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23 February 2022
Aransas man sentenced for drug conspiracyRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 60-year-old man has been ordered to prison following his convictions of conspiracy to distribute more than five grams of meth and possession with intent to distribute 27 grams of meth, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
The jury deliberated for approximately three hours following a two-day trial before returning a guilty verdict Nov. 23, 2021, on both counts against Ronald Flirt.
Today, U.S. District Judge David Morales sentenced him to a total of 92 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by four years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that detailed the Flirt’s criminal history including violent acts and previous convictions for possession of controlled substances with intent to deliver. The court also heard how Flirt violated the terms of his pre-trial supervision prior to being convicted.
On Nov. 17, 2020, authorities were surveilling a known drug stash house when they witnessed Flirt stop at the location. A Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent testified at trial, describing how someone had exited Flirt’s vehicle, entered the stash house and returned to the truck.
Law enforcement then pulled Flirt over and found he had a total of 10 Ziplock bags of meth. They had a total street value of more than $4,000.
Further testimony revealed he tried to deceive authorities when the initially stopped him. However, jurors saw bodycam video in which law enforcement asked Flirt to show him his hands which demonstrated he had one finger missing as he attempted to hide a bag of meth.
The jury also heard that Flirt had a Santa Muerte statue to protect him from law enforcement.
Flirt took the stand and attempted to convince the jury the drugs were solely for personal use and that he intended to smoke an entire ounce of meth. They did not believe those claims and found him guilty as charged.
Flirt has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons Facility to be determined in the near future.
The DEA and police departments in Corpus Christi and Mathis conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Marin and John Marck prosecuted the case.
3 men plead guilty to domestic terrorism crime related to plans to attack power gridsRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Three men pleaded guilty today to crimes related to conspiring to attack power grids throughout the United States in furtherance of racially or ethnically motivated violent extremism advocating for the supremacy of the white race.
Christopher Brenner Cook, 20, of Columbus, Ohio; Jonathan Allen Frost, 24, of Katy, Texas and of West Lafayette, Indiana; and Jackson Matthew Sawall, 22, of Oshkosh, Wisconsin; have each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to provide material support to terrorists.
“According to these pleas, three individuals engaged in a disturbing plot to attack our country’s energy infrastructure, damage the economy, and stoke division in our society, all in the name of white supremacy,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Justice Department will continue to investigate and disrupt such violent plots, and to hold perpetrators accountable in a courtroom, where the rule of law and the Constitution prevail.”
“These defendants conspired to use violence to sow hate, create chaos, and endanger the safety of the American people,” U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker said. “As this case shows, federal and state law enforcement agencies are dedicated to working together to protect this country against all enemies, foreign and domestic.”
“The defendants in this case wanted to attack regional power substations and expected the damage would lead to economic distress and civil unrest,” said Assistant Director Timothy Langan of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “These individuals wanted to carry out such a plot because of their adherence to racially or ethnically motivated violent extremist views. When individuals move from espousing particular views to planning or committing acts of violence the FBI will investigate and take action to stop their plans. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect our communities.”
“Those inspired to commit terrorist acts in the name of hate pose a serious threat to our nation," stated FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge J. William Rivers. “I am thankful for the Joint Terrorism Task Force and our law enforcement partners who work each day to prevent this type of violence from occurring in our communities.”
According to court documents, in fall 2019, Frost and Cook met in an online chat group. Frost shared the idea of attacking a power grid with Cook, and within weeks, the two began efforts to recruit others to join in their plan.
As part of the recruitment process, Cook asked literary questions and circulated a book list of readings that promoted the ideology of white supremacy and Neo-Nazism.
By late 2019, Sawall – a friend of Cook’s in real life and online – joined the conspiracy and assisted Cook with online recruitment efforts, operational security and organization.
As part of the conspiracy, each defendant was assigned a substation in a different region of the United States. The plan was to attack the substations, or power grids, with powerful rifles. The defendants believed their plan would cost the government millions of dollars and cause unrest for Americans in the region. They had conversations about how the possibility of the power being out for many months could cause war, even a race war, and induce the next Great Depression.
In February 2020, the co-conspirators met in Columbus, Ohio, to further discuss their plot. Frost provided Cook with an AR-47 and the two took the rifle to a shooting range to train.
Frost also provided Cook and Sawall with suicide necklaces during the Columbus meeting. The necklaces were filled with fentanyl and were to be ingested if and when the defendants were caught by law enforcement. Both Cook and Sawall expressed their commitment to dying in furtherance of their mission.
Upon arriving in Columbus, Sawall and Cook purchased spray paint and painted a swastika flag under a bridge at a park with the caption, “Join the Front.” The defendants had additional propaganda plans for their time in Ohio, but they were derailed during a traffic stop, during which Sawall swallowed his suicide pill but ultimately survived.
Court documents detail that Cook and Frost continued in furtherance of the conspiracy to travel together after their Ohio meeting, and drove to Texas in March 2020, where Cook stayed in different cities with various juveniles he was attempting to recruit for their plot.
Cook, Frost and Sawall were each charged by a Bill of Information that was filed on Feb. 7. The defendants face a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant United States Attorney Jessica W. Knight and Trial Attorney Justin Sher with the Department of Justice’s National Security Division are representing the United States in this case.
U.S. Attorney Parker commended the cooperative investigation by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force in Columbus, Milwaukee, Indianapolis and Houston, as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Eastern District of Wisconsin and Northern District of Indiana.
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22 February 2022
Whitley County Man Sentenced for Aggravated Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky. — A Williamsburg, Kentucky, man, Nathan Blankenship, 35, was sentenced to 50 months in federal prison on Friday, by U.S. District Judge Robert E. Wier, for aggravated methamphetamine trafficking.
Blankenship was part of a 16-defendant methamphetamine trafficking organization which spread across Georgia, Tennessee, and Kentucky. The investigation revealed that the conspiracy was supplied by a Chattanooga, Tennessee, man, Chad Burnette, 36. Burnette, who was incarcerated in the Georgia Department of Corrections, used social media platforms, smuggled cell phones, and used Green Dot cards to move over 100 kilograms of methamphetamine, into the Eastern District of Kentucky, from December of 2018 through January of 2020. Burnette utilized cartel connections to fulfill his methamphetamine orders.
Burnette employed middleman Michael Revis, 32, of Chattanooga, Tennessee to arrange methamphetamine drops in Atlanta, for Kentucky based traffickers. Revis charged his fellow co-conspirators a 10% commission to arrange the transactions with Burnette. On August 11, 2021, Revis was convicted of aggravated methamphetamine trafficking and witness tampering, following a federal jury trial in London. The ATF seized over a dozen firearms in connection with the investigation including assault rifles, homemade explosives, and body armor.
The other defendants received the following sentences for their roles in the drug trafficking operation:
- Michael Revis, 32, of Chattanooga, 324 months and 5 years supervised release
- Chad Lee Burnette, 36, of Chattanooga, 276 months and 5 years supervised release
- Charles Coleman Burnette, 58, of Hamilton County, Tenn., 89 months and 4 years supervised release
- Diana Faye Elliott, 34, of Hixson, Tenn., 98 months and 3 years supervised release
- Michael Brock, 61, of Frakes, Ky., 65 months and 4 years supervised release
- Goldie Webb, 65, of Frakes, 35 months and 3 years supervised release
- Phillip Ohara (deceased), of Williamsburg, Ky., 100 months, 5 years supervised release
- David Lee Butler, 42, of Williamsburg, 105 months and 5 years supervised release
- Dakota Sean Wade Lovins, 26, of Williamsburg, 69 months and 5 years supervised release
- Danny Elliott, 44, of Williamsburg, 88 months and 5 years supervised release
- Ashley Lynn Lay, 38, of Williamsburg, 91 months and 5 years supervised release
- Jerry White, 44, of Williamsburg, 60 months and 4 years supervised release
- Herbert Hood, 46, of Williamsburg, 23 months and 2 years supervised release
- Ronnie Albertini, 41, of Duff, Tenn., 78 months, 5 years supervised release
- Ricky Ayers, 36, of Lafollette, Tenn., 65 months and 5 years supervised release
- Tammy Elliott, 42, of Jellico, Tenn., 100 months and 5 years supervised release
Under federal law, each of the defendants must serve 85 percent of their prison sentences.
“There are few greater threats to our community than illegal drug trafficking, which frequently brings with it firearms, violence, overdoses, and other criminal activity,” said Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “We, along with our law enforcement partners, remain committed to using all the tools available to us to combat this danger to our community, including enhancing our focus on the detection, prosecution and punishment of armed, violent drug traffickers, whose crimes take an enormous toll on the safety and security of us all.”
“Drug trafficking organizations often use firearms to further their criminal activity, increasing the threat to our communities,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Shawn Morrow of the Louisville Division. “Protecting the public is at the core of ATF’s mission. ATF’s Louisville Division will continue to work with our partners, like the DEA and Williamsburg Police, to target armed drug dealers and remove them from our communities. This investigation is an example of our commitment to protecting the public and making Kentucky safer.”
“Drug trafficking organizations that threaten the health and safety of our communities with violence and illicit drugs will be brought to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge J. Todd Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division. “The DEA, working with our law enforcement partners, remains committed to this mission, at a time when Americans are dying from drug overdoses in record numbers.”
U.S. Attorney Shier; SAC Morrow, ATF, Louisville Field Division; SAC Scott, DEA. Louisville Field Division; and Chief Wayne Bird, Williamsburg Police Department, jointly announced the sentences.
The investigation was conducted by the ATF, the DEA, and the Williamsburg Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jenna E. Reed and Jason Parman.
This case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. The PSN program involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Eastern District of Kentucky, U.S. Attorney Shier coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
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U.S. Attorney Seeking Investors Defrauded by United Development FundingRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas is searching for investors who may be victims of the conduct committed by United Development Funding (UDF) executives Hollis Morrison Greenlaw, Benjamin Lee Wissink, Cara Delin Obert, and Jeffrey Brandon Jester, announced U.S. Attorney Chad E. Meacham.
On Jan. 21, 2021, following a five day trial, a jury convicted the defendants of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit securities fraud, and eight substantive counts of securities fraud.
At trial, prosecutors proved beyond a reasonable doubt that between January 2011 and December 2015, Mr. Greenlaw and his coconspirators engaged in a scheme to defraud using investment fund entities UDF III, UDF IV, and UDF V.
According to the Crime Victims’ Rights Act, victims – in this case, the roughly 30,000 individuals who invested in UDF III, IV, and V – may be entitled to restitution.
In order to be kept apprised of developments in the case, victims should visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndtx/united-states-v-greenlaw-et-al-udf for up-to-date information on sentencing hearings (currently scheduled for May 20, 2022 at 9 a.m. in Fort Worth, Texas before U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor) and for instructions on how to submit victim impact statements, which may be emailed to [email protected].
