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Thursday 16 December 2021
Billings felon sentenced to prison for illegal possession of firearmRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Billings felon who admitted to illegally possessing a firearm after he pointed a loaded gun at an individual was sentenced today to 21 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
Christian Mikal David Bramley, 22, pleaded guilty in August to prohibited person in possession of a firearm.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
Court documents filed by the government alleged that on Dec. 2, 2020 in Billings, Bramley pointed a loaded pistol at a man who told his neighbors to quiet down. Bramley fled the scene but was pulled over by Billings police officers. At the time, Bramley was on state probation for a 2019 felony criminal endangerment conviction in Yellowstone County and prohibited from possessing firearms. State probation officers authorized a search of the car and located a pistol in a backpack belonging to Bramley. Bramley admitted to possessing the pistol and threatening the victim.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Harper Suek prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime. Through PSN, federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement partners in Montana focus on violent crime driven by methamphetamine trafficking, armed robbers, firearms offenses and violent offenders with outstanding warrants.
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Beaver County Dad Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding Social Security AdministrationRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A Beaver County resident has been sentenced in federal court to four months’ incarceration followed by three years of supervised release on his conviction of theft of government funds and social security fraud, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Gerald Black, 47, of Aliquippa, PA.
According to information presented to the court, Black received and converted approximately $19,743.00 in Supplemental Security Income benefits to which he knew he was not entitled. Additionally, Black concealed and failed to disclose changes to his minor child’s living arrangements with the intent to deceive the Social Security Administration (SSA) as well as knowingly and willfully making a false statement material to his minor child’s right to receive Supplemental Security Income benefits. As a result of Black’s false statements, the SSA distributed 31 checks to Black for his daughter, none of which he was entitled to because his daughter was in Allegheny County’s Office of Children, Youth and Families’ custody.
Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Bissoon stated that a sentence of imprisonment of four months is appropriate when taking a holistic view of the case. The court rejected Black’s request to be sentenced to probation, stating that Black “defrauded the government by using [his] daughter.” The Court expressed that in imposing a sentence of incarceration it considered deterrence to be a primary sentencing factor, coupled with Black’s lengthy criminal history and the serious nature of the offense.
Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Chung commended the Social Security Administration – Office of Inspector General for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Black.
Bank Robber Back in Prison for EscapeRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A former resident of Clairton in Allegheny County and Hermitage in Mercer County has been sentenced in federal court to two years in prison followed by three years of supervision by the United States Probation Office on his conviction of Escape, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab imposed the sentence on Raymond A. Zwibel, age 50.
According to information presented to the court, Zwibel was previously sentenced to serve 60 months in federal prison for two separate bank robberies. He was released, on July 7, 2020, to the Renewal Center to serve the remainder of that sentence. While at the Renewal Center, the defendant was stopped for several traffic violations and provided a false name. On January 8, 2021, the defendant signed out of the Renewal Center to go to work at his construction job and never returned. A warrant was issued for his arrest and the United States Marshal Service Fugitive Unit immediately began a fugitive investigation. Those efforts resulted in Zwibel’s arrest on February 19, 2021.
Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Schwab determined that the 24-month sentence was necessary given Zwibel’s long-term drug addiction and his numerous prior convictions.
Assistant United States Attorney Ross E. Lenhardt prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Chung commended the United States Marshal Service for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Zwibel.
Aryan Brotherhood Member Pleads Guilty to Meth TraffickingRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Billings, Missouri, man who belongs to the Aryan Brotherhood pleaded guilty in federal court today to methamphetamine trafficking.
Jimmy Jack Pinkley, 44, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.
By pleading guilty today, Pinkley admitted that he was in possession of methamphetamine when he was stopped by a Christian County, Mo., sheriff’s deputy on Jan. 17, 2021. Pinkley was driving a Dodge Charger, which was later identified as a stolen vehicle, in the area of Evergreen Circle, driving down multiple roads of the trailer park and stopping briefly at multiple houses. When the deputy attempted to make a traffic stop, Pinkley pulled into a driveway and got out of the vehicle. The deputy ordered Pinkley to show his hands, but he reached with both his hands to his rear waistband. The deputy removed his firearm and again ordered Pinkley to show him his hands. After a brief pause, Pinkley lifted his hands above his head. The deputy handcuffed Pinkley and frisked him for weapons.
Pinkley appeared to be very nervous, sweating and breathing heavily. The deputy searched the vehicle and found a brown leather bag on the front passenger seat that contained approximately 195 grams of methamphetamine in multiple individually wrapped clear plastic baggies.
Pinkley told investigators the methamphetamine was what he had left from the 1.5 pounds of methamphetamine he had obtained from his supplier in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the previous day for $2,200. Pinkley, who said he had been selling methamphetamine for approximately six months, told investigators he received approximately one pound of methamphetamine during each trip to Oklahoma City.
Pinkley also told investigators that he is a member of the Aryan Brotherhood and that he joined the gang during his first stint in state prison. He showed them his patch to the gang.
Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Pinkley’s residence, where they found a loaded Maverick 12-gauge shotgun leaning against a safe in the metal shop located on the property behind Pinkley’s trailer. Inside the safe, officers found a small baggie of methamphetamine and a set of digital scales.
Today’s plea agreement also refers to an earlier traffic stop on Oct. 29, 2020. Law enforcement officers stopped a Pontiac Grand Prix in which Pinkley was a passenger. Officers found a brown nylon case under the front passenger’s seat that contained 11.48 grams of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.
Under federal statutes, Pinkley is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 40 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron A. Beaver. It was investigated by Christian County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and the Stone County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.
Wednesday 15 December 2021
Winnebago Man Convicted of ManslaughterRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that a federal jury in the District of Nebraska found Jonathan D. Rooney, of Winnebago, Nebraska, guilty of manslaughter and destruction of evidence. Rooney, 27, killed Kozee Decorah, 22, and then burned her body and other evidence at an abandoned cabin on the Winnebago Indian Reservation.
On May 16, 2020, Decorah called the Winnebago Police Department to report that the vehicle that she, Rooney, and their infant son were using was stuck in the mud in a remote area of the Winnebago Reservation. When Winnebago Conservation Officers located the vehicle, they were unable to locate Decorah, Rooney, or their baby. The officers noticed a fire near midnight in the outhouse of a remote cabin. Rooney was found in the cabin naked in a bed with his clothes missing. The baby was with him. Blood droplets were observed in the cabin. Human remains in the form of a skull were found in the fire. Decorah was identified through dental records.
Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. ordered a presentence investigation report. Rooney will be sentenced on March 11, 2022 at 11:00 a.m.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Winnebago Police Department, the Winnebago Conservation Office, Winnebago Volunteer Firefighters, and the Nebraska State Fire Marshal.
Vero Beach Woman Sentenced to over 10 Years for Possessing More Than 500 Grams of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Orlando Florida –U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced
Amanda Gailene Paul (38, Vero Beach) to 10 years and 10 months in federal prison for possessing with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Paul had pleaded guilty on September 14, 2021.
According to the plea agreement, on or about November 3, 2020, at the direction of federal agents, a confidential source contacted Paul to purchase three pounds of methamphetamine. Prior to the delivery, investigators located Paul in her vehicle. A subsequent search of Paul’s vehicle revealed three individually packaged plastic bags containing approximately three pounds of methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Palm Bay Police Department, the City of Cocoa Police Department, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Terry B. Livanos.
United States and Australia Enter CLOUD Act Agreement to Facilitate Investigations of Serious CrimeRead the Press Release
The United States and Australia today signed a landmark agreement that will facilitate access to electronic data for investigations of serious crime, including terrorism and child sexual abuse.
The agreement is authorized by the Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data (CLOUD) Act, a bill Congress passed in 2018.
The CLOUD Act Agreement will help ensure Australian and U.S. law enforcement agencies are able to timely access electronic data to prevent, detect, investigate and prosecute serious crime, including child sexual abuse, ransomware attacks, terrorism and the sabotage of critical infrastructure over the internet.
The CLOUD Act Agreement enables authorities in each country to obtain certain electronic data more efficiently from communications service providers operating in the other’s jurisdiction, thereby significantly reducing the time taken to obtain information relevant to ongoing investigations. The agreement also includes strong protections for the rule of law, privacy and civil liberties.
“This Agreement paves the way for more efficient cross-border transfers of data between the United States and Australia so that our governments can more effectively counter serious crime, including terrorism, while adhering to the privacy and civil liberties values that we both share,” said U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland.
U.S. Attorney General Garland and Australian Minister for Home Affairs Karen Andrews said the agreement would enhance law enforcement cooperation and help keep communities in both countries safe, while protecting the values, principles and sovereignty of the United States and Australia.
“As we saw in Operation Ironside – known in the United States as Operation Trojan Shield – the Australian Federal Police and the FBI are already capable of smashing serious, organized crime networks using sophisticated digital techniques,” said Minister Andrews. “By strengthening both nations’ ability to fight crime, and giving our law enforcement agencies more efficient access to evidence, we’re ensuring the safety, security and prosperity of our citizens.”
The CLOUD Act Agreement will now undergo Parliamentary and Congressional review processes in both countries.
For more information on the CLOUD Act, please visit: and https://www.justice.gov/dag/cloudact.
U.S. Coast Guard Honors Former U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer with Distinguished Public Service AwardRead the Press Release
News Release Summary – December 15, 2021
San Diego – United States Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Karl Schultz has awarded former U.S. Attorney Robert S. Brewer, Jr. with the Distinguished Public Service Award, the agency’s highest public recognition, other than the gold and silver lifesaving medals. Today, on behalf of the Commandant, Rear Admiral Brian Penoyer, the agency’s District Eleven Commander, presented the award, which was bestowed in recognition of Brewer’s “outstanding advancement of the Coast Guard's law enforcement mission as the United States Attorney for the Southern District of California from 2019 to 2021.”
The award recognizes that under Brewer’s leadership, the Southern District of California “strengthened its comprehensive maritime counter-narcotics program to significantly disrupt the flow of narcotics and human smuggling in the California Coastal Region and the Eastern Pacific,” noting that on April 1st, 2020, the United States Southern Command began enhanced counter-narcotics operations in the Western hemisphere to disrupt the increasing flow of drugs. The award credits Brewer with spearheading the prosecution of many cases resulting from these interdictions and promoting the safety and security of the United States” through “the conviction of six defendants in two jury trials, the prosecution of twenty low profile and go fast vessels, and the arrest of key land-side organizers in Central and South America,” which “effectively stymied the flow of maritime smuggling and delivered a major setback to numerous drug trafficking organizations.”
