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Tuesday 21 December 2021
Ohio man sentenced for drug distributionRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Zachary Price, of Flushing, Ohio, was sentenced today to 33 months of incarceration for drug distribution, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II announced.
Price, age 25, pled guilty in March 2019 to one count of “Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and Distribute Cocaine, MDMA, LSD, Marijuana, Oxycodone, Adderall, Codeine, and Alprazolam.” Price admitted to distributing cocaine, MDMA, LSD, Marijuana, Oxycodone, Adderall, Codeine, and Alprazolam from April 2017 to November 2017 in Ohio County.
The judge also ordered $43,169 in cash seized be forfeited.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen L. Vogrin prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Ohio County Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
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.
U.S. Magistrate Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Ohio man admits to drug chargesRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Michael Edward Lamp, II, of East Liverpool, Ohio, has admitted to drug charges, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II announced.
Lamp, also known as “Chubs,” 43, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with the Intent to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine” and one count of “Distribution of 5 Grams or More of Methamphetamine.” Lamp admitted to working with others to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine from September 2020to February 2021 in Hancock County and elsewhere, including the Northern District of Ohio.
Lamp faces at least 10 years and up to life incarceration and a fine of up to $10,000,000 for the conspiracy charge and faces at least five years and up to 40 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $5,000,000 for the distribution charge. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn M. Adkins is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Hancock-Brooke-Weirton Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the Drug Enforcement Administration in Youngtown, Ohio; the Liverpool Township Police Department-Ohio; and the East Liverpool Police Department -Ohio investigated. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Ohio assisted.
U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.
North Carolina Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Filing False Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
A North Carolina man pleaded guilty yesterday to filing a false tax return.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Steve Sloan, 64, owned and operated Total Lawn and Landscape Pros LLC (Total Lawn), which provided lawn care services in Greensboro, Chapel Hill, and nearby areas. From 2014 to 2018, Sloan filed false returns with the IRS reporting each year only a portion of the profits actually earned by Total Lawn. For example, on his 2017 tax return Sloan reported total receipts of less than $200,000. In reality, the company’s receipts that year were $464,650. In all, Sloan caused a tax loss to the IRS of approximately $318,735.
Sloan is scheduled to be sentenced on June 21, 2022, and faces a maximum sentence of three years in prison. Sloan also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, U.S. Attorney Sandra J. Hairston for the Middle District of North Carolina, and Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Karen Wingerd of the IRS-Criminal Investigation Charlotte Field Office made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Kevin Schneider of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanner Kroeger of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina are prosecuting the case.
New Orleans Woman Charged with Social Security FraudRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that YADA CLARK (“CLARK”), age 62, of New Orleans, Louisiana was charged by Bill of Information filed on December 16, 2021, for Theft of Federal Funds.
According to the Bill of Information, the Social Security Administration (“SSA”), an agency or department of the United States of America, operated the Retirement Survivor Insurance Benefit program (“RSI Program”). The purpose of the RSI Program is to provide benefits to retired workers in their post working years.
In or around February 1997, E.C. applied for and began receiving RSI Program benefits. The SSA sent the benefits to E.C. by direct deposit into his bank account. CLARK was a co-owner of E.C.’s bank account.
On February 5, 2006, E.C. died. CLARK never advised the SSA of E.C.’s death. From February 2006 through August 2020, SSA continued to electronically deposit funds to E.C.’s, bank account. From February 2006 through August 2020, CLARK received monthly SSA benefits totaling approximately $216,236 that she was not entitled to receive, which were deposited into E.C.’s account. CLARK was not entitled to receive these funds, however, she used such funds for her living expenses.
CLARK faces a maximum sentence of up to 10 years imprisonment, restitution, a fine of not more than $250,000, supervised release of up to 3 years, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the bill of information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carter K. D. Guice, Jr.
New Orleans Man Sentenced to Eighty (80) Months for Violating the Federal Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – On December 16, 2021, United States District Judge Susie Morgan sentenced ROMALIS HARRIS, to eighty (80) months in the Bureau of Prisons for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine base, and use of a communication facility, a telephone, during the commission of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of the Federal Controlled Substances Act, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
HARRIS was charged on December 19, 2019 and pled guilty on June 14, 2021. In one count, he pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine base, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 846, 841(a)(1), and 841(b)(1)(B). Judge Morgan sentenced HARRIS to eighty (80) months on that count, to be followed by four (4) years of supervised release. Additionally, HARRIS was sentenced to pay a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
HARRIS also pled guilty and was sentenced to use of a communication facility, a telephone, during the commission of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 843(b). Judge Morgan sentenced HARRIS to forty-eight (48) months imprisonment, to be followed by four (4) years of supervised release, to be served concurrently to all other sentences. HARRIS was also sentenced to pay a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
U. S. Attorney Duane A. Evans praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Gretna Police Department. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Brittany Reed, Andre Jones, and Melissa Bücher.
New Jersey Man Pleads Guilty to Obstructing Pittsburgh Police During May 30, 2020 ProtestRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Long Beach Township, New Jersey, pleaded guilty to a charge of obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Nicholas Lucia, 26, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on May 30, 2020, Lucia knowingly and willfully threw an explosive device at uniformed Pittsburgh police officers, causing the obstruction, impediment and interference of law enforcement officers engaged in the lawful performance of their official duties.
Judge Schwab scheduled sentencing for June 7, 2022. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than five years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan D. Lusty is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
NatWest Markets Pleads Guilty to Fraud in U.S. Treasury MarketsRead the Press Release
NatWest Markets Plc (NatWest), a London, U.K.-based global banking and financial services firm, pleaded guilty today to various fraud schemes in the markets for U.S. Treasury securities and futures contracts.
NatWest pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of securities fraud in connection with a criminal information filed today in the District of Connecticut. U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams accepted the pleas and sentenced NatWest to pay approximately $35 million in a criminal fine, restitution, and forfeiture. NatWest also will serve three years of probation and will agree to the imposition of an independent compliance monitor.
“As we have previously warned, there will be serious consequences for a company that breaches the terms of an agreement with the government. Today’s guilty plea by NatWest and the associated penalty show exactly that,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “Company executives should realize that investment in compliance programs can avoid situations like this, and take action accordingly.”
“NatWest is a repeat offender,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Leonard C Boyle for the District of Connecticut. “In this instance, a criminal conviction was an appropriate penalty, given the conduct of NatWest’s supervisors, its compliance deficiencies, and its decision not to take the steps required to fulfill its agreement with this office that resolved a prior securities fraud scheme.”
“NatWest’s schemes were egregious – spanning multiple years and countries – and the sentencing today reflects that,” said Deputy Director Paul M. Abbate of the FBI. “Let this case be an example that the FBI will not tolerate companies that fraudulently interfere in U.S. markets for their own gain. The FBI and our law enforcement partners are dedicated to protecting the integrity of our financial institutions and the Americans who use them.”
“For over six years, NatWest engaged in separate fraud schemes to manipulate the market and unlawfully enrich themselves,” said Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Criminal Investigations Group. “Those who engage in this type of abuse of power should know they cannot escape detection and will be held accountable for their actions. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is proud to work alongside our fellow law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of the financial marketplace and it’s participants.”
According to court documents and NatWest admissions, between January 2008 and May 2014, NatWest traders in London and Stamford, Connecticut, independently engaged in schemes to defraud in connection with the purchase and sale of U.S. Treasury futures contracts. Separately, in 2018, two other traders employed at NatWest’s Singapore branch engaged in a fraud scheme in connection with the purchase and sale of U.S. Treasury securities in the secondary (cash) market.
In each scheme, NatWest traders engaged in “spoofing” by placing orders with the intent to cancel those orders before execution, attempting to profit by deceiving other market participants by injecting false and misleading information regarding the existence of genuine supply and demand in the market. The spoof orders were designed to artificially push up or down the prevailing market price so that the NatWest traders could trade more profitably as a result of these schemes. In some instances, one of the NatWest traders took advantage of the close correlation between U.S. Treasury securities and U.S. Treasury futures contracts and engaged in cross-market manipulation by placing spoof orders in the futures market in order to profit from trading in the cash market.
The 2018 securities fraud scheme constituted a material breach of the Oct. 25, 2017 Non-Prosecution Agreement between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut and NatWest’s U.S. broker-dealer subsidiary, NatWest Markets Securities Inc. (formerly RBS Securities Inc.), and occurred while NatWest (formerly The Royal Bank of Scotland Plc) was on probation following its May 20, 2015 guilty plea and Jan. 5, 2017 sentencing for conspiring to manipulate the foreign currency exchange market.
A number of relevant considerations contributed to the department’s criminal resolution with NatWest, including the nature and seriousness of the offense, NatWest’s substantial prior history of other criminal conduct and civil and regulatory actions against it, its breach of a prior agreement, and the state of NatWest’s compliance program.
The FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated this matter.
Acting Deputy Chief Avi Perry and Trial Attorney Elise Kent Bernanke of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Francis of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut are prosecuting the case.
Individuals who believe that they may be a victim in this case should visit the Fraud Section’s Victim Witness website at https://www.justice.gov/criminal-vns/case/natwest.
NatWest Markets Pleads Guilty to Fraud in U.S. Treasury MarketsRead the Press Release
NatWest Markets Plc (NatWest), a London, U.K.-based global banking and financial services firm, pleaded guilty today to various fraud schemes in the markets for U.S. Treasury securities and futures contracts.
NatWest pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of securities fraud in connection with a criminal information filed today in the District of Connecticut. U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams accepted the pleas and sentenced NatWest to pay approximately $35 million in a criminal fine, restitution, and forfeiture. NatWest also will serve three years of probation and will agree to the imposition of an independent compliance monitor.
“As we have previously warned, there will be serious consequences for a company that breaches the terms of an agreement with the government. Today’s guilty plea by NatWest and the associated penalty show exactly that,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “Company executives should realize that investment in compliance programs can avoid situations like this, and take action accordingly.”
“NatWest is a repeat offender,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Leonard C Boyle for the District of Connecticut. “In this instance, a criminal conviction was an appropriate penalty, given the conduct of NatWest’s supervisors, its compliance deficiencies, and its decision not to take the steps required to fulfill its agreement with this office that resolved a prior securities fraud scheme.”
