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Friday 7 January 2022
Salem County Man Charged with Possession of Firearm by Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Salem County man made his initial appearance on a charge of illegally possessing a firearm, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Jabbar Pierce, 41, of Penns Grove, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He appeared by videoconference before U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew J. Skahill on Jan. 6, 2022, and was detained.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Nov. 9, 2021, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a residence in Penns Grove based on probable cause that Pierce, a six-time convicted felon, had committed firearms and drugs crimes and that evidence of those crimes would be at the residence. While executing the warrant, officers encountered Pierce, who told officers that anything illegal in the residence belonged to him. Pierce also told officers that they would find a firearm behind a couch and drugs in a cabinet. Upon searching the residence, officers recovered from behind the couch a .40 caliber rifle and detached 24-round magazine containing 14 rounds of ammunition. Officers also recovered suspected controlled substances and drug packaging from a kitchen cabinet.
The felon in possession of a firearm charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Camden Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey L. Matthews in Newark; the Salem County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Kristin J. Telsey; and the Penns Grove Police Department, under the direction of Officer in Charge Robert Frett, with the investigation leading to the charge.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.
The charge and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Rapid City Man Sentenced for Failure to Register as Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender was sentenced on January 7, 2022, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.
Sonny Ray Escarsega, a/k/a Sonny Ray Ruiz, age 39, was sentenced to 20 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Escarsega was indicted by a federal grand jury on October 14, 2020. He pled guilty on October 14, 2021.
Escarsega was convicted of Aggravated Sexual Abuse in July 2003. As a result of this conviction, he is required to register as a sex offender. On August 7, 2020, Escarsega updated his sex offender registration to reflect that he was residing at an address in Rapid City. Escarsega subsequently failed to reside at his registered address and absconded from federal supervised release. Between August 10, 2020, and October 14, 2020, Escarsega failed to properly register as a sex offender and update his registration.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
Escarsega was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rapid City Man Sentenced for Failure to Register as Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender was sentenced on January 6, 2022, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.
Roy Brushbreaker, III, age 27, was sentenced to time served through April, 25, 2022, equal to approximately nine months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Brushbreaker was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 19, 2021. He pled guilty on September 30, 2021.
Brushbreaker was convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact in April 2019. As a result of this conviction, he is required to register as a sex offender and to update his registration within three business days of relocation or changing employment. On May 10, 2021, Brushbreaker moved out of his registered address in Rapid City and thereafter failed to update his registration. His whereabouts were unknown until he was arrested in Rapid City on July 22, 2021.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
Brushbreaker was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Raleigh Drug Trafficker Sentenced to More Than 16 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – A Raleigh man was sentenced yesterday to 195 months in prison for Distribution of cocaine base (crack). On February 24, 2021, Needham Holder, III pled guilty to the charge.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Needham Holder, III, 33, distributed in excess of 18 kilograms of cocaine base (crack) in the Raleigh area from November 2017 until his arrest on June 8, 2019. Due to a significant criminal record, Holder qualified for sentencing as a career offender. Holder’s prior convictions include possession with intent to sell or deliver cocaine, assault inflicting serious injury, selling a controlled substance within 1000 feet of a park, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
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 Raleigh Police Department and The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. Newby, Jr. 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. 5:20-cr-416-FL.
Previously Convicted Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Jason Wade Harley, age 49, of Frederick, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to possession of child pornography.
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 Frederick County Sheriff Charles A. “Chuck” Jenkins.
According to Harley’s plea agreement, on February 24, 2020, four suspected child pornographic images were uploaded to the internet. The internet platform to which the images were uploaded reported the upload to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Harley’s name and email address was listed under the information of the subscriber that uploaded the child pornographic material. Investigators determined that several of the images distributed on the internet platform depicted the sexual abuse of infants and prepubescent minors, and that the upload was linked to Harley’s account.
On August 28, 2020, investigators executed a search warrant at Harley’s residence. As a result of the executed search warrants, investigators located a SIM card within a cell phone that contained two videos of children engaged in sexually explicit activity as well as 499 images of child pornography, including images that depicted the sexual abuse of infants and prepubescent minors. That same day, Harley admitted to investigators that he sent images of child pornography to online accounts and that he has sexual fantasies involving children.
As stated in his plea agreement, investigators also executed a search warrant for Harley’s online accounts. Following the review of Harley’s internet activity, investigators discovered evidence that Harley searched multiple phrases including “young sluts.” On another internet account, investigators discovered 11 additional images of child pornography and conversations between Harley and another internet user. Within the online communications, Harley stated that he possessed 260 pictures and 130 videos of child pornography in a hidden vault and expressed his interest in sexual abuse of children.
Harley faces a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum of 20 years in prison followed by up to lifetime of supervised release for possession of child pornography. U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander has scheduled sentencing for March 31, 2022 at 11:00 a.m.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "Resources" tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI and the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine L. Duey and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Joyce King, who are prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Postal Employee Arrested for Theft of MailRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the filing of a
criminal complaint and arrest of Miranda Delee Farleigh (25, Ocklawaha) for theft of mail matter by a postal employee. If convicted, Farleigh faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison.According to court documents, Farleigh worked as a contract employee of the United States Postal Service (USPS) delivering mail for the Lady Lake Post Office. Farleigh’s route included mail delivery services to postal stations in The Villages. On or about November 23, 2021, Farleigh’s supervisor discovered several tubs and bags of U.S Mail in Farleigh’s possession that had been rifled (unlawfully opened).
A criminal complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.
Passaic County Man Admits Role in Illegal Money Transmitting SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Passaic County, New Jersey, man today admitted his role in an illegal money transmitting business, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Julio De La Cruz Acosta, 42, of Paterson, New Jersey, pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti to a criminal information charging him with aiding and abetting an illegal money transmitting business.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From July 2016 to December 2017, De La Cruz Acosta accepted $1.94 million in cash to purchase 67 cashier’s checks at banks in and around New Jersey and elsewhere. De La Cruz Acosta admitted that he knew that the cash was from an illegal source and that he purchased the cashier’s checks to aid, abet and facilitate an illegal money transmitting business.
The investigation revealed that the cash was the proceeds of illegal drug distribution. The check purchases were part of a large-scale illegal money transmitting and money laundering scheme designed to hide the illegal source of the cash and transfer it from New Jersey to the Dominican Republic and Colombia, all while attempting to avoid scrutiny by law enforcement and U.S. banks.
The charge of aiding and abetting an illegal money transmitting business carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of $250,000 or twice the amount involved in the offense, whichever is greater. Sentencing is scheduled for May 17, 2022.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents and task force officers of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, New Jersey Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Susan A. Gibson; special agents and task force officers of IRS - Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael Montanez; the Morristown, New Jersey, Police Department, under the direction of Acting Police Chief Darnell Richardson; and the Direccion Nacional de Control de Drogas (the Dominican Republic National Drug Directorate, or DNCD) with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan M. Peck of the Asset Recovery and Money Laundering Unit in Newark.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Parmelee Man Sentenced for Assaulting a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Parmelee, South Dakota, man convicted of Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer was sentenced on January 6, 2022, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.
Odell Good Shield, age 34, was sentenced to time served through February 15, 2022, equal to approximately seven months, followed by three years of supervised release, with the first three months to be served on home confinement, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Good Shield was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 11, 2021. He pled guilty on October 6, 2021.
The conviction stemmed from an incident that occurred in the early morning hours of March 17, 2021. On that date, Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Service officers responded to a report that Good Shield was drunk and causing a disturbance at a residence in Todd County, South Dakota. Good Shield was subsequently arrested and transported to the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Adult Correctional Facility. During the transport, the arresting officer pulled over the patrol vehicle to secure Good Shield’s wrist restraints. Another officer stopped to assist. Good Shield then became non-compliant and kicked the assisting officer in the chest.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
Good Shield was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Owner of third cockfighting venue sentenced to prison for illegal animal fighting operationRead the Press Release
STATESBORO, GA: A Burke County man has been sentenced to prison after admitting to operating a cockfighting venue.
William Shannon Scott, 49, of Midville, Ga., was sentenced to 16 months in prison after pleading guilty to Sponsoring and Exhibiting an Animal in an Animal Fighting Venture, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall also ordered Scott to pay a fine of $2,500 and a special assessment of $100 and to forfeit the land on which the fights were held, prohibited him from owning birds or fowl or engaging in cockfighting, and ordered him to serve two years of supervised release after completion of his prison term.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“William Shannon Scott’s sentencing represents the final trip to court for three men who operated illegal animal fighting venues in the Southern District of Georgia,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Thanks to outstanding work from our law enforcement partners, we have shut down these three animal cruelty arenas – and it should serve as a warning to those who would attempt to engage in this reprehensible practice.”
The owners of two other venues, Wendell Allan Strickland, 67, of Swainsboro, Ga., and Lanier Augustus Hightower, 65, of Lincolnton, Ga., currently are serving federal prison terms after admitting to similar charges.
As described in court documents and testimony, Scott operated a cockfighting venue called Little Sunset on his Midville property. The venue alternated weekend events with Strickland’s Emanuel County venue, The Red Barn. Scott was arrested in June 2020 on federal charges as part of Operation Sunrise, a multi-agency raid of a cockfighting tournament at his property in which nearly 200 possible defendants were identified. Six months earlier, the operation on Hightower’s farm in Lincoln County was the first of the three raided by law enforcement agencies during a cockfighting tournament in December 2019.
“These callous showcases of death are no longer in operation, thanks to our law enforcement partnerships,” said Jason Williams, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Agriculture-Office of Inspector General. “This agency has made animal fighting a high priority in order to demonstrate that these inhumane acts of cruelty to animals will not be tolerated.”
The investigation into animal fighting operations in the Southern District were led by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Inspector General (USDA-OIG) and in cooperation with multiple federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The U.S. Government has initiated forfeiture proceedings for the real property on which each of the three tournaments were held, while overseeing the forfeiture of more than $200,000 in cash from illegal betting along with knives and gaffs that were affixed to the animals during fights.
The cases were investigated by the USDA-OIG and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Xavier A. Cunningham and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Rock.
Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Case Results in Sentences of 58+ Years in Prison for Six IndividualsRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced the completion of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force investigation in the Western District of Louisiana.
Robert Edward Simpson, 49, of Benton, Louisiana, was sentenced by Chief Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. to 292 months (24 years, 4 months) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Simpson was also ordered to pay a fine in the amount of $25,000.
Simpson and five others were indicted by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking charges in October 2020. On June 24, 2021, Simpson pleaded guilty and admitted to conspiring with Thomas Shane Benefield, Tania Cedillo, Rosa Palacios a/k/a “Mama,” Casey Head, and Tanya Simpson-Procell, to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Agents with FBI’s Northwest Louisiana Violent Crime Task Force conducted an investigation into the drug trafficking activities of Simpson and his co-defendants. They were able to obtain an order granting permission to wiretap Simpson’s phone which led agents to learn that Simpson’s drug suppliers were Cedillo and Palacios, who were from the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Intercepted phone conversations showed that Simpson made trips at least once a week to the Dallas area and pick up large quantities of methamphetamine from the different suppliers. Benefield and Simpson-Procell both helped Simpson distribute methamphetamine to many different buyers and Head was a regular multi-ounce buyer. Agents obtained evidence that on March 11, 2020, Simpson sold 55.7 grams of methamphetamine to an individual in Shreveport. He was arrested on June 18, 2020 and admitted to buying methamphetamine in the Dallas area and distributing it in the Shreveport/Bossier City area.
