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24 February 2022
Baltimore Heroin Dealer Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Drug Conspiracy ChargeRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander sentenced Larry Gardner, a/k/a “Little Larry,” age 40, of Baltimore, Maryland, today to five years in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for his participation in a conspiracy to distribute heroin and other drugs in the Baltimore area.
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; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; and Postal Inspector in Charge Greg L. Torbenson of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division.
According to his guilty plea, between November 2019 and December 2020, Gardner participated in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed large quantities of controlled dangerous substances, including heroin, in the Baltimore area.
As detailed in the plea agreement, between June and November 2020, federal agents assigned to the Baltimore Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Strike Force intercepted hundreds of electronic and wire communications between Gardner and the leader of the DTO which revealed that Gardner was a mid-level distributor of heroin and that the DTO leader was his source of supply.
Gardner exchanged coded text messages with the DTO’s leader negotiating the price and amount of heroin. After one such exchange on November 4, 2020, a covert camera captured the DTO leader entering an apartment in downtown Baltimore used as a stash house, then leave eight minutes later. A few minutes later, agents conducting surveillance outside Gardner’s residence saw the DTO leader arrive and intercepted a message from the DTO leader to Gardner stating, “Here cuz”. The DTO leader rang the bell at Gardner’s residence and Gardner answered the door and accompanied the DTO leader to his car, where they conducted the heroin transaction.
On December 16, 2020, law enforcement executed a search at Gardner’s residence, which was occupied at that time by Gardner, his wife, and three minor children. Law enforcement recovered a ballistic vest, a kilogram press and more than 1,000 empty gel capsules in the basement. In the bathroom, officers found white residue around a toilet and on the floor next to the toilet; plastic bags containing a white powder substance; and at least one plastic bag with a crystalline white rock-like substance that was subsequently analyzed and identified as approximately 19 grams of cocaine.
Gardner admitted that it was reasonably foreseeable to him that the conspiracy involved the distribution of between 100 and 400 grams of heroin.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This prosecution was brought as a part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Co-located Strike Forces Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations against a continuum of priority targets and their affiliate illicit financial networks. These prosecutor-led co-located Strike Forces capitalize on the synergy created through the long-term relationships that can be forged by agents, analysts, and prosecutors who remain together over time, and they epitomize the model that has proven most effective in combating organized crime. The specific mission of the Baltimore OCDETF Strike Force is to reduce violent, drug-related, and gang crime in the Baltimore area and surrounding region.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI, the DEA, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service for their work in the investigation and thanked the Baltimore Police Department for its assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey J. Izant, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Baltimore County Husband and Wife Sentenced to Federal Prison for a Crack Cocaine Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III sentenced Nathaniel Donnell Carter, age 37, of Baltimore, Maryland, yesterday to eight years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute crack cocaine and for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Judge Russell sentenced Carter’s wife, Raymia Sophia Carroll, also age 37, of Baltimore, to 30 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for the crack cocaine distribution conspiracy.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department; and Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger.
According to their guilty pleas, on November 12, 2019, the DEA and the Baltimore County Police Department conducted surveillance on Carter’s and Carroll’s family home in connection with an investigation into their drug trafficking activities. Law enforcement saw Carter leave the house with a bulge in the front pocket of his hooded jacket and drive away. Carter was seen fidgeting in the car and continued to reach behind and under the front passenger seat. Baltimore County Police conducted a traffic stop. After being read his Miranda rights, which he acknowledged, Carter gave consent for officers to search his vehicle, telling them “it would be under the seat.” Law enforcement recovered a .45-caliber handgun from the center console of the vehicle and a large black bag containing 1,012.3 grams of crack cocaine from under the front passenger seat.
Law enforcement traveled to a Baltimore County elementary school to conduct surveillance on Carroll and saw her car. A K9 scan of the vehicle alerted positive for drugs. Law enforcement conducted a search of the vehicle and recovered approximately 385.242 grams of crack cocaine and packaging materials.
A subsequent search of the family home recovered 72.9 grams of crack cocaine, packaging materials, and 22.5 grams of suspected marijuana.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN, an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime, is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the DEA, the Baltimore County Police Department, and the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joan C. Mathias and Christopher M. Rigali, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Australian Man Indicted on Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG, The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on February 23, 2022, Robert Lindsay Swan, age 38, of Australia, was indicted by a federal grand jury for possessing a firearm as a prohibited person.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that Swan possessed a Walther Creed 9mm pistol on November 9, 2021, in York County, as a prohibited person due to unlawfully being in the United States.
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Investigations, the York Area Regional Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jaime M. Keating is prosecuting the case.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
If convicted, the maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 10 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Associate Medical Director of Baltimore County, Maryland Pain Management Practice Sentenced to Federal Prison for Accepting Kick-BacksRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III sentenced Howard Hoffberg, M.D., age 65, of Reisterstown, Maryland, today, to eight months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, for conspiracy to violate the anti-kickback statutes, in connection with a scheme to accept payments from a pharmaceutical company in exchange for prescribing a fentanyl-based drug.
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; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon, Office of Investigations, Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services; and Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department.
According to his guilty plea, Howard Hoffberg, is a doctor and was licensed to practice medicine in the State of Maryland. He served as the Associate Medical Director and part-owner of Rosen-Hoffberg Rehabilitation and Pain Management (the “Practice”). The Practice’s Medical Director was Norman Rosen, who worked primarily at the Practice’s Towson, Maryland locations. Hoffberg principally worked at the Practice’s location in Owings Mills, Maryland, but at times also was at the Practice’s locations in Towson, Maryland.
Hoffberg was a Medicare provider and submitted claims to Medicare, which is federal healthcare program. In September 2011, Hoffberg certified to Medicare that he would comply with Medicare rules and regulations, including that he would refrain from violating the federal anti-kickback statute. Further, in August 2013, Hoffberg certified to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”), as part of his ability to prescribe drugs known as Transmucosal Immediate Release Fentanyl (“TIRF”) drugs, that: (a) he understood TIRF drugs are indicated only for the management of breakthrough pain in cancer patients; (b) he understood that TIRF drugs can be abused by patients; and (c) he understood that one TIRF drug is not interchangeable with another TIRF drug.
As detailed in his plea agreement, starting in June 2012, Hoffberg solicited and received kickbacks and bribes for himself in the form of payments from Insys Therapeutics, Inc. (“Insys”) (a pharmaceutical company) and related entities. In January 2012, the FDA approved Insys’s application to sell and market a TIRF drug named Subsys to treat cancer patients experiencing break-through pain, which is a sudden onset of pain in cancer patients that cannot be controlled with their usual treatment regimen. Subsys is a potent opioid designed to rapidly enter a patient’s bloodstream upon being sprayed under the tongue. Subsys contains fentanyl, which is a synthetic opioid pain reliever that has a high potential for abuse and addiction.
According to the plea agreement, because of the limited number of cancer patients experiencing breakthrough pain who fit the FDA-approved criteria, Insys devised an illegal kickback and bribery scheme to induce Hoffberg and others to prescribe Subsys off-label for conditions other than breakthrough pain in cancer patients. In order to conceal and disguise that kickbacks and bribes were being paid to Hoffberg to prescribe Subsys, Insys falsely designated the payments to Hoffberg as “honoraria” for purportedly providing educational programs about Subsys (the “Speakers Bureau Program”). Hoffberg admitted that his participation in the Speakers Bureau Program was a sham. Hoffberg often made these presentations at high-end restaurants, and to staff at the Practice and/or to persons who could not even prescribe controlled substances. Hoffberg knew that these presentations were not designed to promote any bona fide educational initiative about Subsys but rather were required to receive the honoraria.
Hoffberg was paid $66,600 by Insys and knew that these payments were kickbacks and bribes that were paid, at least in part, to induce Hoffberg to prescribe, or in exchange for Hoffberg prescribing, Subsys. As part of the scheme, through January 2018 Hoffberg prescribed Subsys to patients of the Practice who were not suffering from cancer, some of whose insurance coverage was paid for, in whole or in part, by a federal healthcare program. Further, Hoffberg admitted that he switched several other patients to Subsys from another fentanyl-based drug because of the kickbacks he received from Insys, even though he previously certified that TIRF drugs were not interchangeable.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI, the DEA, HHS-OIG, and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason D. Medinger, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta Announces Two New Resources to Support Law Enforcement from Office on Violence Against WomenRead the Press Release
Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta announced at a webinar today two new training and technical assistance (TTA) resources from the Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women (OVW): the National Violence Against Women Law Enforcement Training and Technical Assistance Consortium (LETTAC) and the Domestic Violence Resource for Increasing Safety and Connection (DV RISC).
“Reducing violent crime is a top priority for the Department of Justice, and combating domestic violence and sexual assault are important parts of the department’s comprehensive strategy to reduce violent crime,” said Associate Attorney General Gupta. “We cannot reduce, prevent or end violence without providing law enforcement agencies with the tools, training and resources they need. I am proud to introduce LETTAC and DV RISC, as new tools to help law enforcement agencies best respond to, investigate and ultimately prevent domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking by delivering innovative and evolving training and technical assistance to grantees and the field in a more efficient, effective manner.”
“Ensuring that law enforcement and jurisdictions have access to survivor-centered and trauma-informed resources is critical to address and prevent gender-based violence in our communities,” said Principal Deputy Director Allison Randall of OVW. “LETTAC and DV RISC not only fulfill this key role, but also expand training and technical assistance to underserved communities, including rural areas and Tribal lands, helping countless survivors access the justice they seek.”
LETTAC is a single-entry point for law enforcement agencies – including police and sheriffs’ offices as well as prosecutors, civilian staff and campus police – to request TTA in responding to, investigating and prosecuting domestic and dating violence, sexual assault and stalking cases. Planning is also underway to ensure LETTAC resources address the intersection of human trafficking with domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking with a focus on Tribal grantees and potential grantees. LETTAC delivers TTA more efficiently, maximizing resources while minimizing duplication and, crucially, promoting collaboration. The LETTAC resource center includes a portal to request TTA; a clearinghouse of webinars, podcasts, publications and other tools; and a learning center to provide quality training for users. Ensuring inclusivity is central to LETTAC’s mission to providing TTA services and support for all justice practitioners, including those in underserved areas, culturally specific communities, and American Indian and Alaska Native jurisdictions. LETTAC will partner with AEquitas to provide training to prosecutors.