“NatWest’s schemes were egregious – spanning multiple years and countries – and the sentencing today reflects that,” said Deputy Director Paul M. Abbate of the FBI. “Let this case be an example that the FBI will not tolerate companies that fraudulently interfere in U.S. markets for their own gain. The FBI and our law enforcement partners are dedicated to protecting the integrity of our financial institutions and the Americans who use them.”
“For over six years, NatWest engaged in separate fraud schemes to manipulate the market and unlawfully enrich themselves,” said Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Criminal Investigations Group. “Those who engage in this type of abuse of power should know they cannot escape detection and will be held accountable for their actions. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is proud to work alongside our fellow law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of the financial marketplace and it’s participants.”
According to court documents and NatWest admissions, between January 2008 and May 2014, NatWest traders in London and Stamford, Connecticut, independently engaged in schemes to defraud in connection with the purchase and sale of U.S. Treasury futures contracts. Separately, in 2018, two other traders employed at NatWest’s Singapore branch engaged in a fraud scheme in connection with the purchase and sale of U.S. Treasury securities in the secondary (cash) market.
In each scheme, NatWest traders engaged in “spoofing” by placing orders with the intent to cancel those orders before execution, attempting to profit by deceiving other market participants by injecting false and misleading information regarding the existence of genuine supply and demand in the market. The spoof orders were designed to artificially push up or down the prevailing market price so that the NatWest traders could trade more profitably as a result of these schemes. In some instances, one of the NatWest traders took advantage of the close correlation between U.S. Treasury securities and U.S. Treasury futures contracts and engaged in cross-market manipulation by placing spoof orders in the futures market in order to profit from trading in the cash market.
The 2018 securities fraud scheme constituted a material breach of the Oct. 25, 2017 Non-Prosecution Agreement between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut and NatWest’s U.S. broker-dealer subsidiary, NatWest Markets Securities Inc. (formerly RBS Securities Inc.), and occurred while NatWest (formerly The Royal Bank of Scotland Plc) was on probation following its May 20, 2015 guilty plea and Jan. 5, 2017 sentencing for conspiring to manipulate the foreign currency exchange market.
A number of relevant considerations contributed to the department’s criminal resolution with NatWest, including the nature and seriousness of the offense, NatWest’s substantial prior history of other criminal conduct and civil and regulatory actions against it, its breach of a prior agreement, and the state of NatWest’s compliance program.
The FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated this matter.
Acting Deputy Chief Avi Perry and Trial Attorney Elise Kent Bernanke of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Francis of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut are prosecuting the case.
Individuals who believe that they may be a victim in this case should visit the Fraud Section’s Victim Witness website at https://www.justice.gov/criminal-vns/case/natwest.
Nampa Man Sentenced to 9 Years in Federal Prison for Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
BOISE – A Nampa man was sentenced to 108 months in federal prison for possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.
According to court records, Cainen Bleu Johnson, 44, of Nampa, was pulled over on a routine traffic stop on February 16, 2021. During the traffic stop, Johnson became visibly agitated, refused to give his driver’s license to law enforcement, put his vehicle in drive, and fled the scene. After a high-speed chase, law enforcement officers were able to safely perform a pursuit intervention technique (PIT) maneuver to stop the vehicle and apprehended Johnson after a brief standoff. A subsequent search of Johnson’s vehicle uncovered 399.09 grams of methamphetamine, that he admitted he intended to distribute to others, along with 5.5 grams of heroin, and 1.3 grams of 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA). Johnson also possessed a digital scale and plastic packaging materials commonly used to weigh and package methamphetamine for distribution.
Johnson has a long criminal history with convictions ranging from resisting or obstructing officers to grand theft. Johnson was on parole from a prison sentence for possession of a controlled substance when he committed this crime.
Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye also ordered Johnson to serve five years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael M. Gonzalez, Jr., of the District of Idaho made the announcement and credited the efforts of the Nampa Police Department, which led to charges.
This case was prosecuted by the Special Assistant United States Attorney hired by the Ada County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office with funds provided by the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program. HIDTA is part of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988. It provides assistance to federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States. Idaho is part of the Oregon-Idaho HIDTA. The Idaho HIDTA is a collaboration of local, multi-jurisdictional law enforcement drug task forces, and prosecuting agencies dedicated to addressing regional drug trafficking organizations that operate in Ada, Canyon, Bannock, Kootenai, and Malheur Counties.
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Monongalia County man sentenced for his role in a drug trafficking operationRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Jeremy Hamlin, of Morgantown, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 12 months and one day of incarceration for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II announced.
Hamlin, 42, pled guilty in April 2021 to one count of “Maintaining Drug-Involved Premises.” Hamlin admitted to using a place on Bradley Street in Morgantown for the purpose of distributing heroin and cocaine base, also known as “crack,” in March 2020 in Monongalia County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda E. Wesley prosecuted the cases on behalf of the government. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Mon Metro Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, and the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
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. District Judge Irene M. Keeley presided.
Related press release: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/seventeen-people-charged-heroin-and-crack-cocaine-distribution-operation
Mexican National Living in California Sentenced to over Eight Years in Federal Prison for Attempting to Purchase Five Kilograms of CocaineRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – Drug trafficker, Pablo Alexander Reyes-Sanchez, a 33-year-old Mexican national, was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Miami to 97 months in prison by Chief United States District Court Cecilia M. Altonaga.
Reyes-Sanchez brokered a deal involving the purchase of five kilograms of cocaine for $160,000. Reyes-Sanchez traveled to Miami with a co-conspirator, obtained a sample of cocaine for inspection, and then completed the transaction by providing the seller the cash in exchange for the cocaine. Law enforcement officers arrested Reyes-Sanchez and his co-conspirator and seized the currency for forfeiture.
Reyes-Sanchez previously pled guilty to a three-count indictment charging him with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, attempted possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and reentry of a removed alien.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Deanne L. Reuter, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, Miami Field Division, made the announcement.
DEA Miami and Hialeah Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hudock prosecuted it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mitchell Hyman is handling asset forfeiture.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case no. 21-cr-20032.
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Meriden Woman Admits Embezzling More Than $400KRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CRYSTAL KLATT, 36, of Meriden, waived her right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to one count of wire fraud stemming from an embezzlement scheme.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Klatt was employed as an office manager by a property management company located in Hamden. Clients of the property management company would allow the company access to their bank accounts in order to allow the management company to make payments on behalf of the respective client. Klatt had access to the client’s bank accounts as part of her job responsibilities. Between approximately December 2014 and January 2021, Klatt diverted a total of $446,859.82 from the bank accounts of at least 14 clients to pay her personal credit card charges.
Judge Hall scheduled sentencing for March 8, 2022, at which time Klatt faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. Klatt is released on a $50,000 bond pending sentencing.
This matter has been investigated by the U.S. Secret Service, Hamden Police Department and Connecticut Financial Crimes Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray Miller.
Member of H-2 Mexican Drug Cartel Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison for International Narcotics Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Earlier today at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Deovaldo Gutierrez Alfaro, also known as “Leoba,” was sentenced by United States District Judge Carol Bagley Amon to 60 months’ imprisonment for his participation in a large-scale international narcotics distribution conspiracy. The defendant was arrested in Nayarit, Mexico in March 2019 and extradited to the United States in November 2019. Alfaro pleaded guilty in June 2021.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and William D. Bodner, Special Agent-in-Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, Los Angeles Division (DEA), announced the sentence.
“With today’s sentence, the defendant is held accountable for conspiring to smuggle large quantities of heroin and other dangerous drugs into the United States and for transmitting hundreds of thousands of dollars in illegal drug proceeds between the United States and Mexico,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “This Office and its law enforcement partners are committed to dismantling international drug cartels and their distribution cells that fuel addiction and promote drug-related violence in our cities and local communities.”
“Drug trafficking organizations continue to flood our communities with drugs and perpetuate the cycle of addiction that is causing unprecedented overdose deaths across the nation,” stated DEA Los Angeles Special Agent-in-Charge Bodner. “This case exemplifies the hard work and collaborative efforts utilizing domestic and international resources to effectively disrupt sophisticated criminal syndicates.”
According to court filings and facts presented during court proceedings, the defendant was a member of the H-2 Cartel, a violent Mexican drug trafficking organization based in Nayarit and Sinaloa, Mexico. The H-2 Cartel had numerous drug distribution cells in the United States, including in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Ohio, Minnesota, North Carolina and New York. The DEA estimates that between January 2013 and February 2017, the H-2 Cartel distributed on a monthly basis approximately 500 kilograms of heroin, 100 kilograms of cocaine, 200 kilograms of methamphetamine and 3,000 kilograms of marijuana into the United States and earned millions of dollars in illegal proceeds. In furtherance of its drug trafficking operation, the H-2 Cartel used firearms and physical violence, including torture and dozens of homicides.
Between June 2013 and December 2016, the defendant conspired with the H-2 Cartel to smuggle large quantities of heroin from Mexico into the United States and distribute the heroin throughout the country, including in the Eastern District of New York. The defendant also helped the Cartel move hundreds of thousands of dollars in drug proceeds from the United States back to Mexico. In September 2015 and November 2016, law enforcement seized more than three kilograms of heroin in connection with two drug shipments that the defendant had coordinated.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s International Narcotics & Money Laundering Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Craig R. Heeren, Ryan C. Harris, and Andrew D. Wang are in charge of the prosecution. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in securing Alfaro’s arrest and extradition.
The Defendant:
DEOVALDO GUTIERREZ ALFARO
Age: 43
Residence: Nayarit, MexicoE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 16-CR-241 (CBA)
McLaughlin Man Indicted for Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a McLaughlin, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.
Mikal John White Mountain, age 38, was indicted on December 14, 2021. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on December 21, 2021, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to ten years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, five years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that White Mountain, a person required to register as a sex offender, knowingly failed to register and update his registration after traveling in interstate commerce and residing in Indian country between September 4, 2021, and December 14, 2021, while living in McLaughlin.