The following co-defendants have each previously pleaded guilty and been sentenced in this case:
- Thomas Shane Benefield, 46, of Bossier City, was previously sentenced to 168 months (14 years) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
- Casey Head, 39, of Bossier City, Louisiana, was previously sentenced to 60 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
- Tania Cedillo, 35, of Dallas, Texas, was previously sentenced to 57 months in prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
- Rosa Palacios a/k/a “Mama,” 52, of Dallas, Texas, was previously sentenced to 24 months in prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
- Tanya Simpson-Procell, 48, of Bossier City, was previously sentenced to 110 months (9 years, 2 months) in prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Northwest Louisiana Violent Crime Task Force, Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office and Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Aaron Crawford and Mike Shannon.
This effort is part of an ongoing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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Nine MS-13 Gang Members Indicted for Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A federal judge in the District of Maryland unsealed a superseding indictment today charging nine members of La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) with racketeering conspiracy involving murder, extortion and money laundering. MS-13 is an international criminal organization and one of the largest street gangs in the United States.
The superseding indictment charges Hernan Yanes-Rivera, 20; Franklyn Edgardo Sanchez, 24; Brayan Alexander Torres, 28; Agustino Eugenio Rivas Rodriguez, 24; Brian Samir Zelaya Mejia, 23; Miguel Angel Ramirez, 21; Jorge Isaac Argueta Chica, 21; and Diego Fabrisio Angel-Artiga, 22, with racketeering conspiracy. The superseding indictment also charges Yanes-Rivera, Torres, Rivas Rodriguez, Zelaya Mejia, Ramirez, Argueta Chica and Angel-Artiga with conspiracy to interfere with commerce by extortion.
“MS-13 uses violence and intimidation to prey upon vulnerable communities,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Criminal Division is committed to dismantling MS-13 and protecting all communities from the harm alleged in this indictment.”
“Witness retaliation will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland. “As alleged in the superseding indictment unsealed today, these MS-13 members not only extorted money from community members to support the gang — both in Maryland and in El Salvador — they also allegedly killed an individual who was cooperating with law enforcement. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Maryland and our local and state partners are working together to remove violent gang members to keep our communities safe from the threat of MS-13.”
According to court documents, in the United States, MS-13 is organized into branches or “cliques.” These defendants were allegedly members or associates of Weedams Locos Salvatrucha, an MS-13 clique operating primarily in the Adelphi, Maryland area. As alleged, the defendants extorted multiple victims, from whom they collected extortion payments, or “rent,” on a regular basis. Several of the defendants allegedly illicitly transferred this money to MS-13 associates in El Salvador.
The superseding indictment also alleges that Yanes-Rivera and Sanchez, acting at the direction of senior MS-13 members, murdered an individual in retaliation for the victim’s cooperation with law enforcement.
If convicted, the defendants face statutory maximums ranging from 20 years to life imprisonment for the racketeering conspiracy and 20 years for the extortion conspiracy. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI, Homeland Security Investigations and Prince George’s County Police Department are investigating the case. Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations and Montgomery County Police Department provided valuable assistance.
Trial Attorney Brendan Woods of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Baldwin and Joel Crespo of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
New Orleans City Judge Indicted for Filing False ReturnsRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in New Orleans returned an indictment today charging a city court judge with filing false tax returns.
According to the indictment, from 2013 to 2016 Ernestine Anderson-Trahan, a judge of the Second City Court in the Parish of Orleans, Louisiana, allegedly officiated hundreds of marriage ceremonies each year but did not report on her federal tax returns the entire income earned from presiding over those ceremonies. Trahan allegedly earned between $80 and $100, paid to her in cash, for each marriage she officiated at the courthouse. She allegedly charged higher officiant fees for marriages conducted outside normal business hours, outside the courthouse, or on Valentine’s Day. Trahan allegedly did not report all of these officiant fees on her 2013 through 2016 federal tax returns. On her 2013 and 2014 tax returns, Trahan also allegedly did not report the income she received in those tax years for providing outside legal work before becoming a judge.
Trahan is scheduled to make her initial court appearance on Jan. 24 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Janis van Meerveld of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each of the four counts of filing a false tax return. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans for the Eastern District of Louisiana made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation and the FBI are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Brian Flanagan and William Montague of the Justice Department’s Tax Division are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
New Orleans City Judge Indicted for Filing False ReturnsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A federal grand jury in New Orleans returned an indictment today charging a city court judge with filing false tax returns.
According to the indictment, from 2013 to 2016 Ernestine Anderson-Trahan, a judge of the Second City Court in the Parish of Orleans, Louisiana, allegedly officiated hundreds of marriage ceremonies each year but did not report on her federal tax returns the entire income earned from presiding over those ceremonies. Trahan allegedly earned between $80 and $100, paid to her in cash, for each marriage she officiated at the courthouse. She allegedly charged higher officiant fees for marriages conducted outside normal business hours, outside the courthouse, or on Valentine’s Day. Trahan allegedly did not report all of these officiant fees on her 2013 through 2016 federal tax returns. On her 2013 and 2014 tax returns, Trahan also allegedly did not report the income she received in those tax years for providing outside legal work before becoming a judge.
Trahan is scheduled to make her initial court appearance on Jan. 24 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Janis van Meerveld of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each of the four counts of filing a false tax return. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation and the FBI are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Brian Flanagan and William Montague of the Justice Department’s Tax Division are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Montebello Man Sentenced to More Than 33 Years in Prison for Causing Fentanyl Overdose that Resulted in Woman’s DeathRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Montebello man who provided a lethal dose of fentanyl to a victim was sentenced today to 400 months in federal prison.
Edwin Oliva, 30, was sentenced by United States District Judge André Birotte Jr.
Oliva pleaded guilty in September 2021 to one count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death and one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin. He has been in federal custody since March 2019.
During the early hours of February 28, 2019, Oliva gave the victim a line of drugs to snort and did not tell her the substance was fentanyl – a powerful synthetic opioid. Believing the substance to be cocaine, the victim ingested the drug, which resulted in a fatal overdose.
Oliva did not call 911 or otherwise seek medical care for the victim until nearly six hours after texting a friend that the victim was not breathing.
In the nearly six hours between when Oliva learned that the victim was not breathing and when he ultimately called 911, he cleaned his apartment, removing the fentanyl and other evidence of drug trafficking. He placed these items in the trunk of his significant other’s car and then drove away from the apartment in attempt to hide it from law enforcement.
Later that day, Montebello Police officers executed a search warrant on the car and discovered 1.9 kilograms (4.2 pounds) of heroin, 21 grams of fentanyl, 1.4 kilograms (3.2 pounds) of marijuana, 0.4 grams of methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, a loaded .45-caliber semiautomatic pistol, a blue flip phone he used to conduct drug transactions, and a notebook he used as a pay/owe ledger.
While in custody in March 2019, Oliva directed his significant other to destroy evidence in the case, and he also directed her to tell law enforcement that the blue flip phone was a play phone for their children.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Montebello Police Department investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Maria Jhai and Kathrynne Seiden of the General Crimes Section prosecuted this case.
Mission Man Sentenced for Threatening a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Mission, South Dakota, man convicted of Influencing a Federal Officer by Threat was sentenced on January 6, 2022, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.
Donovan Jace Oakie, age 24, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Oakie was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 13, 2021. He pled guilty on September 30, 2021.
The conviction stemmed from an incident that occurred on June 30, 2021, in Todd County, South Dakota. On that date, Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services personnel, Federal Bureau of Investigation personnel, and U.S. Marshals Service personnel were searching for Oakie, who had an arrest warrant for a violation of federal supervised release. Oakie was located at a residence in the South Antelope Housing Community, near Mission. Oakie fled from the residence and attempted to hide in an area of overgrown brush. He ignored commands to surrender and threatened to shoot a deputy U.S. Marshal. Oakie attempted to flee again, at which point he was apprehended and taken into custody.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
Oakie was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Middle District of Florida U.S. Attorney’s Office Collects More Than $160 Million in Civil and Criminal Actions in Fiscal Year 2021Read the Press Release
Tampa ― U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced today that the Middle District of Florida (MDFL) collected $160,946,371.39 related to criminal and civil matters in the fiscal year ending September 30, 2021 (FY 2021), during the tenure of his predecessors, Maria Chapa Lopez and Karin Hoppmann. Of that amount, $109,846,390.39 represents total collections in criminal and civil actions. Included in this amount is $60,443,168.31 recovered in its locally handled cases; $21,450,090.69 in criminal cases and $38,993,077.62 in civil cases.
The MDFL’s Civil Division, led by Civil Chief Randy Harwell, recovered a total of $88,396,299.70 on behalf of federal agencies and programs in affirmative civil enforcement cases during the last fiscal year. This amount has two components. In addition to its efforts in local civil cases noted above, the district’s Civil Division also joins forces with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and with the Department of Justice Civil Frauds Section to address fraud schemes and illegal practices extending beyond district boundaries. The MDFL’s Civil Division recovered an additional $49,403,222.08 in these jointly handled cases.
Additionally, the district’s Asset Recovery Division, led by Chief Anita Cream, working with partner agencies, forfeited $51,099,981 from criminal and civil asset forfeiture actions completed in fiscal year 2021. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes. For instance, in FY 2021, more than $6.5 million forfeited in the MDFL in this and prior years was returned to victims of the criminal offenses upon which the forfeitures were based, and more than $2.4 million was shared with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. The district anticipates that the vast majority of the more than $51 million forfeited in FY 2021 will be returned to crime victims.
“The commitment of my predecessors, continued leadership by our office’s civil division and asset recovery division chiefs, and great coordination with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners has resulted in the collection and recovery of millions of dollars from those who have sought to benefit from fraud and other illegal activities,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg. “These collected funds will assist victims in their recovery process and aid law enforcement as they continue to hold criminals accountable for their crimes.”
U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
The largest civil collections were from affirmative civil enforcement cases, in which the United States recovered government money lost to fraud or other misconduct or collected fines imposed on individuals and/or corporations for violations of federal health, safety, civil rights, or environmental laws. In addition, civil debts were collected on behalf of several federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Defense Health Agency, the Internal Revenue Service, the Small Business Administration, and the Department of Education. See below for MDFL significant civil case highlights.
Significant Affirmative Civil Enforcement Cases
United States and the State of Florida ex rel. Albright v. Regency, Inc., et al.
Case no. 8:19-cv-686-T-30AEP (M.D. Fla.)
“Operation Brace Yourself,” a national takedown staged in April 2019, addressed a major fraud scheme directed at the sale of medically unnecessary durable medical equipment (DME) to Medicare beneficiaries. A qui tam relator filed a lawsuit in the Middle District of Florida that alleged that Regency Inc., a company owned and operated by Kelly Wolfe, fraudulently established DME companies (by providing false information regarding the true owners’ identities, among other misrepresentations on Medicare applications). Regency then sold those companies to other individuals, who used the companies to fraudulently bill Medicare for medically unnecessary DME that resulted from kickbacks or other inappropriate marketing practices. In 2019, the United States Attorney’s Office secured a major asset freeze that reached more than $30 million in cash and luxury items pending the resolution of a number of criminal prosecutions. In February 2021, the qui tam allegations were resolved through an ability-to-pay civil settlement for $20.3 million.
