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3 February 2022
Trio Indicted on Federal Charges Alleging Six SoCal Cell Phone Stores Robbed with Hammers During Store HoursRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Three Southern California men were charged today in a federal grand jury indictment for allegedly robbing six cell phone stores in Los Angeles and Ventura counties during store hours on the same day, using hammers to smash display cases to steal iPhones and other merchandise.
The indictment charges each of the following defendants with one count of conspiracy and six counts of interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act):
- Tony Tyron Lee Stewart, 21, of Highland;
- Rayford Newsome, 23, of Compton; and
- Jerome Gregory Belser, 20, of San Bernardino.
The defendants are in federal custody and their arraignments are scheduled for February 10 in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
According to the indictment, on January 15, 2022, Newsome drove Stewart and Belser in a blue Kia Optima vehicle to rob T-Mobile stores in Long Beach, Carson, Inglewood, Encino and Camarillo, and an AT&T Wireless store in Woodland Hills. Stewart and Belser allegedly entered the stores during store hours to commit the robberies while Newsome remained in the car.
Once inside the stores, Stewart and Belser – in the presence of store employees and customers – allegedly used hammers to smash display cases and phone displays to steal telephones and other electronics. After stealing the merchandise, Newsome drove Stewart and Belser away from the robbery locations, the indictment alleges.
Law enforcement received reports of similar robberies that same day at cell phone stores. During the evening of the robberies, GPS location data for Stewart’s and Newsome’s phones and the blue Kia Optima showed that the two phones and the car were in the vicinity of the robberies around the time they occurred, according to an affidavit filed with a criminal complaint in this case.
That same evening, law enforcement used the tracker on the blue Kia Optima to track down the car in North Hollywood. After a short pursuit, the defendants were found in the blue Kia Optima, the affidavit states. Inside the car, officers recovered the devices reported stolen during the Encino robbery as well as hammers that had the same distinctive handle coloring as those used during that robbery.
The total loss from the six charged robberies was $33,795, according to the indictment.
Law enforcement has linked Stewart, Newsome, and Belser to more than 50 cell phone store robberies throughout Southern California, according to the affidavit filed with the criminal complaint.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
If convicted of all charges, each defendant would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each count.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Los Angeles Police Department investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin Reidy and Kevin Butler of the Violent and Organized Crime Section are prosecuting this case.
Texas man admits groping minor girl on airplane flight to BozemanRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Texas man accused of groping a minor girl while on a flight to Bozeman admitted to a sexual assault crime today, U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
Vincent Harry Kopacek, 76, of Fredericksburg, Texas, pleaded guilty to an information charging him with abusive sexual contact. Kopacek faces a maximum of two years in prison, a $250,000 fine and one year of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto presided. Sentencing was set for June 1 before U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Kopacek was released pending further proceedings.
In court documents, the government alleged that on July 8, 2021, Kopacek was on an evening flight from Austin, Texas, to Bozeman and was seated by a window on the airplane. The victim, identified as Jane Doe, who was 15 at the time, was seated in the row in front of Kopacek and her seat was fully upright during the flight. While in flight, Kopacek reached his hand along the interior wall of the aircraft and around to the seat in front of him. Kopacek touched Doe’s arm and moved his hand between her arm and torso. He then touched and rubbed the victim. Doe recorded the touching with her cellular phone, and, while on the aircraft, looked at Kopacek and took photos of him. Doe later described being scared and that the unwanted touching made her feel disrespected and gross. Investigators downloaded the videos and images from Doe’s phone and confirmed Kopacek’s identity.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyndee L. Peterson is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI, Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office and the Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport Public Safety Office.
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Ten Defendants Charged in Upper Peninsula-Based Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
MARQUETTE – A federal grand jury in Grand Rapids returned an indictment charging eight individuals from the Upper Peninsula and two individuals from the Detroit area with a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 846, 841(a)(1). Some of the defendants are also charged with distribution of methamphetamine, distribution of fentanyl, and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1). For more information, a copy of the indictment is available on the public docket. United States v. Smith, et al., No. 2:22-cr-01, ECF No. 13 (W.D. Mich.).
The Drug Enforcement Administration; Upper Peninsula Substance Enforcement Team; the Bureau of Indian Affairs; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; FBI – Safe Trails Task Force; Michigan State Police; Delta County Sheriff’s Office; Hannahville Tribal Police Department; Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Tribal Police; and Troy Police Department investigated the case. On February 1, 2022, investigators arrested six of the defendants. Four defendants were already in custody.
The individuals charged in the indictment are listed below:
Name
Residence
Age
Tyler Allen Smith, a/k/a “Ty Ty,” a/k/a “Ty”
Inkster, MI
31
Jason Earl Arnold
Detroit, MI
27
Jill Elizabeth Roberts
L’Anse Indian Reservation
34
John Paul Decota, Jr., a/k/a “Bub”
Hannahville Indian Reservation
32
Elizabeth Jean Decota, a/k/a “Biz”
Escanaba, MI
34
Clifford Keith Durant, Jr.
L’Anse Indian Reservation
29
Shanna Marie Decota
L’Anse Indian Reservation
31
Peggy Sue Swartz
L’Anse Indian Reservation
51
Allyson Marie Denomie
L’Anse Indian Reservation
28
Alexander Brandon Sagataw
Hannahville Indian Reservation
38
Five of the defendants made their initial court appearance on Wednesday, February 2, 2022 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maarten Vermaat; one made his initial court appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sally J. Berens. The other defendants will have their initial court appearances in the near future. If convicted, Smith faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to life in prison, Arnold and Roberts face a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, Sagataw faces a maximum sentence of up to 30 years, and the other defendants face maximum sentences of up to 20 years. A federal district court judge would impose any sentence only if the defendant pleads guilty or is found guilty by a unanimous jury and would determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Tangipahoa Parish Man Indicted for Violations of the Federal Controlled Substances and Gun Control ActsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – MICHAEL ALEXANDER, SR., a/k/a “Monsta,” age 39, a resident of Ponchatoula, Louisiana, was charged on December 16, 2021, in a sealed three-count indictment by a Federal Grand Jury with possession with intent to distribute heroin in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(B), possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A), and being a felon in possession of a firearm in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court documents, on December 2, 2021, Drug Enforcement Administration Agents executed a federal search warrant on ALEXANDER’s home in Ponchatoula. During the search, Agents discovered approximately eleven ounces of heroin and five illegal guns. Additionally, Agents seized $289,224.70 in U.S. currency.
If convicted of possession with intent to distribute heroin, ALEXANDER faces a statutory mandatory minimum sentence of five years, up to forty years imprisonment, a fine of up to $5,000,000, and at least four years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. For possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, ALEXANDER faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years, up to life imprisonment, to run consecutive with any other sentence, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to five years of supervised release. If convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm, ALEXANDER faces up to ten years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years supervised release. For each of the three counts of the indictment, ALEXANDER also faces payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
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.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charging document and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was investigated by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney J. Benjamin Myers.
Tampa Bay Man Sentenced to More Than Six Years in Federal Prison for Defrauding Bank of $20 MillionRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia Hernandez Covington today sentenced Loyd Tomlinson II (58, Ellenton) to six years and six months in federal prison for defrauding a federally insured financial institution out of more than $20 million. As part of his sentence, the Court also entered a money judgment in the amount of $240,000, the proceeds of the wire fraud. Tomlinson had pleaded guilty on September 28, 2021.
According to court documents, Tomlinson II and his father, Loyd Tomlinson Sr., owned and operated LTA International Global Services LLC (“LTA”), a distribution company. In or around 2015, LTA began to have severe financial problems. In 2016, Tomlinson II and Tomlinson, Sr. devised a plan to fabricate documents and records to raise money from investors and financial institutions in hopes of salvaging LTA’s business.
Tomlinson II and others created fake bank statements, inflated sales, accounts receivable, and inventory documents; borrowed money from private investors (who were often also provided fake documents) as off-the-book loans; used other entities as possible alter egos to raise money or divert sales off the books; and concealed from others the true facts about the financial state of LTA. Based on these false statements and representations, in or around July 2019, a financial institution made a loan to LTA for approximately $20.6 million, which was not recovered.
Tomlinson, Sr. pleaded guilty for his involvement in the scheme on August 5, 2021. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 25, 2022.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rachel K. Jones.
Suburban Chicago Man Charged with Fraudulently Obtaining Unemployment BenefitsRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago man has been charged in federal court with fraudulently obtaining unemployment benefits in the names of hundreds of individuals whose information was used without their knowledge.
DARRONTE REGGANS, 33, of Matteson, Ill., is charged with ten counts of wire fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft. Reggans pleaded not guilty during his arraignment Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Chicago. A status hearing is scheduled for March 1, 2022, before U.S. District Judge Martha M. Pacold.
According to the indictment, Reggans obtained unemployment insurance benefits from the Illinois Department of Employment Security by falsely and fraudulently representing that the purported claimants had worked and been terminated without fault by various employers. Reggans requested payment from IDES via debit card and directed the agency to mail the cards to various addresses he selected, the indictment states. Reggans then allegedly used the cards to withdraw the fraudulently obtained benefits from automated teller machines.