The award notes that Brewer was responsible for leveraging “long-term proactive maritime investigations and inter-agency partnerships to launch a concerted effort to target and dismantle maritime Transnational Criminal Organizations,” using Coast Guard Eastern Pacific interdictions as the cornerstone of an innovative legal approach to pursue and eradicate these organizations. It asserts that “Brewer’s commitment to securing resources was vital for indicting 125 high level narcotics targets, seizing 45 metric tons of cocaine and $4.5M of bulk cash, and dismantling major Transnational Criminal Organizations in Colombia, Ecuador, and Guatemala.”
Acting U.S. Attorney Grossman opened today’s ceremony by thanking the U.S. Coast Guard, which has become an increasingly important law enforcement partner in the Southern District’s ongoing fight against drug and human smuggling. “This is a truly fitting award for Bob, who has devoted so much of his life to public service in many ways – as an Army Ranger and war hero, as a Deputy District Attorney, then as an Assistant United States Attorney, and ultimately a United States Attorney,” Grossman said. “Bob prioritized our partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard, expanded our prosecutions of the agency’s drug interdictions, and effectively focused resources on proactive investigations designed to disrupt and dismantle transnational criminal organizations.”
At the ceremony, Brewer relayed his deep respect for the work of the U.S. Coast Guard, stating that his work with the agency “was a true highlight of my tenure as U.S. Attorney.” Brewer described the moving christening of the 32nd fast response cutter (FRC), Benjamin Bottoms and the offloading of massive major narcotics interdictions as significant moments reflecting the agencies’ strong partnership. “I am tremendously honored and grateful to be recognized by the Commandant,” Brewer said. “This very special award is really a reflection on the entire U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California. It is a tribute to the hard work of the dedicated and innovative team that made these prosecutions possible.”
Former Chief Judge Irma Gonzalez (retired), Mr. Brewer’s spouse, attended the ceremony, accompanied by current Chief District Court Judge Dana Sabraw, Magistrate Judge Andy Schopler, Acting U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman, several USAO supervisors and U.S. Coast Guard Captain Timothy Barelli, the Commander of Sector San Diego.
Two Minneapolis Felons Sentenced Respectively to 70 and 82 Months in Prison for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
St. Paul, Minn. – Two Minneapolis felons were sentenced today for possessing a handgun with a large capacity magazine that could hold 50 rounds of ammunition, announced Acting United States Attorney Charles J. Kovats.
According to court records, between April 30 and May 5, 2020, Travon Lavelle Blackman, 24, and Michael Eugene Hunter, 23, were in joint possession of a Glock, model 22, .40-caliber semiautomatic pistol, with an attached 50-round drum magazine. Both men videotaped themselves and posted several of the recordings on social media of their brandishing the firearm (as well as other firearms) while making threatening gestures and statements. Because Blackman and Hunter both have prior felony convictions, they are prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.
U.S. District Court Judge Wilhelmina M. Wright sentenced Blackman to 70 months in prison and Hunter to 82 months in prison. Both men were sentenced to three years of supervised release that will begin upon their release from prison.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Minneapolis Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Bejar prosecuted the case.
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Two Men Convicted of Conspiring to Smuggle Wildlife into the United States from AustraliaRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – Two men pled guilty to willfully and knowingly conspiring to acquire, sell, transport, and import three species of spiny-tailed skinks into the United States from Australia in violation of federal regulations.
Jose Francesco Munoz Di Rocco, of Miami, Florida, and Francisco Manuel Rodriguez, of Medford, Oregon, pled guilty to the charge in Miami. In connection with their guilty plea, Munoz and Rodriguez admitted that they traveled from their respective hometowns in the United States and met up in Broome, Western Australia for the purpose of capturing spiny-tailed skinks in their native habitat and importing them into the United States for resale. Once in Western Australia, Munoz and Rodriguez captured various species of spiny-tailed skinks and prepared them for shipping to the United States, knowing it was illegal to export the wildlife from Australia. While in Australia, Munoz mailed two packages containing a total of 33 spiny-tailed skinks, one to Miami, Florida and the other to Medford, Oregon. In order to conceal the illegally imported wildlife, Munoz packaged the spiny-tailed skinks within gift-wrapped containers with other souvenirs and neither Rodriguez nor Munoz declared them on the Customs Declaration forms attached to the shipping boxes or via a Declaration for Importation or Exportation of Fish and Wildlife (Form 3-177) with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Australian law prohibits the exportation of its native wildlife.
Rodriguez’s sentencing has been set on February 4, 2022 at 3 p.m. and Munoz’s sentencing has been set on February 23, 2022 at 2 p.m. before District Court Judge Kathleen M. Williams. Rodriguez and Munoz face a possible prison sentence of up to five years in jail, a term of supervised release thereafter of up to three years, and a criminal fine of up to $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez of the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Stephen Clark of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS), Southeast Region made the announcement.
USFWS investigated the case with assistance of the Australian Border Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marty Fulgueira Elfenbein of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida prosecuted the case.
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-20361.
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Twenty-One Charged in Connection with Multistate Cocaine and Fentanyl ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Twenty-one individuals have been charged in connection with a large-scale drug trafficking conspiracy involving cocaine, fentanyl and other controlled substances with activity that spanned across Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Maine and Puerto Rico.
According to the charging documents, in May 2020, law enforcement began investigating a Lawrence-based drug trafficking organization (DTO). Since December 2020, intercepted communications between members of the DTO and their associates revealed that the defendants allegedly distributed fentanyl and cocaine in and around the Lawrence area.
The following defendants were arrested today and charged with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine and other controlled substances:
- Joseph Correa, 31, of Lawrence, Mass.;
- Jose Martinez, a/k/a “Bebo,” 28, of Lawrence, Mass.;
- Luis Martinez, 25, of Lawrence, Mass. and Manchester, N.H.;
- Alberto Marrero, a/k/a “Gordo,” 40, of Lawrence, Mass.;
- Madeline Correa-Dones, 50, of Caguas, P.R.;
- Mavi Rosario, 30, of Lawrence, Mass.;
- Sonvi Rosario, 31, of Lawrence, Mass.;
- Fauris Guerrero Valdez, a/k/a “Duro,” 25, of Lawrence, Mass.;
- Luis Perez Frias, 20, of Lawrence, Mass.;
- Freddy Reyes Concepcion, a/k/a Franchve Gonzalez Irizarry, 49, of Lawrence, Mass.;
- Alex Rafael Hernandez Mercedes, 36, of Lawrence, Mass.;
- Felipe Martinez, 59, of Lawrence, Mass.;
- Elvis DeJesus, 30, of Lawrence, Mass.;
- William Rivadeneira, 28, of Haverhill, Mass.;
- Gregorit Sanchez, 27, of Haverhill, Mass.;
- Jeremy Eaton, 25, of Lunenburg, Mass.;
- Nestor Emilio Olaverria Fuster, a/k/a Pablo Pizarro-Rosa, a/k/a “Chiquitin,” 58, of Lawrence, Mass.;
- Othoniel Lara Gonzalez, a/k/a “Jose Ramirez,” a/k/a “Anibal Pena,” a/k/a “Chirpa,” 52, of Lawrence, Mass.; and
- Zacharia Mohamed, 26, of South Portland, Maine.
Victor Ramon Melendez, 33, of Norwich, Conn. remains at large.
Pablo Rosario Pablo a/k/a “Angel Ayala Roque” a/k/a “Cuco,” 56, of Methuen, Mass., was also arrested today and charged in a separate criminal complaint with one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
It is alleged that the DTO is headed by Correa, who sold drugs in both wholesale and retail quantities and employed couriers and stash house operators to store and distribute drugs, including the mother of his children and her sister. Correa allegedly obtained fentanyl locally and obtained cocaine from suppliers in Puerto Rico. Specifically, it is alleged that Correa, Jose Martinez and Luis Martinez are half-brothers and regularly travelled to Puerto Rico to purchase kilograms of cocaine. They and Correa-Dones, their mother, would then mail the drugs in packages to addresses in New York, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Over the course of the investigation, approximately 7.5 kilograms of cocaine was seized from packages mailed from Puerto Rico to the defendants. In total, over 10.5 kilograms of cocaine, approximately 650 grams of suspected fentanyl and approximately $201,681 in drug proceeds were seized over the course of the investigation.
According to the charging documents, Sanchez was a Correctional Officer with the Middleton House of Correction in Middleton, Mass. Sanchez allegedly helped DeJesus obtain a contraband cellphone while DeJesus was being held in the Middleton House of Correction after being arrested on state firearms charges. It is further alleged that on Nov. 11, 2021, Sanchez attempted to smuggle a package containing fentanyl, cocaine and Suboxone into the Middleton House of Correction for DeJesus. The package was seized as Sanchez was arriving for work.
Rivadeneira was allegedly employed by DeJesus and Martinez to assist with distribution of fentanyl and cocaine. According to the charging documents, DeJesus scolded Rivadeneira on an intercepted call for not wearing a mask when working with fentanyl, and warned Rivadeneira, “[Y]ou can get an overdose.”
The charges of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine and other controlled substances, and possession with intent to distribute cocaine provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $100. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. More information on the OCDETF program is available here: https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf/about-ocdetf.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Office, made the announcement. Special assistance was provided by the Lawrence Police Department; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Massachusetts State Police; Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Essex County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Ferguson, Acting Chief of Mendell’s Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit, is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Tupelo Man Convicted of Drug Trafficking and Illegal Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
Oxford, MS – A federal jury has convicted a Tupelo, Mississippi man of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and marijuana and possession of firearms by a convicted felon.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Samuel Wilson, III, 32, conspired with multiple individuals who were identified as part of a larger drug trafficking organization to sell and distribute methamphetamine and marijuana. The jury also found Wilson guilty of being a convicted felon in possession of two firearms.
Wilson was one of nine defendants charged with conspiracy to distribute drugs, drug distribution, and firearms offenses as part of a drug trafficking organization led by Jeremy K. Mairidith. Eight of the defendants charged, including Mairidith, pled guilty prior to trial. The drug trafficking organization was comprised of defendants from California, Georgia, Illinois and Mississippi and was responsible for distributing methamphetamine and marijuana in the Northern District of Mississippi and elsewhere. The investigation of this drug trafficking organization and its participants spanned multiple years.