Press Release: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/florida-businesswoman-pleads-guilty-criminal-health-care-and-tax-fraud-charges-and-agrees-203
United States v. AAR Corp.; U.S. ex rel. Harvey v. AAR Corp., et al.
Case no. 3:15-cv-00390 (S.D. Ill.)
This civil investigation focused on allegations that a military contractor, AAR Corporation, and its Melbourne, Florida based subsidiary, AAR Airlift Group, Inc., had defrauded the United States while performing under contracts established to maintain military helicopters. A qui tam case was filed in the Southern District of Illinois that alleged the defendants owned and maintained helicopters for use in transporting Department of Defense cargo and personnel in support of missions in Afghanistan and Africa. The qui tam relator contended that the contractor knowingly failed to maintain nine aircraft in accordance with contract requirements, and that consequently, the helicopters were not airworthy and should not have been certified as “fully mission capable.” Separately, the Federal Aviation Authority asked the United States Attorney’s Office in the Middle District of Florida to pursue civil penalties to address overlapping allegations of misconduct by the contractor. In July 2021, the defendants agreed to resolve the qui tam allegations for $11,088,000, and an additional payment of $429,273.69 to resolve the FAA penalty claim.
Press release: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/aar-corp-agrees-pay-11-million-settle-false-claims-act-allegations-aircraft-maintenance
United States v. Ashish Pal, MD (M.D. Fla.)
This civil investigation resolved allegations that an Orlando-area cardiologist, Dr. Ashish Pal, had performed medically unnecessary ablations and stent procedures on veins that did not qualify for treatment under accepted standards of medical practice. Additionally, the government alleged that Dr. Pal had falsified patient medical records to justify the procedures by overstating the degree of reflux and diameter of veins, and by falsely documenting patient symptoms. The United States also alleged that, in many instances, the ablations had been performed by ultrasound technicians outside their permitted scope of practice. In September 2021, Dr. Pal paid the United States $6.75 million in a civil settlement that resolved these allegations.
Press release: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/orlando-cardiologist-pays-675-million-resolve-allegations-performing-unnecessary-medical
United States ex rel. Thompson v. Surgical Care Affiliates, LLC
Case no. 6:15-civ-2189-41LRH (M.D. Fla.)
The United States intervened in this qui tam case in January 2020 and pursued civil claims alleging that a former Orlando urologist and a local surgery practice group had defrauded federal payors through false claims for medically unnecessary lithotripsy services. In January 2021, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced a settlement of the claims with the estate of the individual physician (who had passed away after the filing of the law suit) for $1.75 million. In February 2021, the United States settled in principal with the remaining defendants for $3.4 million.
Press releases: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/pr/estate-deceased-urologist-agrees-pay-more-17-million-settle-false-claims-act-liability
https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/pr/surgical-care-affiliates-and-orlando-surgery-center-agree-pay-34-million-settle-false
United States ex rel. Herbold v. Doctor’s Choice Home Care Inc., et al.
Case no. 8:15- cv-01044 (M.D. Fla.)
United States ex rel. Billings, Sykes, and Eschoyez-Quiroga v. Doctor’s Choice Home Care Inc.
Case no. 8:16-cv-3112 (M.D. Fla.)
Two qui tam relators filed lawsuits in the Middle District of Florida and alleged that a Sarasota-based home health company, Doctor’s Choice Home Care, had defrauded Medicare in claims for home health services. The relators contended that the defendants offered improper financial inducements to referring physicians in the form of sham medical director agreements and bonuses to physicians’ spouses who were Doctor’s Choice employees and, additionally, that the company pressured clinical personnel to increase home visits to allow Doctor’s Choice to avoid a payment reduction (LUPA) by Medicare. Timothy Beach and Stuart Christensen founded Doctor’s Choice and formerly served as its top executives. These allegations were resolved in November 2020 for $5.158 million paid by Doctor’s Choice related to the inducement and LUPA allegations, and an additional $647,000 paid by Beach and Christensen related to the inducement allegations.
United States ex rel. Thornton v. National Compounding Co. et al.
Case No. 8:15-cv-2647 (M.D. Fla.)
This case alleged that the two owners of telemarketing entities based in the Fort Lauderdale area had defrauded the TRICARE health program through kickback practices designed to incentivize the issuance of compounded medication prescriptions. Jack Lee Stapleton and Jack Hunter Stapleton formerly owned a marketing business which operated under various names including CV McDowell LLC, and J&J Tel Marketing LLC. The United States alleged that these marketing firms used telemarketing to solicit prospective patients to accept compounded medications regardless of patient need, procured prescriptions for those patients, and then sent those prescriptions to compounding pharmacies that had agreed to pay the marketing companies half of the amount TRICARE reimbursed for each prescription. The Stapletons and their companies conspired with pharmacies to identify compounded drug formulas that maximized the level of reimbursement for the drugs, regardless of the medical need for the chosen formula. They then sought to procure large volumes of prescriptions for those formulas. In many cases, the marketers procured prescriptions by paying telemedicine providers who prescribed expensive compounded drugs without ever seeing the patients or conducting any meaningful medical examination. In March 2021, these allegations were resolved through a civil settlement that paid the United States $4 million.
Press release: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/former-owners-telemarketing-company-agree-pay-least-4-million-resolve-false-claims-act
United States v. Isaacson
Case no. 2:17-cv-352-TPB-NPM (M.D. Fla.)
In this case, the United States alleged that a Fort Myers pain clinic, Collier Anesthesia Pain, LLC, and Tampa Pain Relief Center, had engaged in an illegal kickback scheme by causing affiliated surgery centers to waive copayments for surgical facility fees in order to induce patients to receive injection procedures. Additionally, the United States contended that Collier Anesthesia and Tampa Pain knowingly submitted false claims by improperly billing for evaluation and management services and psychological testing services. In February 2021, the defendants agreed to resolve these allegations in a civil settlement that paid $1.6 million.
Press release: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/pr/pain-clinic-pays-more-16-million-settle-false-claims-act-and-kickback-allegations
United States ex rel. Heyck v. Mori, Bean and Brooks, P.A
Case No. 3:18-cv-590-J-39PDB (M.D. Fla.)
A qui tam relator filed a lawsuit alleging that a Jacksonville radiology practice, Mori Bean & Brooks, PA, had billed healthcare programs for radiological images that had been interpreted outside of the United States. Medicare requires that for tele-radiology services to be eligible for reimbursement, they must be performed within the United States. The United States also contended that the practice group billed for radiology services that were initially performed overseas but were re-interpreted by another radiologist in the United States and billed to the second, domestic radiologist as if the latter doctor had performed the original read. The practice group cooperated with the government’s investigation and in November 2020, agreed to resolve the allegations in return for $1.4 million.
Press release: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/pr/jacksonville-radiology-practice-agrees-pay-14-million-resolve-health-care-fraud
Mexican Man Sentenced for Long-Term Use of Deceased Man’s Identity and Social Security NumberRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that Carlos Robleto-Martinez, 75, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for false use of a Social Security number. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Robleto-Martinez to a term of imprisonment of time served. Robleto-Martinez had been in custody for approximately 7 months at the time of sentencing. There is no parole in the federal system. Robleto-Martinez will now be deported by U.S. immigration authorities.
In January of 2021, the State of Nebraska Department of Labor (DOL) contacted the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles Fraud Unit (DMVFU) about a person living in Schuyler, Nebraska using the identity of a deceased person who resided in Texas.
The Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General (SSA/OIG) confirmed that the Social Security number used by the subject belonged to the decedent. Investigators interviewed Robleto-Martinez who claimed it was an error and presented a State of Texas birth certificate and a Social Security card bearing the decedent’s name and Social Security number. Investigators also obtained the defendant’s fingerprints.
DMVFU determined that Robleto-Martinez used the decedent’s name and Social Security number to renew a Nebraska Driver’s License on June 22, 2020, and on June 4, 2015.
Investigators were able to match Robleto-Martinez’s fingerprints to those from an immigration database, enabling them to determine his true identity and immigration history. According to the records they obtained, Robleto-Martinez presented himself using his true name while entering the United States through the Atlanta airport in 1998. At that time, Robleto-Martinez presented a fraudulent I-551 (Lawful Permanent Resident card) bearing the photo of another person, was denied entry into the United States, and was returned to Mexico.
This case was investigated by the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles Fraud Unit, the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations.
Maryland Man Sentenced to 12 Months in Prison for Sexually Abusing and Blackmailing WomanRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Maryland man was sentenced today to serve 12 months in prison for sexually abusing and blackmailing a woman he met in August 2019 through a dating website, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Steven B. Fabrizio, 58, of Chevy Chase, Maryland, pleaded guilty on July 30, 2021, to one count each of blackmail and third-degree sexual abuse. He was sentenced by the Honorable Marisa J. Demeo in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The judge sentenced him to a total of 30 months of incarceration; however, all but 12 months of that time was suspended on the condition that Fabrizio successfully complete three years of supervised probation. Additionally, he will be required to register as a sex offender for 10 years following his release from prison.
According to the government’s evidence, Fabrizio met the woman on Aug. 19, 2019, after corresponding via a dating website and text. They had consensual sex, and Fabrizio gave her $400 in cash, as agreed upon beforehand. The next day, Fabrizio sought to set up another meeting, and the woman declined. At that point, Fabrizio sent the first in a series of texts to her, warning that the woman’s employer, parents, and landlord would be told about their sex-for-cash arrangement unless she continued to submit to his demands for further sexual encounters.
Similar texts followed, and the woman agreed to see him. During that second encounter, on Aug. 20, 2019, Fabrizio sexually abused her. Fabrizio later persisted with the texts, and the woman contacted the Metropolitan Police Department. He was arrested on Aug. 21, 2019.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended those who investigated the case from MPD’s Sexual Assault Unit. They also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including former Victim Witness Specialist Juanita Harris, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter V. Taylor, who prosecuted the matter.
Maryland MS-13 Gang Members Indicted for Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – A superseding indictment charging members of La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) with racketeering conspiracy involving murder, extortion, and money laundering was unsealed today as to eight defendants. A federal grand jury in Maryland returned the indictment on December 22, 2021. The superseding indictment charges the following defendants with racketeering conspiracy:
Brayan Alexander Torres, a/k/a “Spooky,” 28, of Adelphi, Maryland;
Agustino Eugenio Rivas Rodriguez, a/k/a “Cipitio,” “Chuchin,” “Angel,” “Terrible,” and “Small,” 24, of Silver Spring, Maryland;
Hernan Yanes-Rivera, a/k/a “Shrek,” “Recio,” and “Garra,” 20, of Adelphi;
Franklyn Edgardo Sanchez, a/k/a “Freddy,” “Magic,” “Miclo,” and “Delinquente,” 24, of Adelphi;
Brian Samir Zelaya Mejia, a/k/a “Flaco,” “Catrachito,” “Calacas,” “Chispa,” and “Directo,” 23, of Hyattsville, Maryland;
Miguel Angel Ramirez, a/k/a “Majin Buu” and “El Gordo,” 21, of Adelphi;
Jorge Isaac Argueta Chica, a/k/a “Timido” and “Enano,” 21, of Gaithersburg, Maryland; and
Diego Fabrisio Angel-Artiga, a/k/a “Stewie,” 22, of Hyattsville.The superseding indictment also charges Yanes-Rivera, Torres, Rivas Rodriguez, Zelaya Mejia, Ramirez, Argueta Chica, and Angel-Artiga with conspiracy to interfere with commerce by extortion.