The charge is merely an accusation and White Mountain is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by U.S. Marshals Service, the Corson County Sheriff’s Office, the North Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, and the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook is prosecuting the case.
White Mountain was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office Collects over $26 Million in Civil and Criminal Actions for U.S. Taxpayers in FY 2021Read the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron announced that financial collections in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 in the District of Maryland reached $26,206,937.09. The U.S. Department of Justice keeps statistics on a fiscal year basis, closing the books each September 30.
“Thanks to the hard work and dedication of employees of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our partner agencies, funds recovered far exceed the cost of operating the office,” said Maryland U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron. “We will continue to hold accountable anyone who seeks to profit from illegal activities.”
According to statistics from the Department of Justice, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland’s Asset Recovery Unit, which handles both Asset Forfeiture and Financial Litigation, recovered $18,363,220.59 in FY 2021, in criminal debts owed to the U.S. government and to federal crime victims, including restitution, criminal fines, and felony assessments, which was applied directly to restitution owed to victims of crime and other criminal penalties. It also finalized forfeiture on $8,135,791.30 in assets and obtained another $60,513,818.00 in forfeiture money judgments, all of which are eligible to re returned to victims to satisfy restitution once liquidated. In FY 2021 $1,881,580 in forfeiture proceeds were transferred to the Clerk of the United States District Court in Maryland to be paid to victims as restitution.
The statistics show that the District’s Civil Division recovered $7,843,716.50 in cases handled solely within this Office, in civil actions in Maryland including affirmative civil enforcement cases—in which the United States recovered government money lost to fraud or other misconduct or collected penalties imposed on individuals and/or corporations for violations of federal health, safety, civil rights or environmental laws—and debts collected on behalf of several federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Homeland Security. These cases include the successful resolution of investigations or qui tam actions against St. Jude Medical, Inc., Creative Computing Solutions, Inc. and Dr. Njideka Udochi.
Additionally, the District of Maryland worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $37,689,449.53 in cases pursued jointly with these offices. Of this amount, $12,231.39 was collected in criminal actions and $37,677,218.14 was collected in civil actions, including cases resolved under the False Claims Act on behalf of victim agencies such as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the U.S. Department of Education.
The U.S. Attorney’s Offices, along with the Department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the United States and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the Department’s Crime Victims’ Fund, which distributes the funds to state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
The largest civil collections were from affirmative civil enforcement cases, in which the United States recovered government money lost to fraud or other misconduct or collected fines imposed on individuals and/or corporations for violations of federal healthcare laws. In addition, civil debts were collected on behalf of several federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Internal Revenue Service, the Small Business Administration, and the U.S. Department of Education.
For more information, the Department’s Annual Statistical Reports on prior fiscal years can be found on the Internet at: https://www.justice.gov/usao/resources/annual-statistical-reports.
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Marshall County man sentenced for drug chargeRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Alex R. Lee, of Moundsville, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 14 months of incarceration for a methamphetamine charge, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II announced.
Lee, 35, pleaded guilty in November 2021 to one count of “Distribution of Methamphetamine.” Lee admitted to selling methamphetamine in February 2021 in Marshall County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Clayton J. Reid prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Marshall County Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Marshall County man sentenced for drug chargeRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Alex R. Lee, of Moundsville, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 14 months of incarceration for a methamphetamine charge, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II announced.
Lee, 35, pleaded guilty in November 2021 to one count of “Distribution of Methamphetamine.” Lee admitted to selling methamphetamine in February 2021 in Marshall County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Clayton J. Reid prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Marshall County Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Man Serving State Sentence in Angola Sentenced on Federal Drug Conspiracy ChargeRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Damione Brock, 42, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Donald E. Walter to spend 292 months (24 years, 4 months) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for drug conspiracy. Other co-defendants have also been sentenced to either conspiracy or other drug trafficking charges in connection with this case.
Brock was convicted of the charge by a federal jury after a two-day trial in April 2021. Evidence presented at the trial showed the jury that agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) began an investigation in 2018 into drug trafficking activities in the Plain Dealing and Springhill areas of Louisiana. During their investigation, agents sought approval to use wiretaps and were able to intercept phone calls and text messages between Brock and Hogan wherein they discussed having methamphetamine delivered to Brock while he was a prisoner at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola (“Angola”). Brock, who was serving a lengthy sentence in Angola for possession of cocaine, was using a contraband cell phone to communicate with Hogan. Brock had arranged for the methamphetamine to be brought to him in Angola, using a courier and Keisarah McGee, a female who worked at the prison as a corrections officer.
DEA agents observed the transportation of the methamphetamine, which was hidden in fake soda cans driven from Bossier City to Alexandria by one of Brock’s couriers. The courier, Marvin Beck, put the package into McGee’s vehicle, who then took possession of the methamphetamine hidden in fake soda cans with the plan to transfer them to Angola when reporting for work. DEA agents alerted Louisiana Department of Corrections investigators to expect the female officer to try and enter the facility with the hidden narcotics. Investigators were able to stop her vehicle at the front gate of Angola and seized the methamphetamine prior to her entry into the facility.
In addition, agents uncovered a separate conspiracy involving Hogan to distribute cocaine in the Springhill, Louisiana, and Arkansas areas. Between October and December 2018, Hogan conspired with Steven Dewayne Gilbert, Patrick Clayton, and Kagan Weaver to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine. Agents with the DEA were able to intercept numerous phone calls between these defendants wherein they discussed the distribution of cocaine and the conversion of powder cocaine to crack cocaine. On December 18, 2018, Clayton was found to have individually wrapped baggies of cocaine packaged for street level distribution.
Law enforcement agents received additional information that Weaver was intending to purchase cocaine from Gilbert to distribute to individuals in Arkansas. On December 14, 2018, agents observed Weaver arrive in Springhill and meet with Gilbert. They both traveled to a residence in Plain Dealing that belonged to Hogan where cocaine was purchased from Hogan. Weaver then drove to Arkansas where he was stopped by law enforcement and found to have the cocaine in his possession. An analysis of the narcotics seized from these defendants was conducted by the DEA Laboratory and confirmed to be cocaine.
“Some of the defendants convicted in this case, which are from the Western District of Louisiana, used the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola to facilitate this conspiracy. This office will continue to aggressively prosecute repeat drug traffickers who have no regard or respect for the law. Further, state correctional officers are held to a high standard and are entrusted to ensuring that order is maintained in state prisons, not to assist prisoners in committing other crimes.”
All of the co-defendants in this case have been sentenced and their names, convictions and information are as follows:
Steven Dewayne Gilbert, 39, of Springhill, Louisiana, was sentenced June 19, 2020 to 188 months (15 years, 8 months) in prison, followed by 6 years of supervised release;
Roderick Dewaine Hogan, 40, of Plain Dealing, Louisiana, was sentenced April 23, 2021 to 200 months (16 years, 8 months) in prison, followed by 5 years supervised release;
Keisarah McGee, 30, of Woodville, Mississippi, was sentenced to 87 months in prison, followed by 2 years supervised release;
Kagan Weaver, 24, of Waldo, Arkansas, was sentenced to 10 months in prison, followed by 3 years supervised release;
Marvin Beck, 45, of Dallas, Texas, was sentenced to 4 years supervised probation; and
Patrick Clayton, 44, of Springhill, Louisiana, was sentenced to 1 day in prison, with credit for time served, followed by 3 years supervised release.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown and Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Aaron Crawford.
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Lower Brule Man Indicted for Kidnapping, Assault ChargesRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Lower Brule, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Kidnapping, Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, Obstruction of Justice, Assault Resulting in Substantial Bodily Injury to an Intimate Partner, and Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding A Federal Officer.
William Eagle Thunder, Jr., age 30, was indicted on December 14, 2021. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on December 20, 2021, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is life in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, five years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on multiple occasions between August and October of 2021, in Lower Brule, Eagle Thunder kidnapped and assaulted an intimate partner and prevented the victim from seeking medical care for injuries. He also assaulted a federal law enforcement officer.
The charges are merely accusations and Eagle Thunder is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs – Office of Justice Services, Lower Brule Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley is prosecuting the case.
Eagle Thunder was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Lexington Man Sentenced to 360 Months for Armed Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky.— A Lexington man, Jeffrey Robinson, 35, was sentenced to 360 months in federal prison on Monday, by Chief U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves, for intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
According to Robinson’s plea agreement, law enforcement was contacted regarding a package containing narcotics that was sent to an inmate at Luther Luckett Correctional Complex in LaGrange, Ky., and the package was traced to Robinson. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Robinson’s address and found him in possession of one pound of methamphetamine, a quantity of heroin, MDMA, a large amount of cash, and a loaded firearm. Robinson admitted he distributed the drugs and that he possessed the firearm in furtherance of the drug trafficking.
Robinson pleaded guilty in September 2021.
Under federal law, Robinson must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 10 years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; J. Todd Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; and Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA and Lexington Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Bradbury.
This case was 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 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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Las Vegas Man Sentenced to Prison for Credit Card Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas man was sentenced yesterday to 111 months in prison for using skimming devices to steal victims’ identities and credit card account information to buy luxury merchandise — including Rolex watches and high-end purses — and to obtain cash advances at various properties on The Strip.
According to court documents, from about January 1, 2013, to January 3, 2017, Fausto Teixeira Martins Neto (41) — also known as “Margrello,” “Fausto Neto,” and “Fausto Martins” — and co-conspirators placed skimming devices on ATMs and cash-out transaction ticket dispensing terminals, such as Global Cash Advance machines, in order to steal credit card account information. Martins Neto and others would then encode the stolen account information onto forged credit cards. They used the counterfeit cards to purchase high-end retail items, such as Rolex watches and luxury designer purses, and to withdraw money from hotel-casino cash advance machines and ATMs. In total, Martins Neto and co-conspirators stole over $2.28 million through their fraud scheme.
Martins Neto pleaded guilty in March 2020 to one count of use or trafficking in unauthorized access device and one count of aggravated identity theft. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey sentenced Martins Neto to three years of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Christopher Chiou for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Aaron C. Rouse for the FBI made the announcement.