The charges allege that Reggans filed and caused to be filed approximately 296 fraudulent claims in the names of other individuals, using their names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, and other personal identifying information without their knowledge. The fraudulent claims sought at least $3.6 million in benefits and caused IDES to issue benefits totaling approximately $174,000, the indictment states.
The indictment was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Irene Lindow, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; and William Hedrick, Inspector-in-Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Chicago. Substantial assistance was provided by the Matteson, Ill., Police Department, and the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider.
“Unemployment insurance benefits provide a lifeline to many Americans facing economic hardships and job losses,” said U.S. Attorney Lausch. “We will continue to work with our federal and state partners to hold accountable those who seek to commit fraud in connection with this important program.”
“An important part of the mission of the Office of Inspector General is to investigate allegations involving unemployment insurance fraud,” said DOL-OIG SAC Lindow. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate these types of allegations.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is dedicated to holding responsible those who attempt to compromise the integrity of the U.S. Mail in furtherance of criminal activity,” said USPIS Inspector-in-Charge Hedrick. “Postal Inspectors will continue working with our law enforcement partners to pursue justice on behalf of Postal customers in our community.”
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Each count of wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison, while each count of aggravated identity theft is punishable by a mandatory two-year sentence. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
Stafford Man Charged with Tax Fraud, Obstruction and Identity Theft OffensesRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, announced that DAVID KAMAL, 60, of Stafford, formerly of Hebron, was arrested this morning on tax fraud, obstruction of justice and identity theft charges.
Kamal appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert A. Richardson in Hartford and was released on a $50,000 bond.
On February 1, 2022, a federal grand jury in New Haven returned an 11-count indictment charging Kamal. The indictment alleges that Kamal willfully evaded taxes for the 2012 and 2013 tax years by filing false tax returns for those years and providing false documentation, including invoices and bank statements, to an attorney for the IRS in connection with tax court proceedings. Kamal then filed false tax returns for the 2014 through 2017 tax years by claiming $153,400, $148,910, $49,300, and $50,247 in unreimbursed medical expenses, respectively. He also submitted false documents in a U.S. Tax Court proceeding, and, without authorization, used an individual’s personal information to file false tax returns and negotiate federal tax refund checks.
The indictment charges Kamal with two counts of tax evasion, and offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years; four counts of filing a false tax return, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of three years; one count of obstruction of an official proceeding, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, and four counts of unlawful use of a means of identification, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years.
U.S. Attorney Boyle stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David T. Huang.
St. Francis Man Sentenced for Child AbuseRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a St. Francis, South Dakota, man convicted of Child Abuse was sentenced on February 3, 2022, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.
Jeremy Iron, a/k/a Jeremy Red Tomahawk, age 37, was sentenced to 16 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Iron was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 9, 2021. He pled guilty on October 29, 2021.
The conviction stemmed from an incident that occurred on September 9, 2020, in Todd County, South Dakota, wherein Iron argued with a 15-year-old girl and then assaulted her by pulling her hair and bending her fingers back.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
Iron was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Seven Minneapolis Men Face Federal Charges for Violent CrimesRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Acting U.S. Attorney Charles J. Kovats today announced federal charges against seven individuals for violent criminal activity, including carjacking, drug trafficking, illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, and possession of a machine gun.
According to court documents, in mid-2021, law enforcement had documented a recent increase in gang activity along with numerous violent incidents, including shootings and murders, in and around the intersection of Chicago Avenue and Franklin Avenue in south Minneapolis. On June 10, 2021, officers with the Minneapolis Police Department conducting surveillance in the area observed several individuals engaging in what appeared to be hand-to-hand drug deals. When officers approached the group, Albert Walter Bratton, III, 26, attempted to flee on foot, but officers were able to apprehend him after he stumbled and fell. After Bratton fell, officer recovered a Glock model 43, 9 mm semiautomatic pistol with an extended magazine, which Bratton had removed from his waistband. Officers later recovered from Bratton’s possession two baggies containing a total of approximately 10 grams of crack cocaine, divided into several smaller baggies for distribution. Bratton has been charged via criminal complaint with one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and one count of carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents, on June 15, 2021, Marion Quintel Ware, 19, carjacked a 2007 Ford Focus by using force, violence, and intimidation against the victim. A recently unsealed indictment charges Ware with one count of aiding and abetting carjacking.
According to court documents, on July 21, 2021, Namiri Love Laquandas Tanner, 21, was in possession of a .40-caliber Glock pistol with a high-capacity magazine, equipped with an attached conversion device, commonly known as a “glock switch” or “auto-sear.” These devices are designed to convert a semi-automatic weapon to shoot automatically by a single pull of the trigger and are classified as machine guns under federal law. A recently unsealed indictment charges Tanner with one count of possession of a machine gun.
Four additional defendants have been indicted for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition. Shamar Jamareus Scott, 21, is charged with one count of possessing a firearm as a felon. Anthony Shaquan Kemp, Jr., 22, is charged with one count of possessing a firearm as a felon. Devon Martell Harmon and Tiray Yvonne Dyson, both 38, are each charged with one count of possessing ammunition as a felon. All four defendants have previous felony convictions and are therefore prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition.
The defendants made their initial appearances earlier today in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge David T. Schultz.
These cases are 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.
These cases are the result of an investigation led by the Minneapolis Police Department, the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Secret Service.
These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amber M. Brennan and Harry M. Jacobs.
An indictment/complaint is merely an allegation and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Seven Individuals Indicted for Transnational Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Texas has returned an indictment charging seven individuals with various federal violations related to a complex international drug trafficking conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney, Brit Featherston today.
Alberto Garcia Bonilla, 52, Yimminson Caicedo Diaz, 27, Edwin Jose Pereira Arroyo, 26, Jaime Vivanco Cuellar, 39, Carlos Vicente Guagua Vasquez, 20, John Jairo Morales Parraga, 23, and Jonny Javier Cuero Sinisterra, 43, of Colombia & Ecuador; were named in an indictment charging them with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine while on board a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. The indictment details approximately $60 million in alleged criminal activity since 2021. The one-count indictment was returned by a federal grand jury earlier this week.
According to the indictment and other court documents, on December 26, 2021, two vessels containing cocaine were reported by the Colombian National Police as having departed Tumaco, Colombia. On December 27, 2021, the El Salvadoran Navy interdicted both vessels and seized a combined 4,186 kilograms of cocaine.
If convicted, the defendants face a minimum of ten years and up to life in federal prison, a fine of up to $10 million, and forfeiture of $60,152,300.00 in U.S. currency.
This case is being investigated by the Galveston Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Rapp.
An indictment is not evidence of guilt.All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Schenectady Man Arrested for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Rodolfo Bogado, age 38, of Schenectady, New York, was arrested today for possessing video and image files containing child pornography, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Matthew Scarpino, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
The charge filed against Bogado carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. Additionally, if convicted, Bogado would be required to register as a sex offender.
Bogado had an initial appearance today in Albany, before United States Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Stewart, and was ordered detained pending further proceedings.
The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by HSI and the New York State Police, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily C. Powers as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Salvadorian National Indicted for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON - A Salvadoran national residing in Lynn was indicted today by a federal grand jury in Boston for illegally reentering the United States after deportation.
Inmar Samuel Aguiluz-Palacios, 29, was indicted on one count of illegal reentry.
According to the indictment, on Aug. 21, 2021, Aguiluz-Palacios was encountered in Massachusetts having been previously deported in May 2014.
The charge of illegal reentry provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant will be subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Todd M. Lyons, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth G. Shine of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Rochester Man Going to Prison for Two Years for Setting Off Explosive Devices in A City NeighborhoodRead 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 James A. Pane, 50, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of threatening by mail to injure or intimidate and unlawfully damage and destroy property by means of an explosive, was sentenced to serve 24 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn M. Hartford, who handled the case, stated that between January 23 and February 2, 2021, Pane set off three explosions, one near the residence at 94 Leander Road, and two near 288 Falleson Road in the City of Rochester. Residents of 94 Leander Road heard two loud booms that shook the entire house, and the explosion caused a hole the size of a softball and burn marks in the siding of the house and damaged a window.
Between February 24 and March 9, 2021, Pane mailed 10 letters to 10 separate residences in the Falleson Road/Leander Road neighborhood. Similar in nature, the plain white envelopes had no return address and were all processed through the main United States postal plant on Jefferson Road in Henrietta, NY. Each contained a single piece of paper with large, printed words stating: “I don't mean to bother you people in this neighborhood. But the little (expletive) crack head at 288 Falleson owes me a lot of money for drugs. He is a liar and a thief. He burned down his father’s cottage in the 1000 island for the insurance money, which he was supposed to pay me off with. He didn’t. I will keep throwing bombs off in his yard until he pays. call the cops they won't catch me.”