The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; and Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department.
“Witness retaliation will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron. “As alleged in the superseding indictment unsealed today, these MS-13 members not only extorted money from community members to support the gang—both in Maryland and in El Salvador—they also allegedly killed an individual who was cooperating with law enforcement. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Maryland and our local and state partners are working together to remove violent gang members to keep our communities safe from the threat of MS-13.”
“MS-13 uses violence and intimidation to prey upon vulnerable communities,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Criminal Division is committed to dismantling MS-13 and protecting all communities from the harm alleged in this indictment.”
According to court documents, La Mara Salvatrucha gang, also known as “MS-13”, is an international criminal organization composed primarily of immigrants or descendants of immigrants from El Salvador, with members operating in the State of Maryland, including Montgomery County, Prince George’s County, and Frederick County, and throughout the United States. In Maryland and elsewhere MS-13 members are organized in “cliques,” smaller groups that operate in a specific city or region. MS-13 members are required to commit acts of violence, both to maintain membership and discipline within the gang and against rival gangs. One of the principal rules of MS-13 is that its members must attack and kill rivals, known as “chavalas,” whenever possible.
These defendants allegedly were members or associates of Weedams Locos Salvatrucha, an MS-13 clique operating primarily in the Adelphi, Maryland area. As alleged, the defendants extorted multiple victims, from whom they collected extortion payments, or “rent,” on a regular basis. Several of the defendants used the “rent” proceeds and other gang revenues to unlawfully transfer money to MS-13 associates in El Salvador. The superseding indictment also alleges that Yanes-Rivera and Sanchez, acting at the direction of senior MS-13 members, murdered an individual in retaliation for the victim’s cooperation with law enforcement.
If convicted, the defendants face maximum sentences ranging from twenty years to life in federal prison for the racketeering conspiracy and twenty years in federal prison for the extortion conspiracy. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The defendants are expected to have arraignments beginning next week in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
Anyone with information about MS-13 is encouraged to provide their tips to law enforcement. The FBI and Homeland Security Investigations both have nationwide tiplines that you can call to report what you know. You can reach the FBI at 1-866-STP-MS13 (1-866-787-6713), or you can call HSI at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE.
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.
This case is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron and Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. commended the FBI, HSI, and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation, and thanked the Montgomery County Police Department and Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations and for their assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Baldwin and Joel Crespo, and Trial Attorney Brendan Woods of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section, who are prosecuting the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Marijuana User Subject to a No-Contact Order Sentenced to Six Months in Prison for Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
A man who unlawfully possessed a firearm was sentenced today to six months in federal prison.
Daric Lawrence, age 36, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 10, 2021 guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
At the guilty plea, Lawrence admitted that, on February 26, 2021, he knowingly possessed a firearm, a 9mm pistol, as a prohibited person. Lawrence was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he was an unlawful user of marijuana and because he was subject to a state court order restraining him from harassing, stalking, or threatening an intimate partner. Shortly after midnight on February 26, a Dubuque police officer stopped Lawrence’s car for running a red light. During the traffic stop, Lawrence told the police officer that he had a gun in his waistband and that he had used marijuana earlier that evening. Lawrence also told the police officer that there was a no contact order in place against him.
Lawrence was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Lawrence was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by the Dubuque Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21-CR-1014.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Sex-Trafficking During Miami Super BowlRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – A New Haven, Connecticut man who coerced two women and a girl into selling themselves for sex in Miami during Super Bowl LIV was sentenced yesterday in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida to 25 years’ imprisonment.
The sentence of 48-year-old Edward Walker follows his conviction after an eight-day trial in October 2021. In that trial, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alejandra L. López and Brian Dobbins presented evidence that in January 2020, Walker brought two adult women and a 17-year-old girl to Miami from Connecticut to engage in commercial sex acts during the Super Bowl. While in Miami, Walker emotionally, psychologically, and financially coerced the victims into soliciting customers and having sex with them in exchange for money, all of which Walker kept. Additional evidence showed that after the Superbowl in Miami, Walker planned to take the victims to Chicago, Illinois (during the NBA All-Star Game), New Orleans, Lousiana (during Mardi Gras), Las Vegas, Nevada, and other places to further sexually exploit them. The jury found Walker guilty of sex trafficking by force and coercion, sex trafficking of a minor and by force and coercion, and transporting a person for sexual activity.
United States Senior District Court Judge James I. Cohn imposed the sentence, which also includes a supervised release term of 25 years following incarceration.
Walker will soon be transported to the State of Connecticut where he will face charges in United States District Court for the District of Connecticut for the Production of Child Pornography. As to those charges, Walker is innocent unless and until found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami; and Alfredo “Freddy” Ramirez III, Director, Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD), announced the guilty verdict.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, in partnership with MDPD’s Human Trafficking Squad, and the South Florida Human Trafficking Task Force. FBI New Haven; Homeland Security Investigations Miami; Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Miami Office; Miami Beach Police Department; and Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office assisted.
To report suspected human trafficking or to obtain resources for victims, please call 1-888-373-7888; text “BeFree” (233733), or live chat at HumanTraffickingHotline.org. The toll-free phone, SMS text lines, and online chat function are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Help is available in English, Spanish, Creole, or in more than 200 additional languages. The National Hotline is not managed by law enforcement, immigration or an investigative agency. Correspondence with the National Hotline is confidential and you may request assistance or report a tip anonymously.
To learn more about the National Resource Hotline visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. To learn more about the U.S. Department of Justice’s efforts to combat human trafficking visit www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case no. 20-cr-20087.
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MS-13 Members and Associates Indicted in Racketeering, Narcotics and Multiple Murder ConspiraciesRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Virginia returned a superseding indictment yesterday charging 12 members and associates of La Mara Salvatrucha, aka MS-13, with a variety of offenses based on their alleged involvement in a series of murders, racketeering and drug trafficking crimes.
Those charged in the indictment are:
Name
Age
Gang Moniker(s) / Nickname(s)
From
Marvin Menjivar Gutiérrez
29
Astuto
New York
Melvin Canales Saldana
29
Demente
New York
Mario Antonio Guevara Rivera
26
Blue, Azul, Telele
Woodbridge
Cristian Ariel Arevalo Arias
26
Serio
Woodbridge
Carlos Jose Turcios Villatoro
23
Oculto
Woodbridge
Abner Jose Molina Rodriguez
24
Rino, Tecolote
Woodbridge
Manilester Andrade Rivas
32
Mani, Tandori, Conejo, Coqueto
Woodbridge
Jairo Gustavo Aguilera Sagastizado
26
Coy, Maruchan, Psicólogo
New York
Walter Jeovanny Rubio Lemus
27
Caskillo
Woodbridge
Juan Carlos Hernández Landaverde
23
Chele
Annandale
Karen Estefany Figueroa Alfaro
29
N/A
Woodbridge
Juan Manuel Vasquez Reyes
40
Güero
Manassas
According to the indictment, the defendants were members/associates of the Sitios Locos Salvatrucha clique (STLS) of MS-13.The indictment alleges that since at least in and around 2017, MS-13 members and associates regularly travelled to and from Long Island, New York, for the purpose of obtaining cocaine and transporting it to the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, where they and other gang members would sell it primarily, in restaurants and night clubs.
The indictment also charges eight of the defendants with several offenses stemming from their alleged involvement in four murders that occurred in Eastern Prince William County between June 22, 2019, and Sept. 24, 2019. Specifically, the indictment charges:
- Guevara, Arevalo and Turcios with the June 2019 double-murder of M.B.L. and J.G.M., and Vasquez with helping them after they committed the murders;
- Canales and Andrade with the August 2019 murder of E.L.T.; and
- Guevara, Molina and Aguilera with the September 2019 murder of A.K.S.
Defendants in this case are charged with RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, murder in aid of racketeering, accessory after the fact to murder in aid of racketeering, witness tampering, using a firearm during a crime of violence causing death, possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, and violations of the Controlled Substances Act, among other crimes. The statutory penalties for the charged offenses range from a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison to capital punishment. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia; Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs of the FBI’s Washington Field Office and Chief Peter Newsham of Prince William County Police Department made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John Blanchard, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Roberts and Trial Attorney Matthew Hoff from the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section are prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is supported by the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Louisville Man Sentenced to over 14 Years in Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss.- A Louisville, Mississippi man was sentenced to 175 months in prison for conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Vernon “Jeb” Bison, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans.
According to court documents, from November 2014 through March of 2018, Tray Beamon, 32, conspired with others to distribute kilogram quantities of methamphetamine from Texas into central Mississippi. During the investigation, a search warrant was executed at his residence where 1.7 kilograms of methamphetamine, 11 kilograms of marijuana, and numerous firearms were recovered. This case is the result of an extensive investigation dubbed “Operation Highlife,” which targeted illegal methamphetamine distribution in central Mississippi.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. 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.
This OCDETF case is the result of an investigation targeting illegal narcotics distribution led by Homeland Security Investigations and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Philadelphia Police Department, Neshoba County Sheriff’s Department, Neshoba County District Attorney’s Office, Scott County Sheriff’s Office, Flowood Police Department, Rankin County Sheriff’s Department, Hinds County Sheriff’s Department, Carthage Police Department, Union Police Department, Louisville Police Department, and the Mississippi Highway Patrol.
The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Criminal Chief Attorney Erin Chalk and Assistant United States Attorney Keesha Middleton.
Lehi Couple Charged with Schemes to Defraud Victims, Including a Vulnerable Adult, out of a Combined 3.65 Million Dollars; Husband Charged with Kidnapping in Connection with SchemeRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY- Misiona Patane, 57, and Lavinia Patane, 54, of Lehi, have been charged in U.S. District Court for their alleged role in defrauding one set of victims out of 1.25 million dollars, along with a related scheme to defraud a vulnerable adult out of 2.4 million dollars. In an indictment issued by a federal grand jury, Misiona and Lavinia Patane are charged with two counts of bank fraud and three counts of money laundering, while Misiona Patane is separately charged with four counts of wire fraud, six counts of aggravated identity theft, and one count of kidnapping. The kidnapping charge is based upon Misiona Patane’s alleged role in keeping a vulnerable adult in Samoa for more than a year under false pretenses so Patane could fraudulently obtain more funds from a trust meant for the benefit and care of the adult.
The allegations contained in the indictment state that, in 2011, Misiona Patane became the director of a foundation started by a former professional athlete, known as “P.S.” The foundation was dedicated to assisting individuals in and from Samoa. It is alleged that, later in 2011, Misiona Patane’s wife, Lavinia Patane, became an officer of the foundation. Over the course of several years, Lavinia Patane wrote numerous checks, made deposits, and made cash withdrawals from the foundation without the knowledge of or permission from P.S. The indictment alleges that between 2015 and 2017, the Patanes diverted 1.25 million dollars in tax refunds belonging to P.S. and his wife, and used the money for their own personal use.
In carrying out the second scheme, the indictment alleges that the Patanes stole over 2.4 million dollars from a court-monitored trust which existed for the benefit of a 26-year-old victim known as “J.F.”, who suffers from a permanent traumatic brain injury which occurred in an automobile accident when J.F. was 20 months old. It is alleged that under the terms of the court-monitored conservatorship, two family members were appointed as co-guardians to manage the financial and daily affairs of “J.F.” and that the co-guardians could authorize expenditures of funds from the J.F. Trust. It is alleged that from 2016 to 2018, the Patanes stole $2.4 million dollars from the J.F. Trust, under the guise of helping to provide services and pay for expenses related to J.F.’s care; the Patanes used these stolen funds for their own personal expenses. It is further alleged that Misiona Patane devised a plan to have J.F. participate in a residential program in Samoa, and that Misiona, acting as himself and pretending to be third parties, sent numerous emails and fraudulent documents to J.F.’s guardians and financial advisor to fraudulently obtain money from J.F.’s trust. In addition, it is alleged that Misiona Patane, for the purpose of fraudulently obtaining more money from the trust, falsely stated that “J.F.” was required to stay in Samoa pursuant to a court order and that J.F. would be subject to arrest or imprisonment should J.F. attempt to leave Samoa and travel to the U.S.
Misiona Patane is currently being held in custody pending trial after a finding by a federal magistrate that Misiona Patane is a danger to the community and a risk of flight. Some of the allegations in the indictment occurred while Patane was serving a federal probationary sentence for a previous federal conviction for fraud.
Any individual who believes they may be a victim of fraud by the defendants is encouraged to contact United States Attorney’s Office Victim Coordinator at 801-325-1430.
Assistant United States Attorneys from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah are prosecuting the case against the Patanes. Special Agents from IRS Criminal Investigation are conducting the investigation.
Statements made in charging documents are only allegations and not findings of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty of the charges contained in the indictment.
Lamar County Man Convicted of Federal Firearms ViolationsRead the Press Release
PLANO, Texas – An Arthur City, Texas, man has been convicted of federal firearms violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston today.
Steven Dewayne Wilson, 57, was found guilty by a jury of being a felon in possession of a firearm following a one-week trial before U.S. District Judge Sean Jordan.
According to information presented in court, on March 8, 2017, members of the Lamar County Sheriff's Office responded to a call for service in Arthur City, where it was reported that gunshots had been fired near a residence. It was also reported that the shooter had assaulted another person by striking them in the head with the barrel of a firearm. Upon arrival, law enforcement officers made contact with the reporting parties and searched for Wilson, who was identified as the shooter and lived in a nearby camper. Unable to locate him, the officers left the scene, but they were called back early the next morning with reports that Wilson had returned. Upon contact with Wilson, deputies noticed spent shell casings scattered in front of his camper. Wilson denied possessing any firearms. A search warrant was eventually obtained for Wilson's camper and vehicles. During the search of Wilson's truck, officers found a rifle shoved under the backseat of the cab, and a plastic baggie of ammunition stuffed under the driver’s seat. Wilson, a convicted felon, was arrested for felon in possession of a firearm. During a subsequent interview, Wilson admitted to possessing the firearm, placing it in his truck, and firing it a few days prior. However, at trial, Wilson testified that an acquaintance named “James” actually brought the firearm to Wilson’s residence and that Wilson had never actually handled the firearm. Wilson was not able to provide further details as to whereabouts of “James” or any contact information for “James.”
Wilson was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 14, 2019. He faces up to 10 years in federal prison. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Lamar County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Wes Wynne and Lesley Brooks.
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Justice Department Settles with Texas Recycling Company to Prevent the Release of Ozone Depleting Refrigerants, Which Contribute to Climate ChangeRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a settlement with Derichebourg Recycling USA Inc. (Derichebourg) of Houston to resolve Clean Air Act violations at 10 scrap metal recycling facilities in Texas and Oklahoma.
The federal complaint filed simultaneously with the consent decree alleges that Derichebourg failed to recover refrigerant from appliances and motor vehicle air conditioners before disposal or verify with the supplier that the refrigerant had been properly recovered prior to delivery. Under the settlement, Derichebourg will prevent the release of ozone-depleting refrigerants and non-exempt substitutes from refrigerant-containing items during their processing and disposal processes. Derichebourg will also pay a civil penalty of $442,500.
“To continue protecting stratospheric ozone, we need companies like Derichebourg to comply with the Clean Air Act when recycling appliances and motor vehicles containing harmful refrigerants,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division.
“Refrigerants that are not captured properly can be damaging to the earth’s ozone layer and are known to increase greenhouse gases which leads to climate change,” said Acting Assistant Administrator Larry Starfield for the EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Today’s settlement is a win for the communities surrounding Derichebourg’s facilities, and the environment.”
The settlement also requires Derichebourg to implement a Refrigerant Recovery Management Program at its 10 U.S. facilities; provide notice to its suppliers that all refrigerants, if not being recovered by Derichebourg, must be recovered properly from appliances and motor vehicle air conditioners; reject any appliance or vehicle where there is evidence of unlawful refrigerant venting; and provide an educational handout to its customers on compliant handling of refrigerant-containing items. Derichebourg must also complete an environmental mitigation project that involves ensuring the destruction of all R-12 refrigerant that Derichebourg collects at its ten facilities for the duration of the consent decree. R-12 is one of the most destructive ozone depleting substances and has a global warming potential greater than 10,000 times the power of carbon dioxide.
The consent decree, lodged in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval. The consent decree will be available for viewing at https://www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.
Jamestown Man Pleads Guilty to Multiple Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Jun N. Martinez, 28, of Jamestown, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 100 grams or more of acetyl fentanyl; 400 grams or more of fentanyl; 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; and 500 grams or more of cocaine. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life, and a $10,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua A. Violanti and Misha Coulson, who are handling the case, stated that during the conspiracy, Martinez received several large packages of cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin via mail from an out of state source. He also provided large quantities of crystal methamphetamine and heroin/fentanyl to an individual known to law enforcement, who then sold the drugs to others for profit. The individual then provided additional funds to Martinez for more narcotics.
During a trip in September 2020, to acquire more narcotics, Martinez’s vehicle was stopped by an Illinois State Police Trooper. A search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of approximately 9,589 grams of methamphetamine, 3,157 grams of fentanyl, 2,241 grams of cocaine, and marijuana products. In October 2020, during the execution of a search warrant at Martinez’s Wescott Street residence, investigators recovered methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, a drug ledger and approximately $62,000.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Metro Drug Task Force, under the direction of Jamestown Police Chief Timothy Jackson, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Keith Kruskall, New York Field Division.
Sentencing is scheduled for July 6, 2022, before Judge Sinatra.
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Iowa Sex Offender Sentenced to 17.5 Years in Prison for Child Enticement CrimesRead the Press Release
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – A Muscatine, Iowa, man, Nicholas Bryan Swank, 32, was sentenced on January 6, 2022, to a total of 210 months in prison, to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for attempted enticement of a minor, traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, and soliciting an obscene visual depiction of a minor.
Swank pleaded guilty in July 2021. According to court documents, Swank began communicating online with an individual he believed to be a 15-year-old child. After arranging to meet with the intended victim and asking for explicit photographs, Swank traveled from Muscatine, Iowa, to Rock Island, Illinois, where he was ultimately arrested by federal agents and local law enforcement. At the time of his arrest, Swank was under the supervision of the court in relation to sentences out of the state of Iowa for Theft – Third Degree, Domestic Abuse Assault with Strangulation (1st Offense, No Injury), and two separate instances of a Violation of Sex Offender Registry Requirements (First Offense).
Swank has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals since his arrest in November 2020.
“The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to prosecuting those who seek to sexually exploit children,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Harris. “These are serious crimes that inflict great harm on some of the most vulnerable members of our community, and they merit serious sentences. We also urge parents and guardians to remain vigilant and monitor their children’s online activities.”
This sentence reflects the serious nature of the offense and acts as tangible proof of our commitment to safeguard the children in our communities. The FBI appreciates our collaborative law enforcement partnerships as we work together to stop those who seek to harm our children. said David Nanz, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Springfield Office.
Chief U.S. District Court Judge Sara Darrow imposed concurrent 210-month sentences of imprisonment on each count. In pronouncing Swank’s sentence, Chief Judge Darrow commented on the real danger Swank posed to the community and noted her hope that his sentence would deter others from engaging in the same conduct.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Division, with assistance from Rock Island Police and Illinois State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer L. Mathew represented the federal government in the prosecution.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Informational: Federal Court arraignmentsRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned or appeared this week before U.S. Magistrate judges on indictments handed down by the Grand Jury or on criminal complaints. The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty:
Appearing in Great Falls before U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston and pleading not guilty on Jan. 4 was:
James Dusette Grandchamp, 54, of Poplar, on charges of prohibited person in possession of firearm and ammunition. If convicted of the most serious crime, Grandchamp faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Grandchamp was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Fort Peck Law Enforcement Services investigated the case. PACER case reference. 21-89.
Appearing on a criminal complaint was:
Joseph John Lequin, 65, of Shelby, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth and possession with intent to distribute meth. If convicted of the most serious crime, Lequin faces a mandatory minimum five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and at least four years of supervised release. Lequin was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI investigated the case. PACER case reference. 21-89.
Appearing in Billings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan and pleading not guilty on Jan. 4 was:
Royale Jade Ereaux, 37, of Billings, on charges of bank fraud, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. If convicted of the most serious crime, Ereaux faces a maximum of 30 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release on the bank fraud crime and a mandatory minimum two years in prison consecutive to any other sentence, a $250,000 fine and one year of supervised release on the aggravated identity theft crime. Ereaux was detained pending further proceedings. The IRS investigated the case. PACER case reference. 21-100.
Appearing in Missoula before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto and pleading not guilty on Jan. 3 was:
Tara Ann Gallagher, 43, of Belgrade, on charges of false statement during a firearms transaction. If convicted of the most serious crime, Gallagher faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Gallagher was released pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, FBI, Broadwater County Sheriff’s Office and Missoula County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. PACER case reference. 21-43.
The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
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Houston man sentenced for role in narcotics and weapons distribution ringRead the Press Release
HOUSTON - A 36-year-old Houston resident has been ordered to federal prison for wire fraud, possession of meth and possession of a firearm by a felon, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Steven Nguyen pleaded guilty April 27, 2021.
Today, U.S. District Judge Charles Eskridge ordered him to serve a 110-month sentence to be immediately followed by four years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional information that detailed Nguyen’s long criminal history. In handing down the sentence, Judge Eskridge noted his continued criminal behavior and the serious nature of the offenses.
In October 2019, Nguyen used a victim’s information to apply for a vehicle loan in Georgia. Law enforcement then opened an investigation into Nguyen’s role in a mail theft ring operating in the Houston area.
On April 30, 2020, authorities searched Nguyen’s residence and found approximately two kilograms of meth and 16 firearms, including several semi-automatic rifles equipped with military grade optics.
Nguyen will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future
The U.S. Postal Service and the Harris County Constable’s Office, Precinct 5, conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Carter, Michael Day and Matthew Peneguy prosecuted the case.