Martins Neto is the 14th defendant to be sentenced in this case. Twenty-one individuals were charged in a 2017 indictment for their alleged roles in the conspiracy. The remaining seven indicted defendants are currently at large. The charges as to these seven defendants are allegations only: they are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
This case was the product of a ten-month investigation by the FBI, the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, and the Henderson Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Simon Kung is prosecuting the case.
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Keshena Man Sentenced to Prison for Attempted Murder on Menominee Indian Reservation.Read the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard G. Frohling of the Eastern District of Wisconsin announced that on December 20, 2021, a man received a prison sentence for his actions in shooting another man on the Menominee Indian Reservation. Menom L. Powless-Brown (age: 19), formerly of Keshena, which is on the Menominee Indian Reservation, was sentenced after entering a plea of guilty to Assault with Intent to Murder on September 10, 2021. Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach imposed a sentence of 120 months, which will be followed by 36 months of supervised release.
According to court records, on or about March 13, 2021, Powless-Brown assaulted another man by pointing a 9mm semiautomatic handgun at him. Powless-Brown intentionally discharged the handgun several times during the incident, resulting in bullets striking the other man once in the abdomen and Powless-Brown’s mother once in the face. The other man sustained significant injuries as the result of the shooting.
In imposing sentence, Senior Judge Griesbach noted the seriousness of the offense, reflecting that the incident was an unjustified attack on someone else who was fleeing from the defendant. Judge Griesbach observed the incident occurred in a residential area and exposed others to danger. Although the United States had recommended a higher sentence, Judge Griesbach concluded that the defendant’s youth and lack of prior record made a 10-year sentence appropriate.
The Menominee Tribal Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case, which Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier prosecuted.
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Kassim Marsh Sentenced for Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Kassim Marsh, 30, formerly of Manchester, New Hampshire was sentenced yesterday for his role in a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy. Senior U.S. District Judge William K. Sessions III sentenced Marsh to 40 months of imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release. Judge Sessions also sentenced Marsh to a concurrent 18-month term of imprisonment for a related supervised release violation, stemming from a prior federal narcotics conviction.
According to court records, Marsh conspired to distribute methamphetamine in the spring of 2021. He had returned to drug trafficking shortly after his release from federal prison following a prior sentence for conspiring to distribute heroin and cocaine. Authorities arrested Marsh in May of 2021 after he sold $2,000 of methamphetamine to an undercover Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent. He has remained in custody since his arrest. His brother, Jahlil Marsh—also his co-defendant in his prior federal drug-trafficking case—pleaded guilty to a related drug conspiracy charge earlier this year and was sentenced to 60 months in prison on December 3, 2021.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Spencer Willig prosecuted this case, which was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. The defendant is represented by Robert L. Sussman, Esq.
Justice Department Finds that Manson Youth Institution Violates the U.S. Constitution and the Individuals with Disabilities Education ActRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division announced today that it has concluded an investigation into whether Manson Youth Institution is violating the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) with respect to children in the facility.
The department’s investigation concluded that there is reasonable cause to believe that Manson’s isolation practices and inadequate mental health services seriously harm children, under age 18, and place them at substantial risk of serious harm. In addition, Manson fails to provide adequate special education services to children with disabilities. These violations are pursuant to a pattern or practice of resistance to the full enjoyment of rights protected by the Constitution and federal law.
“Children in adult correctional facilities do not forfeit their constitutional and federal rights,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Our investigation uncovered systemic evidence that children are deprived of the mental health and special education services they need to become productive, successful adults. When children misbehave, Manson frequently subjects them to harmful periods of isolation, despite evidence that children are uniquely vulnerable to the traumatic and lasting damage isolation causes. The Civil Rights Division is committed to protecting the constitutional rights of children in correctional facilities to ensure they have access to the resources these facilities are legally required to provide.”
The Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section initiated the investigation pursuant to the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act and the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, which together authorize the department to address a pattern or practice of deprivation of constitutional and federal rights of children confined to state or local government-run correctional facilities. Individuals with relevant information are encouraged to contact the department via phone at 1- 833-223-1565 or by email at [email protected].
The Civil Rights Division is committed to safeguarding the rights of children held in detention facilities across the country. For example, the division recently opened a statewide investigation of Texas’s secure juvenile facilities to examine whether Texas provides children confined in the facilities reasonable protection from physical and sexual abuse by staff and other residents, excessive use of chemical restraints and excessive use of isolation. The Texas investigation will also examine whether Texas provides adequate mental health care. In South Carolina, in another investigation involving a state juvenile justice facility, the division recently issued findings that the state fails to keep children reasonably safe from harm caused by punitive and excessive isolation, as well as harm inflicted by other children.
Additional information about the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt.
Justice Department Alleges That Chicopee, Massachusetts, Housing Authority and its Executive Director Discriminated Against Tenants on the Basis of Race, National Origin and DisabilityRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts announced today that they have filed an amended complaint alleging that the Chicopee Housing Authority and its Executive Director, Monica Blazic, violated federal law by discriminating against residents based on race, national origin and disability. These allegations, which are significantly broader than those in the original complaint, include claims under the Fair Housing Act (FHA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act. The original complaint, filed in April, alleged that the defendants had discriminated against one tenant because of her disability.
The amended complaint alleges that, since at least 2013, Blazic has made discriminatory statements to and about Black and Hispanic tenants, including using racial slurs to describe current and potential residents, indicating a preference against having Black and Hispanic residents and demanding that Spanish-speaking residents speak English. According to the department’s amended complaint, Blazic’s statements have intimidated and threatened Black and Hispanic tenants. The department also alleges that residents with disabilities who requested reasonable accommodations, such as transfers to first-floor or elevator-accessible units, have waited for years, even though the Housing Authority could have accommodated them.
“It is simply inexcusable for the head of a public housing authority to repeatedly use racial slurs and make other bigoted statements about Black and Hispanic residents, or for the housing authority to repeatedly violate the rights of residents with disabilities,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Department of Justice will vigorously pursue housing providers who use brazenly unlawful and discriminatory conduct to threaten and intimidate tenants. All people deserve access to housing free from discrimination.”
“Bigotry has no place in public housing,” Acting U.S. Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell of the District of Massachusetts. “We expect our public officials to operate with common decency and respect, not with bias and prejudice. That someone could operate in such an important public position and engaged in this conduct going on for so long, is disturbing.”
“Racial discrimination and discrimination against persons living with disabilities have absolutely no place in our country’s housing market, and those who discriminate must be held accountable,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Demetria McCain of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)’s Office for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. “HUD applauds the Justice Department for taking today’s action and will continue supporting its efforts to hold housing providers accountable when they fail to meet their obligations under the nation’s housing laws.”
The matter was originally investigated by HUD, which issued a charge of discrimination against the Housing Authority and Blazic after finding that they violated the FHA by failing to allow a tenant to transfer to a first-floor or elevator-accessible unit to accommodate her disability. After the department filed the lawsuit, HUD made a second referral under the ADA and the Rehabilitation Act after finding that this was not an isolated incident, but rather, the result of a systemic practice of discrimination based on disability. For example, the amended complaint alleges that the tenant applied for a transfer based on her disability in 2017, and since that time the Housing Authority offered 10 vacant apartments – any one of which could have accommodated the tenant – to other individuals.
The lawsuit seeks an order requiring the defendants to cease discrimination against any tenant based on race, national origin or disability, pay damages to individuals who were harmed by the defendants’ discriminatory conduct, pay civil penalties to the government to vindicate the public interest and modify policies and procedures, including those for responding to requests by residents to accommodate their disabilities.
Individuals who have information about this case can contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office by calling 1-617-275-756 or by emailing [email protected].
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division enforces the FHA, which prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability and familial status, and the ADA and the Rehabilitation Act, which prohibit discrimination because of disability. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at http://www.justice.gov/crt. Individuals wishing to report discrimination in housing may call the Justice Department’s Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-833-591-0291 or submit a report online.
The Civil Rights Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office was established in 2015 with the mission of enhancing federal civil rights enforcement. For more information on the Office’s civil rights efforts, visit www.justice.gov/usao-ma/civil-rights.
Information Technology Contractor Agrees to Pay More Than $1.3 Million to Settle Federal False Claims Act Allegations of OverbillingRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Virginia-based Telophase Corporation (“Telophase”) has agreed to pay the United States $1,389,509 million dollars to resolve federal False Claims Act allegations that it overbilled the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (“NASA”) for labor hours worked and for labor rates and costs in excess of those actually incurred.
The civil settlement was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron, and Assistant Inspector General for Investigations (AIGI) Robert Steinau of NASA’s Office of Inspector General.
“Federal contractors are required to bill for costs actually incurred, and to be truthful in the claims they submit to federal agencies,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron. “Companies that submit false bills to the government must be held accountable.”
“The NASA Office of Inspector General is proud of the exceptional work from our agents and partnership with the United States Attorney, District of Maryland in aggressively investigating these allegations,” said AIGI Steinau. It is through these partnerships that we will continue to pursue and hold those accountable that attempt to defraud NASA.”
Telophase is a provider of information technology and cyber-security services, operations engineering for monitoring tools and automation, quality and compliance management, environmental engineering, and education and training initiatives to both the public and commercial sectors. Telophase was awarded a Cost-Plus Fixed-Fee (“CPFF”) subcontract for services to be provided to the Applied Engineering and Technology Directorate of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. This contract type reimburses the contractor for actual project costs, plus a fee.
The settlement resolves allegations that, between April 1, 2016 through December 31, 2018, Telophase caused the submission of false claims to NASA by billing NASA for: labor hours in excess of the hours that Telophase could demonstrate that its employees and contractors actually worked; labor rates higher than the rates actually paid to its employees and contractors; labor costs in excess of Telophase’s actual recorded costs; and indirect rates that were higher than those actually incurred.
The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations. The settlement is not an admission of liability by Telophase, nor a concession by the United States that its claim is not well founded.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended NASA’s Office Investigations for its work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Tarra DeShields who handled this case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/affirmative-civil-enforcement and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md.