Individuals who have been charged and convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in this case include: Jeremy K. Mairidith; Fernando Gonzalez; Kennoris Hughey; Stefanie K. Johnson; Eiko T. Jones; Dimitri R. Kimble; Desmonya Lewis; and Andraea Stovall.
Acting U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner of the Northern District of Mississippi made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and FBI Jackson Division’s Oxford Resident Agency investigated the case as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods programs in partnership with state and local law enforcement. Agencies assisting with the investigation included the Tupelo Police Department, Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Corinth Police Department, Alcorn County Sheriff’s Office, United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Mississippi, Mississippi Highway Patrol, Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, North Mississippi Narcotics Unit, DEA, United States Postal Inspection Service, Mississippi Department of Corrections and the United States Marshals Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Chad M. Doleac prosecuted the case with assistance from AUSAs Jay Hale and Scott Leary.
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.
Three Indicted for Armed Hobbs Act Robbery and ShootingRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – A federal grand jury in Charlottesville returned an indictment today charging three local men in connection with a September 2021 shooting and attempted armed robbery of an Albemarle County man who they believe possessed marijuana.
The grand jury today charged Madison Wonne Zelee, 26, Tyrel Anthony Dowell, 22, and Tyreek Saquan Ragland, 24, all of Charlottesville, each with one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery, one count of committing Hobbs Act robbery, and one count of discharge of a firearm in commission of a Hobbs Act Robbery. In addition, Dowell and Zelee were each charged with an additional count of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon.
“The United States Attorney’s Office will continue to respond to the spike in violent crimes across the Charlottesville-Albemarle County region by bringing federal charges when appropriate,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said today. “Partnering with law enforcement agencies across our community is a key component to achieving our shared goal of protecting our communities from gun violence.”
“The FBI is committed to leveraging our investigative resources to assist our law enforcement partners in addressing these violent crimes,” Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division said today. “We encourage anyone who has witnessed or is a victim of a violent crime to report it to the FBI at tips.fbi.gov.”
According to the indictment, on September 30, 2021, Zelee, Dowell, and Ragland conspired to steal cash and other goods against their victim’s will through the use of force and fear of injury while brandishing and discharging a firearm.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Albemarle County Police Department are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald M. Huber is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Three Defendants Plead Guilty to Kidnapping A Postal CarrierRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Mark Rogers, 38, Joseph Way a/k/a Gus, 36, and Tashara Levans, 37, all of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. to the kidnapping of a federal employee. The charge carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert A. Marangola, who is handling the case, stated that on November 16, 2019, in the area of Second Street and Central Park in Rochester, the defendants kidnapped a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier while she was delivering mail. Rogers and Way confronted the mail carrier about a package she delivered to them. The package did not contain cocaine, which Rogers and Way were expecting, and the two men accused the mail carrier of taking the narcotics. Rogers and Way directed the mail carrier to a vehicle driven by Rogers’ girlfriend Tashara Levans. Over the next two hours, Levans drove Rogers and Way as they threatened to shoot and kill the mail carrier and her children if she did not provide either the cocaine, they believed she had stolen, or $70,000, which was the street value of the cocaine. Eventually, the mail carrier was released unharmed.
The conviction is the result of an investigation by U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector-in-Charge Ketty Larco-Ward, Boston Division, and the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Interim Chief David Smith.
Sentencing is scheduled for April 11, 2022, before Judge Geraci.
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Three Companies Face Charges of Negligent Conduct During Offshore Oil Leak that Damaged Southern California CoastlineRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A federal grand jury today accused three companies with illegally discharging oil during a pipeline break in early October by acting negligently in at least six ways, including failing to properly respond to eight separate leak alarms over the span of more than 13 hours and improperly restarting the pipeline that had been shut down following the leak alarms.
An indictment filed this afternoon charges the companies that own and operate the 17-mile-long San Pedro Bay Pipeline with one misdemeanor count of negligent discharge of oil. The charged defendants are Amplify Energy Corp.; Beta Operating Co. LLC (a wholly owned subsidiary of Amplify doing business as Beta Offshore); and San Pedro Bay Pipeline Co. (a wholly owned subsidiary of Amplify).
The pipeline, which was used to transfer crude oil from several offshore facilities to a processing plant in Long Beach, began leaking on the afternoon of October 1, but the defendants allegedly continued to operate the damaged pipeline, on and off, until the next morning. As a result of the allegedly negligent conduct, what is estimated to be about 25,000 gallons of crude oil were discharged from a point approximately 4.7 miles west of Huntington Beach from a crack in the 16-inch pipeline.
The indictment alleges that the defendants acted negligently by:
- Failing to properly respond to eight alarms from an automated leak detection system that were activated between 4:10 p.m. on October 1 until the final alarm at 5:28 a.m. the following day;
- Shutting down and then restarting the pipeline five times after the first five alarms were triggered on October 1, resulting in oil flowing through the damaged pipeline for a cumulative period of more than three hours;
- Despite the sixth and seventh alarms, pumping oil for three additional hours late on October 1 into the early morning hours of October 2 while a manual leak test was performed;
- Despite the eighth alarm, operating the pipeline for nearly one hour in the predawn hours of October 2 after a boat they contacted failed to see discharged oil in the middle of the night;
- Operating the pipeline with crewmembers who had not been sufficiently trained on the automated leak detection system; and
- Operating the pipeline with an understaffed and fatigued crew.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
For a corporate defendant, the charge of negligently discharging oil carries a statutory maximum penalty of five years of probation, as well as fines that potentially could total millions of dollars.
The Coast Guard Investigative Service; the U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General; the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Criminal Investigation Division; and the FBI are investigating the oil leak.
Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew O’Brien and Brian Faerstein of the Environmental and Community Safety Crimes Section are prosecuting this case.
Third Brooklyn Man Pleads Guilty to 1989 MurderRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that LUIS MERCED pled guilty today in Manhattan federal court before U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos to charges relating to his involvement in the murder of Efren Cardenas on February 10, 1989, in Brooklyn, New York. William Skinner and Dorian Brooks, a/k/a “Kool-Aid,” also pled guilty, on December 8, 2021, to charges relating to their involvement in the murder of Efren Cardenas.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Luis Merced, William Skinner, and Dorian Brooks were responsible for the murder of Efren Cardenas in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn in February 1989. Today’s guilty plea shows that we will never lose resolve in our pursuit of justice. I commend the extraordinary efforts of our law enforcement partners and the Special Agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, who worked tirelessly to investigate Efren Cardenas’s murder.”
According to the allegations in the Indictment, and other filings and statements made in court:
On February 10, 1989, MERCED, Skinner, and Brooks participated in a plot to shoot and kill Efren Cardenas, 30, in the vicinity of 280 Herkimer Street in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn. MERCED arranged for Cardenas to deliver multiple kilograms of cocaine to an apartment building in Brooklyn, where he had recruited Skinner and Brooks to gun down Cardenas and steal the cocaine. When Cardenas arrived at the scene, Skinner and Brooks shot him over 20 times. MERCED, Skinner, and Brooks committed the murder in furtherance of a conspiracy to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine.
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MERCED, 50, pled guilty to one count of conspiring to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine, which carries a maximum prison term of 20 years. During his guilty plea, MERCED admitted to his role in the murder of Efren Cardenas. The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
MERCED is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Ramos on March 24, 2022.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Special Agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the New York City Police Department’s Cold Case Homicide Squad.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew K. Chan, Adam S. Hobson, and Frank J. Balsamello are in charge of the prosecution.
Texas man admits to role in drug distribution operationRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Jeffrey Howard, of Houston, Texas, has admitted to his role in methamphetamine, crack cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin drug distribution operation, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II announced.
Howard, age 24, pled guilty to one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.” Howard admitted to having methamphetamine in Monongalia County in Septemmber 2019.
Bradley faces up to 20 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zelda E. Wesley and Sarah E. Wagner are prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The FBI's Northern West Virginia Drug Task Force in partnership with the Mon Metro Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated. The Task Forces have members from the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; West Virginia State Police; Monongalia County Sheriff's Office; and, the Morgantown, WVU, Granville and Star City Police Departments. The investigation was also assisted by the following law enforcement partners: the Monongalia County Prosecutor’s Office, the FBI in Houston, Texas; the Houston Police Department's Multi Agency Gang Initiative; the United States Postal Inspection Service in Houston; and, the FBI and DEA in Los Angeles, California.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Related case here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/25-people-indicted-drug-trafficking-operation-spanned-several-states
Texan sentenced for attempting to export weaponsRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas - A 64-year-old Dallas resident been ordered to federal prison for attempting to export firearms, firearm magazines and thousands of rounds of ammunition to Mexico, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
The jury deliberated for five hours before convicting Jose Rafael Vasquez July 1, following a two-day trial.
Today, U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana, who presided over the trial and sentencing, ordered Vasquez to serve 63 months in federal prison immediately followed by a three-year term of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional information, including the fact that the firearms bore decorative handles and were quite expensive, which criminal organizations highly prized in Mexico.
In handing down the sentence, Judge Saldana noted Vasquez had also previously purchased a semi-automatic rifle in Garland in 2017 which was later found in Durango, Mexico, after a shootout between Mexican law enforcement and armed criminal groups. Authorities directly traced the rifle to Vasquez as the last known legal purchaser.
On Oct. 15, 2020, Vasquez attempted to exit the United States into Mexico through the Laredo Port of Entry. During initial inspection, law enforcement discovered suspicious bundles zip-tied to the undercarriage of the vehicle. They appeared to contain ammunition.
Further inspection revealed three AK-47 rifles, eight semi-automatic handguns of various calibers, 16 handgun magazines and approximately 4,714 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition hidden inside his vehicle.
The defense attempted to convince the jury Vasquez did not know about the items inside the vehicle. They did not believe his claims and found him guilty as charged.
Vasquez will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Francisco J. Rodriguez and David Fawcett prosecuted the case.
Syndicato de Nuevo Mexico gang member sentenced to life in prison for murderRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. –Angel DeLeon, 43, of Mexico, was sentenced today in federal court to life in prison for murder. A federal jury convicted DeLeon on Sept. 16.