On March 2, 2021, investigators searched Pane’s garbage at his Harding Road residence and recovered a list of numerous Falleson Road and Leander Road addresses, including the house numbers. Nine of the 10 addresses which received the threatening letter were on the list. The 10th address (288 Falleson Road) was the address of the target of the explosions. Pane had an ongoing dispute with an individual that he believed was spreading false rumors about him. Pane threatened the individual several times to stop spreading the rumors but when the individual did not stop, he made the explosive devices and started setting them off. Pane sent the letters in hopes that the neighbors would confront the individual.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. Devito, New York Field Division; the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Stephen Belongia, the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Interim Chief David Smith, the Rochester Fire Department, under the direction of Chief Felipe Hernandez Jr., and the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff John Garcia. Additional assistance was provided by the Buffalo and Syracuse Resident Offices of the ATF.
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Rochester Man Going to Prison for More Than 14 Years for Fentanyl Trafficking and OverdoseRead 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 Robert Dygert, 35, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 40 grams or more of fentanyl, was sentenced to serve 174 months years in prison by Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett A. Harvey, who handled the case, stated that Dygert was part of a group of individuals who ran a drug house on Weaver Street in the City of Rochester, selling quantities of fentanyl from the house in 2019 and 2020. On February 25, 2020, investigators executed a search warrant at the house and seized approximately 11 grams of fentanyl, drug packaging materials, two digital scales, and $10,445 in cash, all of which consisted of proceeds from the distribution of fentanyl.
In addition, Dygert sold fentanyl to a 25-year-old male who suffered a non-fatal overdose. The victim purchased fentanyl from Dygert, returned to the home he shared with his parents, and ingested the fentanyl. In the early morning hours the next day, the victim’s mother found the victim unconscious on the bathroom floor. Emergency personnel responded and administered two doses of Narcan, after which the victim regained consciousness.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Timothy Foley, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter, and the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Interim Chief David M. Smith.
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Retired Firefighter Charged with Making Threats to InjureRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A former Warwick firefighter made an initial appearance in federal court in Providence on Wednesday, charged by way of a federal criminal complaint with threats to injure the person of another transmitted in interstate or foreign commerce, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
It is alleged in court documents that Barry J. LaFleur, 57, of Cranston, a retired Warwick Fire Department Lieutenant with 23 years of service, made threats of violence (e.g. to kill, shoot,commit work-place slaughters; terror incidents, and mass killings), directed mainly towards public officials in the City of Warwick, in tens-of-thousands of messages he authored and transmitted primarily via emails and online postings. Charging documents allege that LaFleur transmitted the threats both while employed and after his retirement from the Warwick Fire Department.
LaFleur, arrested without incident, appeared before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Lincoln D. Almond and was released on unsecured bond to home detention with electronic GPS monitoring.
A federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Terrence P. Donnelly.
The matter was investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) at the FBI Providence Resident Agency, with the assistance of the Rhode Island State Police and the Warwick and Cranston Police Departments.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI’s JTTF thank the United States Secret Service and Cranston Police Department for their assistance in the arrest of Lafleur.
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Repeat Felon Sentenced to over Five Years in Prison for Illegal Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A repeat felon with three prior federal firearm convictions was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for his fourth federal firearms charge and the third since 2015.
Darnell Upshaw, 40, of Brockton, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to 64 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In September 2021, Upshaw pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
In the early morning hours in November 2019, Upshaw was pulled over on Route 140 in Taunton by law enforcement for traffic violations. After observing Upshaw’s speech and appearance, his performance on the field sobriety test, as well as an open bottle of Hennessey’s in Upshaw’s vehicle, the officer determined Upshaw to be extremely inebriated and he was subsequently arrested. A search of Upshaw’s vehicle recovered a 9mm Glock pistol loaded with 11 rounds of 9mm ammunition tucked under the floor mat of the driver’s seat, with the grip positioned up towards the driver.
Upshaw is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to three previous federal convictions. In April 2005, Upshaw sold an undercover agent 50 rounds of .25 caliber ammunition. In August 2015, during a traffic stop in which he was determined to be operating under the influence of alcohol, Upshaw was found in possession of a .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol loaded with four rounds of .32 caliber ammunition.
In May 2017, officers responded to a report of shots fired on Owens Avenue in Brockton. Based on information provided at the scene, law enforcement officers suspected that Upshaw was responsible for the shooting and began surveillance of his house. Subsequently, officers observed a vehicle matching the description of the shooter’s vehicle arrive and park near Upshaw’s house, where two men exited the vehicle. Minutes later, Upshaw was observed leaving his house and driving away in a black SUV which the officers followed and, when it stopped, Upshaw exited and took off running with his right arm braced tightly against his side. The officers followed Upshaw as he fled, climbed over a fence and entered his girlfriend’s mother’s house. Upshaw was apprehended inside the house and a loaded firearm was found lying on top of a pile of lawn clippings near the fence Upshaw had climbed. Subsequent lab analysis revealed that Upshaw’s shirt bore traces of gunshot primer residue.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert E. Richardson of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Registered Sex Offender Sentenced to 27 Years in Prison for Soliciting Images and Videos from A 15-Year-OldRead 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 Daryll Clark, 33, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of receipt of child pornography, was sentenced to serve 324 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Field, who handled the case, stated that Clark met a 15year-old girl (Minor Victim 1) in an online chat room where he purported to be 24 years old. Between March 15 and May 2, 2020, Clark solicited and directed Minor Victim 1 to create sexually explicit images and videos. After producing the images and videos, Minor Victim 1 sent them to Clark via cell phone from Missouri to New York State. During this time, Clark was a registered sex offender under the supervision of New York State Parole.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Stephen Belongia.# # # #
Raleigh Man Sentenced for Mail Fraud, Wire Fraud, and Identity Theft for Stealing from Elderly ClientRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – A Raleigh man was sentenced today to 132 months in prison for eleven counts of mail fraud, eleven counts of wire fraud, and two counts of aggravated identity theft. On March 10, 2021, Furman Alexander Ford, 52, was convicted of the charges
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Furman Alexander Ford, was a New York Life (NYL) financial advisor who was advising a 72-year-old client who had recently inherited real property valued at $1.3 million.
Ford assisted in the sale of the property and the setting-up of a charitable annuity trust with NYL using the sale proceeds. Ford worked as an insurance and financial agent at NYL, and the victim was his primary client while employed at NYL. As part of Ford’s responsibility as the victim’s financial agent, he drafted and submitted letters of withdrawal from the client’s annuity account to pay for certain expenses. The funds would then be electronically wired to the recipient as directed by the client with their full knowledge and consent.
During the investigation, agents identified twenty separate fraudulent letters of withdrawal drafted by Ford and submitted to NYL headquarters in New York, NY, on behalf of Ms. Jones. The letters were all mailed by Ford from his office in Raleigh. The funds requested ranged from $5,000 to $45,000 and totaled over $376,000. The proceeds were then electronically wired by NYL to Ford’s personal checking account. An FBI financial analysis traced the funds to the purchase by Ford of various personal items, including a BMW vehicle, Rolex watches, firearms, child support, and a cruise to the Bahamas. On December 29, 2014, Ford withdrew an additional $1 million from his client’s annuity account. In total, Ford stole over $1.3 million from the elderly victim.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The United States Postal Inspectors and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan A. Ontjes and former Special Assistant United States Attorney Tamika Moses 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-00351-FL-1.
Phelps County Man Sentenced for Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that David James Burke, 32, of Funk, Nebraska, was sentenced today to 92 months in prison by Senior United States District Judge Joseph F. Bataillon for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. There is no parole in the federal system. Upon his release from prison, he will serve four years of supervised release. He will also forfeit $6,480.00 in United States currency.
On October 23, 2017, the Nebraska State Patrol obtained a search warrant for Burke’s residence in Funk, Nebraska. During the execution of the search warrant at Burke's residence, law enforcement officers found a pill bottle containing 54.42 grams methamphetamine and $6,480 dollars in U.S. currency. Law enforcement also seized a Taurus 357 magnum revolver from the armrest of the couch in the living room. Burke’s sentence was enhanced for possessing the firearm.
This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol.
Parker Man Sentenced to Prison for Possession of Unregistered Sawed Off ShotgunRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – On Tuesday, Ryan Matthew Swick, 34, of Parker, Arizona was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Douglas L. Rayes to 28 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Swick previously pleaded guilty to possession of an unregistered weapon made from a shotgun.
On May 26, 2020, Swick possessed a modified shotgun. The barrel of the shotgun had been shortened to just 13.5 inches, below the required 18-inch length. The overall length of the shotgun was also under the legally required length of 26 inches. Because the shotgun was shortened, Swick was required to register the weapon with the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, which he failed to do.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Colorado River Indian Tribes Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina J. Reid-Moore, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-20-00775-PHX-DLR
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-008_Swick# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Oxford Felon Sentenced to 2 Years of Federal Supervision for Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Stephen J. Robeson, 58, of Oxford, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to one day in custody with credit for time served for being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was also ordered to spend two years on supervised release. Robeson pleaded guilty to this charge on October 19, 2021.
On September 26, 2020, Robeson bought a .50 caliber rifle from a man he met at church. The man delivered the gun to Robeson and went shooting with him before the purchase was finalized. Several months later, Robeson sold the gun to a person he met on Facebook messenger. At the time of the purchase, Robeson knew that he was not allowed to possess the firearm because he had previously been convicted of felony insurance fraud.