DV RISC is a national resource center to help communities prevent domestic violence homicide. The DV RISC website provides multidisciplinary tools and TTA to jurisdictions seeking a coordinated response. Users can obtain access to TTA providers and subject matter experts; on-site and virtual strategic planning assistance; culturally specific TTA providers to ensure diverse and inclusive community engagement; and peer-to-peer learning with communities that have implemented domestic violence homicide prevention strategies. Working in collaboration with Ujima and Esperanza United, DV RISC is led and informed by individuals who have been impacted by intimate partner and domestic violence homicides, ensuring that communities using DV RISC create prevention strategies that are informed by the voices of survivors.
Both LETTAC and DV RISC support the Justice Department’s comprehensive strategy for reducing violent crime.
About the Office on Violence Against Women
The Office on Violence Against Women provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges. Learn more at www.justice.gov/ovw.
Area residents charged in multi-layered fraud schemeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Six Houston individuals have been indicted for their participation in a multi-state scheme involving mortgage fraud, credit repair and government loan fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery. Authorities are seeking two others.
Leslie and ShyAnne Edrington, 65 and 29, respectively, are set for a detention hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christina Bryan today at 11 a.m. Authorities also arrested Melinda Moreno Munoz, 40, and Elvina Buckley, 67, Friday, Feb. 18, after which they made their initial appearances in federal court.
Two others - Heather Ann Campos, 43, and David Lewis Best Jr., 58, also of Houston, are considered fugitives, and warrants remain outstanding for their arrest. Anyone with information about their whereabouts is asked to contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 281-512-8525.
The 25-count indictment, returned Feb. 16, alleges all six participated in a multi-layered fraud scheme to defraud mortgage lending businesses, banks, Small Business Administration (SBA) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
They allegedly recruited clients for credit repair using company names of KMD Credit, KMD Capital and Jeff Funding, among others. The indictment alleges they “cleaned” their clients’ credit histories by filing false identity theft reports with the FTC.
Campos was a mortgage broker and Buckley a realtor, while operating as a notary was the responsibility of Munoz, according to the charges. After fraudulently inflating client credit worthiness, the six individuals allegedly capitalized on the experience of Campos, Buckley and Munoz to fraudulently obtain credit cards, disaster loans and mortgages for themselves and their clients. The indictment alleges they were able to accomplish this through false statements and fake documents.
They maintained control of the properties purchased in their clients’ names, according to the charges. The purpose, the indictment alleges, was for the purpose of building a real estate portfolio worth millions of dollars and enriching themselves with rental income.
If convicted, all face up to 30 years in federal prison and a possible $1 million maximum fine.
The Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General (OIG), U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Housing and Urban Development – OIG and SBA – OIG with the assistance of the FTC – OIG and IRS - Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kate Suh and Jay Hileman are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
23 February 2022
Wilmington Man Who Sold Fake Oxycodone Pills Containing Fentanyl Sentenced to over 15 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced that a Wilmington, Delaware man was sentenced yesterday to 188 months in federal prison for possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl while also illegally possessing 5 firearms. Chief U.S. District Judge Colm F. Connolly pronounced the sentence.
According to court documents, Joseph Thomas, age 29, was arrested on April 30, 2020, by state and federal law enforcement. Searches of Thomas’ home, car detailing business, T.L.K. Auto Spa, and a storage unit Thomas controlled yielded a fentanyl pill operation, instructions for making fake prescription pills with fentanyl, a commercial pill press, 5 firearms, and over 1,000 rounds of ammunition. One of the guns Thomas possessed had been reported stolen. The serial number on another of those guns was obliterated, making it difficult to trace. Law enforcement also found over $86,000 in cash inside a safe belonging to Thomas.
U.S. Attorney Weiss commented, “Selling deadly fentanyl in pill form designed to mimic the appearance of the legitimate prescription drug oxycodone endangers lives. The illegal possession of firearms and ammunition endangers lives. My office will seek significant prison sentences for those who engage in this activity and thereby threaten the safety of our community.”
“The defendant in this case showed little regard for the safety of his consumers as he willingly manufactured and sold fake prescription drugs laced with fentanyl,” said William S. Walker, Acting Special Agent in Charge of HSI Philadelphia. “Each time highly addictive narcotics, like fentanyl, are pressed into pills, narcotics traffickers ensure repeat customers and higher profits. Beyond that, Thomas illegally possessed five guns and a thousand rounds of ammunition, again, showing little regard for the safety of his community. This sentencing should serve as a reminder to those seeking to line their pockets through others’ addictions. You will be arrested, you will be prosecuted, and you will be incarcerated for your criminal acts.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander P. Ibrahim prosecuted the case, which was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Newport Police Department. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also wishes to thank the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives and the FBI for their assistance.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to helping those who suffer from substance abuse. While COVID-19 has made access to drug addiction treatment more difficult for many, it need not remain a barrier. If you need help, drug treatment information is available any time through the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Treatment Referral Routing Service, found online at dpt2.samhsa.gov/treatment/ or by dialing 1.888.545.2600. Don’t let the pandemic stop you from beginning treatment.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER.
Wheeling man admits to drug conspiracyRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – William Hinton, of Wheeling, West Virginia, has admitted to his involvement in a drug trafficking conspiracy, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Hinton, also known as “Abu Twoseventeeen,” age 49, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with the Intent to Distribute Cocaine Base, Cocaine Hydrochloride, Methamphetamine, and Heroin” and one count of “Distribution of Cocaine Base.” Hinton admitted to working with others to sell cocaine base, also known as “crack,” cocaine hydrochloride, also known as “coke,” and methamphetamine from June 2019 to August 2021 in Ohio County and elsewhere, including the Southern District of Ohio.
Hinton faces up to 20 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000 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 Shawn M. Adkins is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Ohio Valley Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, which includes the Drug Enforcement Administration, West Virginia State Police, the Ohio County Sheriff’s Office, and the Wheeling Police Department, investigated. The Belmont County Sheriff’s Office and the St. Clairsville Police Department assisted.
U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.
Visa holder caught smuggling nearly $200,000 to MexicoRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 34-year-old Mexican man has been charged with bulk cash smuggling, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
A federal grand jury has returned an indictment against Feliciano Quintanar-Hernandez, 34, for smuggling $195,731 into Mexico.
Originally charged by criminal complaint, he made his first appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christopher dos Santos Jan. 31, at which time he was ordered into custody pending further criminal proceedings. He is expected to appear for his initial appearance on the indictment in the near future.
On Jan. 29, Quintanar attempted to exit the United States through the Juarez-Lincoln Port of Entry in Laredo as a solo driver in a pickup truck, according to the charges. There, he allegedly gave a negative declaration for possessing currency over $10,000.
The charges allege law enforcement inspected the pickup truck where they found a total of $195,731 hidden in the bed and center consol.
As a non-immigrant Visa holder, he is allegedly in violation of the terms of his Visa.
If convicted, Quintanar faces up to five years in prison as well as a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Isaac is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
United States Attorney’s Office Joins Rmhidta’s Efforts to End the Epidemic of Drug Overdoses in WyomingRead the Press Release
USAO-WY Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan Coppom, Criminal Chief Nicole Romine and Rocky Mountain HIDTA Executive Director Keith Weis spoke at the Drug Information Opportunity Symposium on February 16, 2022
United States Attorney Bob Murray announced today that Criminal Chief Nicole Romine and Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan Coppom spoke at the Drug Information Opportunity Symposium on February 16, 2022, at the Wyoming National Guard Joint Readiness Center in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Romine and Coppom discussed the prosecution of drug overdose cases, along with a distinguished panel of speakers who spoke about the concerning number of overdoses in Wyoming and across the nation.The symposium was hosted by the Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (RMHIDTA), Wyoming National Guard Counter Drug Program and the Joint Forces Readiness Center. Attendees included local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, health care professionals, and recovery services such as Recover Wyoming.
RMHIDTA organized the conference to bring together partners who are dealing directly with the increase of drug overdoses in the Rocky Mountain Region and to discuss ways to end the epidemic. Speakers included: Dr. Brett Birrer, a board-certified emergency physician who practices at Boseman Health Deaconess Hospital, Dr. Ana Clara Bobadilla, a neurobiologist that investigates the neurobiological mechanisms of relapse to drugs; Executive Director Lana Mahoney of Recover Wyoming; Resident Agent in Charge David Tyree of the DEA, and Levi Wardell, an overcomer. The Washington/Baltimore office of HIDTA was represented by Deputy Director for Prevention and Treatment Dr. Lora Peppard and ODMAP Coordinator Marquis Johnson. Executive Director of the Rocky Mountain Region Keith Weis and Wyoming Drug Intelligence Officer Casey Patterson also spoke and moderated the symposium.
According to the Wyoming Department of Health Drug Overdose Dashboard, 81.8% of opioid-involved overdose deaths from 2016-2020 were unintentional. Provisional data from CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics indicate that there were an estimated 100,306 drug overdose deaths in the United States during 12-month period ending in April 2021, an increase of 28.5% over the previous year. In Wyoming, there was an estimated 25% increase in overdose deaths during the same period. Synthetic opioids, primarily illicitly manufactured fentanyl, appear to be the primary driver of the increases in overdose deaths.
“Drug-overdose deaths are an epidemic in the United States, and the impact is very real in Wyoming,” said United States Attorney Bob Murray. “A top priority of the Department of Justice is to protect the American people, and we have an obligation to make Americans aware of the deadly threat from drug overdoses. We have two main law enforcement goals in protecting vulnerable citizens from overdose: identify health care professionals who are unlawfully diverting prescription opioids and identify, seize, and remove counterfeit pills from our community – especially those containing deadly doses of illicit fentanyl. But the heavy lift here really is on the prevention and treatment side, because preventing substance abuse is the first step towards addressing overdose deaths.”