Prosecutors are requesting that broker-dealers and financial advisors who offered UDF III, IV, and V to their clients notify investors of this information as well.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tiffany H. Eggers (NDTX Criminal Chief), Rachael Jones, Elyse Lyons, and Errin Martin prosecuted the case. U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Connor presided over the trial.
Two from Florence Sentenced for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky. – Shannon Baker, 34, and Ryan Bell, 35, both from Florence, Ky., were sentenced Tuesday, to 150 months and 72 months, respectively, by U.S. District Judge David Bunning, after previously admitting to conspiring with others to distribute large amounts of methamphetamine.
According to her plea agreement, Baker led a conspiracy that distributed more than five kilograms of crystal methamphetamine throughout Northern Kentucky. Officers seized significant amounts of methamphetamine from various members of the trafficking conspiracy in Boone, Campbell, and Grant Counties during the investigation. Baker recruited Bell to join the conspiracy, after her arrest on January 4, 2021. Bell took over operations and distributed methamphetamine for a short time, before his arrest, on January 21, 2021. Baker and Bell each had a prior felony conviction for a drug offense, prior to the commission of this offense.
Three other members of the conspiracy have already been sentenced. Chad Beach was sentenced to 24 months, on January 25, 2022; Zachary Schwaller was sentenced to 84 months, on January 27, 2022; and Eric Mann was sentenced to 84 months in prison on February 8, 2022. A final member of the group, Samantha Miller Bell, is scheduled for sentencing on March 8, 2022.
Baker and Bell pleaded guilty in October 2021.
Under federal law, each Defendant must serve 85 percent of their prison sentence. Baker and Bell will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years, following their release from prison.
Carlton S. Shier IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Keith Martin, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Detroit Field Division; and Scott Hardcorn, Director of the Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force, jointly announced the sentences.
The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Bracke.
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Two Philadelphia Men Indicted following an Investigation by DEA and the Butler County Anti-Drug Task ForceRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – Two former residents of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal narcotics and firearms laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
The five-count Indictment named Khaleaf Lindsay, age 25, formerly of Philadelphia and Kamal Bennett, age 22, formerly of Philadelphia.
According to the Indictment presented to the court, from July 2021 to August 2021, Lindsay and Bennett both conspired to distribute and possessed with intent to distribute 10 grams or more of fluorofentanyl and fentanyl mixture, along with 28 grams or more cocaine base. The Indictment further alleged that on August 2, 2021, Bennett distributed and possessed with the intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine base. Lindsay was also charged with possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and possession of a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon on August 2, 2021. Federal law prohibits an individual who has been convicted of a felony from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
As to Lindsay, the law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than five (5) years to life in prison, a fine not to exceed $5,000,000 or both. As to Bennett, the law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than (5) years and not more than twenty (20) years in prison, a fine of not to exceed $5,000,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Butler County Anti-Drug Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Two Huntington Men Involved in Multi-State Drug Ring Appear in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Two Huntington men who participated in a multi-state drug ring appeared today in federal court.
Aaron Scott Midkiff, 36, was sentenced to six years and five months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 14, 2021, Midkiff was the passenger in a vehicle that was stopped by deputies with the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department. Midkiff had approximately 166 grams of methamphetamine in his possession at the time deputies initiated the traffic stop. The methamphetamine was thrown out of the vehicle just prior to the vehicle stopping and was recovered by deputies. Midkiff also had digital scales, plastic bags, and $6,617 in his possession.
William Edward Nellons, Jr., 38, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine and fentanyl. According to the plea agreement and statements made in court, Nellons admitted that he participated with others in the conspiracy from April to July 2021. During the conspiracy, Nellons regularly received cocaine and fentanyl which he distributed to others in the Huntington area. At times, Nellons received the drugs on consignment and returned drug proceeds to his source of supply after he conducted the distributions. Nellons also admitted that he utilized a co-conspirator’s residence to store fentanyl that he distributed during the conspiracy. Nellons faces up to 20 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on May 23, 2022.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Southern West Virginia TOC-West Task Force. The Southern West Virginia TOC-West Task Force consists of the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Hurricane Police Department, and the Marshall University Police Department, with support from the West Virginia State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West. The Ohio Highway Patrol, the Kentucky State Police, and the FBI and DEA in Columbus, Ohio also assisted in the investigation.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Courtney L. Cremeans and Joseph F. Adams are handling the prosecution.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:21-cr-00109.
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Two El Salvadoran Men Plead Guilty to Unlawful Transportation of Illegal AliensRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – Two El Salvadoran nationals pleaded guilty to the federal felony offense of unlawful transportation of an alien within the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca, Special Agent in Charge David Denton of Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans, and Chief Patrol Agent Jason E. Schneider of the U.S. Border Patrol’s New Orleans Sector.
According to court documents, Jairo Levi Rivera-Ayala, 27, and Herberth Anton Rodriguez-Ayala, 34, both of El Salvador, were arrested on September 14, 2021, on Interstate 10 in Harrison County. A Harrison County Sheriff’s Deputy conducted a vehicle stop and identified the driver as Jairo Levi Rivera-Ayala. Herberth Anton Rodriguez-Ayala was the front seat passenger, and later identified as a co-driver.
The vehicle contained ten additional passengers for a total of twelve people in a vehicle designed, and with seatbelts, for only seven people. The U.S. Border Patrol responded to the scene and determined that all twelve occupants of the SUV were illegally present in the United States. Officials determined that this was an illegal alien smuggling event, and all twelve vehicle occupants were arrested and transported to the Border Patrol Station in Gulfport for processing. Special Agents from Homeland Security Investigations also responded to and investigated the case.
Both Rivera-Ayala and Rodriguez-Ayala pleaded guilty to unlawful transportation of an alien within the United States. Rivera-Ayala pleaded guilty on February 22, 2022 and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 24, 2022. Rodriguez-Ayala pleaded guilty on December 16, 2021 and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 25, 2022. Each man faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and 3 years of Supervised Release as well as a $100 special assessment and a $5,000 additional special assessment. After completing any sentence of incarceration, each man also is subject to Department of Homeland Security proceedings to remove him from the United States. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case was investigated by the Border Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stan Harris is the prosecutor for the case.
Tax Collector Sentenced for Stealing Tax Payments and Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A Beaver County resident has been sentenced in federal court to 12 months and one day in prison followed by three years of supervised release on her conviction of wire fraud and filing false income tax returns, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
United States District Judge Robert J. Colville imposed the sentence on Jeanne Bowser, 63, of Aliquippa, PA.
According to information presented to the court, Bowser was the elected tax collector for Center Township, Beaver, Pennsylvania and also collected taxes for Central Valley School District. From approximately December 2011 until approximately August 2019, Bowser embezzled a total of approximately $1,028,183.81 in tax payments from both the township and school district. She embezzled the funds by writing checks to herself out of a bank account that was used for tax deposits and by stealing cash tax payments. In addition to the embezzlement, the Court was further advised that Bowser filed false income tax returns for a period of six years.
Assistant United States Attorney Lee J. Karl prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Chung commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Bowser.
Tax Collector Sentenced for Stealing Tax Payments and Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A Beaver County resident has been sentenced in federal court to 12 months and one day in prison followed by three years of supervised release on her conviction of wire fraud and filing false income tax returns, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
United States District Judge Robert J. Colville imposed the sentence on Jeanne Bowser, 63, of Aliquippa, PA.
According to information presented to the court, Bowser was the elected tax collector for Center Township, Beaver, Pennsylvania and also collected taxes for Central Valley School District. From approximately December 2011 until approximately August 2019, Bowser embezzled a total of approximately $1,028,183.81 in tax payments from both the township and school district. She embezzled the funds by writing checks to herself out of a bank account that was used for tax deposits and by stealing cash tax payments. In addition to the embezzlement, the Court was further advised that Bowser filed false income tax returns for a period of six years.
Assistant United States Attorney Lee J. Karl prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Chung commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Bowser.
Tampa Woman Charged with Access Device Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft Related to COVID Unemployment Insurance BenefitsRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Rolanda Wingfield (39, Tampa) with two counts of access device fraud, one count of possession of 15 or more unauthorized access devices, and two counts of aggravated identity theft. If convicted, Wingfield faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison for each of the access device offenses, as well as a consecutive two years in federal prison for the aggravated identity offenses. The indictment also notifies Wingfield that the United States intends to forfeit any proceeds, which are alleged to be traceable to the offense.
According to the
indictment , between May and July 2020, Wingfield obtained personal identifying information of other persons and submitted, or caused to be submitted, false and fraudulent unemployment insurance (UI) claims to various state workforce agencies for UI benefits. These UI benefits were then transferred to bank accounts or loaded onto debits cards issued in the names of other persons. Wingfield then used, and attempted to use, the fraudulently obtained debit cards to withdraw money from ATMs. On July 28, 2020, Wingfield was found to be in possession of 15 unauthorized access devices, specifically Social Security numbers of other individuals.An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
In March 2020, the President signed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, which expanded states’ ability to provide UI for many workers impacted by COVID-19, including for workers who were not ordinarily eligible for benefits.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
This case was investigated by the Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Gregory D. Pizzo and John Cannizzaro.
Statement from United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins on First Circuit Opinion in U.S. v. SampsonRead the Press Release
“Today we say the names of Philip McCloskey, Jonathan Rizzo and Robert Whitney. Three lives that were stolen. Their memories will live on. This decision by the First Circuit definitively ends the legal process and Mr. Sampson remains a convicted serial murderer, sentenced to death. Court Opinions, however, don’t erase trauma and pain. Our office will continue to support these loving and supportive families in every way we can.”
St. Thomas Man Arrested at the Cyril E. Airport for Possessing Approximately 5.5 Kilograms of CocaineRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, United States Virgin Islands – U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced that a St. Thomas man was arrested on February 19, 2022, in St. Thomas, USVI on a criminal charge related to his alleged possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
According to court documents, on February 19, 2022, Tyree Morton transported cocaine, weighing approximately 5.5 kilograms, including packaging, from a location within the Cyril E. King airport to another location within the airport.
Morton is charged with possession with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a) & (b)(1)(B)(ii). If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 40 years imprisonment. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Homeland Security Investigations is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Sleeper is prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
St. Croix Man Apprehended in Lorraine Village, Frederiksted with Firearm, Ammunition, and Marijuana Sentenced to 48 Months in Prison on Federal Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
St. Croix, USVI – U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced that a St. Croix man, Deshawn Gonsalves, 27, of St. Croix, appeared before Judge Wilma A. Lewis, in District Court, and was sentenced today on one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm.