According to court records, DeLeon, along with Joe Lawrence Gallegos, 52, and Edward Troup, 50, killed another inmate, identified as “FC,” in the Southern New Mexico Correctional Facility (“SNMCF”) in Doña Ana County, New Mexico on March 26, 2001, by using a cord from a laundry bag to strangle him. Another inmate, identified in court records as “RG,” was also killed by strangulation at SNMCF on that same date. The killings were carried out on the orders of Billy “Wild Bill” Garcia, 66, of Albuquerque, acting in his capacity as a leader of the Syndicato de Nuevo Mexico (SNM) prison gang.
Garcia, Troup and Gallegos were found guilty on May 25, 2018. Garcia was sentenced to life in prison on June 11, 2019. Troup was sentenced to life in prison on Nov. 6, 2018. Gallegos was sentenced to life in prison on April 21, 2020.
DeLeon, a Mexican national, was arrested on Oct. 4, 2019, after being extradited from Mexico to the United States for trial.
The SNM is an ultra-violent criminal organization whose members, prospects and associates engage in acts of violence and other criminal activities, including murder, attempted murder, kidnapping and conspiracy to manufacture and distribute narcotics. Members have admitted in court that the organization engages in racketeering activity.
The FBI, the New Mexico State Police, the New Mexico Corrections Department and the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in securing DeLeon’s arrest and extradition from Mexico. Assistant United States Attorneys from the Las Cruces branch of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico prosecuted the case.
State College Man Charged with Failure to Pay TaxesRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on December 14, 2021, Scott Lykens, age 44, of State College, Pennsylvania, was charged by criminal information for failure to pay federal income and payroll taxes.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Lykens was the owner and operator of a medical billing company, Keystone Medical Management Solutions, Inc. (KMMS, Inc.) doing business in Centre County, Pennsylvania. The information alleges that KMMS, Inc. withheld taxes from its employees’ paychecks, including federal income taxes, Medicare and Social Security taxes (referred herein as payroll taxes) and was required to make deposits of the payroll taxes to the IRS on a periodic basis and file Employer’s Quarterly Federal Income Tax Returns. KMMS, Inc. as an employer was required to pay the employer’s share of Social Security and Medicare taxes on behalf of its employees. It is alleged that between 2015 and 2019, Lykens failed to pay over to the IRS taxes that he had withheld from the employees of KMMS, Inc. The total unpaid tax liability was $1,044,796.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey W. MacArthur is prosecuting the case.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is five years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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San Francisco CEO Sentenced to Three Years for Scamming Banks and Investors Out of $8 MillionRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Andrew James Chapin was sentenced in federal court today to 36 months in prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud, bank fraud, and securities fraud, announced Acting United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Craig D. Fair. Chapin was also ordered to pay over $8 million in restitution to his victims. The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge Maxine M. Chesney.
Andrew James Chapin, 33, of San Francisco, started a company in Boston and in 2016 moved it to San Francisco and renamed it Benja Inc. He was Benja’s CEO. As a digital advertising company, Benja provided “shoppable media” by placing digital advertisements for a company’s overstocked goods that allowed shoppers to purchase products in the advertisement itself without being redirected to another website.
From June 2019 through September 2020 Chapin was looking for additional investors and lines of credit for Benja. He told creditors and prospective investors that Benja generated $6,200,000 and $13,200,000 in revenue in 2018 and 2019, respectively, and had signed large contracts with numerous well-known national sportswear companies to place advertisements for their excess inventory.
Chapin admitted in his plea agreement that these statements were false. He further admitted that he had no contracts with these companies and that he falsified Benja’s revenue. On a Benja investor call, Chapin admitted he arranged for people to impersonate employees from the well-known national corporations to bolster Chapin’s false representations of business relationships with the companies.
Chapin detailed in his plea agreement that he repeatedly submitted false information about Benja to a victim bank to obtain a credit line totaling $5,000,000. Chapin took advances on the line of credit for his company and used the money to pay off creditors and personal credit cards and to put money into his personal cryptocurrency exchange account.
Chapin also admitted his misrepresentations induced investors to fund Benja. His false statements produced investments of $1,000,000 from one venture capital firm and $1,800,000 from a SAFE (simple agreement for future equity) fundraising round involving multiple individual investors. To obtain these investments, Chapin created documents showing that Benja had millions in revenue and account receivables from companies that had never contracted with Benja.
In one example outlined in his plea agreement, on March 23, 2020, Chapin directed a New York venture capital firm to Benja’s virtual data room that displayed a spreadsheet showing Benja’s total 2019 revenue exceeded $13,000,000 and also listed contracts with national sportswear companies that provided over $7,000,000 of Benja’s total 2019 income. Benja, however, had no contracts with the sportswear companies. Chapin fabricated the spreadsheet. Chapin also admitted that in a reference call he paid a Benja employee to impersonate a national running shoe company’s representative and arranged for another individual to impersonate a national sportswear company’s representative. The venture capital firm relied on these misrepresentations and invested $1,000,000 in Benja. Chapin used the money to pay off a creditor.
Chapin admitted defrauding individual investors too. In his plea agreement Chapin admitted that in November 2018 he emailed false financial statements to an individual investor that reflected Benja had revenue of more than $4,000,000 in 2018. Chapin told the individual that a St. Louis, Missouri, venture capital firm was considering a $1,500,000 investment in Benja, although Chapin knew the firm had already declined to invest in Benja. Chapin also arranged for a person to impersonate the St. Louis venture capital firm’s manager during a reference call with the investor. The impersonator told the individual investor that a third party had verified Benja’s financials and had made customer reference calls about Benja that produced positive results. Chapin then provided false contact information for the St. Louis venture capital firm’s manager which allowed Chapin – not the venture capital firm’s manager – to respond to the individual’s questions about Chapin’s shareholder agreement. As a result, the individual investor signed the shareholder’s agreement and purchased 1,278 shares of common stock in Benja for $100,000. Chapin used the money to pay personal credit card bills and to fund his personal cryptocurrency accounts.
In a memo filed for sentencing, the government tallied the losses from Chapin’s bank fraud, his fraud upon a venture capital firm, and his fraud upon 11 individual investors. The loss amount from Chapin’s frauds totaled $8,069,900. Of that amount, at least $1.8 million came from defrauding the individual private investors.
Chapin was originally charged by federal complaint on November 23, 2020, and later by information on May 27, 2021. He pleaded guilty on June 16, 2021, to bank fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1344, wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343, and securities fraud in violation of 15 U.S.C. §§ 78j(b) and 78ff, and 17 C.F.R. § 240.10b-5.
The case is prosecuted by the Corporate Fraud Strike Force of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The United States Attorney’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation thank the San Francisco Regional Office of the Securities and Exchange Commission, which conducted a parallel investigation.
San Antonio Man Pleads Guilty to Embezzling 1.1M from Johnson CityRead the Press Release
AUSTIN – Today a San Antonio man pleaded guilty in federal court to embezzling over $1.1 million from the City of Johnson City, Texas.
According to court documents, starting in 2015 and continuing until around September 2020, Anthony Michael Holland, 36, embezzled at least $1,175,866.96 from city accounts. Holland used the money for his personal benefit, including purchasing a residence in San Antonio.
According to court documents, Holland was a Johnson City employee when he carried out the embezzlement. At various times, he held the offices of City Secretary and Chief Administrative Officer. Holland concealed the embezzlement by falsifying city financial records and other documents.
Holland pleaded guilty to one count of theft from a state or local government that receives federal program funds. A sentencing date has not been set. Holland faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff of the Western District of Texas and FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs made the announcement.
The FBI, with invaluable assistance from the Johnson City Police Department, is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alan M. Buie and Robert Almonte are prosecuting the case.
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Rigby Man Sentenced to 45 Years in Federal Prison for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – A Rigby man was sentenced to 45 years in federal prison for producing and possessing child pornography.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, the investigation began in September 2019, after an individual reported finding videos of a nude minor on an iPhone belonging to Tel James Boam, 39, of Rigby. A detective with the Jefferson County Sherriff’s Office obtained a search warrant for Boam’s iCloud account. An agent with Homeland Security Investigations in Idaho Falls searched Boam’s iCloud account and found that Boam had attempted to produce, by surreptitious recording, 36 sexually explicit videos of a fourteen-year-old child, and that Boam had possessed those videos. Testimony provided that the videos were produced with a spy camera that Boam purchased using his credit card.
Senior U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also sentenced Boam to a lifetime of supervised release, which will commence upon completing his prison sentence. Boam will also be required to register as a sex offender. A restitution hearing will be set at a later date to determine any restitution owed to the victim by Boam. Boam was convicted by a federal jury sitting in Pocatello on September 20, 2021.
Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael M. Gonzalez, Jr., commended the cooperative efforts of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations in Idaho Falls, and the Rexburg Police Department, which led to charges. “This type of investigative work is not easy, but our collective efforts – to protect children in need and at risk, to support juvenile victims, and to safeguard our young people from exploitation, abuse, and trafficking – have never been more urgent,” said Gonzalez. “I thank our federal and local partners for all that they did in this case, and I look forward to working with each of them to further develop and execute our child safety strategy.”
“This sentence highlights the important collaborative role HSI, our law enforcement partners, and public citizens play in protecting the community from child predators,” said Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Robert Hammer, who oversees HSI operations in the Pacific Northwest. “Those that seek to exploit the most vulnerable of us, our children, have no place to hide.”
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Rhode Island Project Safe Neighborhoods Investigation Nationally RecognizedRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A Project Safe Neighborhoods investigation that brought together thirty-six federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies and culminated in federal charges being brought against twenty-three individuals and the seizure of thirteen kilograms of fentanyl, eleven kilograms of cocaine, eleven kilograms of marijuana, and two kilograms of psilocyn mushrooms, was recognized today with a national Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDEFT) award.
All twenty-three individuals have been adjudged guilty in U.S. District Court in Providence and sentenced to federal prison.
The eight-month investigation, dubbed “Operation Panamera,” relied on the combined expertise of the Rhode Island DEA Drug Task Force, the DEA Cape Cod Drug Task Force, and the Rhode Island State Police High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force whose joint work dismantled a drug trafficking organization that imported hundreds of kilograms of fentanyl and cocaine from Mexico and Puerto Rico and redistributed them to drug dealers in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Vermont.
In addition to the dozens of kilograms of fentanyl, cocaine, marijuana, and psilocybin mushrooms, law enforcement also seized $60,000 in cash, ten vehicles, and a handgun.
“This award is a testament to two things: the results that flow from effective coordination among our law enforcement partners, and the commitment of those agencies to dismantle and disrupt significant drug trafficking in our state and region,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Cunha. “I am pleased to see the team deservedly recognized with this award.”
“DEA is committed to investigating and dismantling International Drug Trafficking Organizations at the highest levels. Drug trafficking and the violence associated with it poses a serious threat to the communities across New England” said Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of DEA’s New England Field Division. “This investigation is a shining example of DEA and our Federal, State and Local counterparts coming together to bring those who commit these crimes to justice. I’m proud of the work done in this investigation, not only by members of the DEA, but by all involved from each of our partner agencies.”
“I’m proud of the work our Troopers do every day to keep illegal narcotics out of our neighborhoods,” said Colonel James M. Manni, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police and Director of the Department of Public Safety. “Today I am especially pleased that their efforts – along with those of thirty-five other law enforcement partners – were recognized with an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces award. Congratulations to our Troopers and the others involved in Operation Panamera who dismantled a major drug trafficking operation and made our state safer as a result.”
RI DEA, Cape Cod DEA and HIDTA Task Force agents and officers honored today during an OCDEFT New England Advisory Council Meeting held virtually include:
Richard Atwood United States. Postal Inspection Service
James Burns Pembroke, Mass. Police Department
Mario Cerullo Rhode Island State Police (HIDTA)
Kristopher Dees Middleboro, Mass. Police Department
Daniel Hernandez Rhode Island State Police (HIDTA)
Alexander Koumanelis Drug Enforcement Administration
Sam Masiello Drug Enforcement Administration
Andrea Metz Drug Enforcement Administration
Michael Rusciano Drug Enforcement Administration (Posthumously)
Lindsay Beltzer Legal Assistant, U.S. Attorney’s Office
Defendants charged in this case were prosecuted iby Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul F. Daly, Jr., with the assistance of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Milind M. Shah and Stacey P. Veroni.
The Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program 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.
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Resident of Hong Kong Who Smuggled Glass Eels from the United States is SentencedRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Edward Grace, Assistant Director of the Office of Law Enforcement for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announced that KING SHEUNG CHAN, also known as “Nelson,” 30, a permanent resident of Hong Kong of the People’s Republic of China, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to approximately eight months of imprisonment, time already served, for smuggling glass eels from the United States.
According to court documents and statements made in court, there is strong foreign demand for the export of live juvenile American glass eels, commonly called “glass eels” or “elvers,” to large “eel farms” in mainland China where the baby eels are raised to adult size for human consumption. Along the Atlantic Coast, the commercial harvest of glass eels is legal only in South Carolina and Maine, with Maine using a heavily regulated quota system. In recent years, the legal price for glass eels has generally fluctuated between $3,000 and $5,000 per kilogram.
The illegal harvest and sale of glass eels to overseas buyers have damaged American eel populations and their long-term vitality. Since 2014, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature has listed the American eel as “Endangered.”
Chan worked for Asia Aquatic Company, Ltd., based in Hong Kong, and a Canadian company named Laknock Trading. Chan’s job was to procure glass eels from countries in North America and Europe, and to have them shipped via overnight air to Hong Kong.
In 2017, Chan illegally smuggled 103 kilograms of glass eels, valued at approximately $340,000, from the U.S. to Hong Kong. Some of those glass eels had been illegally harvested in Connecticut.
On April 7, 2021, Chan packed 19.3 kilograms of live glass eels worth approximately $86,000 that had been stored at a Connecticut facility. Chan was told by undercover U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) officers who were posing as fisherman that these glass eels had been unlawfully harvested from Virginia, Maryland and Massachusetts. After packing the glass eels in oxygenated bags, he paid $29,500 to the undercover officers and drove the live cargo to JFK Airport.
Later that afternoon, Chan met the freight forwarder near JFK Airport that was handling the in-transit shipment of 10 boxes shipped by Laknock Trading from Canada. Chan had arranged for the shipment of the boxes, which contained bags of dead glass eels with a few live ones mixed in. Chan opened the boxes, took out the bags of dead glass eels, and replaced them with the bags of live glass eels packed a few hours before in Connecticut. Chan resealed the boxes and returned them to the freight forwarder, which transported the shipment to the airline cargo area for export to Hong Kong. Shortly thereafter, FWS officers arrested Chan and seized the glass eels from the airline cargo area. FWS later released the glass eels into the wild.
Chan has been detained since his arrest. He pleaded guilty on July 1, 2021.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Chen.
Raleigh Man Convicted of Being a Felon in Possession of Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A federal jury convicted a Raleigh man Tuesday on charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Mohamed Magi Abusnena, 24, was indicted on July 21, 2021, for having been previously convicted of a felony and being in possession of a 9 mm, Glock, semi-automatic pistol, and ammunition.
Evidence presented at the trial revealed that on April 19, 2020, patrol officers from the Raleigh Police Department were in the vicinity of Durant Road Elementary School, when officers heard approximately eight-to-twelve-gun shots fired very rapidly. Officers began to canvas the nearby neighborhoods and streets where they believed to have heard the gun shots.
While canvasing the area, officers heard two more-gun shots coming from the main entrance of Abbotts Creek Elementary. Officers observed a vehicle make a rapid U-turn at the entrance of the school and drive away towards Durant Road. Officers caught up with the vehicle as it pulled into the driveway of Abusnena’s residence.
Officers were able to detain Abusnena after an argument. Abusnena was searched incident to arrest and a loaded Glock magazine was located in his right front pocket. Officers located several spent 9mm shell casing inside the vehicle on the front floor-board and rear floorboard. A Glock 19 semiautomatic firearm was found underneath the front passenger floorboard. The firearm was loaded with 9mm ammunition.
In a unanimous decision the jury found Abusnena guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Abusnena faces maximum penalties of ten years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, when scheduled for sentencing for the term of court commencing on March 22, 2022.
Michael F. Easley, Jr, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II accepted the verdict. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Joint Terrorism Task Force, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and the Raleigh Police Department, Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori B. Warlick, and Deputy Criminal Chief Jason Kellhofer prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No.5:20-CR-00301-1M
Philadelphia Attorney Charged with Pandemic Relief FraudRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on December 13, 2021, Jonathan Olivetti, age 41, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was charged by criminal information with wire fraud in connection with a scheme to obtain COVID-19 pandemic relief money he was not entitled to receive.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the information alleges that between June 18, 2020 and February 2021, Olivetti, a licensed attorney, applied for two Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and two Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) on behalf of Olivetti Law, LLC. Both loan programs were authorized or expanded by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act -- a federal law enacted in March 2020 that provided emergency financial assistance to millions of Americans suffering financial difficulties from the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
With respect to the PPP loans, Olivetti allegedly made materially false representations by inflating the payroll of Olivetti Law, LLC in the on-line applications and received $41,600 based upon those false representations. In addition, Olivetti made application for two two Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDL”) which were to provide low-interest financing (including forgivable $10,000 advances) to small businesses experiencing substantial financial disruption resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Olivetti’s EIDL loan applications each sought approximately $62,500 on behalf of Olivetti Law, LLC. The applications contained inflated gross receipts of Olivetti Law and ultimately were not approved by the SBA.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny P. Roberts is prosecuting the case.
Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 20 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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Peoria Man Charged with Burglarizing a Bloomington Gun Store and Possessing Stolen FirearmsRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – A Peoria, Illinois, man, Dajuan Edwards-Melton, 20, of the 2100 block of Antoinette Street, appeared in federal court today in relation to a criminal complaint that charged him with burglarizing a gun store and possessing stolen firearms on December 13, 2021.
The complaint alleges that in the early morning hours of December 12, 2021, Bloomington Police Officers were dispatched to “Smiley’s Sports Shop”, a federal firearms licensee located at 2049 Ireland Grove Road, in Bloomington, Illinois, for a reported burglary. Upon arrival, the officers observed evidence of forced entry to the business and shattered glass firearm display cases. It was later determined that 25 firearms were stolen during the burglary.
The complaint further alleges that additional investigation led officers to Edwards-Melton, who was found in possession of a firearm stolen from Smiley’s. He was arrested on December 13, 2021. Today in court, U.S. Magistrate Judge Jonathan Hawley ordered him temporarily detained pending a detention hearing on December 17, 2021, at 1 p.m.
If convicted, the maximum statutory penalties for the alleged crimes charged are up to ten years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release.
Agencies participating in the investigation include the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco & Explosives; the Peoria Police Department; and the Bloomington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Hanna is representing the government in the prosecution.
Members of the public are reminded that a criminal complaint is merely an accusation; the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Peekskill Man Who Identifies as an “Incel” or “Involuntary Celibate” Pleads Guilty to Stalking Multiple VictimsRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Michael J. Driscoll, the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Dermot Shea, Police Commissioner of the City of New York (“NYPD”), and Kevin P. Bruen, Superintendent of the New York State Police (“NYSP”), announced today the guilty plea of DAVID KAUFMAN, a/k/a “David Khalifa,” a/k/a “John Morray,” a/k/a “Big Man,” to stalking multiple victims between October 2019 and August 2020. KAUFMAN pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Nelson S. Román, to whom the case is assigned.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As he admitted in court, David Kaufman is an adherent of the ‘Incels’ who stalked and terrorized two victims, not only harassing them by impersonating them online, but also graphically threatening to murder them. Thanks to the FBI, the NYPD, the State Police, and other law enforcement partners, Kaufman is in custody and awaiting sentencing for his admitted crime.”
FBI Assistant Director Michael J. Driscoll said: “Kaufman’s overt hatred of women and sickening threats to harm potential victims caught the eye of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force in New York. We know acts of violence among those in the Incel community have increased in recent years. As Kaufman’s guilty plea brings this topic closer to the forefront, we want the public to know the law enforcement community is aware of the threat and working together to confront it.”
NYSP Superintendent Kevin P. Bruen said: “I applaud the hard, difficult work done by law enforcement in this case, which has led to this plea and ensures the defendant will be held accountable for his crimes. We have zero tolerance for anyone who creates fear online, terrorizing victims because of their gender. Together, we will continue to seek justice for those who have been victimized and protect those vulnerable to these types of crimes.”
NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea said: “The abhorrent acts carried out by David Kaufman are not just isolated offenses but representative of a larger pattern of criminality that tears at the very fabric of our society. I commend our NYPD detectives, our law enforcement partners, those in the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, and the prosecutors in the United States Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York for their hard work in ensuring a measure of justice was achieved today."
According to the allegations in the Complaint and the Indictment, as well as statements made in White Plains federal court:
Background on “Incels”
KAUFMAN self-identifies as a member of the “Incels,” or the “Involuntary Celibate,” which refers to a group of individuals, typically heterosexual, white males, who adhere to a violent and misogynist ideology of male supremacy. Incels believe they are entitled to sex with women and to women’s bodies, and they blame women for refusing to have sex with them. Incels have an active online community and over the last seven years, Incels also have committed acts of violence against women across the world, including in the United States. For example, in 2014, a self-proclaimed Incel named Elliot Rodger declared a “War on Women” and killed six people and injured 14 others near a college campus in California. Prior to these attacks, Rodger posted a video manifesto online, in which he explained that he planned his attack to punish women for rejecting him and for depriving him of sex, and to punish sexually active men because he envied them.
KAUFMAN Harasses and Threatens Victim-1 and Victim-2
Beginning in or about October 2019, KAUFMAN sent two victims (“Victim-1” and “Victim-2”), among others, violent and threatening messages using various social media accounts. In these messages, KAUFMAN self-identified as an Incel and expressed his hatred of women. For example:
- On or about June 24, 2020, KAUFMAN sent the following message to Victim-1: “Hey wanna hear a joke? What’s worse than 10 Stacy’s nailed to one tree? One Stacy nailed to ten trees [laughing crying face emoji].” “Stacy” is an Incel term that refers to an attractive female who rejects or refuses to have sex with an Incel, is hated by Incels, and is targeted by Incels for harassment, vitriol, humiliation, and violence.
- On or about June 29, 2020, KAUFMAN sent a series of messages to Victim-2. These messages included an image of one of Elliot Rodger’s victims, a deceased female who had been stabbed to death, accompanied by the following message: “This is what happened when a woman said ‘no’ to Elliot Rodger . . . . Hopefully [Victim-1] never said no to someone just like Elliot Rodger.”
- In or about July 2020, KAUFMAN posted the following messages: “Don’t piss off BIG MAN” and “When [Victim-1] and I are dead, we’ll be in heaven together forever.”
- On or about July 11, 2020, KAUFMAN sent the following message to Victim-1: “Women have done nothing but spit in my face. Soon I’ll be getting a gun.”
- On or about July 12, 2020, KAUFMAN posted the following messages: “A beautiful environment is the darkest hell, if you have to experience it all alone . . . –Elliot Rodger” and “I don’t think [Victim-1] will be laughing too much later on.”
KAUFMAN also created social media accounts using the first and last names of Victim-1 and Victim-2, respectively, and impersonated Victim-1 and Victim-2 online.
In the summer of 2020, law enforcement officers approached KAUFMAN and told him to stop harassing Victim-1 and Victim-2. On or about July 14, 2020, an order of protection was issued in Westchester County ordering KAUFMAN to, among other things, refrain from communication or any other contact with Victim-1 or Victim-2.
Notwithstanding the order of protection and warnings by law enforcement, KAUFMAN continued to send harassing and threatening messages to Victim-1 and Victim-2 through in or about August 2020. On or about August 16, 2020, KAUFMAN posted a picture of himself licking a photograph of Victim-1. KAUFMAN also conducted online surveillance of Victim-1’s residence and researched how to illegally purchase a gun and assemble a semi-automatic rifle.
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KAUFMAN, 27, of Peekskill, New York, pled guilty to one count of stalking, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2261A(2)(a) and 2261(b)(6), which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of one year in prison and a maximum sentence of five years in prison. The statutory minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. KAUFMAN is scheduled to be sentenced before Judge Román on March 16, 2022, at 2:00 p.m.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding efforts of the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which principally consists of agents from the FBI and detectives from the NYPD, as well as the NYSP. Mr. Williams also thanked the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Cortlandt County Police Department, the Stamford Police Department, the Peekskill Police Department, the Mt. Pleasant Police Department, and the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office for their assistance and cooperation.
This prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Terrorism and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jane Kim is in charge of the prosecution.
Orlando Man Sentenced to 50 Years for Sexually Exploiting Children via the InternetRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Todd Engles (33, Orlando) to 50 years in federal prison for producing, distributing, and possessing child sexual abuse material. The Court also ordered Engles to serve a 15-year term of supervised release, register as a sex offender, and forfeit his smartphone.
Engles had pleaded guilty on September 8, 2021.
According to court documents and evidence presented during the sentencing hearing, Engles posed as a 15-year-old boy and contacted multiple young girls (usually between the ages of 9 and 13) on social media applications. Using this persona, Engles persuaded and enticed the child victims to engage in sexual conduct via live video stream and video recordings. Engles also participated in chat rooms dedicated to the sharing of child sexual abuse material and rape, where he often bragged about and instructed others on how to exploit young girls via the internet. During these chats, Engles distributed numerous videos and images of children, as young as infants, being sexually abused, and expressed in detail his desire to drug and rape children. Authorities conducted a forensic review of his smartphone and discovered more than 455 images and 148 videos depicting the sexual abuse of infants, toddlers, and prepubescent and pubescent children.
This case was investigated by the Orlando Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer M. Harrington.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Organizer of online child pornography groups sentenced to federal prisonRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Michael Stephen Autry has been sentenced for his role in organizing online groups where men posted child pornography. Autry created a group on an internet site that encouraged participants to “share pictures and videos of all things taboo,” including incest.
“It shocks the conscience when someone finds pleasure in looking at photos and videos showing children being sexually abused,” said U.S. Attorney Kurt R. Erskine. “It is even more disturbing when someone like Autry gathers men together in online groups for the purpose of sharing these horrific images. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure that these persons receive their full measure of justice.”
“The victimization of a child doesn’t end when that child’s pornographic images are recorded. Every time an individual like Autry possesses and shares those images amongst the group he created, those children are victimized over, and over,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI will always make it a top priority to protect our most vulnerable citizens and put away anyone who would seek to bring them harm.”
According to U.S. Attorney Erskine, the charges and other information presented in court: in early June 2017, Autry created a group on Kik, an internet site where persons can communicate and post photographs and videos. He named the group “Taboo Train 2.0,” and he wrote that the purpose of the group was to gather together people so that they could “share pics and videos of all things taboo…. incest, young, your own family members, etc. to discuss taboo fantasies and real life stories.”
Autry invited an FBI agent who was posing in an undercover capacity to become a member, which allowed the FBI to record all the communications and postings and to identify the members of the group. In all, more than 50 persons were members of Taboo Train 2.0 at some point, although the majority did not post any photos or videos. Many of the members also lived outside the United States.
After a few weeks, the members of Taboo Train 2.0 began to show a greater sexual interest in boys than girls. So, on June 24, 2017, Autry created a new Kik group that he named “The Common Interest.” He invited the undercover FBI agent to be a member along with dozens of other persons. He posted an introductory message where he wrote that “the subject matter is all things taboo… specifically incest, teens, and taboo relationships (young/old, teacher/student, etc.).” He encouraged members to “share your stories, pics, videos, fantasies, etc!” More than 60 persons were members at various times.
On November 5, 2017, and again on December 7, 2017, Autry was added to two other Kik groups where the members shared countless images and videos of children being sexually abused. In both instances, he invited the undercover FBI agent to become a member of the group.
Michael Stephen Autry, 42, of Brownwood, Texas, was sentenced to 12 years, six months in prison to be followed by lifetime supervised release. Autry was convicted on these charges on June 29, 2021, after he pleaded guilty to distribution of child pornography. To date, 11 other persons have been charged with child pornography offenses because of their membership in these Kik groups.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul R. Jones and L. Skye Davis prosecuted the case.
This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Attorney General launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices around the country, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Oregon Dentist Faces Federal Charges for Stealing Nearly $8 Million in COVID-Relief Program FundsRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A federal criminal complaint was unsealed today charging an Oregon dentist with fraudulently converting to his personal use nearly $8 million in loans intended to help small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Salwan Adjaj, 43, a former dentist residing in West Linn, Oregon, has been charged with aggravated identity theft and wire fraud.
According to court documents, in and around March 2021, Adjaj allegedly submitted dozens of fraudulent loan applications to the Small Business Administration (SBA) in an attempt to obtain funds through the Economic Impact Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. The EIDL program was one of several economic relief programs originally authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES). It enabled SBA to issue low-interest loans to small businesses adversely impacted by the pandemic and associated mitigation measures.
Adjaj used the names and employer identification numbers (EIN) of fictitious business entities on the fraudulent EIDL applications. He further provided false information about the business start dates, number of employees, and locations, and the identities of the purported applicants and business owners. Most of the fraudulent applications were submitted in other peoples’ names, but with Adjaj’s personal residence as the business mailing address. All of the applications were submitted online from an internet protocol (IP) address associated with Adjaj’s dental practice.
After SBA rejected most of Adjaj’s EIDL applications, he shifted his sights to the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF), a pandemic economic relief program aimed at supporting restaurants, bars, and other food- and drink-related businesses. The RRF program was authorized by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) in March 2021. Adjaj had substantially greater success stealing RRF funds than he did EIDL. In May 2021, Adjaj submitted three RRF applications for restaurants allegedly located Sarasota, Miami, and Daytona Beach, Florida. Like his fraudulent EIDL applications, Adjaj’s RRF applications contained false business information and all listed his personal residence as the business mailing address. Together, Adjaj’s RRF applications generated nearly $8 million in fraudulent loan payouts.
Adjaj was arrested yesterday following alleged pretrial release violations. Today, he was ordered detained pending further court proceedings.
Acting U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug of the District of Oregon made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), the SBA Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Secret Service, and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan W. Bounds is prosecuting the case.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
New York Man Pleads to Conspiring to Distribute Heroin and Fentanyl in Western PARead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A resident of Yonkers, New York has been sentenced in federal court to 78 months of imprisonment on his conviction for violating the federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Senior United States District Judge Nora B. Fischer imposed the sentence on Erick A. Martinez, 36 years, of Yonkers, New York.