Rocky Mountain HIDTA Executive Director Keith Weis advised the participants that “seizures of illicit fentanyl laced pills and related fatal overdoses continue to increase in the state’s communities. There must be a closely coordinated response by both public safety and public health professionals to adequately address this growing threat and save lives of Wyomingites.”
In 2021, DEA launched the One Pill Can Kill campaign to inform the American public of the dangers of fake prescription pills. The only safe prescription medications are ones prescribed by a trusted medical professional that you get from a licensed pharmacist. All other pills are unsafe and potentially deadly. For more information, including information on resources and services available to assist with screening, treatment, and recovery of a mental health condition or a substance use disorder visit dea.gov/onepill.
Truro Man Arrested on Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Truro man was arrested today in connection with illegally selling firearms.
James McNulty, 59, was indicted on one count of dealing in firearms without a license. McNulty was released on conditions following an initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Jennifer C. Boal.
According to the indictment, between around January 2021 to April 2021, McNulty offered for sale and sold at least 55 firearms on Cape Cod. McNulty does not possess a license to import, manufacture, or deal firearms.
The charge of dealing in firearms without a license provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division, made the announcement. Special assistance was provided by the Truro and Provincetown Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Dell’Anno of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Three Men Plead Guilty to Conspiring to Provide Material Support to a Plot to Attack Power Grids in the United StatesRead the Press Release
Three men pleaded guilty today to crimes related to a scheme to attack power grids in the United States in furtherance of white supremacist ideology.
According to court documents, Christopher Brenner Cook, 20, of Columbus, Ohio; Jonathan Allen Frost, 24, of West Lafayette, Indiana, and of Katy, Texas; and Jackson Matthew Sawall, 22, of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to provide material support to terrorists. The charge and plea agreements indicate that the defendants knew and intended that the material support they conspired to provide would be used to prepare for and carry out the federal offense of destroying energy facilities.
“These three defendants admitted to engaging in a disturbing plot, in furtherance of white supremacist ideology, to attack energy facilities in order to damage the economy and stoke division in our country,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matthew G. Olsen. “The Justice Department is committed to investigating and disrupting such terrorist plots and holding perpetrators accountable for their crimes.”
“These defendants conspired to use violence to sow hate, create chaos, and endanger the safety of the American people,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker for the Southern District of Ohio. “As this case shows, federal and state law enforcement agencies are dedicated to working together to protect this country against all enemies, foreign and domestic.”
“The defendants in this case wanted to attack regional power substations and expected the damage would lead to economic distress and civil unrest,” said Assistant Director Timothy Langan of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “These individuals wanted to carry out such a plot because of their adherence to racially or ethnically motivated violent extremist views. When individuals move from espousing particular views to planning or committing acts of violence the FBI will investigate and take action to stop their plans. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect our communities.”
“Those inspired to commit terrorist acts in the name of hate pose a serious threat to our nation," said Special Agent in Charge J. William Rivers of the FBI’s Cincinnati Field Office. “I am thankful for the Joint Terrorism Task Force and our law enforcement partners who work each day to prevent this type of violence from occurring in our communities.”
According to court documents, in fall 2019, Frost and Cook met in an online chat group. Frost shared the idea of attacking a power grid with Cook, and within weeks, the two began efforts to recruit others to join in their plan.
As part of the recruitment process, Cook circulated a book list of readings that promoted the ideology of white supremacy and Neo-Nazism. By late 2019, Sawall – a friend of Cook’s – joined the conspiracy and assisted Cook with online recruitment efforts, operational security and organization.
As part of the conspiracy, each defendant was assigned a substation in a different region of the United States. The plan was to attack the substations, or power grids, with powerful rifles. The defendants believed their plan would cost the government millions of dollars and cause unrest for Americans in the region. They had conversations about how the possibility of the power being out for many months could cause war, even a race war, and induce the next Great Depression.
In February 2020, the co-conspirators met in Columbus, Ohio, to further discuss their plot. Frost provided Cook with an AR-47 and the two took the rifle to a shooting range to train.
Frost also provided Cook and Sawall with suicide necklaces during the Columbus meeting. The necklaces were filled with fentanyl and were to be ingested if and when the defendants were caught by law enforcement. Both Cook and Sawall expressed their commitment to dying in furtherance of their mission.
Upon arriving in Columbus, Sawall and Cook purchased spray paint and painted a swastika flag under a bridge at a park with the caption, “Join the Front.” The defendants had additional propaganda plans for their time in Ohio, but they were derailed during a traffic stop, during which Sawall swallowed his suicide pill but ultimately survived.
Court documents detail that Cook and Frost continued to travel together after their Ohio meeting, and drove to Texas in March 2020. Cook stayed in different cities with various juveniles who he was attempting to recruit for their plot.
Cook, Frost and Sawall were each charged with providing material support to terrorism by a bill of information filed on Feb. 7. The defendants face a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica W. Knight for the Southern District of Ohio and Trial Attorney Justin Sher of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting this case.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force in Columbus, Milwaukee, Indianapolis and Houston. The U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Eastern District of Wisconsin and Northern District of Indiana provided valuable support.
Three Men Indicted in Capital Region Unemployment Insurance Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Kahleke Taylor, age 21, of Albany; Taquan Parker, age 25, of Snellville, Georgia, and formerly of Albany; and Olajuwon Sutherland, age 26, of Troy, New York, were indicted earlier this month for engaging in a fraudulent scheme to obtain more than $100,000 in unemployment insurance benefits. The alleged false claims exploited federal programs intended to aid out-of-work New Yorkers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Matthew Scarpino, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge, New York Region, United States Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (USDOL-OIG); and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the Boston Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).
The indictment alleges that Parker and Sutherland provided Taylor with the personal identifying information of other people, which Taylor used to file false claims via the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) website. NYSDOL ultimately paid more than $100,000 in benefits. The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Taylor appeared last week before United States Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Stewart and was ordered detained after he waived a detention hearing. Parker appeared last week in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, was released with conditions, and is scheduled to first appear before Judge Stewart on March 10. Sutherland appeared today before Judge Stewart, who ordered Sutherland detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for tomorrow.
The defendants are charged with mail and wire fraud, as well as aggravated identity theft. The mail and wire fraud charges carry a maximum term of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. The charges for aggravated identity theft carry a mandatory term of 2 years in prison, to be imposed consecutive to any other term of imprisonment. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
This case is being investigated by HSI, the New York State Inspector General’s Office, USDOL-OIG, and USPIS, with assistance from the NYSDOL Office of Special Investigations and the Schenectady County Department of Social Services, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Chisholm.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Thirteen Charged in Roanoke-Area TakedownRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – Law enforcement officials and the United States Attorney’s Office announced today the recent arrests of thirteen individuals on a variety of federal charges, including distribution of heroin, fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine, possession of explosives by a felon, and illegal storage of explosives.
“These charges are the result of a federal, state, and local law enforcement partnership working together to stem the tide of crime in the Roanoke Valley. We all know the harm that narcotics trafficking causes to a community, which too often includes cycles of escalating violence.” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said today. “This effort is just one of the ways the United States Attorney’s Office is seeking to hold accountable those individuals who undermine the safety of our community, and we are committed to working with our law enforcement partners and community members to provide assistance to those who want to see it thrive.”
“Today the Roanoke community witnessed a significant, coordinated law enforcement effort undertaken by the FBI and our partners with the Roanoke City and Roanoke County Police Departments, and the Virginia State Police,” Stanley Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division said today. “Care and caution for these communities, have been pivotal in our planning to address the increase in crime occurring in the Roanoke area; and with today’s effort and concerted efforts in the last few months we have been able to remove a number of offenders from your streets. This is not over. The FBI remains committed to working with our partners and community members to address crime threats in these communities and hold criminals accountable. We ask that you please continue to assist law enforcement by reporting criminal activity.”
“We are grateful that our department can partner with these agencies at every level of the criminal justice system to hold these individuals accountable,” said Chief Sam Roman. “These are individuals who wish to cause harm through organized crime in our community, and this shows them and others like them that we will not stand for their behavior in Roanoke. We will do all we can with all the resources we have available to hold them responsible for their destructive, violent actions.”
“With overdose deaths increasing at an alarming rate across the Commonwealth, this investigative operation is extremely timely and essential to our state, local, and federal public safety initiatives to safeguard communities from the violence and tragedy so often associated with drug abuse and distribution,” said Captain Jeffrey A. Bartlett, Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s Salem Field Office. “This is just the beginning of our collaborative efforts to remove high-level drug network operators who make it their business to prey on the Roanoke and Salem communities.”
“The suspects arrested and indicted today are responsible for bringing dangerous drugs into the Roanoke Valley that poison our citizens,” Roanoke County Police Chief Howard Hall said today. “Removing them from our community makes us all safer.”
“Today’s announcement is our collective way of saying we have had enough. Narcotics distribution in our communities is dangerous and detrimental to the safety of everyone,” said Charlie J. Patterson, ATF Washington Field Division Special Agent in Charge. “Protecting the public is our top priority. ATF remains focused on collaborating and lending resources to our local, state and federal partners in our continuing effort to combat violent crime.”
Arrested over the last two weeks were:
- Thomas Mauney, 31, Roanoke, Va.- Distribution of heroin and fentanyl.
- Destiny Jones, 29, Roanoke, Va. - Distribution of fentanyl.
- Shaewon Leon Smith, 33, Roanoke, Va.- Distribution of fentanyl and possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute.
- Shakeem Malik Hunt, 27, Roanoke, Va.- Distribution of methamphetamine and cocaine.
- Isiah Surles, 26, Roanoke, Va. - Distribution of cocaine.
- Richard “Bugatti” Brown, Roanoke, Va. - Distribution of cocaine.
- Travon Hardy, 28, Roanoke, Va. - Distribution of heroin and fentanyl.
- Anthony Haynes, 32, Roanoke, Va. - Distribution of heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine
- Richard Leon Cotton, 43, Roanoke, Va.- Distribution of heroin and fentanyl.
- Robert Wright, 28, Vinton, Va. - Possession of explosives by a felon, illegal storage of explosives.
In addition to these ten defendants, the following three have been arrested in recent weeks on similar federal charges as part of the same effort:
- Daunte Rashad Lamonde, 28, Roanoke, Va.- Possession of heroin with the intent to distribute, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
- Torrence Lamont Smith, 41, Roanoke, Va.- Possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.
- Anthony Dwayne Banks, 31, Roanoke, Va.- Distribution of methamphetamine and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the City of Roanoke Police Department, the Roanoke County Police Department, the Salem Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Virginia State Police are investigating the case.
An indictment or criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Texas company convicted for supplying potentially tainted rocket fuel to NASARead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Anahuac Transport Inc. has pleaded guilty to fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Corporate representatives Gary Monteau and Brant Charpiot admitted their guilt today on behalf of the company. Monteau, Charpiot and Anahuac have entered voluntary exclusions with the United States in which each agrees to be banned from federal government contracting for two years. As part of their plea, Anahuac also agreed to forfeit $251,401, which constitutes gross proceeds traceable to the commission of the offense. The court entered a money judgement against Anahuac in that amount.
Anahuac admitted to falsifying its records and delivering potentially tainted rocket fuel for NASA and Department of Defense (DOD) rocket launches.
NASA and DOD entered into contracts with various companies, including Space Explorations Technologies Corp. (SpaceX), to launch rockets with supplies for the International Space Station and with military payloads.
These companies procured fuel for the rocket launches and contracted for transportation of the fuel to the launch sites. Anahuac was in the business of hauling chemicals in tanker trailers. From approximately 2012 through 2020, NASA and DOD subcontracted Anahuac to transport the rocket fuel.
To prevent contamination, Anahuac was required to ensure the tanker trailer they used did not previously contain certain chemicals that may have adverse reactions with the fuel. However, Anahuac intentionally falsified its documents, claiming it had not previously hauled incompatible chemicals with its tanker trailers. In fact, it had.
Anahuac transported the rocket fuel with its contaminated trailers. As a result, NASA used the fuel for rocket launches.
U.S. District Judge Alfred H. Bennett accepted the plea and set sentencing for May 12. At that time, Anahuac could also be ordered to pay a possible $500,000 fine and serve up to five years of probation.
NASA - Office of Inspector General (OIG) and DOD – OIG conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Johnson is prosecuting the case.
Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Hate Crime Charges for Attacking Asian FamilyRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that Jose Gomez III, 21, of Midland, Texas, pleaded guilty to three counts of committing a hate crime for attacking an Asian family he believed was responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic because he believed them to be Chinese.
According to documents filed in connection with the plea, Gomez entered a Sam’s Club Warehouse in Midland, Texas, behind an Asian family with young children on March 14, 2020. Gomez had never seen the family before and believed they were Chinese. Gomez followed the Asian family in the store for several minutes because he perceived them to be a “threat” as they were “from the country who started spreading that disease around.” Gomez then momentarily left the family to find a serrated steak knife in the store. Gomez bent the blade so that when he held the handle in his fist, the blade rested against his knuckles, sharp-edge facing outward. Gomez returned to the Asian family and punched the father, identified by the initials B.C., in the face, cutting him. Gomez then left the scene, only to retrieve an eight-inch knife from the store.
When Gomez returned, he abruptly went after B.C.’s two young children – then aged 6 and 2 years old – who were seated in the front basket of the shopping cart. Gomez slashed open the face of R.C., the then-six-year-old child. The blade entered millimeters from R.C.’s right eye, split his right ear, and wrapped around to the back of his skull. Gomez also stabbed a white Sam’s Club employee who intervened to stop Gomez from further assaulting the Asian family. While being held down on the ground, Gomez yelled at the Asian family, “Get out of America!”
Gomez admitted after his attack that he believed the Asian family was Chinese and he blamed them for the COVID-19 pandemic. Gomez further admitted he had attempted to kill the 6-year-old child. Gomez also admitted he had attacked the store employee because Gomez wanted to kill the 6-year-old child and the store employee was preventing him from doing so.
“An Asian family was shopping when the defendant brutally attacked them because of their race and because he blamed them for the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Racially motivated hate crimes targeting the Asian American community are on the rise and have no place in our society today. All people deserve to feel safe and secure living in their communities, regardless of race, color or national origin.”
“The defendant violently and horrifically attacked an unsuspecting innocent family because of how they looked and where he thought they came from,” said U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff of the Western District of Texas. “This type of hate-based violence has no place in our society and will not be tolerated. These victims and others who suffer such brutal, hate-based attacks deserve justice and to live without fear in our communities. We will continue to vigorously enforce federal laws that protect civil rights and combat bias-motivated violence.”
"No one should be afraid to go shopping or feel like they could be targeted by an act of violence based on their race, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity, country of national origin, or immigration status,” said Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Downey of the FBI El Paso Field Office. “Acts of hate and racism have no place in our community and will not be tolerated. The FBI encourages people who have been victims or witnessed a hate crime to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.”
Gomez faces a maximum sentence of life in prison and for each offense, a $250,000 fine.
The case was investigated by the Midland Police Department and the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Glenn Harwood of the Western District of Texas and Trial Attorney Angie Cha of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.
St. Croix Man Sentenced to 60 Months in Federal Prison After Attempting to Smuggle Two Kilograms of Cocaine Thru the Henry E. Rohlsen AirportRead the Press Release
ST. CROIX, USVI – U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced that a St. Croix man, Keithley Parris, age 34, appeared before Visiting Judge Ann E. Thompson, in District Court, and was sentenced today on one count each of Conspiracy to Possess Cocaine with Intent to Distribute and Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute. Parris was previously convicted on those charges after a week-long jury trial on May 28, 2021.
Judge Thompson sentenced Parris to 60 months in prison (5 years), to be followed by 4 years of supervised release, a fine of $1,000 and a $200 special assessment.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Parris conspired with co-defendants Don-Luke George and Zion Hazel in April of 2018 to smuggle 2 kilograms of cocaine thru the St. Croix Henry E. Rohlsen Airport with the intent to transport the cocaine to Miami via an American Airlines flight. Evidence presented at the trial showed that Parris organized and planned the operation; recruited George and Hazel to participate; supplied the cocaine to George; paid George $1,000 to bring the cocaine into the airport; and subsequently directed and monitored the operation via text messages with George and Hazel while the operation was unfolding at the airport. As part of this scheme, on April 12, 2018, George, who was employed at the airport, smuggled the four bricks of cocaine into the passenger waiting area of the airport and delivered them to Hazel in the handicap stall of the men’s restroom. Hazel was a passenger on the outgoing American Airlines flight but was intercepted with the cocaine prior to boarding his flight by Customs and Border Protection officers.
Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. The DEA Southeast Laboratory in Miami analyzed the cocaine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel H. Huston prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
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South Windsor Man Admits Defrauding Grandparents of $679KRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DOUGLAS SENERTH, 32, of South Windsor, pleaded guilty today in New Haven federal court to a fraud offense related to his theft of approximately $679,000 from his grandparents.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between 2011 and 2019, Senerth defrauded his grandmother and his late grandfather by falsely claiming to be a college student and inducing them to give him approximately $419,000 to pay for nonexistent college tuition and other related expenses, and an additional approximately $260,000 by falsely claiming that he would invest their money into an investment fund run by one of his nonexistent professors. As part of the scheme, Senerth created fraudulent college transcripts, letters and email accounts that he used to corroborate his lies.
Senerth has been detained in state custody since February 10, 2021, when he was arrested on unrelated charges.
Senerth pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford on May 17, 2022.
Senerth has agreed to pay restitution of $679,944.
This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Cherry.
The Justice Department has established a National Elder Fraud Hotline to provide services to seniors who may be victims of financial fraud. The Hotline is staffed by experienced case managers who can provide personalized support to callers. Case managers assist callers with reporting the suspected fraud to relevant agencies and by providing resources and referrals to other appropriate services as needed. When applicable, case managers will complete a complaint form with the Federal Bureau of Investigation Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) for Internet-facilitated crimes and submit a consumer complaint to the Federal Trade Commission on behalf of the caller. The Hotline’s toll-free number is 833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311). For more information, please visit: https://ovc.ojp.gov/program/stop-elder-fraud/providing-help-restoring-hope.
Somerset County Attorney Arrested for Visa FraudRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – An attorney operating a law firm in Somerset County, New Jersey, was arrested today for allegedly making false statements in visa applications, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Steven G. Thomas, 52, of New Hope, Pennsylvania, is charged by complaint with preparing and filing false visa applications on behalf of clients. He is scheduled to appear later today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Tonianne J. Bongiovanni.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Thomas, who operates a law firm in Montgomery Township, New Jersey, encouraged clients to apply for asylum under fraudulent pretenses. He advised clients regarding the manner in which they were most likely to obtain asylum, knowing that these clients did not legitimately qualify for asylum. Thomas also prepared, or caused to be prepared on behalf of those clients, fraudulent applications and affidavits, which were submitted to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
A confidential informant working for law enforcement met with Thomas in January of 2020. Thomas filed on that person’s behalf a visa application containing numerous false statements in April 2020.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jason J. Molina; and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service Fraud Detection and National Security Unit in the Newark Asylum office, under the direction of Newark Asylum Director Susan Raufer, with the investigation leading to the arrest.
The government is represented by Senior Civil Rights Counsel Joseph Gribko of the Criminal Division in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Serious Violent Felon Sentenced to over 14 Years in Federal Prison for Armed Robbery of Southside BakeryRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS – Ryan Hickey, 34, of Indianapolis was sentenced to over 14 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to robbery and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.
According to court documents, on January 30, 2021, Hickey made a purchase at Boyden’s Southside Bakery on south Meridian Street. He left the business after his purchase but returned to its back door a short time later. After knocking on the door, he was greeted by two female employees. Hickey brandished a gun at the employees, announced he was robbing the business, and fired a shot between the employees into the kitchen.
Another employee at the front of the bakery heard the gunshot, saw Hickey walking towards the front of the business, and immediately retrieved her own gun. Hickey demanded money at the cash register where there was a brief struggle between Hickey and the employee with the gun. Hickey then fled through the backdoor of the business. A customer at the bakery saw what was happening and gave chase, eventually catching Hickey. After a brief struggle, Hickey pulled a firearm from his pocket and threatened to shoot the customer in the head. Hickey ran away and fled in a car, but not before the victim observed the license plate number.
A witness across the street saw what was happening at the bakery and the struggle between Hickey and the customer. The witness followed Hickey as he fled in the car and provided police with the license plate number and description of the driver and car. A short time later, police located the unoccupied car at a residence. Hickey exited the residence and returned to the vehicle but ran back into the residence after seeing police outside.
After a standoff with police, Hickey exited from the residence and was placed into custody. Hickey admitted to robbing the bakery. A search warrant was executed at the residence and police recovered the semiautomatic pistol used in the robbery. Hickey has numerous prior felony convictions, including armed robbery and dealing in a controlled substance.
“The people of our community should not have to fear armed, violent criminals as they simply try to do their jobs or patronize a business. Repeat offenders engaged in gun crimes will face serious consequences for their actions. Working closely with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and our federal law enforcement partners to help stem the tide of violent crime in Indianapolis is a top priority in the Southern District of Indiana,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers. “The sentence imposed today should demonstrate to the public, and to the defendant, that we will work vigorously to protect the public and hold those who commit violent crimes accountable.”
“This is yet another example of the value our federal partners bring to fighting violent crime in Indianapolis,” said IMPD Chief Randal Taylor. “I am grateful for the work our detectives, federal investigators, and federal prosecutors put into this case as well as their continued collaboration.”
The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge James R. Sweeney II. As part of the sentence, Judge Sweeney II ordered that the defendant be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for three years following his release from federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Pamela S. Domash who prosecuted this case.
This case was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Republic Man Sentenced to 35 Years for Sexual Exploitation of a ChildRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Republic, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for using a 3-year-old child to produce child pornography and for possessing additional child pornography.
Vincent Dominy, 30, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 35 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Dominy to 15 years of supervised release following incarceration, and ordered him to pay $5,000 in victim restitution.
On Sept. 23, 2021, Dominy pleaded guilty to one count of the sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of receiving and distributing child pornography.
According to court documents, the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force received a Cyber Tipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children on Aug. 22, 2020. Dominy transmitted multiple images of child pornography through his Yahoo! email account.
On Aug. 24, 2020, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Dominy’s residence. Dominy admitted to officers that he had received and distributed images of child pornography, some as young as toddlers. Dominy also admitted that he had taken photos of his sexual abuse of a 3-year-old child and sent some of the photos to other individuals via the internet.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force.
Project Safe Childhood
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."
Randolph County man admits to meth chargeRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Dustin Allen Summerfield, of Beverly, West Virginia, has admitted to a drug charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Summerfield, age 30, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Distribution of Methamphetamine.” Summerfield admitted to selling methamphetamine, also known as “crystal meth” and “ice,” in October 2020 in Randolph County.
Summerfield faces up to 20 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,0000. 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 Stephen D. Warner is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Mountain Region Drug Task Force investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Raleigh Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – A Raleigh man was sentenced today to 48 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release for possessing child pornography. On October 14, 2021, Bryan Cameron Haywood Hawkins pled guilty to the charges.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Hawkins, 37, possessed 1,274 videos and 1,931 images of child pornography when law enforcement searched his home in June 2020. Law enforcement began investigating Hawkins in 2020 after receiving a cybertip that Hawkins had stored suspected child pornography in his internet cloud storage account. Law enforcement obtained a search warrant for Hawkins’s home in Raleigh and found child pornography on several devices, including cellphones and tablets, owned by Hawkins. Hawkins admitted to possessing the child pornography when he was interviewed by agents.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Raleigh Police Department, and the North Carolina Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force investigated the case with assistance from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Parris prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:21-cr-00125-FL.
RGV tax preparer indicted for filing false returnsRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A local tax preparer is set to make her initial appearance in federal court on charges of filing false tax returns on behalf of taxpayers, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
A federal grand jury sitting in Brownsville returned a nine-count indictment Feb. 15, against Linda Lopez. .
Lopez is expected to appear at 9 today before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Scott Hacker.
Lopez was the owner and operator of Premier Tax Solutions in Mission, according to the indictment. The charges allege she submitted to the IRS false and fraudulent Form 1040 tax returns and accompanying Form 2106, Form 2106-EZ, Schedule A and/or Form 5695 for tax years 2015 and 2016.
Lopez allegedly included Form 2106/2106-EZ and Schedule A which claimed false or inflated unreimbursed employee business expenses. False or inflated residential energy credits were on Form 5695, according to the charges.
The indictment alleges these falsities resulted in the filing of tax returns to the IRS claiming refunds due to the taxpayers they otherwise were not entitled to receive.
If convicted, Lopez faces up to three years in prison and a possible $100,000 maximum fine for each count of conviction.
IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Swartz and Asha Natarajan prosecuted the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Prince George’s County Felon Pleads Guilty to Federal Charge for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Kweisi Akeem Gray, age 27, of Lanham, Maryland, pleaded guilty yesterday to the federal charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Acting Special Agent in Charge L.C. Cheeks, Jr. of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; and Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department.
According to his guilty plea, on April 9, 2021, a Prince George’s County Police officer saw a car backed into a parking space with its engine running in the Riverdale Road area in New Carrollton, Maryland. The vehicle had no front tag and the rear temporary tag had expired in September 2020. Several men appeared to be smoking inside and outside the vehicle.
The officer activated his lights and pulled his cruiser directly in front of the car. The driver, later identified as Gray, stepped out of the vehicle, looked in the direction of the officer’s cruiser, and put his right arm under the driver’s seat before shutting the door and walking away. The officer stopped Gray in an empty parking space and a second officer arriving on the scene handcuffed Gray for a brief time. The officers smelled the odor of marijuana emanating from the vehicle. A subsequent search recovered a .40 caliber pistol sticking out from under the driver’s seat. The pistol was loaded with one 9mm round of ammunition in the chamber and 12 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition in the magazine. Officers also recovered a black plastic bag containing eight grams of marijuana on the front passenger seat. The keys to the car were found in Gray’s pants pocket. Gray was arrested.
Gray knew that as a result of a previous felony conviction, he was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
Gray faces a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang has scheduled sentencing for May 31, 2022 at 9:00 a.m.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN, an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime, is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the ATF and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy F. Hagan and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick D. Kibbe, 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 https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Prairie Grove Man Sentenced to 9 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking and Firearms PossessionRead the Press Release
FAYETTEVILLE – A Prairie Grove man was sentenced yesterday to 108 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release on one count of Possession with Intent to distribute Methamphetamine. The Honorable Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Fayetteville.
According to court documents, On or about February 8, 2021, detectives with the 4th Judicial District Drug Task Force received information that a large quantity of methamphetamine was being delivered by mail to Aaron Gregory Samplawski, age 38, at his residence in Prairie Gove.
On February 10, 2021, Detective’s contacted Special Agent’s with the U.S. Postal Service and advised them of the investigation. Special Agent’s found a package, a priority mail parcel, coming from San Diego, California addressed to Samplawski and his address in Prairie Grove, Arkansas. The weight of the package was one pound, five ounces.
On February 13, 2021, Special Agent’s intercepted the parcel at the Prairie Grove, Arkansas, Post Office. On that day, a Springdale Police Officer, and his canine (K-9) partner were utilized in the investigation of the suspect parcel. The K-9 searched and alerted to the parcel.
On February 13, 2021, Special Agent’s obtained a federal search warrant to search the parcel. Special Agent’s opened the parcel and seized approximately one pound of a crystal substance that field tested positive for methamphetamine.
On February 13, 2021, Special Agent’s, conducted a controlled delivery at Samplawski’s residence in Prairie Grove. Samplawski took possession of the parcel and entered his residence. A search warrant was executed at the residence. The search resulted in law enforcement officers locating 439.3 grams of actual methamphetamine, two loaded handguns, counterfeit money, and drug paraphernalia. Samplawski subsequently posted bond in February and was arrested again in April when detectives from the Drug Task Force conducted a controlled purchase of methamphetamine from Samplawski.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
The 4th Judicial District Drug Task Force, the United States Postal Service and the Springdale Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Harris prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Pittsburgh Store Owners Plead Guilty to Food Stamp FraudRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - Two residents of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of food stamp fraud, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Meg Gurung, age 35, and Ago Gurung, age 35, both of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to one count before Chief United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that during June 2019 and continuing through February 2021, the defendants, Meg and Ago Gurung, were engaged in exchanging food stamps for ineligible, non-food items and cash at their store, Gurung Brothers LLC, located at 2950 Brownsville Road, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Gurung brothers received benefits from the USDA totaling $5,000 or more for these unauthorized purchases.
Judge Hornak scheduled sentencing for Meg Gurung on March 29, 2022, and for Ago Gurung on June 30, 2022. The law provides for a total sentence of not more than 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court continued Meg and Ago Gurung on bond.
Assistant United States Attorney Karen Gal-Or is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Meg and Ago Gurung.
Philadelphia Drug Dealer Sentenced to over 12 Years for Sixth Felony Narcotics ConvictionRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that William Mack, 34, of Philadelphia, PA, was sentenced to 12 years and seven months in prison and five years of supervised release by United States District Court Judge Karen S. Marston for selling large amounts of narcotics. This is the defendant’s sixth drug trafficking conviction dating back to 2005.
In September 2021, the defendant pleaded guilty to multiple counts of distributing large amounts of methamphetamine, stemming from his operation of a prolific drug trafficking organization in and around Northeast Philadelphia. According to court documents, Mack was recorded selling large amounts methamphetamine to an FBI confidential source, including a sale of almost one pound of pure methamphetamine for $6,300.
“The defendant was caught red-handed selling a powerful and oftendeadly drug that has wreaked havoc and helped fuel the drug epidemic in our city,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “Mack’s criminal conduct in this case is only aggravated by his more than 15-year history of drug trafficking, a record which reflects constant defiance of the law. The sentence handed down today reflects the serious nature of his crimes and persistent recidivism.”
“Mr. Mack was not a novice narcotics trafficker,” said Special Agent in Charge Jacqueline Maguire. “His sentence is a direct result of his brazen illegal activities and his apparent view that the consequences did not outweigh the benefits of peddling poison. But criminal actions have consequences, and those involved in the drug trade should know that the FBI is actively pursuing these cases in order to combat the impact this toxin is having on our communities.”
“Mack has been convicted of drug trafficking six times, this time caught by law enforcement attempting to sell methamphetamine. These substances ruin lives and destroy communities,” said William S. Walker, acting Special Agent in Charge of the HSI Philadelphia field office. “HSI is committed to working with our partners to keep deadly drugs like these off our streets.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigation, and the Philadelphia Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Everett Witherell and Meaghan Flannery.
Pharmacist Admits Prescription Drug Theft and TamperingRead the Press Release
A pharmacist who stole controlled substances from two Dubuque area pharmacies and tampered with medications pled guilty yesterday in federal court in Cedar Rapids.
Anthony Pape, age 33, from Dubuque, Iowa, was convicted of two counts of theft of controlled substances from two different pharmacies and two counts of tampering with a consumer product, specifically controlled substances.
In a plea agreement, Pape admitted that he worked as a pharmacist in two different pharmacies in Dubuque when he stole controlled substances from the pharmacies. An inventory of the pharmacies found hundreds of doses of controlled substances were stolen over the course of his employment. Subsequent investigation also found that, during March of 2020, Pape tampered with capsules of controlled substances by removing all or most of the controlled substance from the capsule and then returning the empty capsules to the pharmacy bulk medication bottle, resulting in these pills being provided to patients.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Pape remains free on bond previously set pending sentencing. Pape faces a possible maximum sentence of 28 years’ imprisonment, a $1,000,000 fine, and 8 years of supervised release following any imprisonment. At the plea Pape acknowledged that he will also be required to pay restitution to the victims of his crimes and will forfeit his Iowa pharmacist’s license.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick J. Reinert and was investigated by Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Food & Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21-CR-01032. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Penn Hills Cocaine Dealer Sentenced to 5 YearsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – On February 18, 2022, a resident of suburban Pittsburgh, was sentenced in federal court to five years’ (60 months’) imprisonment and four years supervised release on his conviction of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines imposed the sentence on Merlereace Garnett Carter-Burkes Jr. age, 32 of Penn Hills, Pennsylvania.
According to information presented to the court, Carter-Burkes Jr. possessed with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine when he was stopped by officers from the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police for traffic violations. After the officers developed probable cause to search his vehicle, the officers conducted a search, and the search revealed a semi-automatic pistol and five large vacuum sealed baggies that contained approximately 563 grams of cocaine.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Chung commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Carter-Burkes Jr.
Parker Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Sexual Abuse of a MinorRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Gabriel Isaac Leivas, 23, of Parker, Arizona, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Douglas L. Rayes to 33 months in prison, followed by a term of lifetime supervised release. Leivas previously pleaded guilty to sexual abuse of a minor.
On March 30, 2019, Leivas sexually abused the minor victim in her home on the Colorado River Indian Tribes (“CRIT”) Indian Reservation. Both Leivas and the victim are members of the CRIT Tribe.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the CRIT PD conducted the investigation in this case. Christina J. Reid-Moore, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-19-01196-PHX-DLR
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-017_Leivas
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Pamlico County Felon Sentenced to More Than 5 Years in Prison After Tip Leads to Discovery of Firearm While on ProbationRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – Antonio Rashon Quarles, 33, of Oriental, Pamlico County, was sentenced today to 63 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Quarles pled guilty to the single-count indictment on March 9, 2021.
According to court records and statements made during hearings, in November 2019, Quarles was on North Carolina state probation, with curfew and electronic monitoring, following a series of felony convictions. On November 2, 2019, probation officers received a tip that Quarles had been distributing drugs and had a firearm. They reviewed GPS data from Quarles’ electronic monitoring device and saw that he had violated his curfew and entered high-crime areas that he had previously been directed to avoid.
On the morning of November 3, 2019, state probation officers, with assistance from Pamlico County Sheriff’s Office, conducted a search of Quarles’ residence in Oriental, North Carolina—a condition of his probation agreement. Inside Quarles bedroom, deputies located a Star .25 caliber, semiautomatic pistol. It was loaded with eight rounds and the serial number was partially scratched off.
Quarles’ federal prosecution followed fourteen prior state felony convictions. His criminal record includes common law robbery, assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and multiple larceny convictions.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Pamlico County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake D. Pugh prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:19-cr-0511-FL.
Owner of former Bozeman whiskey distillery admits bank fraudRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — The owner of a former whiskey distillery in Bozeman today admitted to defrauding a bank that had loaned him money for the business, U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
Bryan Lee Schultz, 46, of Las Vegas, Nevada, pleaded guilty to bank fraud. Schultz faces a maximum of 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine and five years of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto presided. Sentencing was set for June 16 before U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Schultz was released pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that Schultz started Roughstock Distillery and that it was open between April 2008 and June 2016. To operate the business, Schultz obtained two loans from Big Sky Western Bank, with the first loan for $213,000 and the second loan for $90,000. Under the loan terms, Schultz granted the bank a security interest in all collateral of Roughstock Distillery, including proceeds from the sale of inventory. The bank used the inventory as security so it would not lose money if Schultz defaulted on the loans. The government further alleged that in October 2016, Schultz received a $100,000 payment for the sale of whiskey stills and defrauded the bank by not informing it of the sale or remitting payment of the proceeds to the bank as required.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan G. Weldon is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI.
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Owner of Steel Drum Company Admits to Defrauding over $20 Million from a Harford County, Maryland Manufacturer in Kickback SchemeRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Anthony P. Urcioli, Sr., age 78, of Park Ridge, New Jersey, pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and filing a false tax return.
The guilty plea 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 Special Agent in Charge Darrell J. Waldon of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office.
According to his guilty plea, Urcioli is the owner and president of Tunnel, Barrel & Drum Co, Inc. (TBD), a wholesale commercial drum container seller.
As stated in his plea agreement, in 2012, Urcioli approached two employees (Employees 1 and 2) of a New York company that formulates and produces oils and extracts used in the food industry (Company 1) to purchase TBD’s drums for manufacturing in Harford County, Maryland. One of the employee’s responsibilities (Employee 1) was to review drum invoices and authorize payments to drum suppliers.
After TBD became a drum supplier to Company 1, Employee 1 proposed to Urcioli to continue selling drums to Company 1 if Urcioli agreed to fraudulently invoice Company 1 for more drums than TBD actually sold and delivered to the company. Urcioli and Employee 1 agreed to falsify invoices and split the extra funds paid to TBD from Company 1 for fabricated deliveries. Employee 1 told Urcioli he would split his portion of the funds by fifty percent with Urcioli and share twenty-five percent of the remaining funds with Employee 2. As a result of this conversation, Urcioli accepted Employee 1’s offer to pocket the extra funds or “kickbacks”.
From approximately January 2012 to January 31, 2020, Employee 1 contacted Urcioli at least once a week to discuss the number and type of drums that Employee 1 actually wanted delivered to Company 1’s Maryland facilities. During the same conversation, Employee 1 told Urcioli how many additional drums to charge Company 1 but not deliver to Company 1. After Urcioli created bogus invoices that fraudulently billed Company 1 for both delivered and undelivered drums, Employee 1 approved the invoices and sent them to Company 1’s headquarters to be paid.
Urcioli, Employee 1, and Employee 2 agreed to write the kickback checks in the names of two fraudulent companies to create the appearance of authentic wholesale drum invoices and serve as a deductible as a cost of goods on TBD’s tax returns. Additionally, in December 2013, Urcioli told Employee 1 about Hartford Fibre Drum, Inc., the other drum supply company Urcioli owned. After receiving records that proved that Hartford was a legitimate company, Employee 1 and Urcioli agreed to expand the kickback scheme to include Hartford.
Between January 2012 and January 31, 2020, Urcioli falsely invoiced Company 1 a total of $20,300,757. TBD and Hartford kept half that amount while the remaining funds were sent to Employee 1 and Employee 2. Urcioli also used his companies and their bank accounts to conceal the scheme and launder the proceeds. As a result of the scheme to defraud, Urcioli obtained approximately $10,150,378 from checks made out to TBD and Hartford.
Further, over the course of the eight-year scheme to defraud Company 1, Urcioli filed yearly corporate tax returns for TBD and Hartford that falsely stated the cost of goods sold each year. In total, from 2014 to 2020, TBD and Hartford underreported the companies’ incomes by approximately $9.05 million, resulting in a tax loss to the federal government of $2,539,633.
Urcioli faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and a maximum of three years in prison followed by one year of supervised release for filing a false tax return. U.S. District Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby has not yet scheduled sentencing.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI and IRS-CI for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marty Clarke and Harry M. Gruber. 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 and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Omaha Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Bank Robbery while Brandishing a Firearm and for Possessing Crack with the Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that Skyler F. Sanders, age 34, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today for bank robbery while brandishing a firearm and possessing 28 grams or more of cocaine base (Crack) with the intent to distribute. Senior United States District Court Judge Joseph F. Bataillon sentenced Sanders to 96 months’ imprisonment for both the bank robbery and drug offense to run concurrent. Senior Judge Bataillon sentenced Sanders to an additional 84 months’ imprisonment for brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Sanders will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release. Sanders was ordered to pay $36,959 in restitution.
Sanders was convicted in May 2021 for the drug charge following a 3-day jury trial and on January 3, 2022, for the bank robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence charges following a 2-day bench trial.
An investigation conducted by the Omaha Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation determined that on August 16, 2019, co-defendant Melvin Wilson drove a rented white Infiniti Q50 sports car to Bank of the West located at 8707 W. Center Road in Omaha. In the vehicle with Wilson was Sanders. Prior to the men arriving at Bank of the West, Wilson covered at least one of the license plates of the white Infiniti Q50 with dealer plates to conceal its identity.