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Hudson Man Sentenced to 71 Months for Cocaine Base, Fentanyl DistributionRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Micah Hines, a/k/a “Water,” age 42, was sentenced today to 71 months in prison, to be followed by 4 years of supervised release, for distributing more than 28 grams of cocaine base.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Keith Kruskall, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division; and New York State Police Superintendent Kevin P. Bruen.
Hines has recently resided in Hudson, Cairo and Poughkeepsie, New York. In pleading guilty, he admitted to selling about 40 grams of cocaine base on January 7, 2021, and to selling about 52 grams of fentanyl, and about 28 grams of cocaine base, on January 13, 2021.
Hines has three prior drug felony convictions and two prior firearm felony convictions.
This case was investigated by the New York State Police and the DEA’s Capital District Drug Enforcement Task Force, which includes investigators from the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office and Hudson Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett.
Hudson County Man and Essex County Woman Charged with Four Robberies and Two Shootings in Jersey CityRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Hudson County, New Jersey, man and an Essex County, New Jersey, woman are charged with committing four robberies and two shootings on a single night in Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Rodney Williams, 29, of Jersey City, New Jersey, and Siobhan Chandler, 19, of Newark, are scheduled to appear by videoconference today before U.S. Magistrate Judge James B. Clark III. They are each charged by complaint with conspiring to rob, and robbing, four businesses and shooting two individuals in Jersey City. Williams is additionally charged with possession of a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On the evening of Nov. 14, 2021, Williams and Chandler committed four commercial robberies and two shootings within approximately 70 minutes. At approximately 8:10 p.m., Williams entered Store-1, placed a firearm on the clerk’s chest and threatened to kill the clerk. Williams continued pointing the firearm at the clerk, while directing the clerk to give him all of Store-1’s money. Williams fled on foot after the clerk complied.
Approximately 35 minutes later, Williams and Chandler approached Gas Station-1 together. Chandler attempted to enter Gas Station-1’s attendant booth. After noticing that Chandler was not successful, Williams pointed the firearm at an attendant and demanded money. The attendant did not comply. Williams shot the attendant in the chest and stated, “do you think I am f—king playing with you? Give me the money!” Williams then pointed the firearm at the other attendant and threatened to shoot, as the attendant escaped to the attendant booth and locked the door. Williams followed the attendant and tried to force his way inside the booth, as Chandler waited for Williams near the entrance of Gas Station-1. After he could not enter the booth, Williams ran toward Chandler and they fled the scene.
Approximately 15 minutes later, Williams and Chandler entered Store-2. Williams pointed the firearm at the clerk and demanded Store-2’s money. As Williams held the clerk at gunpoint, Chandler emerged from the aisle and stood near Williams and Store-2’s clerk gave Williams money from the cash register. Williams and Chandler exited Store-2 on foot.
Approximately 10 minutes later, Williams and Chandler entered Restaurant-1. Williams immediately approached the clerk at the register, pointed the firearm at the clerk’s chest and demanded money. The clerk, believing Williams’ demand was not serious, failed to immediately respond to Williams’ demand. Williams attempted to shoot the clerk, but the firearm misfired. Williams then re-cocked the firearm and shot the clerk in the chest. Williams then forcibly entered the restaurant’s kitchen and demanded money from the employees. Chandler remained at the doorway and ordered one employee out of the restaurant and barred a patron from entering the restaurant. As Williams forced the wounded clerk to empty cash from the register, Chandler yelled, “Let’s go! Let’s go!”
At approximately 9:20 PM, Jersey City Police Department officers observed the defendants in a motor vehicle near Restaurant-1. Upon observing law enforcement, Williams drove the vehicle into oncoming traffic, striking a police vehicle and rendering his vehicle inoperable. The officers immediately apprehended the defendants.
Williams and Chandler are subject to a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for each charge of robbery; a maximum penalty for 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for conspiring to use and carry a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence; and a maximum potential penalty of life in prison and a fine of $250,000 for each charge of possessing, carrying or using a firearm during a crime of violence. Williams is subject to a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for the charge of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited officers of the Jersey City Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director James Shea, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Esther Suarez, and special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey L. Matthews, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jamel Semper of the Organized Crime and Gangs Unit and Kimberly Mitchell of the OCDETF and Narcotics Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the criminal complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Hudson County Man Admits Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Hudson County, New Jersey, man today admitted possessing a firearm and ammunition after having previously been convicted of a felony, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Andre Cannon, 29, of Jersey City, New Jersey, pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Katharine S. Hayden to an indictment charging him with illegal possession of a handgun and ammunition by a previously convicted felon.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On July 11, 2020, a victim was shot in the leg near Martin Luther King Drive and Oak Street in Jersey City. Police discovered a .40-caliber S&W shell casing in a nearby courtyard. Surveillance video showed that Cannon had committed the shooting. The following day, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Cannon’s house. As police announced their presence and entered the front of the house, officers stationed at the back of the house saw Cannon throw a black Beretta Gardone .40-caliber handgun loaded with 10 .40-caliber rounds of ammunition out of a first-floor window.
Cannon had previously been convicted in the Superior Court of Hudson County of unlawful possession of a handgun, a felony punishable by more than one year in prison.
The charges of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr. in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked members of the Jersey City Police Department, under the leadership of Public Safety Director James Shea, for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah A. Sulkowski of the Violent Crimes Unit in Newark.
Honduran Man Charged with Illegally Using Social Security Number to Obtain EmploymentRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that OSCAR NOEL DUENAS-RODRIGUEZ, age 47, a native of Honduras, was charged on December 16, 2021 in a one-count Bill of Information with illegally using a social security number to obtain employment, in violation of Title 42, United States Code, Section 408(a)(7)(B).
DUENAS-RODRIGUEZ faces a maximum term of imprisonment of not more than five (5) years, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of Homeland Security Investigations in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Carter K. D. Guice, Jr. is in charge of the prosecution.
Harvard University Professor Convicted of Making False Statements and Tax OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The former Chair of Harvard University’s Chemistry and Chemical Biology Department was convicted by a federal jury today in connection with lying to federal authorities about his affiliation with People’s Republic of China’s Thousand Talents Program and the Wuhan University of Technology (WUT) in Wuhan, China, as well as failing to report income he received from WUT.
Dr. Charles Lieber, 62, was convicted following a six-day jury trial of two counts of making false statements to federal authorities, two counts of making and subscribing a false income tax return and two counts of failing to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts (FBAR) with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel will sentence Lieber at a later date that has not yet been scheduled. Lieber was indicted in June 2020 and was subsequently charged in a superseding indictment in July 2020.
“There is now no question that Charles Lieber lied to federal investigators and to Harvard in an attempt to hide his participation in the Chinese Thousand Talents Program,” said Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell. “He lied to the IRS about the money he was paid, and he concealed his Chinese bank account from the United States. The jury followed the evidence and the law to a just verdict.”
“Today’s verdict reinforces our commitment to protect our country’s position as a global leader in research and innovation and to hold those accountable who exploit and undermine that position through dishonesty. By Charles Lieber’s own admission – after we arrested him – the evidence against him was formidable. He repeatedly lied to his employer, the federal government, and taxpayers to fraudulently maintain access to federal research funds,” Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Mr. Lieber exploited the openness and transparency of our academic system. The FBI will not hesitate to work with our law enforcement partners to focus on those who put their financial and professional interests ahead of our country’s economic prosperity.”
“The Department of Defense (DoD) Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) investigates foreign conflicts of interest in DoD grant programs," said Patrick J. Hegarty Patrick J. Hegarty, Special Agent in Charge of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Northeast Field Office. "Mr. Lieber lied to DCIS Special Agents about his ties to the Chinese government while conducting research for the DoD, and he eroded the trust the DoD has in its researchers to prioritize the United States and its service members over foreign governments, and over personal financial gain."
“NCIS continues to aggressively protect the Department of the Navy’s technologies and strategic advantages provided as a result of years of investment in cutting edge research and technology development” said Michael Wiest, Special Agent in Charge of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), Northeast Field Office. “By failing to disclose his connections and foreign support, Mr. Lieber broke a trust and undermined the integrity of research that the federal government paid for. The guilty verdicts in this case are the results of exceptional teamwork with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our federal partners at the FBI, DCIS, IRS and NIH.”
“We expect professors like Dr. Lieber who are privileged to be part of taxpayer-funded research to be honest in their actions,” said Philip M. Coyne, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. “Today’s conviction demonstrates OIG’s commitment to ensuring that taxpayer dollars are not wasted, and that those handling these funds are truthful in their dealings with federal agencies.”
“Today’s Guilty verdict is a shining example of IRS-CI’s commitment to investigating international tax crimes” said Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division for the Boston Field Office. “Despite Mr. Lieber’s lengthy effort to conceal assets and underreport his income, the verdict is proof that Mr. Lieber’s actions were intentional, deliberate, and criminal. IRS-CI will continue to work with the United States Attorney’s Office and our Federal law enforcement partners to investigate complex financial fraud that extends beyond the borders of the United States.”
Lieber served as the Principal Investigator of the Lieber Research Group at Harvard University, which received more than $15 million in federal research grants between 2008 and 2019. Unbeknownst to his employer, Harvard University, Lieber became a “Strategic Scientist” at WUT and, later, a contractual participant in China’s Thousand Talents Plan from at least 2012 through 2015. China’s Thousand Talents Plan is one of the most prominent Chinese talent recruitment plans designed to attract, recruit and cultivate high-level scientific talent in furtherance of China’s scientific development, economic prosperity and national security.
Under the terms of Lieber’s three-year Thousand Talents contract, WUT paid Lieber a salary of up to $50,000 per month, living expenses of up to $150,000 and awarded him more than $1.5 million to establish a research lab at WUT. In 2018 and 2019, Lieber lied to federal authorities about his involvement in the Thousand Talents Plan and his affiliation with WUT.
In tax years 2013 and 2014, Lieber earned income from WUT in the form of salary and other payments made to him pursuant to the Strategic Scientist and Thousand Talents Contracts, which he did not disclose to the IRS on his federal income tax returns. Lieber, together with WUT officials, opened a bank account at a Chinese bank during a trip to Wuhan in 2012. Thereafter, between at least 2013 and 2015, WUT periodically deposited portions of Lieber’s salary into that account. U.S. taxpayers are required to report the existence of any foreign bank account that holds more than $10,000 at any time during a given year by the filing an FBAR with the IRS. Lieber failed to file FBARs for the years 2014 and 2015.