Judge Lewis sentenced Gonsalves to 48 months in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, a fine of $1,000, and a $100 special assessment.
According to court documents, on October 31, 2018, officers with the Virgin Islands Police Department responded to an apparent domestic dispute and 911 call at the Lorraine Village Apartments outside of Frederiksted. Upon their interaction with Gonsalves, he admitted that he possessed a firearm and ammunition in his vehicle. A search of the vehicle revealed a loaded Glock .45 caliber handgun, 2 additional magazines, 77 rounds of .45 caliber ammunition, a ballistic vest, and approximately 98 grams of marijuana packaged in plastic baggies and vials. Additionally, the defendant possessed the firearm and marijuana within 1,000 feet of the Eulalie Rivera Elementary School. Gonsalves was previously convicted in Superior Court in 2014 of Unauthorized Possession of a Firearm.
The case was investigated by the Virgin Islands Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel H. Huston prosecuted the case.
This case is part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide initiative that brings together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement officials, prosecutors, and community leaders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in a community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. For more information on the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods, please see: https://www.justice.gov/psn.
Springfield Woman Indicted for Reselling Stolen Goods and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Springfield woman was indicted today by a federal grand jury in connection with the reselling of stolen goods on eBay and for money laundering.
Mimi Mai, 48, was indicted on one count of interstate transportation of stolen goods, four counts of money laundering and two counts of engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity. Mai was arrested today and made an initial appearance in federal court in Springfield this afternoon.
According to the indictment, Mai owned and operated EZ Exchange, a pawn shop in Holyoke. It is alleged that Mai knowingly purchased stolen goods from pawn shop patrons and resold the items on eBay at prices well above what she had paid the sellers. The stolen goods included a variety of household items, such as power tools, electronic devices, sunglasses and beauty and personal care products. Between 2018 and 2021, Mai allegedly earned more than $2.1 million from the sale of items she had listed for sale as “new” on eBay. It is alleged that Mai used her eBay earnings to buy property in Florida.
The charges of interstate transportation of stolen goods and engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity each provide for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of money laundering provides for a sentence of at least 20 years in prison, three years 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.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations, Boston Field Office; and Holyoke Police Chief David Pratt made the announcement today. Assistance was provided by the Springfield Police Department, New England State Police Information Network and investigators from Home Depot, CVS, Target and Stop & Shop. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Catherine Curley and Deepika Bains Shukla of Rollins’ Springfield Branch Office are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Slidell Woman Pleads Guilty to Concealment of Material Facts in Connection with Her Receipt of Social Security BenefitsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that BRENDA PROVOST, age 69, of Slidell, pleaded guilty on February 17, 2022 before U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon with concealment of material facts in connection with the receipt of social security benefits, a violation of Title 42, United States Code, Section 1383a(a)(3). She had been charged in a bill of information filed on December 17, 2021. Judge Fallon scheduled sentencing for May 12, 2022.
According to court documents, PROVOST received monthly supplemental security income (“SSI”) benefits from the Social Security Administration (“SSA”) from May 2005 through February 2020. The amount of SSI benefits depends on a recipient’s financial condition and family composition. During this period, PROVOST was married but failed to accurately report her marital status to SSA officers. As a result, she received $123,234.00 in SSI benefits that she otherwise would not have received had she accurately represented her marital status.
The maximum penalties PROVOST could face are up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000.00 or twice the gross gain or gross loss, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. According to the plea agreement, PROVOST and the government agreed that a term of probation would be an appropriate sentence. PROVOST also agreed to pay $123,234.00 in restitution. Judge Fallon will make a determination on whether to accept the plea agreement after the U.S. Probation Office completed its presentence investigation report.
U.S. Attorney Evans extended his thanks to the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, which investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew R. Payne is in charge of the prosecution.
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San Pablo Grandfather Sentenced to More Than 16 Years in Molestation of Three-Year-Old GirlRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – Adalberto Borja Guardado was sentenced today in federal court to 200 months in prison for the sexual coercion of a minor, announced United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds and Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Tatum King. United States District Judge Jeffrey S. White handed down the sentence.
In his plea agreement, Guardado, a 68-year-old grandfather from San Pablo, admitted that on September 9, 2019, a three-year-old girl visited his residence with her mother. The girl’s mother provided home health care to Guardado’s elderly mother. Guardado told the girl’s mother that he would watch the girl while the mother provided the home care to Guardado’s elderly mother in another part of the residence. Within minutes of watching the girl, Guardado pulled the girl’s pants down and molested her. He used his cell phone to record the molestation.
In a court filing, the government described that the girl disclosed the molestation to her mother the next day, and the mother reported it to San Pablo police. Police investigated the report, seizing three smartphones from Guardado. A video of the molestation was discovered on a smartphone seized from Guardado’s person. Forensic review of all three smartphones revealed multiple additional images of child pornography.
Guardado was arrested on September 14, 2019 – five days after the incident – and has remained in custody since that date. Though originally charged in state court, Guardado was charged on June 10, 2021, in federal court with enticement and coercion of a minor, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2422(b). Guardado pleaded guilty to the federal charge on September 7, 2021.
In addition to a 200 month term of imprisonment, United States District Judge Jeffrey S. White sentenced Guardado to a 15 year term of supervision following his prison term. Guardado begins serving his prison sentence immediately.
Jonathan U. Lee is the Assistant United States Attorney who is prosecuting the case, with the assistance of Leeya Kekona, Kay Konopaske, and Kathleen Turner. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, the Silicon Valley Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the San Pablo Police Department.
This federal case was brought in United States District Court as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat a growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Salem Man Sentenced for ‘Buzzing’ Salem Firefighters with DroneRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – A Salem, Virginia man, who admitted to flying a drone near the fire station in the City of Salem in July 2019, was sentenced today to two years’ probation, a $100 fine, and the forfeiture of the drone, which had an estimated value of $1,600.
James Russell Weeks III, 40, pleaded guilty in November 2021 to operating an unregistered aircraft.
Because any drone weighing more than .55 pounds is considered an “unmanned aircraft” by the Federal Aviation Administration, it must be registered before being operated, and Weeks failed to register his drone with the FAA as required.
Weeks admitted to ‘buzzing’ a group of firefighters that stood outside the City of Salem fire station on July 25, 2019, by flying his drone directly at the firefighters, who had to dive out of the way, and then flying the craft into the garage of the fire station where it crashed into a pole.
U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh of the Western District of Virginia made the announcement.
The Salem Police Department and the United States Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Bassford prosecuted the case for the United States.
Red River County Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Child Pornography ViolationsRead the Press Release
TEXARKANA, Texas – A Bogata, Texas man has been sentenced to federal prison for child pornography violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston today.
James Thomas Tucker, 36, pleaded guilty on Oct. 20, 2021, to possession of child pornography and was sentenced to 124 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Robert W. Schroeder III.
According to information presented in court, it was discovered that Tucker was using a social media messaging application to distribute images of child pornography. A search of Tucker’s residence revealed evidence that he had been searching for child pornography. Tucker admitted to downloading and distributing images of child pornography in exchange for more images of child pornography. Tucker was charged in a complaint and arrested in May 2020.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bogata Police Department, and Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan R. Hornok.
Rapid City Man Sentenced for Illegal Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person was sentenced on February 18, 2022, by Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court.
Waylon Loefer, age 42, was sentenced to three and ½ years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Loefer was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 17, 2021, and pleaded guilty on September 27, 2021. The charge stems from Loefer, a previously convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing firearms, knowingly possessing a Taurus, model PT840, .40 Smith & Wesson, semi-automatic pistol, which was found after Loefer came into contact with law enforcement in February 2021 at Rapid City.
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.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.
Loefer was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Queens Man Admits Orchestrating $653 Million Money Laundering Conspiracy, Operating Unlicensed Money Transmitting Business, and Bribing Bank EmployeesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Queens, New York, man today admitted his role in coordinating a $653 million money laundering conspiracy, operating an unlicensed money transmitting business, and bribing bank employees in connection with financial transactions, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Da Ying Sze, 43, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas in Newark federal court to an information charging him with one count of conspiring to commit money laundering, one count of operating and aiding and abetting the operation of an unlicensed money transmitting business, and one count of corruptly giving anything of value to an employee of a financial institution in connection with financial transactions.
“The defendant in this case laundered a staggering amount of money,” U.S. Attorney Sellinger said. “Neither money laundering, the narcotics distribution that funded it, nor the bribery of a financial institution that facilitated the money laundering will be tolerated. A broad cross section of federal and local enforcement partners dismantled this sophisticated money laundering operation.”
“Today's announcement demonstrates that criminals who launder illegitimate profits can't evade detection from IRS Criminal Investigation and our law enforcement partners,” Michael Montanez, Special Agent in Charge IRS Criminal Investigation Newark Field Office, said. “This guilty plea is a significant step toward holding the defendant accountable for his role in conspiring to hide hundreds of millions of dollars gained from narcotics distribution.”
“The money laundering discovered during this investigation allows drug traffickers to expand their operations throughout the U.S. and around the world,” Susan A. Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Jersey Division, said. “The actions of DA Ying Sze contribute to high number of overdose fatalities across the country. The men and women of DEA, along with our law enforcement partners, work tirelessly to disrupt the flow of illicit narcotics proceeds to those drug organizations looking to flood our streets with deadly poison.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From 2016 through 2021, Sze laundered more than $653.3 million in cash, consisting of narcotics and other illicit proceeds, utilizing a variety of financial institutions and methods. Sze routinely accepted illicit proceeds in cash and deposited the cash into financial institutions in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and elsewhere, utilizing bank accounts in the names of shell companies and conspirators. Sze then further obfuscated the source of the illegal cash by purchasing official bank checks, writing personal and business checks, and making international and domestic wires to transfer the illegal cash to thousands of individuals and entities in the United States, China, Hong Kong, and elsewhere. For his services, Sze received a fee of approximately 1 to 2 percent of the cash laundered.
From 2020 through 2021, Sze routinely provided gift cards and other things of value to employees of at least one financial institution in connection with financial transactions, seeking to corruptly influence financial institution employees to provide Sze with special benefits and to avoid suspicion and reporting of his unusual financial transactions. In 2020 and 2021, Sze provided at least $57,000 in gifts to financial institution employees in connection with financial transactions, and made millions of dollars of profits in connection with such financial transactions.