At approximately 10:37 a.m., Sanders and Wilson arrived at Bank of the West. While Wilson waited as the get-a-way driver, Sanders exited the vehicle wearing dark clothing, including gloves, a black face mask, and carrying a black handgun. Sanders walked into the Bank of the West, brandished a handgun, made contact with the tellers, and directed them to place the money from their drawers on the teller counter. Sanders allegedly took $36,959 from the bank. After the robbery, Sanders and Wilson fled the bank in the white Infiniti Q50. The white Infiniti Q50 was located, abandoned, a few blocks away from the bank. During the investigation Wilson’s DNA was found on a black mask that was found in the white Infiniti Q50. Sander’s DNA was also found within the white Infiniti Q50.
On October 3, 2019, law enforcement officers with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, and the Omaha Police Department were conducting surveillance of Sanders’s residence in Omaha. Law enforcement had search warrants for Sanders’s DNA and cellular phone in connection with the Bank of the West robbery. When law enforcement attempted to make contact with Sanders, Sanders ran from them and during the short foot pursuit, a special agent saw Sanders reach into his pocket and then throw something. Sanders fell as he was going over a chain link fence and surrendered to law enforcement. Officers searched the vicinity of where Sanders was seen throwing something and found a bag of powder cocaine and a bag of crack cocaine over a wood privacy fence about 5-10 feet from where Sanders was seen throwing something. These items were collected and found to be a little over 17 grams of powder cocaine and a little over 30 grams of crack cocaine. The crack cocaine was packaged in 9 separate individual bags.
Senior Judge Bataillon sentenced Wilson to 60 months’ imprisonment on October 18, 2021, for his role in the bank robbery.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Omaha Police Department, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.
Oklahoma City Man Sentenced to Serve More Than Five Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA – Yesterday, TYLER JAMES ROSS, 39, of Oklahoma City was sentenced to serve 65 months in federal prison for possessing material containing images of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On September 30, 2021, a one-count Information charged Ross with knowingly possessing material containing child pornography that involved a prepubescent minor on his computer and an external hard drive. On October 29, 2021, Ross pleaded guilty to the Information. As part of his plea, Ross admitted that he knowingly possessed thousands of images of child pornography and over a thousand videos of child pornography on his laptop computer and an external hard drive in June of 2020. He further admitted that many of these images and videos involved prepubescent minors and minors who had not attained the age of 12 years.
Yesterday, Senior U.S. District Judge Stephen Friot sentenced Ross to serve 65 months in federal prison for his conduct, followed by 10 years of supervised release. Ross was also ordered to pay a total of $10,100.00 in special assessments. A restitution hearing for the victims in the case will be set at a later date. In imposing the sentence, Judge Friot highlighted the serious nature of the offense, noting that Ross possessed over 35,000 unique images and just under 1,800 unique videos of child pornography. Judge Friot also noted that Ross’s conduct exploited those who are most vulnerable. Upon his release from prison, Ross will be required to register as a sex offender.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bow Bottomly prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the DOJ 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.
Reference is made to court filings for further information.
Oakland Man Sentenced for Destroying Letter BoxesRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: An Oakland man was sentenced today in federal court for destruction of letter boxes, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Jonathan Charles Michaud, 43, to five years of probation. Michaud pled guilty on May 24, 2021.
According to court records, in October 2018, law enforcement officers were called to an Oakland neighborhood where a fire had been set in a residential mailbox. Messages had been handwritten on bills addressed to different residences, and one of these handwritten messages contained the telephone number of Michaud’s mother, with whom he resided. Investigators learned that several other mailboxes in the neighborhood had also been vandalized. In addition, a handwritten note was found in one mailbox stating, “Jonathan Charles is dead at my home, will find me dead in my room, bye mom and dad.” A state search warrant was obtained for Michaud’s residence, and investigators found evidence linking him to the vandalized mailboxes, including fingerprint and handwriting matches.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Maine Office of State Fire Marshal; and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case.
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New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that JAMES ALEXANDER, age 51, of New Orleans, pled guilty on Wednesday February 16, 2022 to participating in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin, in violation of federal law.
According to court documents, on or about May 20, 2021, JAMES ALEXANDER and another known individual participated in a conspiracy to sell three kilograms of heroin. DEA agents learned of this potential sale that was to take place on Carrollton Avenue in Mid-City around noon. Agents set up surveillance and watched as this drug transaction was taking place. During this time, agents followed a car that they observed ALEXANDER get into, which was driven by a known female. ALEXANDER was wearing a neon yellow construction vest and carrying a grey collapsible food container. Agents followed that vehicle down Carrollton Avenue until it came a stop. ALEXANDER got out of the vehicle and attempted to flee on foot. While doing so he discarded the food container that he was carrying. Agents arrested ALEXANDER and recovered the food container, which contained three kilograms of suspected heroin, that had a net worth of approximately $150,000.00.
ALEXANDER was arrested at the scene and transported to the Drug Enforcement Administration, New Orleans Field Division for processing. A review of Alexander’s criminal record revealed that he has a prior federal drug trafficking conviction from 2000 in the Eastern District of Louisiana where he served approximately 140 months in the custody of the United States Bureau of Prisons. He also has several arrest and convictions for drug trafficking offenses in state court.
ALEXANDER now faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years up to a maximum of life, a fine of up to $10,000,000.00, at least five years of supervised release, and a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee. He will be sentenced on May 17, 2022.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (D.E.A.) in investigating this matter. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Maurice E. Landrieu, Jr.
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New Haven Man Sentenced to 33 Months in Federal Prison for Firearm and Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that THEO SARGENT, also known as “Ciph,” 43, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 33 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for unlawfully possessing firearms and narcotics.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 10, 2019, New Haven Police conducted a court-authorized search of his residence on Quinnipiac Avenue in New Haven and seized three handguns, more than 300 rounds of ammunition, approximately 20 grams of crack, quantities of marijuana and MDMA, and items used to process and package narcotics for street sale. Sargent was arrested on state charges on that date.
Sargent’s criminal history includes state convictions for felony drug and firearm 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.
On October 19, 2021, Sargent pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base (“crack”), and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.
Sargent, who is released on a $100,000 bond, is required to report to prison on April 20, 2022.
This investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the New Haven Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Stolfi Collins.
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.
Montana Man Pleads Guilty in Derecho Repair SchemeRead the Press Release
A Montana man who cheated a Cedar Rapids derecho victim out of more than $10,000 in insurance proceeds pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids. William Allen Hurlbut, Jr., age 57, from Belgrade, Montana, was convicted of one count of mail fraud.
The derecho was a severe windstorm that swept through Cedar Rapids on August 10, 2020. The derecho caused widespread damage and long-term power outages. In Cedar Rapids alone, over 1,000 housing units were rendered unlivable, while hundreds of additional homes and businesses suffered damage.
At the plea hearing, and in a plea agreement, Hurlbut admitted that he came to Iowa after the derecho, professing to be a handyman and doing business as “Trinity 321.” Hurlbut lacked a required contractor license but obtained a cell phone number with a local area code 319 to conduct business. Hurlbut has a prior federal felony conviction in Idaho for destruction of government property.
In September 2020, Hurlbut promised his victim, a Cedar Rapids resident, that Hurlbut would fix damage to the victim’s residence as soon as possible if the victim advanced funds to Hurlbut for that purpose. The derecho had caused more than $10,000 worth of damage to the victim’s residence, including damage to the roof and the siding, fences, and the interior of the home. Hurlbut’s victim was using a wheelchair on account of physical disabilities.
Instead of repairing the derecho damage to the victim’s residence, Hurlbut spent insurance funds advanced to Hurlbut for the repair costs on gambling and personal items and expenses. Hurlbut made false statements to his victim about the status of the project and also made purchases at a home improvement store on the false pretense that he was buying materials to complete the project. Hurlbut would then return the items for a cash refund, which Hurlbut then used for his own purposes. The investigation revealed that, over a two-week period in October 2020, Hurlbut spent at least $22,532.50 gambling at an Iowa casino.
On January 25, 2021, Hurlburt had a tow truck tow the victim’s vehicle from the victim’s backyard to a junkyard without purchasing it from the victim or getting his permission. In February, Hurlbut convinced his victim to loan him $1,000 for lodging and food, which Hurlbut never repaid. Through March 2021, Hurlbut performed little to no work on the project despite the fact that the victim had advanced more than $10,000 to Hurlbut for the repairs.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Hurlbut remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Hurlbut faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment. Hurlbut must also make full restitution to his victim.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy L. Vavricek and was investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department. The Linn County Attorney’s Office also assisted in the investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-CR-16.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Michigan to Morgantown Drug Ring Disrupted by Federal IndictmentRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Eleven people have been indicted for their roles in a drug trafficking conspiracy that caused large quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine to flow from Detroit to West Virginia, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
A 35-count indictment unsealed today alleges that the defendants – eight of whom are from the Detroit area - conspired to sell illicit drugs from October 2020 to February 2022 in Monongalia County and elsewhere.
“We continue to see a significant influx of drugs from Detroit to the Morgantown region,” said Ihlenfeld. “The collaboration by law enforcement agencies in West Virginia with those in Michigan ensures that drug traffickers who operate across state lines will be held accountable.”
Those charged are:
- William Trice, 31, of Eastpointe, Michigan
- Rico Crawford, 39, of Canton, Michigan
- Addonis Moore, 27, of Detroit, Michigan
- Jovonne Haynes, 26, of Detroit, Michigan
- Giovanni George, 32, of Taylor, Michigan
- Lewis Johnson, 34, of Detroit, Michigan
- Lloyd Vaughn, 27, of Detroit, Michigan
- Kenneth Jones, 27, of Detroit, Michigan
- Dayshawn Burton, 26, of Hamilton, Ohio
- Adrianna Bean, 21, of Morgantown, West Virginia
- Derrick Hamlet, 27, of Morgantown West Virginia
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda E. Wesley is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Drug Enforcement Administration Clarksburg RO; the FBI Clarksburg RA; the Mon Metro Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the West Virginia State Police; the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office; the Morgantown Police Department; WVU Police Department; the DEA Cincinnati District Office; the DEA Detroit Field Division; and the FBI Detroit investigated.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Read the indictment here:
Trice et al Filed IndictmentMexican man charged with assaulting federal officerRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 44-year-old non-U.S. citizen illegally residing in Laredo has been charged with assaulting a Border Patrol (BP) agent and unlawfully transporting illegal citizens within the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Authorities arrested Mexican citizen Ever Gordillo-Cardenas Jan. 30.