The charge of making false statements provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of making and subscribing false income tax returns provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison, one year of supervised release and a $100,000 fine. The charge of failing to file an FBAR provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Mendell; Matthew Olsen, Assistant Attorney General for National Security; FBI SAC Bonavolonta; DCIS SAC Hegarty; NCIS SAC Wiest; HHS OIG SAC Coyne; and IRS CI SAC Simpson made this announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Casey of Mendell’s National Security Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney James R. Drabick of Mendell’s Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.
Harvard University Professor Convicted of Making False Statements and Tax OffensesRead the Press Release
The former Chair of Harvard University’s Chemistry and Chemical Biology Department was convicted by a federal jury today in connection with lying to federal authorities about his affiliation with the People’s Republic of China’s Thousand Talents Program and the Wuhan University of Technology (WUT) in Wuhan, China, as well as failing to report income he received from WUT.
Dr. Charles Lieber, 62, was convicted following a six-day jury trial of two counts of making false statements to federal authorities, two counts of making and subscribing a false income tax return and two counts of failing to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts (FBAR) with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel will sentence Lieber at a later date that has not yet been scheduled. Lieber was indicted in June 2020 and was subsequently charged in a superseding indictment in July 2020.
Lieber served as the Principal Investigator of the Lieber Research Group at Harvard University, which received more than $15 million in federal research grants between 2008 and 2019. Unbeknownst to his employer, Harvard University, Lieber became a “Strategic Scientist” at WUT and, later, a contractual participant in China’s Thousand Talents Plan from at least 2012 through 2015. China’s Thousand Talents Plan is one of the most prominent talent recruitment plans designed to attract, recruit and cultivate high-level scientific talent in furtherance of China’s scientific development, economic prosperity and national security.
Under the terms of Lieber’s three-year Thousand Talents contract, WUT paid Lieber a salary of up to $50,000 per month, living expenses of up to $150,000 and awarded him more than $1.5 million to establish a research lab at WUT. In 2018 and 2019, Lieber lied to federal authorities about his involvement in the Thousand Talents Plan and his affiliation with WUT.
In tax years 2013 and 2014, Lieber earned income from WUT in the form of salary and other payments made to him pursuant to the Strategic Scientist and Thousand Talents Contracts, which he did not disclose to the IRS on his federal income tax returns. Lieber, together with WUT officials, opened a bank account at a Chinese bank during a trip to Wuhan in 2012. Thereafter, between at least 2013 and 2015, WUT periodically deposited portions of Lieber’s salary into that account. U.S. taxpayers are required to report the existence of any foreign bank account that holds more than $10,000 at any time during a given year by the filing an FBAR with the IRS. Lieber failed to file FBARs for the years 2014 and 2015.
The charge of making false statements provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of making and subscribing false income tax returns provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison, one year of supervised release and a $100,000 fine. The charge of failing to file an FBAR provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting U.S. Attorney Mendell; National Security AAG Olsen; FBI SAC Bonavolonta; DCIS SAC Hegarty; NCIS SAC Wiest; HHS OIG SAC Coyne; and IRS CI SAC Simpson made this announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Casey of Mendell’s National Security Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney James R. Drabick of Mendell’s Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.
Hammond Man Sentenced to 18 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Darryl Ivery, Jr., 24, of Hammond, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Jon E. DeGuilio after pleading guilty to making false statements in connection with the acquisition of firearms, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Ivery was sentenced to 18 months in prison followed by 1 year of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, between February and August 2020, Ivery purchased a total of 26 firearms on 17 different occasions from federally licensed firearms dealers in Lake County, Indiana. In each of the transactions, Ivery falsely certified on federal forms that he was the actual buyer. In reality, Ivery purchased the firearms for other individuals from Chicago, who paid him between $100 and $800 over the cost of the firearms to make the purchase. Law enforcement have recovered seven of the firearms: six in Chicago and one in Gary. Five of the firearms were recovered by law enforcement within one month of purchase, and one was recovered at the scene of a shooting.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Chicago Police Department, and the Gary Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Padilla.
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.
Guatemalan Man Charged with Misuse of a Social Security NumberRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that CESAR LOPEZ-MATA (LOPEZ-MATA), age 27, a citizen of Guatemala, was charged on December 20, 2021 in federal court in a one-count Bill of Information with misuse of a Social Security Number.
LOPEZ-MATA faces a maximum term of imprisonment of not more than five years, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00. Additionally, LOPEZ-MATA is subject to a period of supervised release after imprisonment of up to three (3) years.
According to the Bill of Information, on or about December 1, 2021, LOPEZ-MATA, for employment and for other purposes, knowingly and with intent to deceive, did falsely represent that a Social Security Number not issued to him, was assigned to him, in violation of Title 42, United States Code, Section 408(a)(7)(B).
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the bill of information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendants must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Office of the Inspector General, Social Security Administration in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Julia K. Evans is in charge of the prosecution.
Gilford Man Sentenced to 180 Months for Drug Trafficking and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
CONCORD - Stephen Johnstone, 32, of Gilford, was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 21, 2020, New Hampshire State Probation and Parole officers made contact with Johnstone, who was a state parolee under their supervision. Johnstone appeared to be in possession of baggies of methamphetamine. The officers requested assistance from the Laconia Police Department.
Johnstone’s car was impounded and searched pursuant to a state search warrant. Detectives found a backpack containing a Ruger .380 handgun with five rounds of ammunition, over 680 grams of methamphetamine, over 170 grams of cocaine, and other evidence of drug trafficking. As a convicted felon, Johnstone was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
“Armed drug dealers pose a significant threat to public safety,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley. “Although drug traffickers endanger the lives of our citizens by peddling deadly substances, the danger is enhanced when drug dealers possess firearms. As this case demonstrates, we will seek substantial prison sentences for the armed drug traffickers whose conduct threatens the security of communities in the Granite State.”
This matter was investigated by the Laconia Police Department and New Hampshire State Probation and Parole Office, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joachim H. Barth.
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Former U.S. Navy Sailor Sentenced to 2.5 Years for Selling Export-Controlled Military Equipment to ChinaRead the Press Release
Assistant U. S. Attorney Alexandra F. Foster (619) 546-6735
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – December 21, 2021
SAN DIEGO – Ye Sang “Ivy” Wang, a former U.S. Navy sailor who was a Logistics Specialist First Class assigned to the Naval Special Warfare Command, was sentenced to 30 months in custody and ordered to pay a $20,000 fine for conspiring with her husband and co-defendant, Shaohua “Eric” Wang, to illegally export sensitive military equipment to China for profit.
Eric Wang pleaded guilty on September 26, 2019, admitting that he illegally sold export-controlled U.S. military equipment to China through his on-line business and that he enlisted his wife to use her Navy position to purchase the equipment for resale. Eric Wang also admitted that he maintained a warehouse in China to house the military equipment, travelled back and forth frequently, and had connections to buyers in China. On February 3, 2020, U.S. District Court Judge Cynthia Bashant sentenced Eric Wang to 46 months for his role in this scheme.
According to Ivy Wang’s plea agreement and the government’s sentencing memorandum, she purchased military equipment for Naval Special Warfare units as part of her duties as a logistics specialist from 2015 to 2019. In March 2018, she used her military email and mailing address to order a device for identifying United States military personnel in the field. This item was subject to U.S. Department of Commerce export controls, and not advertised for sale to civilians. She was deployed in Iraq at the time the device arrived on base in San Diego. She advised her command that the package containing this device was something she had obtained for her husband for a camping trip. In reality, she bought the device on behalf of her husband for him to resell it to China for profit.
Months later, in October 2018, upon returning from deployment to Iraq, Ivy Wang told the interviewing agents that she knew her husband was shipping military equipment to China illegally. Despite being interviewed by law enforcement agents, Ivy Wang took the device from her Navy command, brought it home and gave it to her husband. The device had been secretly disabled by law enforcement. Upon receipt, Eric Wang messaged a customer that he was in receipt of the item, but advised he could not ship the item to China, because “they are still investigating me... My friend is a SEAL who also got involved. They are investigating him as well.”
Ivy Wang told NCIS and HSI agents during her October 2018 interview that her husband sent her an Excel spreadsheet of military equipment items for her to purchase and that she knew those items were going to buyers in China. Eric Wang told her that he could not buy export-controlled military equipment using his personal email address, so he asked her to do it for him, using her position in the U.S. Navy and her military email address. She grew so annoyed at his repeated requests that, after purchasing equipment for him through March 2018, she gave him her password to her military email address and told him to buy the export-controlled military equipment posing as her after she deployed.
“This defendant used her position of trust to put the Navy and the nation at risk, and the sentence imposed today holds her accountable for her actions,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman, who praised the prosecution team, NCIS, HSI and Department of Commerce for their excellent work on this case.
“Ms. Wang betrayed her oath to the U.S. Navy and ultimately threatened the operational readiness and safety of our nation's military by attempting to acquire and illegally export sensitive military equipment to China,” said Special Agent in Charge Joshua Flowers of the NCIS Southwest Field Office. “NCIS and our partners remain committed to protecting our nation’s critical technologies and infrastructure.”
“This individual abused her position of trust to obtain military-grade equipment, which foreign adversaries could have used against American service members and allies,” said Chad Plantz, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Diego. “Fortunately, HSI and our partners were able to prevent this equipment from falling into the wrong hands, but this case serves as a stark reminder of why it’s important for organizations – particularly those involved in national defense – to educate their workforces on how to properly identify and report insider threats.”
DEFENDANTS Case Number 19CR1895-BAS
Shaohua “Eric” WANG Age: 38 San Diego, CA
Ye Sang “Ivy” WANG Age: 37 San Diego, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGE
Conspiracy to Export Defense Articles Without a License (Title 18, U.S.C., Sec. 371)
Maximum Penalty: Five years in prison, $250,000 fine.
