.
Berkeley County man indicted on drug and firearms chargesRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Ronald Craig Fletcher, of Bunker Hill, West Virginia, was indicted today on drug and firearms charges, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Fletcher, 53, was indicted today on one count of “Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Five Grams or More of Methamphetamine Hydrochloride, aka “Ice”,” one count of “Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Eutylone,” one count of “Possess with Intent to Distribute Eutylone,” one count of “Possess with Intent to Distribute Five Grams or More of Methamphetamine Hydrochloride, aka “Ice,” and one count of “Possession of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime.” Fletcher is accused of trafficking methamphetamine, also known as “ice,” and Eutylone from January 2020 to June 2021 in Berkeley and Morgan Counties. Fletcher is also accused of having a .380 caliber firearm during a drug crime.
Fletcher faces at least five years and up to 40 years of incarceration for counts one and four, faces at least five years and up to life incarceration for count five, and faces up to 20 years of incarceration for counts two and three. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Eastern Panhandle Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the Northwest Virginia Regional Drug and Gang Task Force investigated.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Auburn Man Sentenced to 120 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – Michael L. Placencia, 53 years old, of Auburn, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute more than five grams of methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Placencia was sentenced to 120 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, on September 7, 2020, Placencia, was approached by the Dekalb County Sheriff’s Department after causing traffic to become congested by failing to move to the far right of the road. During the encounter, police checked the VIN number on Placencia’s moped and found that it was previously reported stolen. Placencia indicated to law enforcement that he had something illegal on him which turned out to be eleven bags of methamphetamine, $674 cash, a digital scale with residue, a glass smoking device, and a red straw containing residue. Subsequent lab analysis revealed the substance to be methamphetamine, 95% pure with a weight of 32.4 grams.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with the assistance of the Dekalb County Sheriff’s Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brent Ecenbarger.
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Armed Pharmacy Robbery Results in More Than Seven Year Sentence for Vallejo PerpetratorRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Lembrent Rubin was sentenced today in United States District Court to 89 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to robbery of a pharmacy and to brandishing a firearm during the robbery, announced United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) San Francisco Field Division Special Agent in Charge Patrick T. Gorman. The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge Charles R. Breyer.
Rubin, 37, of Vallejo, pleaded guilty on October 13, 2021. In a memorandum filed for the sentencing hearing, the government described the crime of Sunday, October 14, 2018. That morning, a pharmacist showed up for work at his pharmacy located in a large grocery store in San Francisco. Rubin was seated alone in the pharmacy’s waiting room. As the pharmacist opened the pharmacy door with his key, the pharmacist turned his back on Rubin. When the pharmacist turned the key, Rubin forced his way into the pharmacy, pushing the pharmacist until they were both inside and behind the main counter. Nobody could see in as the shades were shut. The pharmacist spun around and saw Rubin brandishing a handgun. Rubin demanded drugs and held a black bag. The pharmacist opened the locked cabinet where controlled prescriptions were secured. He began placing bottles of pills into the black bag. A pharmacy alarm system sounded, and Rubin reached into the cabinet and swept more pill bottles into his bag. Rubin fled the pharmacy and the grocery store, taking with him several hundred tablets of oxycodone and generic Vicodin, Adderall, and Ritalin.
Approximately two weeks later Rubin was located and arrested. Officers who arrested him seized a loaded .40 caliber Glock pistol from his waistband. A search of his apartment turned up more ammunition, including a loaded pistol magazine, and pills with imprints that matched the imprints on pills stolen from the pharmacy.
In addition to imposing the 89 month prison term, United States District Judge Charles R. Breyer sentenced Rubin to a three year term of supervision upon his release from prison.
Rubin was in custody at the sentencing hearing. He is now being transferred in custody to face firearm and vehicle theft charges filed in Solano County Superior Court which arose from an arrest that followed the arrest in this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey Boome and Sailaja M. Paidipaty prosecuted the case with the assistance of Beth Margen and Ralph Bancshstubbs. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by ATF and the San Francisco Police Department.
Tuesday 18 January 2022
Waterbury Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Downloading Thousands of Child Sex Abuse ImagesRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MICHAEL SCHMEER, 52, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for downloading thousands of child sex abuses images and videos over the internet.
According to court documents and statements made in court, an investigation revealed that an IP address at Schmeer’s residence was being used to download child sex abuse images and videos from a peer-to-peer file sharing network. On August 12, 2020, investigators conducted a court-authorized search of Schmeer’s residence and seized computer equipment, including multiple external storage devices. Schmeer, who was present during the search, was arrested on state charges after he admitted to investigators that he downloaded and possessed child pornography. Analysis of the seized storage devices revealed more than 54,000 images and 5,000 videos depicting the sexual abuse of children.
On August 4, 2021, Schmeer pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography.
Schmeer, who has released on bond since his federal arrest on April 6, 2021, is required to report to prison on February 18.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Connecticut State Police, Watertown Police Department and Waterbury Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan Keefe.
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.
Wasilla Doctor Sentenced for Illegal Prescriptions that Resulted in Five DeathsRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE – A Wasilla, Alaska, medical doctor was sentenced in federal court by Chief U.S. District Judge Sharon L. Gleason to 34 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and fined $25,000 for illegally dispensing and distributing controlled substances to patients in his medical practice at the Camelot Family Health Clinic.
According to court documents, David Chisholm, 64, illegally prescribed his patients thousands of pills of highly addictive controlled substances, including oxycodone, methadone, hydrocodone, morphine, tramadol, fentanyl, hydromorphone and buprenorphine. An extensive undercover investigation revealed that Chisholm routinely distributed the controlled substances without administering a medical exam and without a legitimate medical purpose. He also did not develop pain management plans for his patients and his record keeping was virtually non-existent.
Between January 2014 and October 2019, Chisholm wrote 20,524 prescriptions to approximately 350 patients amounting to nearly 2 million total dosage units of various opioids including more than 7,500 prescriptions for oxycodone, 3,600 prescriptions for methadone and 1,300 prescriptions for hydrocodone. Chisholm frequently wrote numerous prescriptions to patients under multiple variations of their names, allowing them to continue to refill their drugs without raising red flags from Medicare or their private insurance. At one point Chisholm’s practices became so egregious that Walmart refused to continue filling prescriptions he had written. In response, he instructed his staff to tell patients to go to other pharmacies. Chisholm often prescribed combinations of medications, including concurrent opioids, benzodiazepines, sedatives and carisoprodol. These combinations increased the likelihood of drug abuse and overdose among his patients. As part of the plea agreement, Chisholm acknowledged that his prescriptions were a significant contributing factor in the overdose deaths of five of his patients between 2016 and 2018.
“Dr. Chisholm’s reckless conduct reflects a shocking disregard for the welfare of his patients. Nothing can excuse his opioid prescribing practices in light of what is today universally understood about the risks of opioid use disorder and opioid overdose,” said U.S. Attorney John E. Kuhn, Jr. of the District of Alaska. “The United States Attorney’s Office, DEA, and FBI – together with our state and local partners – will investigate and prosecute any medical professional who jeopardizes the health and safety of patients with opioids and other addictive substances.”
“Dr. Chisholm intentionally distributed highly addictive and potentially lethal dosages and quantities of opioids to his patients,” said Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Seattle Field Division. “Today’s sentence sends a strong message that the DEA and law enforcement partners will fight the opioid epidemic through coordinated enforcement operations targeting medical professionals like Dr. Chisholm who betray their profession and use their prescription pads to further addiction and add fuel to the opioid epidemic.”
Chisholm pleaded guilty in June 2021 and is required to surrender his Alaska State medical license.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Wasilla Police and the Alaska State Board of Pharmacy investigated this case as part of the Alaska Health Care Fraud Task Force (AHCFTF), a partnership of local, state, federal, and private agencies focused on the investigation of health care fraud, waste, and abuse in Alaska or affecting Alaskan interests. For more information and how to report health care fraud, please visit the FBI’s AHCFTF website: https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/anchorage/alaska-health-care-fraud-task-force
Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Schroeder prosecuted the case.
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