Originally charged by criminal complaint, he made his first appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christopher dos Santos Jan. 31, at which time he was ordered into custody pending further criminal proceedings. Gordillo-Cardenas is expected to appear for arraignment on the indictment in the near future.
According to the charges, law enforcement responded to a report of a group of people walking through the brush near La Moca Ranch Jan. 29. At that time, they apprehended three non-citizens while Gordillo-Cardenas allegedly attempted to flee.
A BP agent pursued him, but Gordillo-Cardenas ignored commands to stop, according to the criminal complaint. The agent allegedly drew his taser, and Gordillo-Cardenas went to his knees. However, the charges allege Gordillo-Cardenas threw dirt in his eyes and fled again.
When the agent caught up to the him, Gordillo-Cardenas allegedly reached for the agent’s duty belt and attempted to strike him with his fist.
If convicted, Gordillo-Cardenas faces up to 20 years in prison.
The FBI and BP conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Fawcett prosecuted the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law
Mexican Citizen Living Illegally in the United States Sentenced for Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Rolando Olvera-Garcia, 32, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Robert L. Summerhays to 18 months in prison, for illegally possessing a firearm. Olvera-Garcia is a native and citizen of Mexico and had illegally entered the United States.
On June 9, 2021, deputies with the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to a residence in Duson, Louisiana, where a Hispanic male, who was later identified as Olvera-Garcia, was found sleeping in the complainant’s laundry room. When deputies arrived at the residence, they found Olvera-Garcia to be in possession of a .40 caliber handgun and a small amount of narcotics.
Approximately one month later, on July 4, 2021, deputies were dispatched again to a residence with the complaint of a Hispanic male shooting a gun. Upon arrival, they determined that Olvera-Garcia was the individual who was shooting the gun. Deputies obtained a search warrant and found a .22 caliber revolver hidden between the couch cushions in his living room. Olvera-Garcia was arrested and interviewed by law enforcement officers, and he admitted to purchasing the firearm off the street and firing the shots on the July 4th weekend. Olvera-Garcia admitted that he knew he was an alien illegally and unlawfully present in the United States. Agents also learned that he had previously been removed from the United States on two occasions, November 25, 2017, and October 18, 2018.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations and the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Ayo.
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Memphis Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Fentanyl and Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Cecil Short Jr., 36 has been sentenced to 180 months in federal prison for possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute and distribution of fentanyl, and possession of a firearm in relation to drug trafficking. Joseph C. Murphy, Jr., United States Attorney announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, in August of 2020, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) began investigating Cecil Short, Jr., who allegedly was distributing fentanyl while armed with a firearm.
On September 20, 2020, agents arrested Short at a hotel in Memphis with multiple firearms, as well as fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana. Short was a convicted felon at the time. As a result of his prior felony convictions, he is prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition.
The Memphis Police Department Organized Crime Unit also linked Short to a fatal overdose which occurred on May 6, 2020. Further, the defendant acknowledged guilt in connection to the overdose. On May 7, 2021, Short pled guilty to fentanyl distribution and possession of a firearm in relation to drug trafficking.
On February 10, 2022, United States District Judge Jon P. McCalla sentenced Short to 15 years in federal prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Memphis Police Department Organized Crime Unit, the Memphis Police Department Gang Unit, and the United States Secret Service investigated this case.
Assistant United States Attorney Gregory D. Allen prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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Meadville Man Sentenced to 12 Years for Enticing a Minor for Sex while on Supervised Release for Child Porn OffenseRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A former resident of Meadville, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 10 years in prison and 15 years supervised release on his conviction of violating federal laws relating to the sexual exploitation of children, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today. In addition, Troup was sentenced to two additional years in prison for violating federal supervised release on his 2008 case involving child sexual abuse material.
United States District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter imposed the sentence on Nathan L. Troup, 41.
According to information presented to the court, Troup attempted to induce, entice and persuade an undercover investigator posing as a fifteen-year-old male to engage in illegal sexual activity and then traveled to Ohio for the purpose of meeting the purported fifteen-year-old for illegal sexual activity. At the time Troup engaged in this illegal activity, he was on federal supervised release for a child pornography offense.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Chung commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, and the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Troup.
McKees Rocks Felon Sentenced for Possessing a HandgunRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA -- A resident of McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 12 months and one day of imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release and 180 days of home detention on his conviction of violating federal firearms laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
United States District Judge William S. Stickman imposed the sentence on Gamale Vaughn, 46.
According to information presented to the court, on June 12, 2019, McKees Rocks Police Department executed a search warrant on the defendant’s residence. Hidden within a boot in a spare bedroom, officers found a Springfield Armory .45 caliber handgun which had been reported stolen to the Forest Hills Police Department in September of 2016. The defendant was present during the search. Following a waiver of his rights, the defendant admitted that the recovered firearm was his. The Court was further advised that the defendant was previously convicted of a felony drug trafficking offense in Allegheny County. As a convicted felon, the defendant is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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.
United States Attorney Chung commended the McKees Rocks Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Vaughn.
Massachusetts Man Sentenced to 204 Months for Child Exploitation Related OffensesRead the Press Release
GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – On February 22, 2022, Nicholas Nassif Hayek, 23, of Leominster, Massachusetts, was sentenced to 204 months in federal prison, by the Honorable J. Ronnie Greer, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville.
Following a four-day trial, ending on July 30, 2021, Hayek was convicted of knowingly or attempting to knowingly entice a minor to engage in sexual activity, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2422(b), knowingly or attempting to knowingly persuade a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing any visual depiction of such conduct, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2251(e), knowingly transferring obscene matter to another individual who had not attained the age of 16 years, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1470, knowingly receiving child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(b)(1), and knowingly possessing child pornography involving a child less than 12 years of age, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(b)(2). Upon his release from prison, Hayek will be on supervised release for 15 years. Hayek will be required to register with state sex offender registries and comply with special sex offender conditions during his supervised release.
The evidence presented at trial demonstrated that Hayek befriended a 10-year-old child via social media and engaged in numerous chat messages with the child. The messages included countless requests from Hayek asking the child to send him nude photos. Law enforcement also obtained 22 pictures and one video of Hayek exposing himself to the child.
In determining the sentence, Judge Greer found that Hayek had obstructed justice by testifying untruthfully at trial. Judge Greer found that Hayek’s testimony at trial indicated that Hayek was arrogant and unwilling to accept responsibility for his actions. Judge Greer considered several aggravating factors, including the serious emotional scars caused to the child victim by Hayek’s conduct when factoring the sentence length.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee made the announcement.
The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This investigation was led by FBI Special Agent Bianca Pearson.
Assistant United States Attorneys Meghan L. Gomez and J. Gregory Bowman represented the United States.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), 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, PSC 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 PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click on the tab "resources.”
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Marion County man sentenced for firearms chargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Jackson Skye Yeager, of Farmington, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 46 months of incarceration for a firearms charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Yeager, 28, pleaded guilty in September 2021 to one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.” Yeager, a person prohibited from having firearms because of a domestic violence conviction, admitted to having a .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol in February 2020 in Marion County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon S. Flower prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives and Fairmont Police Department investigated.
U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Man Sentenced for Sale of Fentanyl and Illegal Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Manassas man was sentenced today to 142 months in prison for selling counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl in addition to illegally possessing and selling firearms.
According to court documents, Richard Michael Perez, 26, was identified by law enforcement around September of 2020 as a source of supply for various narcotics. During transactions spanning September 2020 through June of 2021, Perez sold nearly 1,000 pills containing fentanyl to an undercover law enforcement agent. During the course of the sales, Perez mentioned that he owned firearms, and, in April of 2021, sold a semi-automatic rifle to the undercover law enforcement agent.
In June of 2021, Perez was taken into custody and a search of his residence revealed additional narcotics, a privately manufactured firearm devoid of a serial number or other unique identifier, various ammunition, and over $9,000 in cash. Perez had previously been convicted of multiple felony offenses in Virginia and was thus prohibited from possessing firearms at the time of this offense.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Charlie J. Patterson, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division; Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Washington Division; Kevin Davis, Fairfax County Chief of Police; Peter Newsham, Prince William County Chief of Police; and Jason Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Rossie D. Alston.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Roberts prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:21-cr-176.
Luna County inmates plead guilty to assault chargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Four inmates at the Luna County Detention Center in Deming, New Mexico, have pleaded guilty in federal court to assault upon a person assisting federal officers involving physical contact. All four inmates had been convicted in federal court and sentenced within four to eight months prior to the assault.
According to the plea agreements and other court records, on Feb. 17, 2021, Johnny Black, 36, became angry with corrections staff and started arguing with them. When staff attempted to escort him out of the pod, Black struck an officer, starting an altercation that other inmates joined. Victor Sanchez, 25, saw the altercation and joined Black in striking the officer. As the altercation continued, Jacob Merkel, 23, grabbed another officer and punched him in the face. After Merkel and the officer went to the ground, Merkel got back up and continued the altercation. At that time, Henry Felix emerged from the crowd and attacked the second officer from behind, striking him in the head and body.
Black pleaded guilty on Feb. 22. Sanchez pleaded guilty on Feb. 9. By the terms of their plea agreements, Black and Sanchez each face one year and nine months for the offense. Merkel pleaded guilty on Feb. 7. Felix pleaded guilty on Feb. 4. By the terms of their plea agreements, Merkel and Felix each face one year and three months for the offense. Sanchez, Merkel and Felix are scheduled for sentencing on May 16. No sentencing date has been scheduled for Black.
The U.S. Marshals Service investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case.