INVESTIGATING AGENCY
Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS);
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and
Office of Export Enforcement, Los Angeles Field Office, Department of Commerce
Former U.S. Navy Member Who Possessed Child Pornography Headed to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – A federal district judge in Miami sentenced Anthony Louis Cardona, 30, of Key West, Florida, to 97 months in federal prison, followed by 25 years of supervised release as a sexual offender, for possession of child pornography. Cardona was also ordered to pay restitution to his victims.
In December 2020, FBI agents learned that an individual located at a residence in Key West, Florida was downloading child pornography using peer-to-peer software. On January 25, 2021, FBI agents executed a search warrant at the residence, where Cardona lived. Agents found that Cardona possessed multiple hard drives containing thousands of images and videos of child pornography.
A search of Cardona’s electronics produced over 89,000 images and videos of child pornography dating from 2010-2021. The images and videos included infants and pre-pubescent children engaged in sadomasochism and bestiality. In addition to those images, agents found a videoconference chat message from 2014 where Cardona distributed and received child pornography. In the chat message, Cardona stated that he previously fondled a pre-pubescent female child over her pants.
At the time of his arrest, Cardona was an air traffic controller as an active-duty member of the United States Navy.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami, announced the sentence imposed by United States District K. Michael Moore.
FBI Miami, Key West Office, investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Hillary T. Irvin prosecuted it. Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Grosnoff is handling asset forfeiture.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by 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 the Project Safe Childhood initiative and for information regarding Internet safety, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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 21-cr-10003.
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Former Boston Gang Member Sentenced for Crack Cocaine DistributionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former member of the St. James/Marcella gang was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for distributing crack cocaine on multiple occasions to a cooperating witness.
Anthony Jackson, a/k/a “Hollywood,” 30, of Boston, was sentenced by United States District Judge Mark L. Wolf to 21 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In August 2021, Jackson pleaded guilty to one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine base and one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base. Jackson has been in custody since his arrest in October 2020.
Between Sept. 1, 2020 and Oct. 3, 2020, Jackson distributed crack cocaine or cocaine to a cooperating witness on five occasions in Cambridge and Boston. Jackson was also found in possession of crack cocaine and $2,420 in cash at the time of his arrest on Oct. 29, 2020. In total, across the transactions, Jackson distributed approximately 22 grams of crack cocaine and nine grams of powder cocaine. Jackson has prior state convictions for unlawfully carrying a dangerous weapon, carrying a loaded firearm and possession of illegal substances.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Mendell’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
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.
Federal Jury Convicts Wynona Man of Assaulting a Dating PartnerRead the Press Release
A federal jury today convicted a man for assaulting his dating partner in a Broken Arrow hotel room in March 2021, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
Craig Wallace Wood, 32, of Wynona, was found guilty of assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm in Indian Country and assault resulting in serious bodily injury in Indian Country.
“Craig Wood brutally assaulted his dating partner,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners are committed to seeking justice on behalf of domestic violence victims. This criminal behavior cannot and will not be tolerated.”
On March 16, 2021, the victim and Wood went out for the evening, but the woman returned to their hotel room early. When Wood returned at 11:30 pm, he accused the victim of nodding at people and saying names of different men under her breath. Wood assaulted the victim for hours, throughout the early morning of March 17, by repeatedly beating her with a hairdryer, straightener, belt, and an electric cord. He then forced the victim to lay beside him.
After he fell asleep, the victim escaped the hotel room, and authorities were contacted. When officers responded, the victim expressed fear, saying that the defendant would find her and kill her for calling the police. They noted facial swelling so severe that the victim’s eyes were swollen shut, among other injuries. They then entered the hotel room and arrested the defendant.
As a result of the assault, the victim suffered injuries including a closed fracture of the nasal bone; fractured ribs; and bruising on her face, back, legs, hands and arms.
The FBI and Broken Arrow Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Niko A. Boulieris and Stacey P. Todd are prosecuting the case.
Falconer Man Arrested on Child Pornography Charges After Stalking, Harassing, and Threatening Multiple Minor VictimsRead 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 Yusef E. Malik Myrick, 22, of Falconer, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with production, receipt, and distribution of child pornography. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Dawn M. Carter, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, Myrick is accused of engaging in both online and sexual relationships with numerous minor females. When the relationships ended, Myrick cyberstalked, harassed, and threatened the minor females and their families with both physical and psychological harm. Myrick communicated with and sexually exploited at least seven victims primarily through Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram. He used names such as Azrael Lust and Chi Fazo on Facebook, Sef Johnson on Instagram, and Lovely Lil Sociopath and Antwan Johnson on Snapchat.
“I commend our law enforcement partners for tracking down this defendant, who is accused of engaging in a pattern of threatening behavior to numerous minor victims and taking him into custody” stated U.S. Attorney Ross. “I would encourage other victims to come forward and report any unlawful experience they may have had with Myrick.”
Chautauqua County Sheriff James B. Quattrone stated, “As we continue working alongside our Federal, State, and Local partners we are able to arrest predators like this defendant. We must continue the interagency cooperation and working partnership with our community to eliminate these types of crimes and keep vulnerable people safe.”
Members of the public who have information related to this case are asked to contact the Chautauqua County Sherriff’s Office at 716-753-4973, the Homeland Security Investigations Tip Line at 716-464-6070, or [email protected].
The criminal complaint is the result of an investigation by the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff James B. Quattrone; the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson; and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Essex County Man Sentenced to 28 Months in Prison for Conspiring to Steal Mail and Commit Bank FraudRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 28 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to commit bank fraud, including by soliciting U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employees to steal check books and credit cards from the mail, depositing fraudulent checks, including pandemic relief checks, and using stolen credit cards without authorization, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Jahaad Flip, 21, of Newark, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Judge Wigenton imposed the sentence by videoconference.
Three of Flip’s conspirators, Jeffrey Bennett, 27, of Irvington, New Jersey, Tashon Ragan, 21, of Newark, New Jersey, and Janel Blackman, 42, of Newark, pleaded guilty before Judge Wigenton earlier this year to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Blackman also pleaded guilty to filing fraudulent applications with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for Economic Injury Disaster Loans. Ragan was sentenced in October 2021. Bennett and Blackman are awaiting sentencing.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From February 2019 to May 2020, Flip conspired to fraudulently obtain money from victim financial institutions by, among other things, depositing counterfeit checks and checks stolen from the mail into accounts at these financial institutions and withdrawing funds from those accounts before the financial institutions identified the fraudulent checks and blocked further withdrawals. Flip and his conspirators arranged for USPS employees to steal credit cards and blank check books from the mail in exchange for cash payments. USPS employees provided the checks to Flip and his conspirators. Flip and his conspirators fraudulently forged the signatures of the accountholders and negotiated the checks by making them payable to individuals, some of whom were New Jersey high school students, and who had given Flip and his conspirators access to their accounts, also in exchange for cash. Flip and his conspirators created counterfeit checks, including counterfeit pandemic relief checks. Flip and his conspirators deposited the fraudulent checks online and at various bank ATMs throughout New Jersey and later withdrew funds from the bank accounts before the victim financial institutions identified the checks as fraudulent and could block further withdrawals. Through the conspiracy, Flip and his conspirators obtained and attempted to obtain approximately $366,000 from victim financial institutions.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Wigenton also sentenced Flip to five years of supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution of $61,438.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Acting Inspector in Charge Raimundo Marrero; special agents with the U.S. Postal Service – Office of Inspector General, Northeast Area Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Matthew Modafferi; special agents with IRS – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael Montanez; and special agents with the Office of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Andrew McKay, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. He also thanked the Summit Police Department, the New Providence Police Department, the Piscataway Police Department, the Newark Police Department, the South Orange Police Department, and the Little Falls Police Department for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Fayer and Elaine K. Lou in Newark.
Essex County Man Admits Conspiring with His Brother - a Federal Safety and Health Officer - to Extort ContractorsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man today admitted to conspiring to extort multiple general contractors of approximately $14,000 by using his brother’s position as a compliance safety and health officer (CSHO) with the U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Paul Idrovo, aka “Jose Diaz” and “Paul Mejia,” 48, of Nutley, New Jersey, pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Katharine S. Hayden to an information charging him with one count of conspiring to defraud the United States and to commit an offense against the United States, specifically to commit an act of extortion under color of his brother’s office or employment with OSHA. Paul Idrovo was previously charged by complaint in September 2020, together with his brother, Alvaro Idrovo, with one count of conspiring to commit an offense against the United States based on the extortion of a single contractor.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Alvaro Idrovo misrepresented to contractors engaged in construction sites in New Jersey that they were facing significant OSHA fines, penalties and possibly jail, if they did not get OSHA safety training from a specific individual. He would provide the contractors with the phone number for the required trainer, allegedly named “Jose Diaz” or “Paul Mejia.” The phone number actually belonged to Paul Idrovo, posing under these names to conceal their relationship. Paul Idrovo was an authorized trainer for certain OSHA Outreach Training Programs, but was not an employee of OSHA.
Although initially demanding higher sums, the two men eventually charged the contractors $4,000 to $6,000 each for the alleged safety training, which was required to be paid in cash. Paul Idrovo collected the cash and provided the contractors with fraudulent computer-generated safety and health certificates for their individual employees, which falsely stated that the employees had received various type of OSHA certified safety training from “Jose Diaz” and “Paul Mejia,” when no training had been provided. As part of the charged fee, Paul ldrovo and Alvaro Idrovo also furnished the contractors with alleged necessary safety and health plans, which were prepared from a template rather than created or modified in any substantial way for the contractor. Paul Idrovo shared with Alvaro Idrovo approximately $5,000 of the cash collected as part of the extortion conspiracy.
When OSHA officials learned of the attempt to extort one of the contractors, the OSHA officials referred the matter to federal law enforcement, who arranged for that contractor to make consensual recordings with both Alvaro Idrovo and Paul Idrovo. During an April 2020 meeting surveilled by law enforcement, the contractor paid Paul Idrovo $6,000 in cash in exchange for ladder and safety awareness training certificates and a safety and health plan. Alvaro Idrovo thereafter attached copies of the training certificates and the plan to his OSHA reports regarding the contractor’s violation despite knowing that the training certificates falsely claimed that training had been provided to the noted individuals in March 2020, “Jose Diaz” had provided training, and the alleged training was OSHA certified.