According to information presented to the Court, on May 12, 2020, Martinez pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin and 400 grams or more of fentanyl. In connection with his guilty plea, Martinez admitted that he conspired with codefendants Brandon Winters and Eduard Guzman Rijo to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin and 400 grams or more of fentanyl in the Western District of Pennsylvania. The Court was advised that on January 30, 2019, investigators with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pennsylvania State Police Drug Law Enforcement Division executed a search warrant at an apartment located in Pittsburgh, which was utilized by Martinez and his coconspirators, Brandon Winters and Eduard Rijo. Upon entry into the apartment, case agents located Winters, Rijo, and Martinez, approximately 1,500 “bricks” (the equivalent of roughly 75,000 individual dosage units) containing mixtures of heroin and fentanyl. Additionally, case agents seized over $250,000 in U.S. currency, which was found in and around Mr. Martinez and his coconspirators.
Following his 78 months of imprisonment, Martinez will be on federal supervised release for four years.
Assistant United States Attorney Jerome A. Moschetta prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Chung commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pennsylvania State Police Drug Law Enforcement Division for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Martinez.
New York Man Charged for Being A Convicted Felon in Possession of A Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on September 28, 2021, Walik Skeete, age 44, of Binghamton, New York, was indicted by a federal grand jury for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The case was unsealed following Skeete’s arrest.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that on August 4, 2021, Skeete was in possession of a Beretta 9mm handgun and rounds of ammunition as a previously convicted felon.
The investigation was conducted by the Pennsylvania State Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF). Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the case.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.”
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Under federal law, the maximum penalty is up to ten years in prison, a term of supervised release and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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New Orleans Company Sentenced for Making False Statements to the U.S. Department of LaborRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that B XPRESS-ELYSIAN FIELDS, LLC, was sentenced today for making false statements in connection with a worksite employment investigation, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001(a)(2).
United States District Court Judge Martin L.C. Feldman ordered B-XPRESS to pay $50,000 in restitution as well as the forfeiture of $29,068.
In November 2015, Homeland Security Investigations received information that an undocumented worker was possibly being employed at B-XPRESS. A worksite enforcement investigation was then initiated by the United States Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.
In response to a Form I-9 audit requesting worker documentation from Homeland Security Investigations agents, B-XPRESS submitted inaccurate records that failed to mention illegal workers employed at the business. On August 11, 2016, federal agents arrived at B-XPRESS and identified themselves to the corporate representative. On behalf of B-XPRESS, the representative provided false statements to the agents of the United States Department of Labor. B-XPRESS falsely indicated that it did not utilize a timekeeping system to record the hours that employees actually worked, that some workers were classified as independent contractors, and that workers did not work more than 30 hours per week. The investigation determined that these statements were false.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General and Homeland Security Investigations in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jon Maestri is in charge of the prosecution.
New Bedford Man Pleads Guilty to Firearm and Cocaine OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A New Bedford man pleaded guilty on Monday, Dec. 13, 2021, in federal court in Boston to illegally possessing a firearm and selling cocaine.
Khyron Thompson, 32, pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of firearm and ammunition and one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for April 6, 2022. Thompson was indicted on May 13, 2021.
On Feb. 13, 2020, Thompson distributed cocaine and possessed a loaded .32 caliber Hi-Point pistol firearm with an obliterated serial number and six rounds of ammunition. Thompson is prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal law due to multiple previous state convictions including assault and battery.
The charge of being a felon in possession of firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute cocaine provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel Mendell; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and New Bedford Police Chief Joseph C. Cordeiro made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Evan Gotlob and Kenneth G. Shine of Mendell’s Major Crimes Unit are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Monroe County Man Sentenced to 10 Years’ Imprisonment for Attempted Online Enticement of A Minor to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Earnest Lee Pittman, Jr., age 46, of Cresco, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on December 14, 2021 to ten years’ imprisonment to be followed by five years of supervised release by United States District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, for attempted online enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, between August 4, 2020 and August 12, 2020, Pittman used the internet and a cellular phone to attempt to persuade someone he believed to be a 15-year-old minor to engage in sexual activity. When he arrived for the encounter, Kingston Municipal Police officers arrested Pittman.
The matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Kingston Municipal Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny P. Roberts 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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Missoula vascular surgeon settles alleged health care fraud claims for $3.7 millionRead the Press Release
MISSOULA – A Missoula vascular surgeon who operates vein and surgery centers in Missoula and Kalispell has agreed to pay the federal government $3.7 million to settle alleged False Claims Act violations that he performed medically unnecessary surgeries based on improper techniques and submitted fraudulent bills for payment to federal health care programs, U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said today.
Dr. David Bellamah, and his business, Bellamah Vein & Surgery, PLLC, doing business as Bellamah Vein Center, has entered into a civil settlement agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the Defense Health Agency, the Department of Veterans Affairs and a third party, Lenore Lezanne. The terms of the settlement agreement require Bellamah and his company to pay a settlement amount of $3,746,324. The settlement agreement resolves a civil complaint alleging violations of the False Claims Act and other common law claims. The civil complaint in intervention was filed today in U.S. District Court for the District of Montana along with a stipulation to dismiss the case.
“This civil settlement resolves claims of using improper techniques and unnecessary medical procedures to create and submit false claims to four federal health care programs. Submitting false claims for unnecessary procedures increases the cost of providing services to people who really need it. Had the United States known the truth, it would not have paid such claims. We will investigate and hold accountable medical providers who try to enrich themselves through false billing to federal health benefit programs. I want to thank our office’s health care fraud investigation team, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the FBI for their work on this case,” U.S. Attorney Johnson said.
“Performing medically unnecessary surgeries risks the health and wellbeing of patients, compromises the integrity of federal health care programs, and increases the financial burden on taxpayers,” stated Curt L. Muller, Special Agent in Charge with the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. “Working closely with our partners, HHS-OIG will continue to safeguard the integrity of federal health care programs by investigating individuals who seek to exploit them.”
“David Bellamah’s alleged actions violated the oath held sacred by physicians,” said Special Agent in Charge Dennis Rice of the Salt Lake City FBI. “Health care fraud affects all Americans and the FBI remains committed to doing our part to combat it.”
The United States contended in court documents that its civil claims against Bellamah and his company arose from him billing for certain services that were medically unnecessary and based on false medical records from January 1, 2015 through March 31, 2017. Bellamah specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of venous reflux disease and varicose veins.
In March 2018, Lezanne, who was a sonographer formerly employed at Bellamah Vein Center, filed a suit in U.S. District Court against Bellamah Vein and Surgery, Bellamah and others alleging Bellamah received government funds for performing unnecessary venous procedures based on inaccurate medical records. The United States partially intervened in the case.
In its complaint, the United States alleged that Bellamah and staff at Bellamah Vein Center used improper techniques to conduct and analyze ultrasounds and used false ultrasound findings to conduct and bill for medically unreasonable and unnecessary services related to the diagnosis and treatment of venous reflux disease and varicose veins. The government contends that Bellamah submitted false claims to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Medicare and Medicaid programs, the Department of Defense’s TRICARE program and the Department Veterans Affairs’ CHAMPVA program.
The Settlement Agreement directs Bellamah to pay the United States $3,746,324, plus interest if applicable, of which $1,923,861 is restitution and the remaining $1,822,463 is settlement of additional damages. If the settlement amount is paid in full within 21 days of the effective date of the Settlement Agreement, no interest shall be charged. Otherwise, Bellamah shall make payments, plus interest, over five years. Upon receiving the settlement amounts, the United States will pay Lezanne 17 percent of each payment as her share of the settlement.
The Settlement Agreement is neither an admission of liability by Bellamah nor a concession by the United States that its claims are not well founded.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Kakuk represented the United States in this matter, which was investigated by office’s health care fraud investigation team, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the FBI, with additional assistance from the Defense Health Agency and the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General.
PACER case reference. 18-57-M-DLC
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Mishawaka Man Sentenced to 84 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Antonio Wells, 32 years old, of Mishawaka, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Robert L. Miller after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Wells was sentenced to 84 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, in April of 2021, Wells was on the grounds of a hospital in South Bend when he tried to hide a loaded firearm in a hospital parking garage. Wells has several prior convictions for firearms-related offenses, including for firing a gun at an occupied car.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the assistance of the South Bend Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kimberly Schultz.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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Minneapolis Man Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison for Possession, Distribution of Fentanyl PillsRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Minneapolis man was sentenced to 60 months followed by four years of supervised release for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Charles J. Kovats.
According to court documents, on June 1, 2019, officers with the Minneapolis Police Department seized 351 counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl from Fowzi Abdinasir Elmi, 20. On January 21, 2020, Elmi and two other individuals drove to Arizona with the intent of buying fentanyl pills and then returning to Minnesota to distribute them. Elmi successfully purchased the pills but was stopped by law enforcement in Oklahoma. Approximately 2,100 counterfeit prescription fentanyl pills were seized from Elmi. On September 15, 2020, Elmi, along with two other individuals, got into a single vehicle car crash. When Minneapolis police officers arrived, they found Elmi in possession of 170 counterfeit prescription fentanyl pills. Elmi admitted to purchasing the pills for $15 per pill and selling them for $30-$35 per pill.
Elmi was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Judge Ann D. Montgomery.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Minneapolis Police Department, and the State of Oklahoma District One Narcotics Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys David P. Steinkamp and Justin A. Wesley prosecuted the case.
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Milwaukee Man Indicted on Federal Sex Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Richard G. Frohling announced today that a federal grand jury had returned an indictment charging Samuel Spencer (age 49) of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with three counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion, for offenses that spanned over 15 years and multiple states.
If convicted for Count One, Spencer faces a maximum of life in prison. If convicted for Counts Two or Three, Spencer faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison and a maximum of life in prison.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Erica J. Lounsberry and Abbey M. Marzick.
The public is cautioned that an indictment is merely a charge and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Milwaukee Man Federally Indicted for Seven Armed Robberies of Tow Truck DriversRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Richard G. Frohling announced that on December 14, 2021, that a Milwaukee man was indicted for seven armed robberies of tow truck drivers in the Milwaukee area between September 17, 2021, and October 6, 2021. Specifically, Latherio Meadows, age 26, was charged with seven counts of robbery affecting interstate commerce, seven counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, two counts of possession of a stolen firearm, and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.
If convicted, Meadows faces up to 20 years in prison for each robbery count and a minimum mandatory sentence of seven years and up to life in prison on each charge of brandishing of a firearm during a crime of violence, which must run consecutive to any other sentence. He also would face up to ten years in prison for each of the counts of possession of a stolen firearm and possession of a firearm by a felon.