Glendale Man Sentenced to 13 Years for Participating in Darknet Drug Distribution RingRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – On Tuesday, Jacob Matthew Medina, 29, of Glendale, Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Douglas L. Rayes to 160 months in federal prison. Medina previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to possess fentanyl and heroin with intent to distribute, in connection with an Internet-based drug trafficking operation.
In November 2018, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service began an investigation of Darknet vendor “Ghost831,” who advertised heroin, methamphetamine, and oxycodone for sale on the Internet. On March 4, 2019, after identifying drug packages mailed by the vendor, investigators executed a federal search warrant at Medina’s residence in Glendale. Medina admitted that he had $31,000 in cash, a firearm, customer lists, package tracking numbers, 502 grams of counterfeit “M30” pills containing fentanyl, and over a pound of heroin in his residence. One of the customers on the list suffered a fatal drug overdose.
“Individuals like this defendant have played a direct role in fueling this nation’s opioid crisis,” said U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino. “The presence of powerful drugs, such as fentanyl, in counterfeit pills that are sold over the Internet has endangered many lives throughout the United States. We are thankful for the strong efforts of our partners at the Postal Inspection Service for their role in interdicting and investigating dangerous contraband.”
“Mr. Medina profited off of numerous individuals addicted to opioids with his fentanyl-laced pills. He utilized the dark web, mistakenly thinking he could outsmart the authorities. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is committed to investigating and dismantling drug trafficking organizations to keep U.S. Postal Service customers and employees safe from such dangerous drugs,” stated Inspector in Charge Melisa Llosa, of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Phoenix Division.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, with assistance from Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR 19-329-001-PHX-DLR
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-002_MEDINA# # #
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.Georgia Woman Is Sentenced to Five Years for Scheme That Defrauded Walmart of More Than $850,000Read the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell sentenced Cyianna Ashley Woods, 38, of Atlanta, Georgia, to 60 months in prison yesterday on wire fraud and money laundering charges, for executing a scheme that defrauded more than 300 Walmart stores of over $850,000, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Judge Bell also ordered Woods to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $923,915 in restitution.
Judge Bell previously sentenced Woods’s codefendant, Andre Marquese White, 35, of Norcross, Georgia, to 46 months in prison and three years of supervised release for his role in the conspiracy.
Ronnie Martinez, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in North Carolina and South Carolina, joins U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King said, “This criminal duo engaged in an extensive scheme that defrauded Walmart of hundreds of thousands of dollars. This type of financial crime impacts not only affected retailers but also consumers in the form of higher prices for goods and services.”
“This individual’s long-running and widespread scheme has been thwarted and now she will be held accountable for her crimes.” said HSI Special Agent in Charge Martinez. “Unlawful activity like this hurts businesses and results in higher costs to consumers. This case should serve as a warning to others thinking they can get away with schemes like this that HSI and our law enforcement and private sector partners are watching.”
According to filed court documents and the sentencing hearing, from 2013 to 2019, Woods and White organized and executed a counterfeit bank check and wire fraud scheme against 300 Walmart stores in 24 states, including stores located in Iredell, Catawba, Mecklenburg, Anson, Gaston, and Buncombe Counties in North Carolina. To perpetuate the fraud, the defendants made counterfeit checks, which appeared as legitimate bank checks, that they then cashed at various Walmart stores. In this manner, over the course of the scheme the defendants obtained more than $850,000 in pre-paid debit cards, gift cards, Walmart shopping cards, and other merchandise. Court records also show that, the defendants further laundered the illegal proceeds by purchasing pre-paid debit cards from other retail stores. Both Woods and White previously pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering charges.
U.S. Attorney King thanked HSI for their investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael E. Savage, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.
Former Westlake Bank Teller Sentenced to Prison for Embezzling from EmployerRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Bridget M. Brennan announced that Arin Kumhall, 38, of North Olmsted, Ohio, was sentenced on January 6, 2022, by Judge James S. Gwin to five months in prison, to be followed by five months of home confinement, after Kumhall pleaded guilty to embezzling nearly $73,000 from her employer.
According to court documents, Kumhall was employed as a bank teller at a Citizens Bank in Westlake, Ohio. In addition to traditional teller responsibilities, Kumhall was responsible for ordering, receiving and inputting cash into the bank’s internal reporting system for the branch.
Court records state that on multiple occasions from September to December of 2020, Kumhall ordered a set amount of cash to be delivered to the branch. However, after the delivery, Kumhall entered and reported an amount lower than what had been delivered into the bank’s internal reporting system.
The FBI obtained and reviewed Kumhall’s personal bank account information and observed an increase in cash deposits and online gambling activity from September 2020 through December 2020.
This case was investigated by the Cleveland FBI and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian McDonough and Erica Barnhill.
Former Virginia Beach Woman Sentenced for International Parental KidnappingRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A woman formerly from Virginia Beach was sentenced today to 2 years in prison for international parental kidnapping.
According to court documents, Kathleen Shehadeh, 32, had joint custody of A.G. with her ex-husband. A.G. spent time with both parents based on a court-ordered schedule. Unknown to the father, Shehadeh applied for and was granted a New Zealand passport for A.G. In July 2018, Shehadeh took then two-year-old A.G. and fled Virginia Beach. They first went to Mexico City, Mexico. Shehadeh then took the girl to Bogota, Columbia, and, finally, to Spain. Shehadeh wrote a letter to the father, in which Shehadeh falsely stated that she and A.G. were moving out west and would let him know the exact address once they were settled. The father did not hear from Shehadeh or know where his daughter was for over two years.
Finally, in August 2020, the father tracked Shehadeh and his daughter to Tenerife, Spain, and was able to reunite and come back to the United States with A.G. Shehadeh was arrested by the Spanish authorities on the federal warrant and eventually waived extradition to return to the United States and face the charge.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Yusi 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. 2:21-cr-15.
Former Senior Policy Advisor to City of Austin Official Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Misapply Federal Funds and to Falsify RecordsRead the Press Release
AUSTIN – A Dripping Springs man pleaded guilty today to conspiring to misapply federal funds and falsify records with the intent to impede, obstruct, or influence an investigation into a matter within the jurisdiction of an agency of the United States.
According to court documents, in April 2015, Frank Rodriguez, 71, began to serve as a senior policy advisor to an Austin city official. Rodriguez had previously served as the Executive Director of a local nonprofit organization and as a member of a City advisory commission. In June 2015, while employed by the City, Rodriguez submitted an application on the nonprofit’s behalf to a federal agency for federal Affordable Care Act navigator grant funding. In the application, Rodriguez falsely stated that he was the nonprofit’s “Chief Development Officer” and “Authorized Representative.”
In September 2015, the nonprofit was awarded a federal grant pursuant to the application that he submitted. Shortly thereafter, Rodriguez emailed an employee of the nonprofit, writing that he wanted to make sure that they “were on the same page with respect to [his] fee” for the grant, which was “10% of the grant.”
In December 2015, Rodriguez emailed the nonprofit employee a draft “consulting agreement,” stating that he had drafted it so as to address “any issue that someone might have that the payments are for navigator grant work.” Rodriguez was subsequently paid more than $20,000 by the nonprofit in “consulting fees” between December 2015 and December 2016 after the execution of the “consulting agreement.” Those “consulting fees” were in fact a commission on the federal grant in return for his preparation of the grant application.
Rodriguez continued to work on the nonprofit’s behalf while a City employee by, among other things, providing confidential City information to the nonprofit, recommending that the nonprofit receive continued City funding, and undermining the nonprofit’s competitors for City funding.
In 2017, the Auditor’s Office for the City of Austin commenced an investigation regarding Rodriguez’s conduct as a member of the City commission and as a City employee. In January 2018, during the course of the City Auditor’s investigation, Rodriguez drafted a letter to the City Auditor that contained multiple false statements regarding his relationship with the nonprofit, and the letter was later finalized and submitted to the City Auditor. At a June 2019 City ethics hearing, Rodriguez testified falsely under oath that the money he had been provided by the nonprofit was reimbursement for previous expenses incurred on the nonprofit’s behalf.
Rodriguez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to misapply federal funds and to falsify records in an investigation within the jurisdiction of an agency of the United States. He is scheduled for sentencing on March 24, 2022 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff of the Western District of Texas and FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs made the announcement.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gabriel Cohen and Alan Buie are prosecuting the case.
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Former Sales Representative Admits Role in Compounding Prescription Drug SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A former sales representative today admitted his role in a scheme to defraud New Jersey state health benefits programs, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Scott Shekitka, 42, formerly of Westwood, New Jersey, pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge John Michael Vazquez to an information charging him with conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Compounding is a practice in which a pharmacist or physician combines, mixes, or alters ingredients of a drug to create a medication tailored to the needs of an individual patient. The Food and Drug Administration does not approve compounded drugs and thus does not verify the safety, potency, effectiveness, or manufacturing quality of compounded drugs. Generally, a physician may prescribe compounded drugs when an FDA-approved drug does not meet the health needs of a particular patient.
Between June 2014 and February 2016, Shekitka worked as a sales representative for a marketing company that marketed and sold compounded drugs, including pain and scar creams, metabolic supplements and vitamins. Shekitka recruited patients, including family members, who had prescription drug coverage under the New Jersey State Health Benefits Program and the New Jersey School Employee’s Health Benefits Program, to obtain medically unnecessary prescriptions for compounded drugs. Shekitka paid certain patients he recruited to obtain these medically unnecessary prescriptions and directed patients to telemedicine companies that were paid by the marketing company or its affiliates. The prescribing physicians at the telemedicine companies would then write the prescriptions without performing any examination or after deliberately conducting cursory examinations that were insufficient to legitimately deem a compounded drug medically necessary.
The marketing company directed the medically unnecessary prescriptions to certain compounding pharmacies that then paid the marketing company a percentage of the health care benefit reimbursement payments they received for each prescription that Shekitka referred. The marketing company, in turn, paid Shekitka based on the compounded prescriptions he generated.
The conspiracy to commit health care fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gain or loss from the offense. As part of his plea agreement, Shekitka must forfeit $329,639 in criminal proceeds and pay restitution of at least $1.39 million. Sentencing is scheduled for May 12, 2022.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr. in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Baker of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit in Newark.
Former Lincoln Police Department Dispatcher Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former dispatcher for the Lincoln Police Department pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to charges of child pornography.
Spencer Hughes, 33, of Randolph, pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor or a minor who had not attained 12 years of age. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for May 5, 2022. Hughes was indicted in November 2020.
A search of Hughes’ residence in October 2020 resulted in the recovery of multiple electronic devices and external hard drives. An on-site preliminary forensic examination revealed multiple folders saved to the Hughes’ external hard drive under what appeared to be female names. One folder contained approximately 19 digital files depicting child pornography, including images and videos. This folder included a prepubescent minor female who appeared to be younger than the age of 12 engaged in sexual conduct, among other things. Further analysis of the Hughes’ electronic devices revealed more than 2,200 images and approximately 68 videos of child pornography. Prior to the search, Hughes was employed by the Town of Lincoln Police Department as a dispatcher.
The charge of receipt of child pornography provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, five years to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell and Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Mackenzie Duane of Mendell’s Major Crimes Unit are prosecuting the case.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
Former Hastings Insurance Agent Sentenced for Mail FraudRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that Codie D. Malesker, age 47, of Hastings, Nebraska, was sentenced today in Lincoln, Nebraska, by United States District Judge John M. Gerrard to five years’ probation for Mail Fraud. As part of his probation, Malesker will have to serve 15 weekends in jail, and he was ordered to pay $63,443.77 in restitution.