The charge of money laundering conspiracy carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 or twice the amount involved in the offense, whichever is greater. The charge of operating and aiding and abetting the operation of 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 greatest. The charge of bank bribery carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of $1 million, or three times the value of the thing given, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for June 28, 2022.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents and task force officers of IRS - Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael Montanez in Newark; 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; the Morristown, New Jersey, Police Department, under the direction of Police Chief Darnell Richardson; the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – Office of Inspector General, New York Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Patricia Tarasca; and the New York City Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. Pesce of the OCDETF/Narcotics Unit in Newark, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan M. Peck of the Asset Recovery and Money Laundering Unit in Newark, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Angelica Sinopole of the Organized Crime & Gangs Unit in Newark.
Prior Felon Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Briana Elderkin, 25, of Pomfret, NY, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo. The charges carry a minimum of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life, and a $10,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who is handling the case, stated in August 2020, Elderkin was convicted of Criminal Possession of Controlled Substance (methamphetamine) in the Third Degree in Chautauqua County Court. As a result, Elderkin is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm. On April 19, 2021, New York State Parole Officers performed a home visit of Elderkin’s residence on Ulrich Park Drive in Pomfret, during which they observed a large amount of methamphetamine. The following day, on April 20, 2021, a search warrant was executed at the residence by the Chautauqua County Sheriffs’ Office and the Southern Tier Regional Drug Task Force. Law enforcement seized methamphetamine, a .45 caliber pistol, 52 rounds of ammunition, digital scales, over $1,400 in cash, and two phones.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, under the direction of under the direction of Acting Commissioner Anthony J. Annucci, the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff James B. Quattrone, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Timothy Foley.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 21, 2022, at 9:30 a.m. before Judge Vilardo.
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Preston County man admits to role in drug distribution operationRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – David Gamble, of Masontown, West Virginia, has admitted to his role in methamphetamine, crack cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin drug distribution operation, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Gamble, age 57, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Aiding and Abetting Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.” Gamble admitted to working with another to distribute methamphetamine in April 2020 in Monongalia County.
Gamble faces up to 20 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zelda E. Wesley and Sarah E. Wagner are prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The FBI's Northern West Virginia Drug Task Force in partnership with the Mon Metro Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated. The Task Forces have members from the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; West Virginia State Police; Monongalia County Sheriff's Office; and, the Morgantown, WVU, Granville and Star City Police Departments. The investigation was also assisted by the following law enforcement partners: the Preston County Sheriff's Office, the Mineral County Sheriff's Office, the Monongalia County Prosecutor’s Office, the FBI in Houston, Texas; the Houston Police Department's Multi Agency Gang Initiative; the United States Postal Inspection Service in Houston; and, the FBI and DEA in Los Angeles, California.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Related case here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/25-people-indicted-drug-trafficking-operation-spanned-several-states
Portage Man Sentenced to 300 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND – Troy Kidwell, 39, Portage, Indiana was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon upon his plea of guilty to Attempted Enticement of a Minor; Receipt of Child Pornography; Possession of Child Pornography; and Distribution of Child Pornography announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Kidwell was sentenced to 300 months in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $49,000 in restitution.
According to documents in this case, Kidwell was apprehended while travelling to the home of a 10-year-old child. Text messages on his phone showed that he intended to have sex with the 10-year-old, and officers found a sexual lubricant in his possession. A subsequent investigation revealed that Kidwell possessed hundreds of images and videos of child pornography, including images he received from a child he had been communicating with in Tennessee. Kidwell had also distributed videos of child pornography to an undercover officer in Florida, while trying to arrange to pay to have sex with children.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security Investigations, with the assistance of the Porter County Sherriff’s Office, and the Okaloosa County, Florida Sherriff’s Office. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Molly Kelley and Jill Koster, formerly an Assistant United States in the Northern District of Indiana Attorney (now an AUSA in the District of the Virgin Islands).
Pittsburgh Man Sentenced to 3½ Years for Possessing Drugs and a Firearm with an Obliterated Serial NumberRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 42 months of imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release for his conviction for charges of violating federal narcotics and firearms laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Senior United States District Judge Joy Flowers Conti imposed the sentence on Don Eric Copeland, age 20.
According to the information presented to the court, Copeland possessed with intent to distribute crack cocaine and a mixture containing cocaine and fentanyl, which was seized when Pittsburgh Bureau of Police Officers executed a search warrant on his residence on August 16, 2019. Another search warrant was executed on the same residence on November 21, 2019, and Copeland possessed intent to distribute crack cocaine and a mixture containing heroin and fentanyl. On January 1, 2020, Copeland possessed a firearm which had an obliterated serial number.
Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan D. Lusty prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Chung commended the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Copeland.
Pascoag Man Arrested Twice on Child Pornography Charges SentencedRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A Pascoag man arrested twice by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents and members of the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force for being in possession of images and videos depicting child pornography was sentenced today to five years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Jacob S. Munroe, 24, pled guilty on November 15, 2021, to a three-count information charging him with two counts of possession of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography. No plea agreement was filed in this matter.
According to charging documents and information presented to the court, in November 2018, HSI agents developed information that an IP address at Munroe’s residence was used to post at least 19 images depicting child pornography on an Internet messaging and networking application. Munroe was arrested on June 5, 2019, when dozens of images and videos of child pornography were discovered during a court-authorized search of his home and cell phone.
On November 4, 2020, Munroe was arrested for a second time when it was determined that he had downloaded hundreds of images depicting child pornography while he was free on bond and awaiting trial.
Appearing today before U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., Munroe was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison to be followed by 10 years of federal supervised release.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Terrence P Donnelly.
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Owner of Maryland Export Business Sentenced to Federal Prison for Attempting to Smuggle Items Out of the U.S. Without the Required Export LicenseRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III today sentenced Jorge Orencel, age 65, of Silver Spring, Maryland, to six months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, for federal charges of attempting to smuggle goods out of the United States without the required export license. Judge Russell also ordered Orencel, who owned and operated Sumtech, an export business located in Fulton, Maryland, to pay a $5,000 fine.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agents in Charge Jonathan Carson and Nasir Khan of the U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Export Enforcement, New York and Washington Field Offices, respectively.
According to his guilty plea, Orencel owned and operated Sumtech, which advertised itself on the Internet as specializing in the distribution of American merchandise, including “high technology laboratory devices,” to South America, Asia, and the Middle East.
As detailed in the plea agreement, in October 2016, Orencel began communicating with Co-conspirator 1, an individual representing herself as an employee of a company in Hong Kong, regarding Co-conspirator 1’s desire to purchase five ionization chambers and one fission chamber from Company A, which manufactured gas-filled nuclear radiation detectors. Co-conspirator 1 advised that Company A, located in New York, required an end user statement and export license if they knew the goods were to be shipped to other countries, and suggested to Orencel that he not mention that the goods would be shipped to Hong Kong. Orencel agreed and got a quote from Company A for prices on the items requested by Co-conspirator 1, falsely telling officials from Company A that the request was from a customer in Argentina, South America.
After communicating with Co-conspirator 1, on October 26, 2016, Orencel sent a Sumtech purchase order to Company A for the ionization chambers and the fission chamber, along with an End User Statement on Sumtech letterhead and a Statement by Ultimate Consignee and Purchaser, which falsely indicated that the end user and ultimate destination was a company in Argentina. On February 7, 2017, Orencel emailed Co-conspirator 1 that he had received the ionization chambers but not the fission chamber. Orencel stated that although Company A had indicated that the fission chamber was regulated because it contained nuclear material, Orencel had obtained a ruling from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission that the item was not barred from export due to the small amount of nuclear material contained within the chamber. The following day, Orencel sent an email to Co-conspirator 1 advising that Company A had not built the fission chamber and would not do so until Orencel agreed that the fission chamber would be transported via UPS SCS, a shipping service provided by the United Parcel Service (UPS) which would pick an item up directly from the seller, such as Company A, and ship it directly to the user. Orencel stated to Co-conspirator 1, “This is a very difficult vendor…seems like they are a little suspicious and of course we have not said that the unit is for Hong Kong.”
As detailed in the plea agreement, on February 24, 2017, law enforcement agents from the Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry Security, Office of Export Enforcement visited Orencel at Sumtech. The agents provided Orencel copies of reference materials regarding export rules and regulations and reviewed the materials with Orencel. Orencel told the agents that he was very familiar with U.S. export laws and his company always obtained export licenses when required.
Shortly after that visit, on March 3, 2017, Orencel shipped the ionization chambers to an address in Hong Kong, despite his statements to Company A that the items were destined for Argentina and would not be re-exported.
On August 22, 2017, shortly after Company A advised Orencel that the fission chamber was completed and ready for pickup by UPS for shipment to the end user, Orencel executed a Shipper’s Letter of Instruction falsely certifying that the fission chamber was detection equipment with a value of $930 and the ultimate consignee and destination was in Argentina. In fact, Orencel knew that the fission chamber was valued at $9,300 and that he planned to export the item to Hong Kong. If Orencel had correctly stated the value of the item, which was more than $2,500, he would have been required to file a Shipper’s Export Declaration, which, in turn, would have alerted the Department of Commerce and other authorities to the existence of the shipment and allowed them to track the export and confirm compliance with licensing and other export requirements.
On August 25, 2017, Orencel emailed Co-conspirator 1 that UPS had picked up the fission chamber from Company A and discussed how to get the item shipped to Hong Kong, since the paperwork was issued with the name of a fake end-user. Co-conspirator 1 suggested contacting a freight forwarder in California, that had previously assisted in a similar situation. Orencel advised that he was trying to convince the shipper in New York to move the package to Maryland so he could pick it up and export it to Co-conspirator 1. Law enforcement authorities detained the package at the UPS facility in New York before it could be shipped any further.
Orencel admitted to law enforcement in a voluntary interview on October 30, 2017, that he never intended to ship the fission chamber to Argentina and had only listed Argentina as the final destination to convince Company A to release the fission chamber for shipment. Further, Orencel stated that he planned to contact UPS after it had picked up the fission chamber from Company A and direct UPS to change the shipping address to Hong Kong. Orencel admitted that he also knew he was required to file a Shipper’s Export Declaration and export information in the Automated Export System, since the value of the fission chamber was more than $2,500.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Export Enforcement for its work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathleen O. Gavin and Abigail Ticse, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Ocala Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Multiple Federal Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
Ocala, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Benjamin Townsel (23, Ocala) has pleaded guilty to three counts of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and one count of possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number. He faces a maximum penalty of 35 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 20, 2022. Townsel had been indicted on July 21, 2021.
According to court documents, on three different occasions Townsel was found with a firearm after officers from the Ocala Police Department conducted traffic stops of vehicles in which Townsel was a passenger. DNA comparison analysis confirmed the presence of Townsel’s DNA on each of the firearms. The traffic stops occurred on August 7, 2020, December 3, 2020, and February 15, 2021, the latter two occurring after Townsel had been released from jail on bond on state charges. The firearm found during the first incident also had an obliterated serial number, in violation of federal law.