This matter is being investigated by the FBI’s Milwaukee Area Violent Crimes Task Force and the Milwaukee Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Abbey M. Marzick.
The public is cautioned that an indictment is merely a charge and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Mexican Man Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Return by an Alien Removed After Conviction for a FelonyRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. - A Mexican national pleaded guilty to unlawful return of an alien deported or removed after conviction for a felony, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca, Jason E. Schneider, Chief Patrol Agent of the U.S. Border Patrol’s New Orleans Sector, and Vernon Bison, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in New Orleans.
According to court documents, Francisco Alvarado-Zacarias, 49, of Mexico, was arrested on October 12, 2021, on Interstate 10 in Jackson County. The U.S. Border Patrol conducted a vehicle stop on a white Ford panel van with a Texas license plate based on a Border Patrol “Be On the Lookout” (BOLO) Alert.” Three passengers fled the van on foot, including Alvarado-Zacarias. He was apprehended after a short chase.
Records checks revealed that Francisco Alvarado-Zacarias was a citizen of Mexico who was previously ordered removed from the U.S. on multiple occasions including in 1992, 2006, 2007, and 2020. Agents also confirmed through official records that Alvarado-Zacarias had been convicted in Wyoming for the felony offense of conspiracy to deliver methamphetamine. After his release from prison, Alvarado-Zacarias had been removed from the United States.
Alvarado-Zacarias is scheduled to be sentenced on April 7, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. He faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine. After completing any sentence of incarceration, he also could face Homeland Security proceedings to remove him from the United States. A U.S. District Judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Border Patrol and Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stan Harris is the prosecutor for the case.
Mexican Man Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Return After RemovalRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – A Mexican national pleaded guilty to unlawful return of an alien after deportation, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Jason E. Schneider, Chief Patrol Agent of the U.S. Border Patrol’s New Orleans Sector.
According to court documents, Filemon Perez-Julian, 49, was arrested on October 4, 2021, on Interstate 10 in Harrison County, following a vehicle stop by a U.S. Border Patrol agent. Perez-Julian was a passenger in the vehicle and was identified as being illegally present in the United States. Perez-Julian was transported to the Gulfport Border Patrol Station, where his identity was positively confirmed. Official records revealed that Perez-Julian had been arrested on several occasions by federal officials and had been given multiple voluntary departures as well as being formally ordered deported by a U.S. Immigration Judge in 2009. He was removed from the United States and, later in 2009, he unlawfully returned. Record checks also revealed that after unlawfully returning to the U.S., his prior deportation or removal was reinstated, and he was physically removed again in June 2009.
Perez is scheduled to be sentenced on March 4, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. He faces a maximum penalty of two years in prison and a $250,000 fine. After completing any sentence of incarceration, he also is subject to Department of Homeland Security proceedings to remove him from the United States. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Border Patrol.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stan Harris is the prosecutor for the case.
Menominee Man Sentenced to Prison for Theft of Government Funds After He Obtained over $297,000 in Benefits to Which He Was Not EntitledRead the Press Release
MARQUETTE – Edward Douglas Cornman, 49, of Menominee, Michigan, was sentenced to 18 months in prison today for theft of government funds. He was also ordered to pay $297,768.31 in restitution. Chief U.S. District Judge Robert J. Jonker imposed the sentence.
Cornman pleaded guilty in June 2021 to lying about his work history and assets to obtain Medicaid benefits. From 2010 to 2019, Cornman failed to disclose his assets and work activities to the Social Security Administration. As a result, he improperly received Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income, and other benefits. Over the approximately ten-year period, Cornman received $297,768.31 in benefits from various agencies he was not entitled to receive.
U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge said, “Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income are programs aimed at the neediest in our society. Protecting those programs from abuse is one of our most important missions. My office will continue to vigorously prosecute those who abuse federally funded programs and benefits.”
“Mr. Cornman egregiously misused the Federal and State benefits that many people solely rely on to meet their essential needs. He deliberately concealed his property, resources, and earnings from working at his own construction company to fraudulently receive Supplemental Security Income, as well as Medicaid and other benefits,” said Gail S. Ennis Inspector General for the Social Security Administration. “I thank the Michigan State Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General and local law enforcement for their efforts in this investigation and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for prosecuting this case.”
The Social Security Administration, U.S. Department of Education, and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services investigated the case.
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Member of the Pueblo of Laguna sentenced to three years in federal prison for assault in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Duane Day, 31, of New Laguna, New Mexico, and an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Laguna, was sentenced in federal court today to three years in prison for assault with a dangerous weapon resulting in serious bodily harm in Indian Country. Day pleaded guilty on June 18.
According to the plea agreement and other court records, on March 24, 2020, at his father’s home on the Laguna Pueblo, Day became angry that he could not access the internet. He then assaulted his niece by punching, shoving and strangling her twice. The second time, she lost consciousness after he strangled her for a prolonged period. When the victim regained consciousness, he threatened her with a metal hoe.
The victim was later transported to the University of New Mexico Hospital Emergency Room for treatment.
In 2015, Day pleaded guilty and was sentenced to four years in prison followed by three years of supervised released for assault by strangulation and attempted manslaughter. In his plea agreement, Day admitted that on the Laguna Pueblo on May 12, 2014, he assaulted the victim by placing his knee on her neck and placing his hand over her mouth causing her to suffocate. Day acknowledged that he attempted to kill the victim by impeding the victim’s breathing causing her to lose consciousness.
Upon his release from prison, Day will be subject to three years of supervised release.
The Violent Crime and Gang Squad of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office and the Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case with assistance from the Laguna Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander F. Flores prosecuted the case.
Maryland Man Indicted for Scheme to Steal and Re-Sell Real PropertyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Maryland man has been charged in a 10-count indictment with carrying out a scheme to steal a residence located in the District of Columbia and then reselling the property to an unsuspecting buyer.
Franklin A. Olaitan, 48, of Beltsville, was arraigned today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The indictment against him was also unsealed today. He was released following his initial court appearance, pending further court proceedings.
The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Criminal Division.
As alleged in the indictment, Olaitan perpetrated a scheme in which he obtained a residential real property located in the 2000 block of First Street NW by submitting false documents to lenders, a settlement company, and the District of Columbia Recorder of Deeds. It is alleged that Olaitan quickly resold the residential property to an unsuspecting buyer and received the seller’s proceeds from both purported sales of the property. In the real estate closings, first, a lender paid approximately $420,000 and, second, a purchaser paid about $550,000.
Olaitan is charged with four counts of wire fraud, two counts of interstate transportation of stolen property, two counts of aggravated identity theft, one count of identity theft, and one count of first-degree fraud. The indictment includes a notification of the United States’ intent to seek the forfeiture of any proceeds Olaitan received as a result of the fraud scheme, identity theft, and interstate transportation of stolen property.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Lucas of the Fraud Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, with assistance from Paralegal Specialists Daniel Haines and Mariela Andrade.
Mail thieves indictedRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Two men face several charges after allegedly breaking into a blue mail receptacle at the River Oaks U.S. Post Office in Houston, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Tarek K. Sonnier, 24, Houston, and Monte Drayton, 35, The Bronx, New York, are charged obstruction of correspondence, theft of mail matter and illegal possession of postal keys. They are expected to appearance before a U.S. magistrate judge in the near future.
Both men were previously charged by criminal complaint and remain in custody.
The charges allege Sonnier and Drayton illegally entering the mailbox in the parking lot of the River Oaks Post Office on West Gray Street in Houston and removed mail.
In the early morning hours of Nov. 18 and Nov. 21, a light-colored Chevrolet Camaro with distinctive damage pulled up to the receptable, according to the charges. Two men allegedly exited the vehicle, used an illegally possessed key and loaded all the mail into the vehicle.
Again, in the early morning hours of Nov. 23, what authorities believe to be the same Camaro drove up to the same receptable exited the vehicle, according to the charges. The complaint further alleges two men, later identified as Sonnier and Drayton, were opening the mailbox with what was determined to be a stolen key.
Authorities then took the two men into custody. Upon their arrest, law enforcement allegedly recovered four stolen postal keys.
If convicted, Sonnier and Drayton could face up to 10 years in prison as well as a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
U.S. Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation along with the FBI, Houston Police Department and members from the Texas Anti-Gang Center. Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard D. Hanes is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.Lowell Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Conspiracy Involving Counterfeit Pills Containing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lowell man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy involving methamphetamine disguised as counterfeit Adderall pills.
Vimoon Sortsoy, 29, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for April 6, 2022. Sortsoy was indicted on Jan. 27, 2021.
Sortsoy conspired to distribute counterfeit prescription pills pressed to resemble Adderall that in fact contained methamphetamine in the Lowell area. Specifically, in a series of controlled purchases conducted by law enforcement, Sortsoy sold counterfeit pills containing methamphetamine to a cooperating witness. In total, Sortsoy sold approximately 400 grams of counterfeit pills containing methamphetamine.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Lowell Police Chief Raymond Kelly Richardson made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Hoefle of Mendell’s Organized Crime and Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
Lawrence County Resident Charged with Methamphetamine OffensesRead the Press Release
BENTON, Ill. – Aaron E. Inboden, 50, of Lawrenceville, Illinois, was charged in a
two-count Indictment with methamphetamine related offenses. Count 1 charges that from 2018, until
on or about November 2021, in Crawford County, Inboden conspired to distribute five hundred (500)
grams or more of methamphetamine. Count 2 charges that on August 16, 2021, in Crawford County,
Inboden possessed more than 50 grams of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it.If convicted of the distribution conspiracy charge in Count 1, Inboden could receive a minimum of
10 years with up to life imprisonment, up to a $10,000,000 fine, and supervised release of not less
than 5 years. Possession of more than 50 grams of methamphetamine carries a minimum of 5 years, up
to 40 years imprisonment, up to a $4,000,000 fine, and supervised release not less than 4 years.Inboden is set for an Initial Appearance on December 16, 2021, in federal court in Benton,
Illinois.An indictment is merely a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, the defendant is
presumed to be innocent of the charges until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the
satisfaction of a jury.The investigation was conducted by the Robinson, Illinois Police Department, and Lawrenceville,
Illinois Police Department, the United States Marshal Service, and the Southeastern Illinois Drug
Task Force. Assistance was also provided by the Crawford County State’s Attorney’s Office and
the Lawrence County State’s Attorney’s Office.