Malesker was an insurance agent with Midwest Regional Agency since July 15, 2013 and he operated Malesker Agency, LLC in Hastings. Malesker also served as a pastor and board member at Faith Community Tabernacle in Hastings. Malesker was also a partner in a construction company, Shaun Peck Family Construction, LLC. Malesker’s responsibilities with Shaun Peck Family Construction, LLC were to manage the financial management of the company. As a result of this position, Malesker had access to the bank account of the construction company, retained possession of the checks and debit cards for the company, as well as having access to an Intuit account to generate estimates with the company letterhead.
Over a roughly four-year period, Malesker issued policies to himself, his insurance agency, and Faith Community Tabernacle and then made fraudulent claims against those policies and would divert those proceeds to accounts controlled by himself. As a result of this scheme to defraud, Malesker caused an actual loss of $76,296.48. In one such instance, Malesker filed a theft loss claim against his Continental Western Insurance Group policy reporting $13,388 in premium cash and $18,723.11 in personal property as being stolen from the Malesker Agency Office. In support of this claim, Malesker submitted fraudulent receipts and bank records. As a result of this fraudulent claim, Continental Western Insurance Group mailed two claims checks totaling $31,648.77 from Des Moines, Iowa to Malesker in Hastings.
This case was investigated by the Nebraska Department of Insurance and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
Former Erie Teacher and Coach Pleads Guilty to child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A former resident of Erie, Pennsylvania pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of violating federal laws relating to the sexual exploitation of children, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Gregory Samuel Mancini, 32, pleaded guilty to three counts before United States District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that on November 2, 2018, Mancini travelled to Georgia from Erie, Pennsylvania for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with a minor. Upon arriving in Georgia, Mancini traveled to meet with the minor and was subsequently taken into custody by the Hall County, Georgia Sheriff’s Office. When interviewed Mancini admitted that he had engaged in sexual talk with the minor victim and that he had crossed the line. Mancini also admitted that he was a criminal.
The investigation uncovered that Mancini had groomed the victim for months, discussing his intention to engage in sex acts with the minor. He told the victim to keep quiet about their contact and that he loved the victim who was thirteen years of age at the time. After Mancini told the victim that he was coming to visit him on November 2, 2018, the victim became upset and ultimately the Hall County Sheriff’s Office was contacted. They then assumed the victim’s identity online and Mancini began communicating with an undercover detective whom he thought was the victim. During his communication with the undercover detective, Mancini, thinking he was communicating with the minor victim, stated “i want u, I love u.” Shortly before his arrest, Mancini again thinking he was communicating with the minor victim, texted “I want to hug u … kiss u … love u.”
After Mancini’s arrest, federal authorities in Georgia transferred the case to Erie for further investigation. That inquiry ultimately uncovered that Mancini was using the dark web to obtain child sexual abuse material. The execution of a federal search warrant at Mancini’s residence in Erie County on January 9, 2020, resulted in the seizure of two computers and a thumb drive belonging to Mancini. A forensic examination of those items revealed hundreds of items of child sexual abuse material depicting children as young as two being raped and abused by adults. Also uncovered was a journal Mancini had written wherein he admitted that he was attracted to younger boys.
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.
Judge Baxter scheduled sentencing for May 6, 2022. The law provides for a total sentence of 70 years in prison, a fine of $750,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations and the Hall County, Georgia Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Mancini.
Former Biloxi VA Employee Sentenced to Prison for Stealing VA PropertyRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – A Saucier man was sentenced to serve 12 months in federal prison for stealing government property, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey A. Breen of the Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Inspector General, South Central Field Office.
Chad Jacob, 55, was also ordered to pay a $40,000 fine and $23,584 in restitution to the VA.
According to court documents, Jacob stole personal protective equipment (“PPE”), electronics, and medical equipment while working as the Assistant Chief of Supply Chain Management for the Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System. Starting in 2019 and continuing to December 2020, Jacob stole items belonging to the VA and resold them to local pawn stores and on his personal eBay account. In total, Jacob made more than $50,000 selling the stolen N-95 masks and over $9,000 selling stolen iPads and iPhones.
The case was investigated by the VA Office of Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathlyn R. Van Buskirk prosecuted the case.
Former Alderman Received Federal SentenceRead the Press Release
Jackson, TN – Former Selmer, TN Alderman, Nickolas Atkins, 42, has been sentenced to federal prison for 48 months for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine. U.S. Attorney Joseph C. Murphy Jr. announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, in March 2018, a joint-task force investigation was initiated into the activities of a drug trafficking organization run by Timmy Jermaine Cole, - which involved the distribution of large quantities of methamphetamine, marijuana, and cocaine from individuals in Mexico to West Tennessee.
Through the interception of the Title III wiretaps, agents learned Atkins distributed marijuana, cocaine, and pills, as well as conducted a money laundering operation surrounding a restaurant owned by Cole. Atkins would pay the bills at the Hungry Wolf Restaurant in exchange for narcotics. It was determined, through Title III intercepts, witness statements and surveillance, Atkins was responsible for 250 pounds of marijuana, 3 ounces of cocaine, over 600 pills containing hydrocodone, and 77 units of testosterone. Also, Atkins sold pills containing hydrocodone out of Moody Auto Sales, where he was employed. During one of the intercepted calls between Atkins and Cole, Atkins told Cole that he had someone complain about the quality of marijuana.
Approximately four days later, there was another call where Atkins confirmed with Cole that Atkins owed Cole for three "cuties." Testimony would have been presented at a trial that based upon training and experience of law enforcement officers a "juice" is an ounce of cocaine, a "cutie" is known to law enforcement as a quarter ounce of cocaine and "girl" is code, for cocaine.
Additionally, Atkins utilized his position in the community as a former Alderman to obtain information from law enforcement and other members of the community to share with Cole in hiding his drug trafficking activity from law enforcement. For example, on December 7, 2019, Cole and Atkins were intercepted discussing Atkins having a party at the Hungry Wolf Restaurant where there would be a Court Clerk present. The two discussed how she would be a good person to know because "she would tip you off and tell you when they are getting ready to serve." There were additional calls where the two would discuss who were "Fed Agents" and how they knew them.
On December 12, 2019, while the drug task force was conducting surveillance around the Hungry Wolf Restaurant, Atkins was intercepted telling Cole that he was being followed by a black Durango and that it was the drug task force.
On December 17, 2021, Atkins pled guilty.
This case was investigated by the Selmer Police Department, 24th Judicial District Drug Task Force, Decatur County Sheriff’s Office, Lexington Police Department, Dyersburg Police Department, McNairy County Sheriff’s Office, Hardeman County Sheriff’s Office, and the FBI.
On January 4, 2022, Chief U.S. District Judge S. Thomas Anderson sentenced Atkins to 48 months in federal prison to be followed by three years’ supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Hillary Lawler Parham prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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Foreign National Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud and Wire Fraud in Relation to Multiple Religious InstitutionsRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Marius Vaduva, age 27, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud. As part of his plea agreement, Vaduva will be ordered to pay at least $1,320,829.23 in restitution.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Acting Postal Inspector in Charge Charles Wickersham of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division; Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Special Agent in Charge Shimon R. Richmond of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG); Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department; Chief Toni Dezomits of the Cary, North Carolina, Police Department; and Sheriff Dusty Rhoades of the Williamson County, Tennessee, Sheriff’s Office.
According to his guilty plea, beginning in June 2018 to January 2021, Vaduva and his co-conspirators conspired to steal checks from the U.S. mail intended for religious institutions and deposit the illegally obtained funds into multiple fraudulent bank accounts at various victim financial institutions. Conspirators, including Vaduva, conducted the thefts by driving to roadside mailboxes of churches and other religious institutions and removing the mail, specifically targeting donation checks.
As part of the scheme to defraud, Vaduva and other co-conspirators fraudulently opened bank accounts at victim financial institutions under false identities. Conspiracy members often opened fictitious bank accounts with the aid of a conspiracy member that was an employee at one of the victim financial institutions. In addition, Vaduva and his co-conspirators used at least two extended family members who were minors to assist in the account openings.
Vaduva and co-conspirators then withdrew cash from the fraudulent bank accounts through ATMs and spent the illegally obtained proceeds using debit cards associated with the bank accounts. Additionally, Vaduva deposited stolen checks in fraudulently opened bank accounts held in others’ identities. Vaduva opened at least nine fraudulent accounts between October 24, 2019 to November 20, 2019. The same nine fraudulent accounts received a total of 119 stolen checks totaling approximately $41,528.99. Vaduva also deposited at least four stolen checks totaling approximately $2,120.69 into other bank accounts. Those checks had been stolen from religious institutions in North Carolina and Virginia.
Further, upon his arrest in February 2021, Vaduva’s cell phone contained images of at least 21 stolen checks, totaling $10,119.68.
In total the conspiracy stole at least approximately $1,320,829.69 from 3,075 stolen checks.
Co-conspirators Daniel Velcu, age 43, of Baltimore, Maryland; Marian Unguru, age 36, of Baltimore, Maryland; and Vali Unguru, age 19, of Baltimore, Maryland, previously pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud. Nicole Gindac, age 52, of Dania Beach, Florida pled guilty to the same charge and was sentenced to 54 months in federal prison. Mateus Vaduva, age 29, of Baltimore, Maryland pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud and is scheduled to be sentenced on February 18, 2022 at 2:00 p.m.
Vaduva faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud. U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang has scheduled sentencing for June 2, 2022 at 2:00 p.m.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, HSI, the FDIC Office of Inspector General, the Montgomery County Police Department, the Cary (North Carolina) Police Department, and the Williamson County (Tennessee) Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Wright, who is prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Five Alleged Jersey City Gang Members Charged with Murders of Rival Gang Member and 17-Year-Old BystanderRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Five alleged members and associates of a neighborhood-based Jersey City, New Jersey, gang were charged for their roles in two gang-related shootings, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Shaquan Rush, aka “Nut,” aka “Sha,” 21; Darby Shirden, aka “GoHard,” aka “GH,” 21; and Jeremy Perez, aka “Smoov,” aka “JSmoov,” 23, all of Jersey City, are each charged by complaint with one count of murder in aid of racketeering, one count of attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and two counts of discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Devon Tutten, aka “Joker,” 24; and Tyree Witherspoon, aka “Surf,” aka “Sonny,” 29, both of Jersey City, were also each charged with one count of murder in aid of racketeering and one count of discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. The defendants will make their initial appearances at a date to be determined.
According to the complaint:
Rush, Shirden, Perez, Tutten, and Witherspoon are all associated with neighborhood-based street gangs in Jersey City – specifically, a street gang that operates in the area of Rutgers Avenue and Triangle Park.
On April 1, 2020, in retaliation for the murder of a high-ranking Rutgers Avenue gang member on March 31, 2020, Rush, Shirden, and Perez traveled to the territory of rival gang members that associate with the Salem Lafayette Apartments and opened fire on a group of people on the street. Two victims were shot: one individual associated with the Salem Lafayette street gang and a 17-year-old girl who was walking down the street. The girl died the following day as a result of her gunshot wound.
On April 4, 2020, in retaliation for an attempted shooting on April 3, 2020, Tutten and Witherspoon traveled to the territory of rival gang members that associate with Wilkinson Avenue and opened fire on a group of people on the street. An individual associated with the Wilkinson street gang was shot in the head and pronounced dead shortly thereafter.
The charge of murder in aid of racketeering activity carries a mandatory punishment of death or life in prison without the possibility of parole. For their respective charges for discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, all five defendants face mandatory minimum terms of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life, which must run consecutively to any term of imprisonment imposed on any other charges. For their respective charges for attempted murder in aid of racketeering, Rush, Shirden, and Perez also face additional terms of imprisonment of up to 10 years.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Esther Suarez; the Jersey City Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director James Shea; and special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey L. Matthews, with the investigation leading to the charges.
This investigation was conducted as part of the Jersey City Violent Crime Initiative (VCI). The VCI was formed in 2018 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Jersey City Police Department, for the sole purpose of combatting violent crime in and around Jersey City. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate to strategize and prioritize the prosecution of violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) New Jersey Division, the U.S. Marshals, the Jersey City Police Department, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office, New Jersey State Parole, the Hudson County Jail, and the New Jersey State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center.
The case is being prosecuted by Desiree Grace, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division in Newark.
The charges and allegations in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Firearm and Drug Trafficking Charges Follow Apparent Road Rage Incident in San Francisco’S Tenderloin DistrictRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Wilmer Arteaga appeared today in United States District Court to face federal charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm and for possession of more than 40 grams of fentanyl with the intent to distribute it, announced United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds and Special Agent in Charge Wade R. Shannon of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
According to the criminal complaint filed December 27, 2021, and unsealed in federal court today, Arteaga, 29, of Oakland, was arrested next to a white, two door BMW sedan following shots being fired at an apparent road rage incident in San Francisco’s Tenderloin District. According the complaint, on November 9, 2021, at 6:30 p.m., San Francisco Police officers witnessed two cars, one of which was a white, two door BMW sedan, stop on Turk Street at the intersection with Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco. The complaint describes the second car shifting into reverse and driving into the BMW, followed by the BMW’s driver getting out of the BMW with a pistol in hand. Two shots were fired. Both cars sped off. The complaint alleges that 15 minutes later SFPD officers located the BMW parked a few blocks away and arrested Arteaga there. According to the complaint, at Arteaga’s arrest, a loaded pistol was found in his possession and powder weighing approximately 1155 grams and testing positive for fentanyl was found in the BMW.
Arteaga originally was charged in state court before the federal complaint was filed.
Arteaga made his initial federal court appearance today in San Francisco before United States Magistrate Judge Sallie Kim. Arteaga remains in custody; Magistrate Kim scheduled his next federal court appearance for January 20, 2022.
The federal complaint charges Arteaga for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1), which carries a maximum possible statutory sentence of 10 years imprisonment, a three-year term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a maximum fine of $250,000. The second federal charge in the complaint charges Arteaga with possessing with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(B), which carries a maximum possible statutory sentence of 40 years imprisonment with a mandatory minimum imprisonment term of five years, a maximum fine of $5,000,000, and a term of supervised release following imprisonment of at least four years with a maximum of life. However, any sentence following a conviction would be imposed by a court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
The charges contained in the criminal complaint are only allegations. As in any criminal case, the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Harding is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Maribel Gallegos and Amala James. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by DEA and the San Francisco Police Department.
Failing to Register as a Sex Offender Lands Washington Man in Prison for over Two YearsRead the Press Release
A man who lived and worked in Black Hawk County, Iowa, for nearly two years and failed to register as a sex offender was sentenced today to more than two years in federal prison.
Dean Christopher Upton, age 36, from Auburn, Washington, received the prison term after a June 21, 2021 guilty plea to failing to register as a sex offender.
At the guilty plea, Upton admitted that between the Spring of 2018 and February 2020, he lived and worked in Iowa and knowingly failed to register as a sex offender. Upton was required to register as a sex offender based on a prior 2015 conviction for assault with a sexual motivation in the state of Washington. Upton intentionally chose not to register as a sex offender and was apprehended while hiding in a cardboard box at his mother’s house in Waterloo.
Upton was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Upton was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment and fined $100. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Upton is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Liz Dupuich and investigated by the United States Marshal’s Service.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-CR-2058-CJW.
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Everett Man Charged with Securities FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The sole officer and director of a Massachusetts marketing firm was charged today in connection with misappropriating tens of thousands of dollars of investor funds to pay his personal expenses.
Christopher R. Esposito, 55, of Everett, was charged and has agreed to plead guilty to one count of securities fraud. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled by the Court.
As alleged in the charging documents, Esposito served as officer and director of Code2Action, Inc., a purported mobile marketing firm. Between August 2019 and February 2020, Esposito allegedly sold company shares to existing shareholders at sub-penny prices based on material misstatements and omissions and then misappropriated much of the proceeds. Specifically, it is alleged that Esposito deliberately misled prospective investors about, among other things, Code2Action’s plan and ability to complete a reverse merger, which Esposito touted would enable the investors to sell their shares at a profit. It is further alleged that Esposito misappropriated over $57,000 to pay his personal expenses and failed to disclose to prospective investors, among other things, that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission had previously obtained a final judgment against him for committing securities fraud and barred him from certain securities-related activities.
The charge of securities fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $5 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney James R. Drabick of Mendell’s Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Erie Man Pleads to Federal Drug Law ViolationsRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A former resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal drug laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Isaac Aaron Cunningham, 43, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on or about May 6, 2021, Cunningham distributed 44.7 grams of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. Cunningham also acknowledged his responsibility for attempting to possess with intent to distribute 10.19 grams of metonitazene, a benzimidazole-opioid fentanyl analogue on or about September 14, 2021.
Judge Baxter scheduled sentencing for May 9, 2022 at 1:30 p.m. The law provides for a total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $1,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Paul S. Sellers is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Erie Area Gang Law Enforcement (EAGLE) task force, which is comprised of members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Postal Service – Office of the Inspector General, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Erie Bureau of Police, the Oil City Police Department, the Franklin Police Department, and the Titusville Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Cunningham.
Erie Man Pleads Guilty in Cocaine and Heroin Trafficking SchemeRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal drug laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Orlando Arroyo-Figueroa, 49, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Arroyo-Figueroa was involved in a conspiracy to distribute large quantities of cocaine and heroin in Erie, Pennsylvania from November 2017 through February 2020. On February 10, 2020, investigators seized approximately $250,000.00 in cocaine destined for Erie from Puerto Rico as part of this conspiracy.
Judge Baxter scheduled sentencing for April 28, 2022 at 1:30 p.m. The law provides for a total sentence of 40 years in prison, a fine of $5,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court continued Arroyo-Figueroa on bond.
Assistant United States Attorney Paul S. Sellers is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Pennsylvania State Police, Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Arroyo-Figueroa.
Elkton Fentanyl Drug Dealer Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for Fentanyl Distribution Charges Relating to a Fatal OverdoseRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Jude Ellen L. Hollander sentenced Robert Allen Valladares, age 37, of Elkton, Maryland, to 12 years in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for distribution of fentanyl, and two counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; Cecil County State’s Attorney James A. Dellmyer; Cecil County Sheriff Scott Adams; and Chief Carolyn Rogers of the Elkton Police Department.
According to his guilty plea, in December 2019, the Cecil County Drug Task Force received information from a confidential informant that identified Valladares as a Cecil County controlled substances dealer acting under the alias of “Rob Valley” and provided his cell phone number.
On February 8, 2020, the Elkton Police Department was dispatched to a residence in reference to an overdose death. Upon arrival, an officer made contact with the victim’s father who stated that his son was deceased in his bedroom from, what he believed to be, an overdose. Emergency medical services arrived and pronounced the victim deceased shortly after. According to the victim’s family, the victim was recently discharged from a recovery house and appeared to be recovering well.
Upon further investigation into the victim’s death, law enforcement learned that the night before the victim’s death, the victim asked his father to take him to his friend “Rob’s” house to obtain suboxone strips. Once the victim’s father drove him to Valladares’ residence, the victim went inside for approximately two minutes and returned to his father’s vehicle. The victim’s father knew Valladares and had meet him previously.
An autopsy performed on the victim’s body revealed the cause of death to be a mixed drug intoxication of acyrl fentanyl, fentanyl, desproprionyl fentanyl, methamphetamine and xylazine.
A subsequent forensic data extraction of the victim’s four cell phones located in the victim’s room revealed that the victim had called Valladares one day before his death.
As stated in his plea agreement, on February 13, 2020, investigators executed a search warrant on Valladares’ residence. As a result of the search warrant, investigators seized prescription alprazolam pills, a digital scale, mail addressed to Valladares, five blue wax bags stamped “Facetime” containing suspected fentanyl, additional empty blue wax bags stamped “Facetime,” and a cell phone. Analysis of three of the blue wax bags stamped “Facetime” revealed the substance to be fentanyl.
A subsequent forensic data extraction of Valladares’ cell phone revealed that it contained over 80,000 text messages and messages consistent with the distribution and sale of controlled substances.
On May 4, 2020, a traffic stop was conducted on a vehicle leaving the Valladares residence. A K-9 scan resulted in the discovery of baggies containing fentanyl in the car. The driver advised that he had been purchasing drugs from Valladares for the past three to four months. Analysis of the substance within the bags seized from the car was confirmed to be fentanyl.
As a result of a search warrant executed at Valladares’ Elkton, Maryland residence on May 19, 2020, law enforcement located 38 bags of fentanyl. Valladares admits that he possessed the fentanyl with the intent to distribute it.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the Maryland State Police, Office of the State’s Attorney for Cecil County, Cecil County Sheriff’s Office, and the Elkton Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kim Y. Oldham and Mary W. Setzer, 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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East Hartford Residents Charged with Fabricating and Selling Numerous Ghost GunsRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and David Sundberg, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that JOHN LEE ORTIZ, 28, and AUDLEY REEVES, 30, both of East Hartford, have been charged with federal firearm offenses related to the illegal fabrication and sale of firearms.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, in late 2021, the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force learned that Ortiz and others were selling “ghost guns,” which are homemade firearms that do not contain serial numbers or other identifying markings that prevent them from being traced to the owner, seller or manufacturer of the firearm. In December 2021, investigators made controlled purchases of seven handguns, a Bushmaster .223 caliber rifle, and numerous rounds of ammunition from Ortiz. Most of the handguns had no serial numbers and had plastic lower receivers that appeared to be made with a 3D printer. Reeves was identified during the investigation as the fabricator of the ghost guns.
Ortiz and Reeves were arrested on January 5, 2022. On that date, a court-authorized search of an apartment on Church Street in East Hartford revealed six fully assembled firearms, approximately 12 partially assembled firearms, three high-capacity magazines, various firearm parts, and tools used to construct firearms. Reeves was present in the apartment at the time of the search, and a 3D printer in the apartment was in the process of printing a stock of an AR-15 style rifle.
Ortiz and Reeves are each charged by criminal complaint with engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years. Ortiz is also charged with selling firearms to a prohibited person, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
Ortiz and Reeves are currently detained.
U.S. Attorney Boyle stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force includes members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, New Britain Police Department, West Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian P. Leaming.
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.