In sentencing Robeson to supervised release, Judge Conley noted that while the defendant had an extensive criminal history, his last conviction was in 2005. He also found it mitigating that the defendant possessed a long gun suitable for collection and only possessed it for a short period of time.
The charge against Robeson was the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Marquette County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Altman and Chadwick Elgersma prosecuted this case.
Ohio Man Pleads to Selling Drugs in Butler, PARead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA -- A former resident of Columbus, Ohio, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of violating federal narcotic and firearm laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Marshall Grimes, age 42, pleaded guilty to two counts before United States District Judge David S. Cercone.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that between May 2018 and December 2018, the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General and Butler County Drug Task Force conducted an investigation into Marshall Grimes, a known drug dealer from Columbus, OH who was operating in Butler, PA. On December 11, 2018, law enforcement received a 911 call regarding the apartment building where Grimes and his co-conspirators distributed narcotics. Thereafter, officers responded and detained Grimes. During a consensual search of the apartments used by Grimes and his associates, law enforcement recovered approximately 280 grams of cocaine, 80 grams of cocaine base, in the form commonly known as crack, $11,989.00, and a loaded firearm.Judge Cercone scheduled sentencing for June 7, 2022, at 11:30 am. The law provides for a total sentence of life in prison, a fine of $5,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. The defendant remains detained pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General and Butler County Drug Task Force conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Grimes.
Norwich Drug Dealer Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that ROBERT GRANT HALL, also known as “Chevy,” 41, of Norwich, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for distributing cocaine, crack and heroin.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2018, the FBI, Norwich Police Department and other law enforcement agencies began investigating a narcotics trafficking organization that was operating in southeastern Connecticut. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps and controlled purchases of crack, revealed that Hall and others were distributing heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine to drug users and other street-level dealers.
On March 5, 2019, a grand jury returned an indictment charging Hall and 12 other individuals with narcotics trafficking offenses. On July 29, 2021, Hall pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and 28 grams or more of cocaine base (“crack”).
Hall has been detained in federal custody since March 27, 2019.
This investigation has been conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Connecticut State Police and Norwich, Town of Groton and Waterford Police Departments, with the assistance of the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office, Baltimore Police Department and Delaware State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha M. Freismuth Marc H. Silverman through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Naval Seaman Pleads Guilty to CyberstalkingRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Naval seaman Sergio Reinaldo Williams pleaded guilty in federal court today, admitting that he sent graphic sexual messages via social media to a civilian woman and members of her family, posted sexual videos of her on Pornhub.com without her knowledge or consent, and sent screenshots of the Pornhub.com videos to the victim’s niece.
According to the plea agreement, Williams caused substantial emotional distress to the victim and her family with his virtual attacks. He admitted that he wrote a Facebook message to the victim on October 11, 2020: “I know it all. Don't worry about it the rest of the world will too. I felt your pain, now you're going to feel mine…you will remember me no matter what.”
After Williams posted the videos on Pornhub and the victim texted him about it, Williams replied: “You did this. Like I said, I felt your sting, now you’re going to feel mine.”
Williams also repeatedly threatened the victim, texting her “I'm always around and my eyes are everywhere” and, after she blocked him on social media, “U want it to be over with and this fade away, unblock me and video me…it will only get worse if u don’t.”
“The defendant conducted a disturbing campaign of revenge, harassment and intimidation that inflicted tremendous emotional distress on the victim and her family,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “We are committed to seeking justice for victims of cyberstalking and holding the stalkers accountable for their malicious and devastating virtual attacks.” Grossman commended the prosecution team and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and DOJ teams that diligently pursued this matter.
Williams is scheduled to appear before U.S. District Judge Cynthia A. Bashant for sentencing on May 2, 2022 at 9 a.m.
This case was investigated by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service with assistance provided by the Department of Justice’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section.
Those who have experienced cyberstalking by an active duty service member are urged to contact the following anonymous tip lines: https://www.ncis.navy.mil/Resources/NCIS-Tips/ (Navy and Marines), https://www.cid.army.mil/report-a-crime.html (Army), and https://www.osi.af.mil/Submit-a-Tip/ (Air Force), or call the Department of Defense Hotline at (800) 424-9098. Victims of cyberstalking by non-active duty members should contact local law enforcement or their FBI or HSI field office.
DEFENDANT Case Number 21cr2192-BAS
Sergio Reinaldo Williams Age: 36 Coronado, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Cyberstalking – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 2261A(2)(B)
Maximum penalty: Five years in prison and $250,000 fine
AGENCY
Naval Criminal Investigative Service
Multiple India-based call centers and their directors indicted for perpetuating phone scams affecting thousands of AmericansRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – A superseding indictment has been unsealed against multiple Indian-based call centers and their directors charging that each of them conspired with the previously–indicted VoIP provider E Sampark, and its Director, Guarav Gupta, to forward tens of millions of scam calls to American consumers. The call centers and their directors place the initial scam calls, and the VoIP provider forwards those calls into this country, whereupon the call centers speak to —and attempt to defraud — the American-based victims.
“Scam robocalls cause emotional and financial devastation to victims, particularly our vulnerable and elderly populations,” said U.S. Attorney Kurt Erskine. “These India-based call centers allegedly scared their victims and stole their money, including some victims’ entire life savings.”
“These developments demonstrate the commitment of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) to investigate and bring to justice those that victimize the American taxpayer,” said J. Russell George, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. “The defendants engaged in multiple scams, often targeting the most vulnerable members of society. The success of this investigation is the result of a collaborative effort between TIGTA and the dedicated staff at the United States Attorney’s Office.”
According to U.S. Attorney Erskine, the charges, and other information presented in court: Criminal India-based call centers defraud U.S. residents, including the elderly, by misleading victims over the telephone utilizing scams such as Social Security and IRS impersonation as well as loan fraud.
As part of their Social Security scam, India-based callers pose as federal agents in order to mislead victims into believing that their Social Security numbers were involved in crimes. As part of the IRS scam, the callers pose as IRS employees and tell victims that they owe back taxes. In both scenarios, the call centers threaten to arrest the victim if the victim does not send money. Based on misrepresentations made during the calls, the victims, including a number of Georgia residents, mailed money to a network of individuals who allegedly laundered funds on behalf of the overseas fraud network.
As part of the loan scam, India-based callers mislead American consumers into believing that the callers work for lending institutions and that the victims are eligible for fictitious loans. The India–based callers direct the victims to pay upfront fees to demonstrate their ability to repay the loan. At times, the callers direct victims to provide their bank account information and make it appear as though they had deposited funds into the victims’ accounts. The callers then tell the victims to withdraw the funds and transfer them via wire transfer and gift cards. After the victims send the funds, the deposits that the callers supposedly made bounce. The victims receive nothing in return.
The Indian-based call centers and their directors named in the superseding indictment are listed below:
- Manu Chawla and Achivers A Spirit of BPO Solutions Private Limited;
- Sushil Sachdeva, Nitin Kumar Wadwani, Swarndeep Singh, a/k/a Sawaran Deep Kohli, and Fintalk Global;
- Dinesh Manohar Sachdev and Global Enterprises;
- Gaje Singh Rathore and Shivaay Communication Private Limited;
- Sanket Modi and SM Technomine Private Limited; and
- Rajiv Solanki and Technomind Info Solutions.
The U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Elizabeth McBath is prosecuting the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is part of the Department of Justice Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force. The Strike Force focuses on investigating and prosecuting defendants associated with foreign-based fraud schemes that disproportionately affect American seniors. These include romance scams, phone scams, mass-mailing fraud schemes, and tech-support fraud schemes. For further information on these scams, see https://www.justice.gov/elderjustice/senior-scam-alert.
The public should exercise caution with any caller who claims to be a government employee. Government agencies will never threaten you with immediate arrest or other legal action if you do not send cash, retail gift cards, wire transfers, or internet currency. They will also never demand secrecy from you in resolving a debt or any other problem.
If you need to send a payment to IRS, the agency will send a letter with payment options and appeal rights. If you suspect you have received an IRS scam call, report it to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at www.tips.tigta.gov or by calling 1-800-366-4484.
If you need to send a payment to Social Security, SSA will send a letter with payment options and appeal rights. If you suspect you have received a Social Security scam call, report it at https://oig.ssa.gov.
The public is reminded that gift cards are for gifts, not for payments. If a stranger purporting to be a legitimate business or government agency demands payment with a gift card, hang up and contact law enforcement yourself. If you have fallen victim of a scam, report it to your local law enforcement and at www.ftc.gov/complaint.
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.
Mountain Home Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
BOISE – A Mountain Home man pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and unlawful possession of a firearm.
According to statements made in court, on March 15, 2021, Elmore County Sheriff’s deputies stopped a vehicle for traffic violations in Mountain Home, Idaho. James Doud, 60, of Mountain Home, was the driver of the vehicle and deputies also suspected that Doud was trafficking methamphetamine. During the traffic stop, a K-9 alerted to the presence of drugs inside the vehicle. A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed approximately 1286 grams of methamphetamine, eight grams of heroin, a 12-gauge shotgun with associated ammunition, and $4,500 in cash. Doud also delivered approximately 867 grams of methamphetamine to two other individuals roughly 30 minutes prior to the traffic stop. Doud had previously been convicted of burglary and was therefore prohibited from possessing the shotgun.
Doud is scheduled to be sentenced on April 19, 2022 and faces a statutory mandatory minimum sentence of at least ten years and a maximum sentence of life in federal prison, a ten million dollar fine, and at least five years of supervised release. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Rafael M. Gonzalez, Jr., of the District of Idaho made the announcement and commended the cooperative efforts of the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which led to charges.
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Monroeville Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing and Intending to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Monroeville, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Boris Goldshtein, 55, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on February 26, 2020, Postal Inspectors intercepted a parcel mailed to Goldshtein’s residence that was found to contain approximately 439 grams of methamphetamine. The next day, a federal search warrant was executed on Goldshtein’s residence. Inside the residence, investigators recovered approximately 335 grams of methamphetamine, along with firearms and bulk currency.
Judge Bissoon scheduled sentencing for May 26, 2022. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 40 years imprisonment, a fine of not more than $5,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney David Lew is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, and Monroeville Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
Milbank Man Sentenced on Meth ChargeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Milbank, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance was sentenced on February 2, 2022, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.
Delvin Eagle Chasing, a/k/a Delvin Baumgarten, age 36, was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Eagle Chasing was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 11, 2021. He pled guilty on November 11, 2021.
The conviction stemmed from a traffic stop that occurred on January 12, 2021, on the Cheyenne River Sioux Indian Reservation in South Dakota. An eventual search of the vehicle revealed 37 grams of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance.
This case was investigated by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the case.
Eagle Chasing was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Michigan man sentenced for methamphetamine chargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Tyreese Marsh, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced today to 120 months of incarceration for his role in a methamphetamine distribution operation in Marion County, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Marsh, 29, pleaded guilty in June 2021 to one count of “Possession with the Intent to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine.” Marsh admitted to working with others to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine in October 2019 in Marion County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon S. Flower prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the White Hall Police Department investigated.
U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Michigan man sentenced for drug chargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Donovan Swift, of Shelby Township, Michigan, was sentenced today to 21 months of incarceration for a drug charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Swift, 31, pleaded guilty in September 2021 to one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine Hydrochloride.” Swift admitted to distributing cocaine in October 2020 in Monongalia County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda E. Wesley prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives and the Mon Metro Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Member of Butler-Based Drug Trafficking Crew SentencedRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – Dwayne Smallwood was sentenced to 28 months in prison for conspiring to distribute, and distributing, fentanyl and heroin in Butler, Pennsylvania, between 2017 and 2020, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Smallwood, age 43, formerly of Butler and Philadelphia, was sentenced by United States District Judge Robert J. Colville. Judge Colville ordered that Smallwood serve six years of supervised release following his prison term.
Smallwood was previously convicted in Philadelphia on two occasions of committing crack cocaine trafficking crimes. He thereafter relocated to Butler in Butler County and trafficked fentanyl and heroin as part of a Butler-based drug trafficking crew between 2017 and 2020. He was on probation during part of that time as a result of separate convictions in Butler County for insurance fraud and crack possession.
Assistant United States Attorneys Yvonne M. Saadi and Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
U.S. Attorney Chung commended the Pennsylvania State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Butler County District Attorney’s Drug Task Force for leading the investigation leading to the conviction and sentence in this case.
Man from Mescalero faces federal assault chargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQERQUE, N.M. – Lance Cojo, 35, of Mescalero, New Mexico, and an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, appeared in federal court on Feb.1 for a preliminary and detention hearing on charges of assault resulting in substantial bodily injury to an intimate partner and assault of an intimate partner by strangulation in Indian Country. Cojo will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled.
According to the criminal complaint, on the evening of Dec. 31, 2021, through Jan. 1, 2022, Cojo allegedly assault the victim, identified in records as A.K., at her residence on the Mescalero Apache Reservation, in Otero County. Cojo allegedly accused A.K. of cheating on him and assaulted her by stomping on her foot, hitting her in the head multiple times, biting her cheek, burning her shoulder using a smoking pipe and choking her. The next morning, Cojo again allegedly accused A.K. of cheating and grabbed her from her bed, where she and her children were lying, and began to choke her and kick her.
The victim, who is also a member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, was taken to a medical center for her injuries where she was treated for a collapsed lung, fractured ribs, bruising to both eyes, face, neck and ribs.
A complaint is only an allegation. A defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Cojo faces up to ten years in prison.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matilda McCarthy Villalobos is prosecuting the case.
Man Indicted for Allegedly Straw Purchasing 27 Handguns from Stores in the Chicago SuburbsRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A man has been indicted on federal firearm charges for allegedly straw purchasing 27 handguns from stores in the Chicago suburbs.
MATTHEW JAMAAL JOHNSON purchased the handguns in 2020 and 2021 from licensed firearms dealers in Oak Forest, Ill., Mokena, Ill., Hodgkins, Ill., and Lansing, Ill., and falsely certified on federal forms that he was the actual buyer, according to an indictment unsealed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Chicago. In reality, Johnson purchased the guns on behalf of another individual, the charges allege.
Johnson, 34, of Dolton, Ill., is charged with 12 counts of making a false and fictitious statement in connection with the acquisition of a firearm. Johnson was arrested Tuesday. He pleaded not guilty during his arraignment Tuesday afternoon in federal court in Chicago. A detention hearing is scheduled for Feb. 8, 2022, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria Valdez.
The indictment was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Kristen de Tineo, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The Chicago Police Department provided valuable assistance. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Margaret Steindorf.
Disrupting illegal firearms trafficking is a centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s cross-jurisdictional strike force aimed at reducing gun violence. As part of the Chicago firearms trafficking strike force, the U.S. Attorney’s Office collaborates with ATF, the Chicago Police Department, and other federal, state, and local law enforcement partners in the Northern District of Illinois and across the country to help stem the supply of illegally trafficked firearms and identify patterns, leads, and potential suspects in violent gun crimes.
“Straw purchasers put guns in the wrong hands,” said U.S. Attorney Lausch. “Our office will continue to use federal laws to prosecute straw purchasers and hold them accountable for trafficking illegally purchased firearms.”
“Straw purchasers play a grave role in enabling the unlawful possession of guns and the violence that follows,” said ATF SAC de Tineo. “Our agents are committed to working with our law enforcement partners and prosecutors to stop the flow of guns to individuals who cannot legally purchase them.”
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Each count in the indictment is punishable by a maximum sentence of ten years in federal prison. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
Man Arrested After Federal Law Enforcement Seizes Fentanyl and “Pill Press” from Suburban Chicago ResidenceRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A man has been arrested on a federal drug charge after law enforcement seized fentanyl and a “pill press” in his suburban Chicago residence.
A complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago charges TROY CLARK, 51, of Calumet City, Ill., with possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.
Law enforcement this week conducted a court-authorized search of Clark’s residence in Calumet City and discovered distribution quantities of fentanyl, as well as equipment that can be used to manufacture counterfeit pills, including a pill press, funnel, metal press, and dye pieces, the complaint states.
Clark was arrested Tuesday. A detention hearing in federal court is scheduled for Feb. 8, 2022, at 2:00 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria Valdez.
The complaint and arrest were announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Robert J. Bell, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; William Hedrick, Inspector-in-Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Chicago; and David Brown, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. The Calumet City Police Department provided valuable assistance. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Beth E. Palmer.
The public is reminded that a complaint is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Long Island MS-13 Gang Leader Sentenced to 30 Years’ Imprisonment for Racketeering Offenses Including 2016 Murder and Attempted MurderRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, Carlos Argueta, also known as “Violento,” “Desorden” and “Dylan,” a former leader of the Freeport Locos Salvatruchas (Freeport) clique of La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as the MS-13, a transnational criminal organization, was sentenced by United States Circuit Judge Joseph F. Bianco to 30 years’ imprisonment for racketeering and firearms charges in connection with his participation in the June 3, 2016 murder of Jose Pena, an MS-13 member who was suspected of violating the gang’s rules, and the January 15, 2016 attempted murder of a suspected rival gang member outside of the Brentwood public library. Argueta pleaded guilty to the charges in July 2019.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Rodney K. Harrison, Commissioner, Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD), announced the sentence.
“Argueta, a violent leader in the MS-13, shot and wounded a so-called ‘rival’ in broad daylight outside of a public library, and then participated in the pre-planned brutal slashing and stabbing death of one of his alleged MS-13 accomplices in that shooting. Today’s lengthy sentence ensures that Argueta will no longer inflict senseless violence and bloodshed on our streets,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “I commend our prosecutors and the Long Island Gang Task Force for their steadfast commitment in bringing MS-13 members to justice and eliminating their violence from our communities.”
“Like so many members of MS-13, Carlos Argueta is without any moral compass and has shown zero regard for human life,” stated SCPD Commissioner Harrison. “It is up to law enforcement to send a message to this transnational gang that their violent and homicidal actions have no place in Suffolk County. I would like to thank Eastern District of New York and the Long Island Gang Task Force for their relentless pursuit to ensure individuals like Argueta are held accountable for their crimes.”
On the afternoon of January 15, 2016, Argueta, Pena and several other MS-13 members confronted three suspected rival gang members outside of a public library in Brentwood. Argueta removed a .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun from his waistband and shot one of the men, identified as John Doe in the superseding indictment, in the torso. Argueta and the other MS-13 members then fled. The wounded victim received medical treatment and survived.
The Suffolk County police subsequently arrested Argueta, Pena and a third MS-13 member in connection with the attempted murder of John Doe, and they were released on bail. Argueta told other members of the Freeport clique that he suspected that Pena, a member of the Normandie clique of the MS-13, had cooperated with the SCPD. Additionally, members of the MS-13 suspected that Pena was homosexual, which is unacceptable under the rules of the MS-13.
After consulting with MS-13 leaders in El Salvador, Argueta and other MS-13 members agreed to kill Pena, and Argueta assigned tasks to other MS-13 gang members, including procuring weapons and a vehicle to be used in the murder. On June 3, 2016, Argueta and other MS-13 members lured Pena into a car and drove to a secluded area in Brentwood. After walking into the woods, the group attacked Pena, taking turns stabbing and slashing him with knives, and killing him. Pena’s body was found four months later.
Today’s sentencing is the latest in a series of federal prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York targeting members of the MS-13, a violent, transnational criminal organization. The MS-13’s leadership is based in El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico, but the gang has thousands of members across the United States. With numerous branches, or “cliques,” the MS-13 is the most violent criminal organization on Long Island. Since 2003, hundreds of MS-13 members, including dozens of clique leaders, have been convicted on federal felony charges in the Eastern District of New York. A majority of those MS-13 members have been convicted on federal racketeering charges for participating in murders, attempted murders and assaults. Since 2010, this Office has obtained indictments charging MS-13 members with carrying out more than 60 murders in the Eastern District of New York, and has convicted dozens of MS-13 leaders and members in connection with those murders. These prosecutions are the product of investigations led by the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force, which is comprised of agents and officers of the FBI, SCPD, Nassau County Police Department, Nassau County Sheriff’s Department, Suffolk County Probation Office, Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office, the New York State Police, the Hempstead Police Department, the Rockville Centre Police Department and the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorneys John J. Durham, Paul G. Scotti, Justina L. Geraci and Megan E. Farrell are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
CARLOS ARGUETA (also known as “Violento,” “Desorden” and “Dylan”)
Age: 22
Brentwood, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 16-CR-510 (S-2) (JFB)
Knoxville Woman Sentenced to 44 Months in Prison for Embezzling Approximately $725,000, Filing False Tax Returns, and Bankruptcy FraudRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On February 3, 2022, Michelle Clabough, 45, of Knoxville, was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 44 months by the Honorable R. Leon Jordan, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville.
As part of the plea agreement filed with the Court, Clabough pleaded guilty to two counts of forging private entity securities, in violations of 18 U.S.C. § 513(a), one count of filing a false statement, in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 7206(1), and one count of filing a false bankruptcy record, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1519. She was sentenced to 44 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. Additionally, she was ordered to pay restitution in full in the amount of $725,770 to her former employer and $134,421 to the Internal Revenue Service.
According to documents filed in Court, during a seven-year period while Clabough was employed as an office manager, she forged more than 250 checks and embezzled $725,770 from her employer. During this same time period, Clabough submitted fraudulent tax returns that did not include her stolen income, which resulted in a tax loss of $134,421. Additionally, Clabough submitted a false record in a Chapter 13 bankruptcy proceeding in which she failed to disclose the income she obtained through her embezzlement of funds.
The criminal indictment was a result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Kolman represented the United States.
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Kalispell man who sexually exploited child sentenced to 18 years in prisonRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Kalispell man who admitted to taking sexually explicit photographs of a child while boating in Flathead County was sentenced today to 18 years in prison to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
Edward Timothy Cockerham, 43, pleaded guilty in October 2021 to sexual exploitation of a child.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.
“Cockerham victimized a child for his own sexual gratification. Today’s sentence holds him accountable for his reprehensible conduct and puts other offenders on notice that they face serious consequences for harming children. Crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children will be fully investigated and prosecuted. I want to thank Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyndee L. Peterson, the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force for their work on this case,” U.S. Attorney Johnson said.
In court documents filed in the case, the government alleged that in June 2021, Cockerham went to Ashley Lake in Flathead County with two children. Cockerham took the victim, who was under the age of 18 and was identified as Jane Doe 1, boating. While out on the water, Cockerham touched and took sexually explicit pictures of Jane Doe 1. Jane Doe 1 reported Cockerham’s actions. The Flathead County Sheriff’s Office seized Cockerham’s cell phone and searched it pursuant to a warrant. An initial review determined Cockerham had deleted all of the images. A subsequent search of the cell phone by a forensic examiner with the Montana Department of Justice’s Division of Criminal Investigation located sexually explicit images of Jane Doe 1, along with sexually explicit images of two other child victims.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyndee L. Peterson prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
This case was initiated under the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood initiative, which was launched in 2006 to combat the proliferation of technology-facilitated crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children. Through a network of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and advocacy organizations, Project Safe Childhood attempts to protect children by investigating and prosecuting offenders involved in child sexual exploitation. It is implemented through partnerships including the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The ICAC Task Force Program was created to assist state and local law enforcement agencies by enhancing their investigative response to technology facilitated crimes against children.
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KC Man Pleads Guilty to Forcible Resistance, Meth Trafficking, Illegal FirearmsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri, man pleaded guilty in federal court today to ramming into two law enforcement vehicles while attempting to flee while in possession of methamphetamine and firearms.
Antony M. Quinones, also known as “Droopy,” 49, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to one count of forcibly resisting a federal law enforcement officer, one count of possessing methamphetamine to distribute, and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.
U.S. Marshal deputies tracked Quinones, who was being sought for absconding from supervision, to a Quality Inn on Nov. 13, 2018. Quinones left the hotel with two females. As he approached his vehicle, deputies attempted a vehicle pin. Quinones hopped in the driver’s seat of the vehicle and attempted to flee from the parking lot. Quinones accelerated his vehicle into two occupied vehicles, causing significant damage. Quinones fled and eventually wrecked into a light pole. He got out of the vehicle and attempted to flee on foot. As he fled, he pulled a Smith and Wesson .40-caliber pistol from his waistband just before he was apprehended. Quinones continued to struggle with the deputies but was successfully taken into custody.
Deputies found approximately one ounce of methamphetamine and $3,500 in Quinones’s jacket pockets. Deputies searched Quinones’s vehicle and found 10 ounces of methamphetamine hidden in a stereo box on the front passenger floorboard of the vehicle. Deputies interviewed the two women who left the hotel with Quinones, who told them he was up in a hotel room using methamphetamine with them. They also said Quinones left a gun in the hotel room. The gun, a Taurus 9mm pistol, was recovered by law enforcement officers.
At the time of his arrest, Quinones was on federal supervised release following his 2004 conviction for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Under federal statutes, Quinones is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life 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 Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Q. McCarther. It was investigated by the U.S. Marshal Service, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Justice Department and U.S. Department of Agriculture Launch Online Tool Allowing Farmers, Ranchers to Report Anticompetitive PracticesRead the Press Release
Today, the U.S. Departments of Justice and Agriculture (USDA) launched farmerfairness.gov, a new online tool that allows farmers and ranchers to anonymously report potentially unfair and anticompetitive practices in the livestock and poultry sectors. The launch of the new portal will advance the goals of Biden-Harris Administration’s Action Plan for a Fairer, More Competitive, and More Resilient Meat and Poultry Supply Chain, including by creating more competitive agricultural markets that are fairer to producers and consumers. As part of the agencies’ enforcement partnership, the agencies are signing an interagency memorandum of understanding to further foster cooperation and communication between the agencies and effectively process the complaints received through the portal.
“When we talk about protecting competition in the agricultural sector, we are talking about whether a farmer or a rancher will be paid a fair and competitive price for their goods and labor. When we talk about protecting consumers in this context, we are talking about whether food will be affordable for everyone in America,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Today’s launch of farmerfairness.gov – a one-stop shop to report potential violations of our competitions laws – will allow the Justice Department and USDA to collaborate early and ensure economic opportunity and fairness for all.”
“This new online tool will help USDA and the Justice Department address anticompetitive actions and create livestock and poultry markets that are fairer to our nation’s producers,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “I encourage producers who are aware of potential violations of competition laws to submit information to the portal so we can take appropriate action to create more competitive markets in the agricultural sector.”
Complaints or tips will go through a preliminary review by Department of Justice Antitrust Division staff and USDA Packers and Stockyards Division staff. If a complaint raises sufficient concern under the Packers and Stockyards Act or antitrust laws, it will be selected for further investigation by the appropriate agency. This action may lead to the opening of a formal investigation.
Users can submit information under their names or may submit anonymous complaints. If a complainant provides their personal information, Justice Department or USDA staff will only contact them if additional information is needed. To submit an anonymous complaint, users can provide information about the potential violation without including their names or contact information.
For any information provided, the Justice Department and USDA will follow their respective privacy and confidentiality policies found at: Justice Department Confidentiality and USDA Privacy. Packers and Stockyards regulations regarding confidentiality also apply: PSD Confidentiality. The Justice Department and USDA commit to supporting relevant whistleblower protections, including newly applicable protections for criminal antitrust complainants against unlawful retaliation.
The meatpacking industry has consolidated rapidly in recent decades. Meanwhile, farmers’ share of the value of their agricultural products has decreased, and poultry farmers, hog farmers, cattle ranchers and other agricultural workers may struggle to retain autonomy and to make sustainable incomes.
For example, ranchers received more than 60 cents of every dollar a consumer spent on beef 50 years ago, compared to approximately 39 cents today. Hog farmers fared worse over the past 50 years, as their share of the consumer dollar fell from between 40 to 60 cents 50 years ago to approximately 19 cents today.
Producers who choose not to use the farmerfairness.gov portal also can submit complaints about potentially anticompetitive practices by emailing [email protected]; calling (833) 342-5773; faxing (202) 205-9237; or mailing Stop 3601, 1400 Independence Ave. SW, Washington, D.C., 20250-3601.
Iowa “Con Artist” Returned to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
An Arnolds Park man who defrauded a Florida innkeeper while on supervised release on bank fraud and wire charges was sentenced on February 1, 2022, to three years in federal prison. Ronald Goldberg, age 63, from Arnold’s Park, Iowa, received the prison term after a three-day hearing in federal court in Sioux City.
Evidence at the supervised release revocation and detention hearings showed that, in January 2019, Goldberg checked into an ocean-front hotel in Palm Beach, Florida, with a credit card from a luxury automobile dealership in Dallas, Texas. When the automobile dealership called the hotel to question a charge on its credit card bill, the hotel confronted Goldberg. Goldberg then left the hotel in the middle of the night without paying his hotel bill in full.
At the time of the incident at the Palm Beach hotel, Goldberg was on supervised release for a 2016 conviction in the United States District Court for the District of South Dakota for two counts of bank fraud and one count of wire fraud. Goldberg has a lengthy criminal history, including prior federal convictions for wire fraud and interstate transportation of money obtained by fraud in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, interstate transportation of stolen securities, possession of stolen securities, bank fraud, and attempted escape in the Southern District of Florida, forging a signature of a United States Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and Wire Fraud in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. After the Iowa federal court issued a warrant for Goldberg’s arrest in 2021 to answer for the 2019 incident, Goldberg did not surrender himself and ultimately was arrested in a hotel in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Goldberg was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. At the hearing, Chief Judge Strand found Goldberg committed the Florida crime of defrauding an innkeeper, a felony, but not a separate charge of unauthorized use of a credit card. In imposing sentence, Chief Judge Strand referred to Goldberg as a “con artist” with a lengthy history of defrauding victims. Goldberg, who holds himself out as a fine Italian wine importer, was sentenced to 36 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a two-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Goldberg is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 16-CR-4066-LTS.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Human Smuggling Coordinator Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Benjamin Gallegos, 24, of Nogales, Arizona, pleaded guilty in federal court today in connection with his role as the coordinator for a human smuggling organization operating in the Nogales, Arizona area.
During a proceeding before U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce G. Macdonald, Gallegos admitted that he conspired to transport and harbor illegal aliens for profit. Specifically, Gallegos managed, organized, and coordinated other co-conspirators to drive, provide guide services, and operate stash houses for undocumented persons seeking to be smuggled into the United States. Over the course of the conspiracy, Gallegos coordinated smuggling operations for well over 100 undocumented persons entering the country from Mexico.
A conviction for Conspiracy to Transport and Harbor Illegal Aliens for Profit carries a maximum penalty of ten years, a maximum fine of $250,000, or both.
Sentencing is set before U.S. District Judge Scott H. Rash on April 22, 2022.
The investigation in this case was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations – Nogales Office, with assistance from United States Border Patrol. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona is part of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), which was established by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in June 2021 to marshal the investigative and prosecutorial resources of the Department of Justice, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to enhance U.S. enforcement efforts against the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. The Task Force focuses on disrupting and dismantling smuggling and trafficking networks that abuse, exploit, or endanger migrants, pose national security threats, and are involved in organized crime. JTFA consists of federal prosecutors and attorneys from U.S. Attorney’s Offices along the Southwest Border (District of Arizona, Southern District of California, Southern District of Texas, and Western District of Texas), from the Criminal Division and the Civil Rights Division, along with law enforcement agents and analysts from DHS’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection. The FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration are also part of the Task Force.
CASE NUMBER: CR-21-1322-TUC-SHR-BGM
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-007_Gallegos# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Havre man sentenced to 10 years in prison for trafficking methamphetamine, fentanyl and illegal possession of firearmRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Havre man who admitted to drug trafficking and firearms crimes after law enforcement found methamphetamine, fentanyl, a gun and a large amount of cash in his motel room was sentenced today to 10 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release, said U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson.
Brandon Wayne Glover, 39, pleaded guilty in October 2021 to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and to felon in possession of a firearm.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that in 2014, Glover was convicted in federal court of possession with intent to distribute meth. In November 2020, law enforcement received information that Glover was distributing meth in Havre, and an informant bought about a half-ounce of meth from Glover at a Havre casino. In December 2020, officers arrested Glover on a warrant based on supervised release violations in his prior federal meth trafficking case. Agents secured a motel room in Havre where Glover had been staying and applied for a search warrant. In the meantime, agents received recorded jail calls in which Glover asked his mother for help retrieving items from the room where he had been staying and specifically asked her to look under the bed. Glover’s mother went to the motel room and was turned away. Agents executed a search warrant for the motel room and found 420 grams, or almost a pound, of meth, a firearm, drug paraphernalia, and fentanyl pills. Agents also found about $12,100 in cash under the bed.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan R. Plaut prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Havre Police Department and the Tri-Agency Task Force.
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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Harrisburg Man Indicted on Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG, The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Ajear Anthony Miller-Carter, age 22, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury for a firearm offense.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that on August 30, 2021, in Union County, Miller-Carter possessed a Taurus PT111G2 9MM pistol as a convicted felon and was prohibited from possessing a firearm.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol Firearms Tobacco (ATF), the Pennsylvania State Police and the Harrisburg Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jaime M. Keating is prosecuting the case.
This case was part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
If convicted, Miller-Carter faces a maximum penalty under federal law for this offense of 10-years imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Harrisburg Man Indicted for Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Jesse Tillison, age 33, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking and firearms charges.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that Tillison possessed cocaine base for distribution in Dauphin County on January 25, 2021. The indictment further alleges that Tillison possessed a Ruger semiautomatic .380 pistol during and in relation to his drug trafficking activities.
The case was investigated by the United States Marshal Service and the Harrisburg Bureau of Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Johnny Baer is prosecuting the case.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.”
If convicted, the maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is a term of life imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Gulfport Man Sentenced to over 8 Years in Prison for Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – A Gulfport man was sentenced to 103 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Brad Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”).
According to court records, on September 29, 2020, Gulfport Police officers attempted to stop a vehicle being driven by Marcus Deshun Agee a/k/a ABK-Spurt, 31, of Gulfport. After initially fleeing in his vehicle, Agee continued to flee on foot and successfully eluded law enforcement officers. Officers secured the vehicle and recovered approximately 200 grams of marijuana packaged in 67 separate packages. They also recovered a Glock 17 pistol in the vehicle. Officers determined that Agee had multiple prior felony convictions.
DEA agents obtained a federal arrest warrant for Agee based upon the September 29, 2020, traffic stop. On November 3, 2020, law enforcement officers saw Agee driving the same vehicle and attempted to make another traffic stop. Again, Agee refused to comply and attempted to flee. When Agee eventually stopped the vehicle, he again fled on foot but was apprehended.
Agee pled guilty on June 16, 2021 to possessing the Glock 17 pistol that was located in the vehicle during the first stop. He was sentenced on January 28, 2022, in U.S. District Court in Gulfport.
The DEA investigated this case with assistance from the Gulfport Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Buckner prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Georgia, Florida attorneys indicted for COVID-19 fraud schemeRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: Two attorneys and a Savannah man have been indicted on multiple felony charges in the Southern District of Georgia for a wide-ranging COVID-19 relief fraud scheme.
Shaquandra Woods, 39, of Jacksonville, Fla.; Courtney Gilchrist, 36, of Savannah; and Kenneth Jackson, 43, of Savannah, are named in the eight-count indictment returned by a U.S. District Grand Jury charging them with Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and other felonies, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charges carried statutory penalties upon conviction of up to 30 years in federal prison followed by a period of supervised release, along with substantial financial penalties and restitution to the U.S. government.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“When Congress appropriated funding for the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the intention was to provide a safety net for small businesses struggling from the effects of a global pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to identify and hold accountable anyone who would attempt to undermine these programs for their own profit.”
As described in the indictment, Woods is an attorney licensed to practice law in Florida and Georgia, and Gilchrist is an attorney licensed to practice law in Georgia. The indictment alleges that Woods, Gilchrist, and Jackson “fraudulently sought and collectively received hundreds of thousands of dollars in relief payments by making false and fraudulent representations to the Small Business Administration (SBA).”
As authorized by the CARES Act, SBA provided Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) to eligible small businesses experiencing substantial financial interruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The indictment alleges the conspirators used fraudulent documents to submit multiple EIDL applications resulting in hundreds of thousands of dollars in disbursements from the SBA.
All three defendants are charged with Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud. Woods also is charged with two counts of False Statement on Loan Applications and two counts of False Documents. Gilchrist also is charged with two counts of False Statement on Loan Application, False Documents, and a False Statement, and Jackson also is charged with a False Statement.
Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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 is being investigated by the FBI and the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan A. Porter and Patrick J. Schwedler.
Franklin County, NY, Man Going to Prison for His Role in Scheme That Defrauded Elderly Victims Out of $2,000,000Read 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 Anthony Laughing, Jr., 49, of Hogansburg, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, was sentenced to serve 72 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Marangola, who handled the case, stated that between September 2015 and March 2020, Laughing conspired with multiple co-defendants, including ringleader Martin Hogan, to defraud elderly victims using a fraudulent telemarketing scheme. Hogan placed telephone calls from Canada to victims in the United States, telling them that they had won the Canadian lottery. However, victims were told that they had to first pay the taxes, brokerage fee, and/or custom fees due in connection with the winnings. Some victims were instructed to mail cash to addresses controlled by Laughing, who accepted over 300 packages. The cash was then smuggled over the border into Canada and given to Laughing’s Canadian co-conspirators. Laughing kept a portion of the money he accepted as part of the scheme. In total, the scheme involved over $2,000,000 in funds obtained from elderly victims.
Martin Hogan was previously convicted and is awaiting sentencing.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, Border Enforcement Security Task Force, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino, the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations Division, under the direction of Thomas Fattorusso, Special Agent-in-Charge, New York Field Office, and the Customs and Border Patrol Air and Marine Unit, under the direction of Brian Manaher, Director, Marine Operations. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in securing the extradition of defendant Martin Hogan from Jamaica.
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Former corrections officer arraigned on drug trafficking and contraband chargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Dennis Dean Garcia, Jr., 34, of Grants, New Mexico, was arraigned in federal court on Feb. 2 on one count each of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams and more of methamphetamine and attempt to provide contraband in prison. Garcia was indicted by a federal grand jury on January 25.
Garcia was employed as a corrections officer at the Cibola County Corrections Center (CCCC) from January 2019 until Feb. 22, 2021. According to the indictment and other court records, on Feb. 22, 2021, CCCC personnel monitoring surveillance video allegedly observed Garcia remove an item from his pocket and place it into a box in a storage room. The item was recovered from the storage room and taken to the warden’s office for examination. Investigators found it to contain approximately 104 grams of methamphetamine.
“Garcia allegedly smuggled drugs into the Cibola County Corrections Center, compromising the safety and security of the institution,” said Cloey C. Pierce, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General Dallas Field Office.
“It's an unfortunate reality that people in all professional positions can become involved in criminal activity,” said Greg Millard, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s El Paso Division. “But the men and women of the DEA will investigate those who commit such crimes and keep them accountable.”
An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty. Garcia is currently out of custody on conditions of release. If convicted on the drug charge, Garcia faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison. If convicted on the contraband charge, he would face up to 20 years in prison.
The Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General and the Albuquerque District Office of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s El Paso Division investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Robert I. Goldaris is prosecuting the case.
Former President of Energy Company Indicted for Commodities Insider Trading and Kickback SchemesRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Houston returned an indictment today charging a Texas man for an illegal kickback scheme and a commodities insider trading scheme involving natural gas futures.
According to court documents, Matthew Clark, 54, of The Woodlands, worked as a natural gas trader and as president of an energy company based in Houston. The indictment alleges that Clark conspired with others to receive kickbacks from commission fees paid by Clark’s employer to Classic Energy LLC, a brokerage firm owned and operated by Matthew Webb. In exchange for these commission fee kickbacks, Clark agreed to direct his employer’s trades to Webb’s brokerage.
According to the indictment, Clark conspired with others to misappropriate his employer’s material, nonpublic information and to engage in prohibited commodities transactions, including illegal prearranged trades, in natural gas futures contracts for his own, and his co-conspirators’, personal gain. Clark and his co-conspirators caused prices to be reported, recorded and registered on designated commodities markets that were not true, bona fide prices. The profits from these fraudulent trades were split among Clark and his co-conspirators.
Clark is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, three counts of honest services wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to violate various provisions of the Commodity Exchange Act, two counts of prohibited commodities transactions and two counts of insider trading. The defendant will make his initial court appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas. If convicted, he faces a maximum total penalty of 130 years in prison for these charges. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
In a related case, Peter Miller, 41, of Puerto Rico, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit commodities fraud today. Miller, who is alleged to be one of Clark’s co-conspirators, is scheduled to be sentenced on May 12.
In four other related cases, Marcus Schultz, 41, of Houston; John Ed James, 51, of Katy, Texas; Webb, 51, of Tiki Island, Texas; and Lee Tippett, 62, of Jacksonville, Florida, pleaded guilty on July 20, 2020, Feb. 1, 2021, June 15, 2021, and Aug. 17, 2021, respectively. Schultz pleaded guilty to a one-count information charging him with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and to violate various provisions of the Commodity Exchange Act. James pleaded guilty to a one-count information charging him with conspiracy to commit commodities fraud and wire fraud. Webb pleaded guilty to a one-count information charging him with conspiracy to commit commodities fraud and wire fraud and to violate various provisions of the Commodity Exchange Act. Tippett pleaded guilty to a one-count information charging him with conspiracy to commit commodities fraud and honest services wire fraud.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Jennifer Lowery for the Southern District of Texas; Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; Acting Special Agent in Charge Richard A. Collodi of the FBI’s Houston Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Ramsey E. Covington of the IRS-Criminal Investigation’s Houston Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI’s Houston Field Office and IRS-Criminal Investigation’s Houston Field Office are investigating the case.
Assistant Chief Leslie S. Garthwaite and Trial Attorney Della Sentilles of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, and Deputy Chief Suzanne Elmilady and Assistant U.S. Attorney Zahra Fenelon of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Georgia Department of Corrections Inmate Pleads Guilty to Scheme to Defraud VictimsRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that an Atlanta, Georgia man, who was an inmate serving time in the Georgia Department of Corrections at the time of his crimes, has pleaded guilty to a wire fraud conspiracy in the Western District of Louisiana. Andre Deaveon Reese, 32, entered his guilty plea before United States District Judge Donald E. Walter on January 28, 2022.
According to evidence presented to the court at the hearing, while serving time in the Autry State Prison (Autry) in Georgia in 2015, and continuing through July 2020, Reese participated in a scheme to defraud victims by telling them they had failed to appear for jury duty and a warrant had been issued for their arrest. To carry out this scheme, inmates used contraband cellular telephones from inside Autry to access internet websites to identify the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of potential fraud victims. Using the cellular telephones, inmates called the victims who name, and number had been obtained and made certain false misrepresentations to the victims. The inmates told the victims that they were law enforcement officials and that the victim had unlawfully failed to appear for jury duty. In addition, the victims were told that because they had failed to appear for jury duty, warrants had been issued for their arrest and the victim had a choice of being arrested on the warrant or pay a fine to have the arrest warrant dismissed.
To make the calls seem real, Reese, along with other inmates, created fictitious voicemail greetings on their contraband cellular telephones used by the inmates, identifying themselves as members of legitimate law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Marshal Service. For those victims who wanted to pay a fine, the inmates instructed them to purchase pre-paid cash cards and provide the account number of the cash card or the victim could wire money directly into a pre-paid debit card account held by the inmates or one of the co-conspirators. Based on these false representations, the victims electronically transferred money to the inmates because they believe that the funds would be used to pay the fine.
After a victim provided an inmate with the account number of the pre-paid cash card, the inmates then used their contraband cellular telephones to contact co-conspirators, who were not incarcerated, to have those individuals transfer the money from the cash card purchased by the victims to a pre-paid debit card possessed by the co-conspirators. The co-conspirators would then withdraw the victim’s money via an automated teller machine or at a retail store.
In August of 2016, two individuals, ages 75 and 78, living in the Western District of Louisiana, became victims of Reese’s scheme. The victims believed the callers, who were inmates posing as legitimate law enforcement officers, and followed their instructions to pay them to have the alleged warrants for their arrest for failing to appear for jury duty dismissed. An investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) determined that the two victims paid $9,797.95 to Reese and his co-conspirators.
“Unfortunately, there are individuals such as this defendant who have no shame in taking advantage of people who are trusting,” stated U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown. “We encourage the public that when someone calls and gives you a story such as this to be cautious and contact your local law enforcement office to confirm that the story is true before you agree to pay any money to anyone. Our office will continue to investigate and pursue individuals who carry out these types of fraudulent schemes.”
Reese faces a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. The sentencing hearing for Reese has been set for May 20, 2022.
The case was investigated by the FBI and U.S. Marshal Service, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary J. Mudrick.
The National Elder Fraud Hotline is a resource created by OVC for people to report fraud against anyone age 60 or older. Reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible, and within the first 2-3 days, can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open 7 days a week. For more information about the hotline please visit: https://stopelderfraud.ovc.ojp.gov/.
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