Townsel has four prior state felony convictions, including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Therefore, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Ocala Police Department, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tyrie Boyer.
This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
Oakland Resident Faces Drug Distribution Charges in Alleged Tenderloin Fentanyl and Methamphetamine Distribution SchemeRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Dixis Archaga-Reyes appeared today in United States District Court to face federal drug distribution charges for the alleged distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl in and near the Tenderloin District of San Francisco, announced United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds and Special Agent in Charge Wade R. Shannon of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
The charges were set out in a criminal complaint filed February 15, 2022, and unsealed in federal court today. According to the criminal complaint, Archaga-Reyes, 26, of Oakland, sold drugs on multiple occasions near the Tenderloin area of San Francisco. The complaint describes four transactions between November 2, 2021, and February 4, 2022, in which Archaga-Reyes sold methamphetamine, fentanyl, or both to an undercover Task Force Officer working with the DEA and the San Francisco Police Department. For example, the complaint alleges that on February 4, 2022, Archaga-Reyes communicated with the undercover agent by text and arranged to sell an ounce of fentanyl for $500 and 4 ounces of methamphetamine for $1,000 near 7th and Mission Streets. The complaint alleges that the undercover agent arrived at the area at approximately 4:39 p.m., driving a vehicle into which Archaga-Reyes entered on the passenger side. The transaction, which allegedly was recorded on video, involved Archaga-Reyes allegedly handing to the agent numerous clear plastic bags containing suspected fentanyl and methamphetamine in exchange for $1,500 in pre-marked bills. After the transaction, Archaga-Reyes exited the vehicle and the government took steps to confirm the plastic bags contained methamphetamine and fentanyl.
In sum, the complaint charges Archaga-Reyes with distributing 5 or more grams of methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(B)(viii), and distributing 40 or more grams of fentanyl, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(B)(vi). The statutory maximum penalty for each of these charges is a minimum of 5 years’ imprisonment and a maximum of 40 years’ imprisonment, a 5,000,000 fine, a minimum of 4 years’ supervised release and a maximum of life, a $100 special assessment, and mandatory and discretionary denial of federal benefits. 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.
Archaga-Reyes made his initial federal court appearance today in United States District Court in San Francisco before United States Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler. Archaga-Reyes was detained and remains in custody. His next court appearance is scheduled for February 28, 2022, before United States Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler, for a detention hearing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Paulson is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Soana Katoa and Mark DiCenzo. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by DEA and the San Francisco Police Department.
Nigerian National Pleads Guilty to Participating in Scheme to Conduct Cyber Intrusions to Steal Payroll DepositsRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that CHARLES ONUS pled guilty to computer fraud in connection with a scheme to conduct cyber intrusions in order to steal payroll deposits from multiple user accounts maintained by a company that provides human resources and payroll services to employers across the United States. ONUS was previously arrested on April 14, 2021 in San Francisco while traveling to the United States from Nigeria and has been detained since his arrest. ONUS pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Paul G. Gardephe.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Charles Onus admitted to participating in a scheme to steal hundreds of thousands of hard-earned dollars from workers across the United States by hacking into a payroll company’s system and diverting payroll deposits to prepaid debit cards he controlled. Our Office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to zealously arrest and prosecute those who seek to commit cybercrimes targeting Americans from behind a keyboard abroad.”
According to the Indictment, public court filings, and statements made in court:
From at least in or about July 2017 through at least in or about 2018, ONUS participated in a scheme to conduct cyber intrusions of multiple user accounts maintained by a company that provides human resources and payroll services to employers across the United States (the “Company”), in order to steal payroll deposits processed by the Company.
During the course of the scheme, unauthorized access was obtained to over 5,500 Company user accounts through a cyber intrusion technique referred to as “credential stuffing.” During a credential stuffing attack, a cyber threat actor collects stolen credentials, or username and password pairs, obtained from other large-scale data breaches of other companies. The threat actor then systematically attempts to use those stolen credentials to obtain unauthorized access to accounts held by the same user with other companies and providers, to compromise accounts where the user has maintained the same password.
After a Company user account was compromised, the bank account information designated by the user of the account was changed so that ONUS would receive the user’s payroll to a prepaid debit card that was under ONUS’s control.
From at least in or about July 2017 through at least in or about 2018, at least approximately 5,500 Company user accounts were compromised and more than approximately $800,000 in payroll funds were fraudulently diverted to prepaid debit cards, including those under the control of ONUS. The compromised Company user accounts were associated with employers whose payroll was processed by the Company, including employers located in the Southern District of New York.
ONUS was arrested on April 14, 2021 at San Francisco International Airport after arriving on a flight from Abuja, Nigeria. According to statements ONUS made to U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the airport, ONUS was traveling to the United States for a two-week vacation in Las Vegas.
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ONUS, 34, a resident and national of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, pled guilty to one count of computer fraud for unauthorized access to a protected computer to further intended fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
ONUS is scheduled be sentenced on May 12, 2022, by Judge Gardephe.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and IRS-CI. Mr. Williams also thanked the New York City Police Department, the FBI New York Cyber Task Force, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the FBI Field Office in San Francisco for their assistance in the investigation of this case.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Sagar K. Ravi is in charge of the prosecution.
New Bern Man Sentence to 30 Years for Drug Trafficking and an Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – Carlos Green, 34, of Craven County was sentenced today to 360 months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and distribution of 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, 280 grams or more of cocaine base (crack) and 500 grams or more of cocaine, distribution of 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, distribution of a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, distribution of a quantity of cocaine and cocaine base (crack) and possession of firearm by a convicted felon, possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, and possession of a firearm by a felon. A Jury convicted Green on these counts on September 1, 2020.
According to court documents, evidence presented at trial, other evidence and information presented in court on July 17, 2019, the Craven County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) made a controlled purchase of 28 grams of methamphetamine from Green at a sweepstakes business in Cove City, North Carolina. On July 23, 2019, the United States Postal Inspector intercepted a package that was to be delivered to the same business. The package contained 889 grams of crystal methamphetamine. On July 24, 2019, Craven County and ATF made a controlled purchase of 56 grams of crystal methamphetamine from Green at the same sweepstakes building in Cove City. On August 21, 2019, law enforcement was doing surveillance on Green’s residence in Chocowinity, North Carolina. A Beaufort Police Officer conducted a traffic stop on Green’s car after he left the residence. Law enforcement conducted a search of the residence following the stop. The search led to the discovery of 112 grams of cocaine, 9 grams of heroin, a loaded Kel-tec PLR-22 with a high-capacity magazine and items used to cook cocaine into crack cocaine. On December 10, 2019, Craven County Detectives and ATF agents attempted to locate Green at a residence in New Bern, North Carolina. Agents heard running within the house. Green answered the door shortly after that. A search of Green uncovered a ½ an ounce of crack cocaine on his person and another 80 grams of cocaine in a backpack. The investigation uncovered that Green had been involved in the distribution and possessing with the intent to distribute more than 2 kilograms of methamphetamine and 4 kilograms of cocaine. On November 23, 2020, while Green was awaiting sentencing in this case, Green assaulted another inmate. He was convicted of assault in state court on July 2021.
Green has prior federal convictions for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine base and 500 grams or more of cocaine.
This is part of operation “Fighting Jelly Fish” which is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launders, 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.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Craven, Lenoir, and Beaufort County Sheriff’s Offices and the New Bern, Beaufort, Kinston, Holly Ridge and Goldsboro Police Departments and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Severo 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. 4:20-cr-00005-FL.
Nevada Man Pleads Guilty to Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Nevada man pleaded guilty today to a federal charge of production of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Criminal Division, and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Michael Meoni, 44, of Laughlin, Nevada, pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for a sentence of 15 to 25 years in prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release. Following his release from prison, Meoni also will be required to register for 25 years as a sex offender. The Honorable Royce C. Lamberth scheduled sentencing for July 8, 2022.
According to the government’s evidence, on Sept. 17 and Sept. 18, 2020, Meoni communicated online with a man he believed was the father of an under-aged girl. Unbeknownst to Meoni, the man he was communicating with was an undercover detective working as part of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.
In one conversation on Sept. 17, 2020, Meoni asked the man for pictures of his daughter. On Sept. 18, 2020, Meoni initiated contact with the undercover detective and again asked for a picture. The undercover detective asked Meoni what images he had to share, and Meoni provided explicit photos of a young girl, including some in which he also was depicted with the child. In some photos, the child was wearing a diaper.
Meoni was arrested on Sept. 18, 2020. He has been in custody ever since.
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from the District of Columbia and northern Virginia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Jacobs, and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the assistance of the FBI’s Las Vegas Field Office. Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Janani Iyengar, who is prosecuting the case.
Minnesota Man Pleads Guilty and Sentenced for Sending Threatening Messages to Boston-Area College StudentRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Minnesota man pleaded guilty and was sentenced today in federal court Boston for sending threatening emails to a Boston-area college student.
Eric Bolduan, 47, of Rochester, Minn., was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel to 14 months in prison and three years of supervised release. The defendant was ordered to stay away from, and have no contact with, the Massachusetts victim. He was also ordered to pay restitution to the victim. Earlier in the hearing, Bolduan pleaded guilty to one count of transmitting in interstate commerce a threat to injure another person. Bolduan was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2021.
Bolduan downloaded images of a female student attending Boston College from her social media pages and from other publicly available sites. Bolduan then located a pornographic image of a different female with a similar appearance and posted the images of the victim alongside the pornographic image to various pornographic websites in order to make it appear that the victim was involved in pornography. Thereafter, Bolduan sent threatening and harassing emails to the victim. For example, on May 5, 2016, Bolduan sent an email to the victim that included the following language:
I noticed the attached photo of you online and wanted to follow up with you. I’m going to find you this summer. Once I’ve got you I will have my way with your body for several days, until I finally tire of you. You will experience things that will give you nightmares for the rest of your life. I want to look into your eyes as you experience pain at levels you never imagined were possible. By the time I’m done with you your body will be shattered and broken. I promise that you’ll never be the same again.
Bolduan attached a screenshot of a pornographic webpage depicting the legitimate, non-pornographic images of the victim alongside a pornographic image of a female who resembled the victim, to the email. Later that day, Bolduan sent a mass email to multiple Boston College email addresses. In the email, Bolduan listed the victim by name and attached the screenshot of the pornographic website he had emailed to the victim. Five days later, on May 10, 2016, Bolduan sent a second threatening email to the victim at her college email address.
To avoid detection, Bolduan sent the emails to the victim using an email account that was not in his true name and to further avoid detective he utilized a software that directs internet traffic through thousands of relays in order to anonymize users.
On June 7, 2017, during a search of his residence, Bolduan admitted to harassing and threatening the victim and admitted to sending the May 5, 2016 email with attached photographs to the victim.
Members of the public who have victim assistance questions or information regarding this case should email [email protected].
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Boston College Chief of Police William B. Evans made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
MS-13 Leader Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for RICO ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A member of the violent MS-13 gang and leader of a local MS-13 clique was sentenced on Friday, Feb. 18, 2022, in federal court in Boston for RICO conspiracy.
Djavier Duggins, a/k/a “Haze,” 32, of Lynn, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf to 15 year in prison and three years of supervised release. In April 2021, Duggins pleaded guilty to racketeering, or RICO, conspiracy on behalf of MS-13.
MS-13, or La Mara Salvatrucha, is a transnational street gang operating in Massachusetts and numerous other states, as well as countries such as El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala. MS-13 gang members often commit acts of extreme violence against suspected rivals, those suspected of cooperating with law enforcement, and others who the gang views as a threat. The gang is also known for recruiting young members at local high schools, who are then groomed to commit violence in furtherance of the gang’s mission. In recent years, dozens of MS-13 members have been convicted of RICO conspiracy and other serious felonies in the District of Massachusetts.
MS-13 is organized into “cliques” or branches operating in local territories. Duggins was a “homeboy,” or full member of the MS-13 gang, and the leader of the “Sykos Locos Salvatrucha” (Sykos) clique of MS-13 for the better part of a decade. Achieving promotion to “homeboy” in MS-13 generally requires the commission of a significant act of violence, often including murder. As part of his leadership role, Duggins personally recruited, mentored and encouraged younger clique members to commit violence on behalf of MS-13.
The evidence in this case showed that Duggins had been a leader of MS-13 since approximately 2006 and was part of the core group of MS-13 members who helped build up the Sykos clique of MS-13 in Lynn. In 2012, Duggins and another member of the Sykos clique participated in an attempted murder during which Duggins stabbed a victim multiple times on a public street. For that crime, Duggins was prosecuted in state court for armed assault with intent to murder and other charges and was sentenced to 54 months in state prison.
The investigation revealed that after Duggins was released from state prison in 2016, he went back to associating with MS-13 and helped co-defendant Erick Lopez Flores recruit and mentor the next generation of the gang. For example, upon learning of a 2016 murder committed by co-defendant Henri Salvador Gutierrez in East Boston, Duggins recruited Gutierrez to the Sykos clique and offered to promote him to a higher rank based on his prior violence.
Duggins remained a leader of the Sykos clique in the years following his release from state prison in 2016. During his leadership, members of the Sykos clique continued to engage in racketeering activity and violence on behalf of MS-13.
On July 30, 2018, six members of the Sykos clique participated in a horrific murder in Lynn where they lured a teenage victim to a playground pretending to be friendly with the unsuspecting victim. At the scene, the gang members surrounded the victim and repeatedly stabbed him to death. An autopsy revealed that the victim suffered at least 32 sharp force trauma wounds consistent with being stabbed repeatedly, along with blunt force injuries to the head.
Although Duggins did not participate in the 2018 murder committed by other members of his clique, the Court noted Duggins’ leadership role and his longstanding involvement in the gang as reasons to impose the 15-year sentence on Duggins.
Following an investigation in November 2018, Duggins was indicted along with five MS-13 members who participated in the July 2018 murder in Lynn. In a related case, the government charged a juvenile co-conspirator who was the sixth person involved in the Lynn murder. All six defendants indicted in this case, along with the juvenile charged in the related case, have pleaded guilty. Duggins is the fourth defendant to be sentenced. On Feb. 16, 2022, Henri Salvador Gutierrez, a/k/a “Perverso,” was sentenced to life in prison. On Feb. 14, 2022, Erick Lopez Flores, a/k/a “Mayimbu,” was sentenced to 40 years in prison. On Feb. 15, 2022, Jonathan Tercero Yanes, a/k/a “Desalmado,” was sentenced to 33 years in prison. Sentencing hearings for the two remaining co-defendants, Eliseo Vaquerano Canas, a/k/a “Peligroso” and Marlos Reyes, a/k/a “Silencio,” have not yet been scheduled by the Court.
First Assistant United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Essex County District Attorney Jonathan W. Blodgett; Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden; Acting Boston Police Commissioner Gregory Long; and Lynn Police Chief Christopher Reddy made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kunal Pasricha, Kaitlin O’Donnell and Philip Mallard of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Luzerne County Man Sentenced to 24 Years’ Imprisonment for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SCRANTON-The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Scott Michael Decker, age 45, of Pittston, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on February 18, 2022, to 292 months’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion for production of child pornography.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, on August 11, 2021, Decker entered a guilty plea to two counts of production of child pornography. Decker produced pornographic images of two children between January 1, 2019, and March 12, 2020, in Luzerne County.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
The case was investigated by the Pittston City Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Assistant United States Attorney Jenny P. Roberts prosecuted the case.
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Louisiana Man Sentenced to More Than 12 Years in Federal Custody and a Lifetime of Federal Supervised Release for Attempted Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, Miss. – A Greensburg, Louisiana man was sentenced today to 152 months in prison for attempted enticement of a minor following his arrest in a Marion County Human Trafficking operation, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge David Denton of Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans.
Brandon Brumfield, 25, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Taylor B. McNeel. Brumfield’s sentence also included a special assessment of $5,000 under the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act and a lifetime term of supervised release following his release from confinement. He will also register as a sex offender.
According to court documents, during an operation being conducted by law enforcement in Marion County in December 2020, Brumfield engaged with an undercover online chatter posing as a 14-year-old on the online dating website “Plenty of Fish.” While chatting, Brumfield expressed his desire to have sex with the 14-year-old and stated he would drive to Columbia, Mississippi from Greensburg, Louisiana to do so. Upon arrival in Columbia, Brumfield was arrested by law enforcement with condoms in his vehicle. Brumfield subsequently admitted to law enforcement that his intent was to have sex with a 14-year-old he had met on “Plenty of Fish.”.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Columbia Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew W. Eichner prosecuted the case.
Leader of MS-13 Gang in Mendota Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking and Assault with a Deadly WeaponRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Denis Barrera-Palma, 27, of Mendota, was sentenced Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2022, to 10 years and one month in prison for assault with a deadly weapon in aid of racketeering and conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Barrera-Palma was the leader in Mendota of La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), a violent criminal street gang that engages in racketeering activity, including murder, kidnapping, extortion, and drug trafficking. On May 14, 2018, Barrera-Palma, along with others, assaulted another individual with a pipe in front of an elementary school in Mendota in order to gain entrance to, or maintain or increase his status within MS-13. On Feb. 28, 2020, Barrera‑Palma pleaded guilty to the charges.
Barrera-Palma was also the leader of MS-13’s drug trafficking conspiracy in Mendota. MS-13 engaged in street level drug sales to fund various of the gang’s criminal activities. The gang, through Barrera-Palma, would acquire drugs, and distribute them out among members with a directive that they sell the drugs within a certain period of time and return all proceeds to the gang. Those proceeds would then be used for a variety of purposes, including funding trips to obtain drugs or commit acts of violence, putting money on the books of incarcerated MS-13 members, sending money to MS-13 members in El Salvador, and obtaining more narcotics to sell.
The investigation began after reports that MS-13 had established a presence in and around Mendota, a Central Valley town 35 miles west of Fresno. Investigators found evidence of broad criminal activity, including murder, assault, firearms possession and drug trafficking activity. In August 2018, 25 individuals associated with MS-13 were arrested on federal and state charges in connection with their gang activities, including assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering and conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. All 15 of Barrera-Palma’s federal co-defendants have been sentenced.
The investigation was conducted by the California Department of Justice and California Highway Patrol Special Operations Unit, the Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium (MAGEC), the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Special Services Unit (SSU). Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ross Pearson and Kimberly Sanchez prosecuted this case. Senior Deputy District Attorney Dennis Lewis is working with the team and prosecuting related cases in Fresno County Superior Court.
This effort was 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 www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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.
Lawton Hospital and Physicians Pay $550,000 to Settle Civil Penalty Claims Involving Controlled Substance PrescriptionsRead the Press Release
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – Comanche County Hospital Authority (“CCHA”), Troy L. Harden, D.O., and Moncy Varkey, D.O., agreed to pay a total of $550,000 to the United States to settle civil penalty claims related to prescriptions for various non-opioid Schedule II Controlled Substances, announced United States Attorney Robert J. Troester.
Under the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970 and its regulations, prescriptions for controlled substances must be issued for a legitimate medical purpose by an individual practitioner acting in the usual course of his professional practice.
During the relevant time, Drs. Harden and Varkey were employed by CCHA and practiced medicine on behalf of Lawton Community Health Care Center, Inc. ("CCMH"), in and around Lawton, Oklahoma. The United States alleges that during the period November 2016 to August 2018, Drs. Harden and Varkey issued prescriptions for various non-opioid Schedule II Controlled Substances, without establishing a doctor-patient relationship via a face-to-face encounter with the patient. During this time, CCHA was responsible for certain CCMH operations including administration, management, and regulatory compliance. The United States alleges the prescriptions issued by Drs. Harden and Varkey were outside the usual course of professional practice and that CCHA neglected to implement appropriate prescribing policies and procedures.
To resolve these allegations, CCHA and Drs. Harden and Varkey agreed to pay a total of $550,000 to the United States.
In reaching this settlement, Drs. Harden and Varkey and CCHA did not admit liability, and the government did not make any concessions about the legitimacy of the claims. The agreement allows the parties to avoid the delay, expense, inconvenience, and uncertainty involved in litigating the case.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Office of Diversion Control, with assistance from the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Office of Audit Services. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda R. Johnson and Ronald R. Gallegos prosecuted the case.
Lafayette Man Sentenced to 120 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Juan O. Barradas-De La Paz, 26, of Lafayette, Indiana was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Jon E. DeGuilio, after pleading guilty to possessing with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Barradas-De La Paz was sentenced to 120 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release
According to documents in the case, in January 2021, law enforcement purchased a pound of methamphetamine from Barradas-De La Paz. He was stopped in Lafayette on the way to another deal in January when he was arrested and found to be in possession of 3 pounds of methamphetamine and ½ kilogram of cocaine. A subsequent search warrant at his residence resulted in the recovery of additional controlled substances and firearms, which included 5 kilograms of cocaine and 2 pounds of methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Tippecanoe County Drug Taskforce, and the Lafayette Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas J. Padilla.
Lander Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Traveling with the Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct and Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Bob Murray announced today that GARRETT THOMAS FINDLAY, 24, of Lander, Wyoming, was sentenced on one count of traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and four counts of production of child pornography on February 17, 2022, before Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson. Findlay received 20 years’ imprisonment for each count to be served concurrently; fifteen years of supervised release; $33,000 in restitution and a $500 special assessment. The government requested a prison sentence of 25 years.
Findlay came to the attention of law enforcement when Kik, a social media website, reported that he was sharing child pornography on its platform. This led members of the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force to execute search warrants on his home and his devices. Forensic analysis of his devices revealed that Findlay had been enticing minor girls from around the country to produce child pornography and send it to him and that he had also traveled to meet or have sexual encounters with some of his victims.
The investigation was conducted by the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, Port Charlotte, Florida; Colorado Springs Police Department Internet Crimes Against Children unit (ICAC) Colorado Springs, Colorado; Hawaii Department of Attorney General ICAC Task Force, Kentucky State Police, Electronic Crimes Branch; Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Lee County, Florida; Louisiana Bureau of Investigation-Cyber Crime Unit; Maui Police Department, Maui Hawaii; Montana Department of Justice ICAC unit; Oregon Department of Justice; United States Immigration and Custom Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations; Washington State ICAC Task Force; and the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation ICAC team. Assistant United States Attorney Christyne M. Martens prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc
Case No. 21-cr-00079-ABJ
Kivalina Man Sentenced for Child ExploitationRead the Press Release
FAIRBANKS – A former substitute teacher from Kivalina, Alaska, was sentenced to 10 years in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Ralph R. Beistline for soliciting nude photos and sex from multiple girls ages 11 to 16 years old.
According to court documents, while Jayson Knox, aka “Birdie,” 23, was a substitute teacher at the Kivalina school, he used social media and text messages to contact 10 young girls asking them for nude photos and to meet up with him to engage in sexually explicit conduct. Knox persisted in his behavior even after being confronted by some of the victims or their family members. He admitted that he was particularly attracted to underaged girls because he thought it was easier to get them to have sex. In addition to asking for nude photos, Knox also sent explicit photos of himself to several of the girls. Knox became the subject of a federal investigation when the Alaska State Troopers contacted the FBI concerning allegations that Knox had engaged in inappropriate conduct with minors in Kivalina. Knox pleaded guilty to one count of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor in September 2021.
“Child predators like Knox are every parent’s nightmare,” said John E. Kuhn, Jr. of the District of Alaska. “Fortunately, this sentence will protect the community for years to come. I commend our prosecutor, the FBI and the Alaska State Troopers for their excellent work in securing this conviction and sentence.”
“In his position of trust, the defendant sexually exploited innocent children, and betrayed his entire community in the process,” said Special Agent in Charge Antony Jung of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “Whether it’s an urban area or a small coastal village on an island, the FBI will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to identify, investigate, and hold accountable anyone who seeks to harm children.”
“Child sexual exploitation is a problem in all of Alaska, but thanks to the dedication of skilled investigators and coordination with our federal and local partners, offenders such as Mr. Knox are being brought to justice,” said Alaska State Trooper Capt. Andrew Gorn, Commander of the Alaska Bureau of Investigation. “There is no place in society for these acts on children and we will continue to vigorously pursue those who perpetuate these crimes.”
The FBI and the Alaska State Troopers investigated the case as part of the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Doty prosecuted the case.
This investigation is part of the Rural Alaska Anti-Violence Enforcement (RAAVEN) Working Group’s ongoing efforts to build the capacity of federal, state, and tribal law enforcement in rural Alaska. The RAAVEN Working Group, led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, encourages extensive collaboration among law enforcement at all levels, rural communities, Alaska Native groups, victim service organizations, and care providers. Current law enforcement members of the working group include the U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO), State of Alaska Department of Public Safety (DPS), State of Alaska Department of Law (DOL), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), FBI, DEA, ATF, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), and the Anchorage Police Department (APD).
The investigation is also part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood combines 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 visitwww.justice.gov/psc
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Kenyon Bookkeeper Convicted by Federal Jury for $700,000 Employer Embezzlement and Tax Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A federal jury found a Kenyon woman guilty of embezzling more than $700,000 from the owners of several Denny’s restaurant franchises around the Twin Cities and from a family-owned construction company in Rochester, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Charles J. Kovats.
Following a five-day jury trial before U.S. District Court Chief Judge John R. Tunheim, Kimberly Sue Peterson-Janovec, 59, of Kenyon, was convicted on 24 counts of fraud, aggravated identity theft, and tax crimes. Notably, Peterson-Janovec has a prior federal fraud conviction from 1998, when she embezzled more than $950,000 from another former employer.
Acting U.S. Attorney Charles J. Kovats stated, “Over the course of several years, Ms. Peterson-Janovec deliberately abused her professional position to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from her employers. With this guilty verdict, Ms. Peterson-Janovec has been held accountable for her actions. I applaud the prosecutors and investigators for skillfully unraveling this years-long fraud scheme and achieving a successful outcome.”
“Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) is relentless in unraveling the fraudulent actions of those, such as Kimberly Peterson-Janovec, who scheme to defraud their employers and those who trust them,” said Special Agent in Charge Justin Campbell of IRS-CI’s Chicago Field Office. “This guilty verdict is a reminder that there are real, life-changing consequences for this type of dishonest and criminal behavior.”
“This guilty verdict reaffirms the critical role the U.S. Postal Inspection Service plays in protecting American consumers and businesses from fraudulent schemes,” said Inspector in Charge Ruth Mendonça. “Postal Inspectors proudly ensure the sanctity of the U.S. Mail to prevent criminals from perpetuating crimes that impact the financial well-being of our citizens.”
According to the evidence presented at trial, in 2014, Peterson-Janovec became the Director of Operations for MI5, Inc., a Denny’s franchisee that owned and operated eight Denny’s franchises in Minnesota and Wisconsin. In this role, Peterson-Janovec had extensive managerial oversight for all eight restaurants, including payroll, cash deposits, vendor and contractor billing, marketing, and coordinating reimbursements from Denny’s Corporate.
According to the evidence presented at trial, from April 2014 through July 2019, Peterson-Janovec used her position to embezzle funds from MI5 and Denny’s Corporate by generating and submitting false requests for vendor payments and then diverting those payments for her own use and benefit. Peterson-Janovec also manipulated the company’s payroll system to issue herself unauthorized compensation using the names of employees who no longer worked for the company. As part of the scheme, Peterson-Janovec falsified records, created fake email accounts, and generated fake email traffic in which she impersonated employees of various purported vendors. In total, Peterson-Janovec received approximately $336,000 in bogus vendor payments and approximately $20,000 in fraudulently issued payroll submissions using the identities of other people.
According to the evidence presented at trial, in July 2019, MI5, Inc., discovered aspects of Peterson-Janovec’s fraud and terminated her employment. After her termination, in early 2020, Peterson-Janovec lied about her work experience to get another bookkeeping job with a family-owned construction company in Rochester, identified as Company 3. Peterson-Janovec started as its bookkeeper, earned Company 3’s trust, and eventually was promoted to its general manager. Peterson-Janovec used her position to devise and execute a similar fraud scheme on Company 3. She used her access to Company 3’s QuickBooks to issue herself numerous payments, and she did so in a manner that made the payments appear as if they were going to Company 3 vendors. This netted Peterson-Janovec another $350,000 in as little at 18 months.
In total, Peterson-Janovec stole more than $700,000 from her employers, which she used to finance her lifestyle and hobbies, including a substantial down payment on her personal residence. Peterson-Janovec also committed tax crimes during every year of her fraud scheme, which led to over $160,000 in unpaid taxes.
Peterson-Janovec was found guilty on 13 counts of wire fraud, two counts of mail fraud, three counts of aggravated identity theft, three counts of making and subscribing a false tax return, and three counts of failure to file individual tax returns. A sentencing date has yet to be scheduled.
This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Burnsville Police Department, and the Criminal Investigation Division of the IRS.
This case was tried by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jordan L. Sing and Kimberly A. Svendsen.
Kinnear Woman Pleads Guilty to False Statement of Sexual AssaultRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Bob Murray announced today that BENITA LOUISE SMITH, 56, of Kinnear, Wyoming pleaded guilty to making a false statement relating to a sexual assault during a plea hearing before United States District Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on February 15, 2022. Sentencing has been set for May 2, 2022.
The indictment alleges that on or about October 26, 2020, Smith did knowingly make a materially false, fictitious, and fraudulent statement and representation in a matter within the jurisdiction of the executive branch of the Government of the United States, that is, by stating and representing to a Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent that a Bureau of Indian Affairs police officer had sexually assaulted her after he took her into custody, when the defendant knew the officer had not sexually assaulted her.
Smith faces up to five years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment.
This crime was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Elmore is prosecuting the case.
Case No. 21-cr-00091-NDF
Jury Convicts DC Man and Woman for Armed Robbery and CarjackingRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A federal jury convicted a District of Columbia man and woman Friday on charges of robbery, carjacking, and possession of a firearm during crimes of violence.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Douglas Damon Whitley, 39, and Kendal Robinson, 35, followed a Peloton delivery van in another vehicle into a 7-11 parking lot in Fairfax on August 25, 2021. Whitley got out of the vehicle driven by Robinson and entered the delivery van from the passenger side where he pulled a Tec 9 from his bag and ordered the driver out of the van. The van was found in Maryland stripped of the Peloton bikes several days later. Surveillance footage from the surrounding commercial establishments captured the crime.
Whitley faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 7 years in prison when sentenced on May 24. Robinson faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when sentenced on May 24. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division; and Kevin Davis, Fairfax County Chief of Police, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema accepted the verdict.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Walutes, Jr. is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:21-cr-227.
Judge Sentences Pittsburgh Man Involved in Heroin Trafficking Scheme to Nearly 4 YearsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania has been sentenced in federal court to 46 months’ imprisonment followed by six years of supervised release on his conviction for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
United States District Judge William S. Stickman, IV imposed the sentence on David Joyner, 26, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
According to information presented to the court, Joyner conspired to distribute and possessed with intent to distribute heroin from June of 2019 through December of 2019. In 2019 the Federal Bureau of Investigation began investigating a heroin trafficking organization operating throughout the greater Pittsburgh area of which Joyner was a member. Beginning in July of 2019 and continuing through August of 2019, the FBI initiated a Title III wiretap investigation into the organization. Joyner was intercepted communicating with his codefendant about acquiring quantities of heroin, prices of heroin, and the purity of the heroin. Through extensive physical and electronic surveillance, Joyner was observed meeting with his codefendant to conduct heroin transactions. In addition to the intercepted communications, agents seized heroin, firearms, and bulk United States Currency from members of the organization, including Joyner. Judge Stickman referenced the seriousness of the offense as well as Joyner’s criminal history.
Assistant United States Attorney Mark V. Gurzo prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Chung commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Allegheny County Police Department, the Stowe Township Police Department, the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, the Office of the Attorney General, the Allegheny County Sheriff's Office, the North Versailles Police Department, the Allegheny County Port Authority Police Department, the Munhall Police Department, and the Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Joyner.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Jefferson Davis County Felon Sentenced to More Than 6 Years in Federal Prison for Possession of Multiple FirearmsRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, Miss. – A Jefferson Davis County felon was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Taylor B. McNeel to 77 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The sentence also included a fine of $2,000 and a term of three years of supervised release following his release from confinement.
According to court documents, Delmus Stubbs, 42, was found in possession of multiple firearms during a safety checkpoint in Collins, Mississippi. Stubbs had previously been convicted of multiple felonies, with his most recent conviction being for possession of a controlled substance while in possession of a firearm.
Stubbs pled guilty on November 23, 2021 to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Mississippi Highway Patrol, and Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew W. Eichner prosecuted the case.
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.
Jamestown Woman Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl ConspiracyRead 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 Holly Berenguer, 39, of Jamestown, NY, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 40 grams or more of fentanyl, before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder Jr. The charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 40 years and a $5,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who is handling the case, stated on September 5, 2021, a Jamestown Police Officer arrested Berenguer on an active bench warrant for failure to appear in Jamestown City Court. While she was being processed, police personnel discovered a white powdery substance and $450 hidden in Berenguer’s clothes. The substances field tested positive for heroin and methamphetamine. As part of the conspiracy, between September 2020, and September 2021, Berenguer distributed large amounts of heroin and fentanyl in the Jamestown area.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Timothy Foley.
Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.
Jamaican Police Officer Charged with Smuggling Cocaine from Jamaica to South Florida Inside Her BodyRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – A South Florida grand jury has indicted a veteran police officer from Jamaica with importing cocaine into the United States with the intent to distribute it here.
The indictment and a previously filed criminal complaint affidavit allege the following: On February 3, 42-year-old Shelian Cherine Allen, a Jamaican citizen, arrived at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on a flight from Montego Bay, Jamaica. An inspection by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) revealed that Allen had a package of cocaine inside her vagina and a package of cocaine inside each of her bra cups. Allen also had 90 pellets of packaged cocaine inside her stomach, which she had swallowed. CBP officers took Allen to a local hospital, where she expelled the 90 pellets. In total, Allen had approximately 1,350 grams of cocaine on or inside her body when she entered the United States: about 234 in her vagina, about 174 grams in her bra, and about 942 grams inside her stomach.
At the time of her arrest, Allen was a law enforcement officer employed by the Jamaica Constabulary Force for the last 18 years.
The indictment charges Allen with two counts: importation of five hundred (500) grams or more of cocaine and possession with intent to distribute five hundred (500) grams or more of cocaine. If convicted, she faces up to 40 years in prison on each count.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Anthony Salisbury, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Filed Office, and Vernon T. Foret, Director of Field Operation, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
HSI Miami and CBP Miami investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney William T. Shockley is prosecuting it.
An indictment merely contains allegations and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 22-cr-60024.
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Hartford Resident Who Illegally Possessed Firearms is SentencedRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that GEORGE HARRIS, 40, last residing in Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 12 months and one day of imprisonment for illegally possessing firearms.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 12, 2020, Harris was transported by ambulance to Hartford Hospital in an intoxicated state. When the attending nurse began changing Harris out of his clothes and into hospital garments, a loaded .38 caliber semiautomatic pistol fell from one of his pants pockets.
Prior to July 2020, Harris had been convicted of a felony offense. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
Harris has been detained since his arrest on July 17, 2021. At the time of his arrest, he possessed another loaded semiautomatic pistol.
On October 20, 2021, Harris pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon.
Harris, a citizen of Jamaica, faces immigration proceedings when he completes his prison term.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Hartford Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda S. Oakes.
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.
Former Owner of Tax Preparation Business Convicted of Fraud, Identity Theft, and Money Laundering CrimesRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that ARIEL JIMENEZ, a/k/a “Melo,” was convicted today following a two-week jury trial before the Honorable Sidney H. Stein. As the jury found, between in or about 2009 through in or about 2015, JIMENEZ, the owner of a tax preparation business in the Bronx, New York (the “Business”), sold the stolen identities of minors to his customers so that his customers could claim inflated tax refunds. The jury convicted JIMENEZ of four counts: conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Ariel Jimenez’s tax and identity theft crimes cruelly forced his victims to endure bureaucratic snafus and agonizing delays for their much-needed tax refunds. Jimenez now stands convicted, and now faces years in federal prison. Today’s conviction is a stark reminder that tax fraud results in real-world victims and real-life consequences.”
According to the Indictment, evidence presented during trial, court documents, and statements in open court:
Beginning in or about 2007, JIMENEZ founded the Business. From the outset, JIMENEZ obtained hundreds of stolen minor identities and, working with his co-conspirators, sold those identities, as fraudulent dependents, to his customers for between $1,000 and $1,500 in cash. JIMENEZ personally received $1,000 in cash for every identity sold. JIMENEZ and his co-conspirators callously referred to these stolen identities as “pollitos,” meaning little chickens. In some years, JIMENEZ sold more than a thousand identities, resulting in personal profits to him of more than $1 million per year. In addition, JIMENEZ also made hundreds of thousands of dollars every year in the tax fees that his Business charged just to prepare fraudulent tax returns. In return for their participation in this scheme, the customers received thousands of dollars in inflated tax refunds.
JIMENEZ’s use of stolen identities harmed the actual caretakers of the fraudulently claimed children. In some cases, the people actually taking care of these children had much-needed tax refunds delayed and were required to prove their actual connection to their own dependent children.
JIMENEZ used the profits from his tax preparation business to acquire millions of dollars of real estate, in addition to funding his lavish lifestyle. By his own admission, JIMENEZ spent more than $5.5 million of the Business’s proceeds on properties in the United States and abroad, jewelry, cars, and gambling. In or about March 2016, JIMENEZ transferred several properties purchased with fraud proceeds to his parents, for little to no value, in order to conceal the criminal source of the funds used to purchase the properties.
One of the primary credits claimed by JIMENEZ and the Business for their clients was the Earned Income Tax Credit (“EITC”). The EITC is intended to provide tax relief or tax refunds for qualifying low and moderate income working individuals and families. Between tax years 2009 and 2014, the Business filed approximately 14,199 personal income tax returns claiming the EITC. In total, these returns claimed approximately $37,910,246 in the EITC alone. During these years, between 54% and 62% of all personal income tax returns filed by the Business claimed the EITC. By comparison, approximately 41% of all returns filed by tax preparers in the Bronx and approximately 20% of all returns filed by tax prepares nationwide claimed the EITC.
JIMENEZ was first arrested in November 2018, along with eight of his co-conspirators. JIMENEZ is the last of the defendants charged to be convicted. The remaining eight defendants have pleaded guilty to fraud and other offenses.
* * *
ARIEL JIMENEZ, 38, of Bronx, New York was convicted at trial of one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States with respect to tax returns, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years; conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years; aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory consecutive sentence of 2 years; and money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years. The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge. JIMENEZ is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Stein on June 6, 2022.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the IRS-Criminal Investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel G. Nessim, Ni Qian, Marguerite Colson, and Dina McLeod are in charge of the prosecution.
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that ARIEL JIMENEZ, a/k/a “Melo,” was convicted today following a two-week jury trial before the Honorable Sidney H. Stein. As the jury found, between in or about 2009 through in or about 2015, JIMENEZ, the owner of a tax preparation business in the Bronx, New York (the “Business”), sold the stolen identities of minors to his customers so that his customers could claim inflated tax refunds. The jury convicted JIMENEZ of four counts: conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Ariel Jimenez’s tax and identity theft crimes cruelly forced his victims to endure bureaucratic snafus and agonizing delays for their much-needed tax refunds. Jimenez now stands convicted, and now faces years in federal prison. Today’s conviction is a stark reminder that tax fraud results in real-world victims and real-life consequences.”
According to the Indictment, evidence presented during trial, court documents, and statements in open court:
Beginning in or about 2007, JIMENEZ founded the Business. From the outset, JIMENEZ obtained hundreds of stolen minor identities and, working with his co-conspirators, sold those identities, as fraudulent dependents, to his customers for between $1,000 and $1,500 in cash. JIMENEZ personally received $1,000 in cash for every identity sold. JIMENEZ and his co-conspirators callously referred to these stolen identities as “pollitos,” meaning little chickens. In some years, JIMENEZ sold more than a thousand identities, resulting in personal profits to him of more than $1 million per year. In addition, JIMENEZ also made hundreds of thousands of dollars every year in the tax fees that his Business charged just to prepare fraudulent tax returns. In return for their participation in this scheme, the customers received thousands of dollars in inflated tax refunds.
JIMENEZ’s use of stolen identities harmed the actual caretakers of the fraudulently claimed children. In some cases, the people actually taking care of these children had much-needed tax refunds delayed and were required to prove their actual connection to their own dependent children.
JIMENEZ used the profits from his tax preparation business to acquire millions of dollars of real estate, in addition to funding his lavish lifestyle. By his own admission, JIMENEZ spent more than $5.5 million of the Business’s proceeds on properties in the United States and abroad, jewelry, cars, and gambling. In or about March 2016, JIMENEZ transferred several properties purchased with fraud proceeds to his parents, for little to no value, in order to conceal the criminal source of the funds used to purchase the properties.
One of the primary credits claimed by JIMENEZ and the Business for their clients was the Earned Income Tax Credit (“EITC”). The EITC is intended to provide tax relief or tax refunds for qualifying low and moderate income working individuals and families. Between tax years 2009 and 2014, the Business filed approximately 14,199 personal income tax returns claiming the EITC. In total, these returns claimed approximately $37,910,246 in the EITC alone. During these years, between 54% and 62% of all personal income tax returns filed by the Business claimed the EITC. By comparison, approximately 41% of all returns filed by tax preparers in the Bronx and approximately 20% of all returns filed by tax prepares nationwide claimed the EITC.
JIMENEZ was first arrested in November 2018, along with eight of his co-conspirators. JIMENEZ is the last of the defendants charged to be convicted. The remaining eight defendants have pleaded guilty to fraud and other offenses.
* * *
ARIEL JIMENEZ, 38, of Bronx, New York was convicted at trial of one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States with respect to tax returns, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years; conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years; aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory consecutive sentence of 2 years; and money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years. The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge. JIMENEZ is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Stein on June 6, 2022.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the IRS-Criminal Investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel G. Nessim, Ni Qian, Marguerite Colson, and Dina McLeod are in charge of the prosecution.