The conspiracy charge against Paul Idrovo carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for May 22, 2022.
The complaint against Alvaro Idrovo remains pending and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone in New York, and special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr. in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Senior Trial Counsel Leslie Faye Schwartz, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Special Prosecutions Division in Newark.
Eagle Butte Man Charged with Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a ChildRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Child.
Mitchum Dupris, age 32, was indicted on December 14, 2021. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on December 21, 2021, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is life in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, five years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The indictment alleges that between October 8, 2014, and March 4, 2017, in Eagle Butte and Cherry Creek, South Dakota, Dupris engaged in and attempted to engage in sexual acts with minors who had not attained the age of 12 years old.
The charges are merely accusations and Dupris is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Miller is prosecuting the case.
Dupris was released on bond pending trial. A trial date for February 8, 2022 has been set.
Detroit Man Sentenced to 120 Months for Armed Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky.— A Detroit man, Edward Pryor Jr., was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison on Monday, by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell, after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
According to Pryor’s plea agreement, in August 2020, law enforcement, found Pryor outside of a Lexington apartment building, with a backpack containing a Glock 42 gun, 55 grams of fentanyl, and 160 grams of methamphetamine. Pryor admitted that he possessed more than 40 grams of fentanyl and he intended to distribute it to others. Further, he admitted that he possessed the gun in furtherance of his distribution of drugs.
Pryor pleaded guilty in July 2021.
Under federal law, Pryor must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; J. Todd Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; and Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department; jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA and Lexington Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Kiebler.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force’s (OCDETF) Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS), a Department of Justice initiative designed to target trafficking of dangerous synthetic opioids.
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Dawn N. Ison Sworn in as United States AttorneyRead the Press Release
DETROIT - Dawn N. Ison was sworn in as the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan by Chief United States District Judge Denise Page Hood.
Ison, who most recently served in the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Public Corruption Unit, will lead one of the largest U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the country. The office currently employs approximately 221 personnel in three locations (Detroit, Flint and Bay City) and serves more than 6.5 million residents.
“It has been a privilege to serve as an Assistant United States Attorney for over 19 years. I could not be more honored to extend my service to my hometown in this significant way as the United States Attorney, which serves as the pinnacle of my career. We will continue to work hard to ensure the protection and safety of every citizen in this district and make sure the people of this richly diverse community feel valued.”
President Joseph Biden nominated Ison on November 12, 2021, and she was confirmed by the Senate on December 14, 2021. Ison succeeds Saima S. Mohsin who was appointed as the Acting U.S. Attorney in January.
Since 2002, Ison has served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, where she has prosecuted drug trafficking offenses at the highest level in the Office’s Drug Task Force Unit. She also served as Chief of that unit, which is the largest unit in the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Since 2014, Ison has served as the Office’s District Election Officer, and also represented the Office in the federal court’s alternative to prison program. Early in her career, Ison spent twelve years as a criminal defense attorney.
Over the course of her career, Ison has successfully handled large-scale, complex, multi-defendant prosecutions. Ison’s work has been nationally recognized on several occasions by the Department of Justice and more recently by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. She has also received U.S. Attorney’s Awards for Outstanding Service and for Superior Performance by a Litigation Team. During her career, Ison has taken more than 50 cases to trial both as a prosecutor and a defense attorney.
After law school, Ison served as a Prehearing Attorney for the Michigan Court of Appeals. She graduated from Spelman College in 1986 and received her law degree from Wayne State University Law School in 1989.
Cortland County Woman Sentenced to 190 Months for Sexually Exploiting a 3-Year-OldRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Brittany Berry, age 27, of Marathon, New York was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge David N. Hurd to 190 months in prison for sexual exploitation of a child. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
As part of her previously entered guilty plea, Brittany Berry admitted that she conspired with Lawrence Berry (who was sentenced in November to 30 years’ imprisonment for his role in the offense) to sexually exploit a 3-year-old minor child in August and September 2018. Brittany Berry acted at Lawrence Berry’s direction and sexually exploited the child on five different occasions for the purpose of creating and sending images and videos (live and recorded) of the sexual abuse to Lawrence over the internet.
In addition to the imprisonment term, Judge Hurd sentenced Brittany Berry to 15 years of supervised release to begin after she serves her term of imprisonment. Upon release from prison, Brittany Berry also will be required to register to as a sex offender in any state where she lives, is employed, or is a student.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the City of Cortland Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Gadarian and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian LaRochelle as part of Safe Childhood.
Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney's offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), and is designed to marshal federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Columbus Woman Guilty of Wire Fraud, Stole $240k from Non-ProfitsRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ga. – A Columbus resident and teacher who volunteered for two local non-profit organizations pleaded guilty to wire fraud resulting from an FDIC-led investigation.
Trenna Denise Trice, 59, of Columbus, pleaded guilty to wire fraud before U.S. District Clay Land on Monday, Dec. 20. Trice is facing a maximum twenty years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for March 29, 2022.
“Trenna Trice abused the trust of two non-profits, a small business and many individual citizens when she choose to steal money intended for others to fund her gambling addiction,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “I commend the FDIC-OIG investigators who unraveled her web of lies through their extensive investigation. Our office, along with our law enforcement partners, will do everything in our power to bring fraudsters to justice.”
“The criminal conduct in this case is even more egregious because Ms. Trice is a public servant, occupied a position of trust in charitable organizations, and stole from those organizations – all while pocketing the funds for her personal use,” said FDIC OIG Special Agent in Charge Kyle A. Myles. “The FDIC Office of Inspector General is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to investigate matters of fraud which impact both the banking system and the community as a whole.”
According to court documents, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation-Office of the Inspector General (FDIC-OIG) initiated an investigation into the financial activities of Trice in May 2019, following reports of significant casino losses sourced by an unidentified income stream. The investigation into possible sources of income for her casino activity revealed that her sole source of income was working as a teacher for the Muscogee County School District (MCSD). Prior to teaching, she worked for a dental office and she worked as a volunteer campaign coordinator for the Columbus branch of the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) from 2005 – 2017.
Trice was responsible for organizing the annual Columbus Mayor’s Masked Ball, UNCF’s primary fundraising activity. Her duties included collecting cash, credit card contributions and check payments for donations and ticket sales. During the course of the investigation, agents determined that while the larger contribution checks from bigger sponsorship companies had made their way to UNCF, Trice diverted numerous smaller contributions for her own personal use. UNCF ended their relationship with Trice in 2017, following questions regarding financial irregularities that were indicative of embezzlement. It was later discovered that Trice had also
been terminated by the dental office following similar allegations. Trice was also collecting donations for a nonprofit corporation known as SAMARC run by two former NBA basketball players who conduct an annual basketball camp for underprivileged kids in Columbus.
In total, agents identified 109 checks and 265 credit card transactions fraudulently deposited into Trice’s own accounts without authorization. Trice told investigators she had a crippling gambling addiction for the last decade and the money was stolen to fuel her gambling addiction and compensate for her gambling losses. Trice said she was always careful to conceal her actions by using only outside ATMs to deposit checks with fraudulent endorsements and by changing the settings in the Square App to disguise that she was the actual recipient of a donation intended for others. In total, with checks and credit cards, Trice is known to have stolen $240,259 from the following victims: UNCF ($162,044), the dental office ($70,231), SAMARC ($7,784) and the Georgia Dental Society ($200).
This case was investigated by the FDIC-OIG.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Crawford Seals is prosecuting the case
Chambersburg Man Sentenced to 15 Years’ Imprisonment for Production and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that David Robinson, age 32, of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on December 20, 2021, to 15 years’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner for production and possession of child pornography. The sentence also includes a 15-year term of supervised release, which will follow the term of imprisonment.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Robinson previously admitted that in July 2020 he sexually abused his 8-month-old daughter and filmed and photographed the abuse. Robinson then uploaded the videos and images to a public file-sharing program so that others could view the abuse. Additionally, Robinson downloaded and possessed images and videos depicting child pornography and child sexual abuse from on-line websites. He was arrested in July 2020 and subsequently pleaded guilty to the two offenses.
The case was investigated by the Pennsylvania State Police and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daryl F. Bloom and Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul J. Miovas, Jr. prosecuted the case.
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.”
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Cedar Rapids Man Receives over Six Years in Federal Prison for Being a Prohibited Person in Possession of AmmunitionRead the Press Release
A man who possessed ammunition after having prior convictions for felonies and domestic abuse assaults, and who was subject to no contact orders, was sentenced today to 77 months in federal prison.
Daryl Harden, age 41, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the sentence after a June 28, 2021 guilty plea to one count of being a prohibited person in possession of ammunition. At the plea hearing, Harden admitted that, on January 11, 2020, he knowingly possessed five rounds of ammunition after having been convicted of six crimes punishable by more than one year of imprisonment, after having been convicted of nine misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence, and while he was subject to two no contact orders.
Harden was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Harden was sentenced to 77 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is CR 20-46.
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California Man Sentenced for Possessing with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Cocaine, and MarijuanaRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that Lawrence Henderson, 52, of Stockton, California, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for possessing with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, 5 kilograms or more of cocaine, and marijuana. Senior United States District Judge Joseph F. Bataillon sentenced Henderson to 60 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin a three-year term of supervised release.
On August 28, 2018, law enforcement stopped a tractor semi-trailer for a vehicle violation of no front plate in Hall County, Nebraska. Upon contact with the occupants, the trooper had indicators of criminal activity and asked for consent to search the vehicle. Consent was granted for the trailer but not for the truck. A K9 was requested, and upon arrival and deployment, indicated to the odor of narcotics coming from the vehicle. The trooper located eight total bags, with four bags containing vacuum sealed bags of marijuana with a total weight of approximately 94.6 lbs., 3 bags that had 36 pounds of methamphetamine and 51 pounds of cocaine.
This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol.