Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
27 January 2022
Cayuga County Man Sentenced to 180 Months for Child Pornography Crimes and Possession of a Firearm by a FelonRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK - Richard J. Potter, Jr., age 56, of Springport, New York, was sentenced yesterday to a term of 180 months (15 years) in prison for receiving and possessing child pornography and for possession of a firearm as a convicted felon announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
As part of his previously entered guilty plea, Potter admitted that from June of 2018 to on or about January of 2019, he used the Internet to search for and receive child pornography. Potter also admitted that on January 23, 2019 he possessed a total of 33,066 images and 206 videos of child pornography on 35 separate electronic devices, and 451 images of child pornography in a cloud storage account that he maintained and controlled. Also located during the execution of a search warrant at the defendant’s residence in Springport was a 12 gauge shotgun illegally possessed by the defendant, a previously convicted felon.
United States District Judge David N. Hurd also imposed a 15-year term of supervised release, which will start after Potter is released from prison. Potter will also be required to register as a sex offender.
This case was investigated by the FBI Syracuse Mid-State Child Exploitation Task Force, comprised of FBI Special Agents and Investigators of the New York State Police, Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) and Computer Crimes Unit (CCU), and prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian S. LaRochelle as a 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.
Butte man who trafficked pounds of meth sentenced to eight years in prisonRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Butte man who admitted to trafficking large quantities of methamphetamine, including receiving 20 pounds of the drug for distribution in Montana, was sentenced today to eight years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
Travis Bridger Soderberg, 47, pleaded guilty in August 2021 to possession with intent to distribute meth.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.
In court documents, the government alleged that from October 2019 until about November 2020, Soderberg distributed meth in Butte and elsewhere in Montana. Various witnesses told agents that they purchased pounds of meth from Soderberg. On one occasion, Soderberg received 20 pounds of meth for distribution in Montana. Twenty pounds of meth is the equivalent of about 72,480 doses. Investigators also determined that Soderberg wired money to sources of supply in California to pay for the meth.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan G. Weldon prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Postal Service, Homeland Security Investigations and the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation.
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.
XXX
Brother and Sister Indicted on Drug Conspiracy and Other Charges Following Investigation of Fentanyl SalesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A brother and sister were arrested yesterday on charges stemming from an investigation by federal and local law enforcement agencies into a drug operation that was distributing Fentanyl, including to a woman who overdosed twice, once leading to her death.
The indictments, which were unsealed today, were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Division Office of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Larry Jerome Eastman, 21, of Temple Hills, Maryland, and his sister, Justice Michelle Eastman, 25, of Washington, D.C. were arrested following an investigation into the Fentanyl overdose death of a woman in Washington, D.C. They are charged in an indictment with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute Fentanyl, unlawful distribution of Fentanyl, resulting in serious bodily injury, and unlawful distribution of Fentanyl, resulting in death. The indictment was returned on Jan. 18, 2022, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Both defendants made their initial court appearances this afternoon and were ordered held pending further proceedings.
“As this case demonstrates, Fentanyl continues to have a devastating impact on our community,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “We are committed to identifying and prosecuting those who distribute Fentanyl and other illicit drugs and doing all we can to prevent future tragedies.”
“Charges like this, demonstrate our commitment to combatting the alarming number of drug overdose-related deaths, and our shared, tough stance on drug dealers peddling this poison to unwitting victims across our city,” said Special Agent in Charge Forget. “We are working with our area partners every day to root out the drug problem at its source and target drug dealers who deal overdose-prone drugs to our area's most vulnerable. By pursuing 'death resulting' charges, we seek to hold those who poison us with Fentanyl accountable for the violent crimes they are knowingly committing in our communities.”
The indictments followed an investigation into the April 6, 2021, death of a 20-year-old woman in Southeast Washington from acute Fentanyl intoxication. According to the government’s evidence, the same woman survived an earlier overdose in the fall of 2020; she was revived that time when paramedics administered Narcan. At the time of the fatal overdose, a white powder was discovered by police on a glass-topped coffee table at the woman’s apartment and later determined to be Fentanyl. As noted by the DEA, because of its potency and low cost, drug dealers nationally have been mixing Fentanyl with other drugs including heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine, increasing the likelihood of a fatal interaction.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute Fentanyl carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison. Unlawful distribution of Fentanyl, resulting in serious bodily injury or death, carries a statutory mandatory minimum penalty of not less than 20 years with a maximum of life. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being investigated by the Washington Division Office of the DEA and the Metropolitan Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David T. Henek, of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Blackstone Labs Founder Sentenced for Conspiracy to Sell Anabolic Steroids and Unlawful Dietary SupplementsRead the Press Release
A South Florida man who founded a sports and dietary supplements retailer was sentenced today to 54 months in prison for conspiring to sell illegal anabolic steroids and other products marketed as dietary supplements that were unlawful under federal law.
According to court documents, Aaron Singerman, 41, of Delray Beach, Florida, founded and operated Blackstone Labs LLC, a Boca Raton-based sports and dietary supplements retailer. Singerman is the former CEO of Blackstone. U.S. District Court Judge William P. Dimitrouleas of the Southern District of Florida sentenced Singerman to 54 months in prison and ordered him to forfeit $2.9 million.
In pleading guilty, Singerman admitted to leading a conspiracy to sell products through Blackstone labeled as dietary supplements that were illegal under federal law because they were not approved by the FDA and were controlled substances. According to court documents, Blackstone defrauded the FDA as part of the scheme.
“Selling products labelled as dietary supplements that actually contain controlled substances and unapproved drugs is illegal and potentially dangerous,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice will work with its law enforcement partners to prosecute dietary supplement makers who ignore the law and disregard public safety for monetary gain.”
“Drug products that are disguised as dietary supplements can pose a risk to the health of U.S. consumers,” said Special Agent in Charge Justin C. Fielder of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA OCI) Miami Field Office. “We will continue to investigate and bring to justice those who jeopardize the public health.”
Singerman specifically admitted that he conspired with others from 2012 through 2017 to sell products that were unapproved new drugs and/or illegal controlled substances under the Designer Anabolic Steroid Control Act. The defendant admitted that he and his co-conspirators lied to consumers by characterizing Blackstone products as safe and legal dietary supplements. In addition, he falsely represented that the products were made in “FDA approved” registered facilities that followed all required regulations, when in fact they were not. Singerman also admitted to controlling a supplement manufacturer that fraudulently imported raw ingredients for their products from China. Singerman admitted to selling other products in violation of the Food, Drug & Cosmetic Act, including the synthetic stimulants DMAA and DMBA, and the chemical picamilon. Singerman and his co-conspirators ignored injury reports from consumers and did not notify the FDA of such complaints, even when required by law.
Six additional individual defendants and three other corporations previously pleaded guilty to charges related to the conspiracy. One additional defendant, James Boccuzzi, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and conspiracy to defraud the FDA following a jury trial in December 2021. All 10 of these additional defendants are scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Dimitrouleas in February.
FDA OCI investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Alistair Reader and Stephen Gripkey, Senior Litigation Counsel David Frank and Assistant Director John W. Burke of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting the cases with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Daren Grove of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. Laura Akowuah, Brian Furlong and Sarah Hawkins from the FDA’s Office of Chief Counsel provided assistance with the investigation and prosecution.
Albuquerque man faces charge of bank robberyRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Andres Manuel Castro Aragon, 29, of Albuquerque, made an initial appearance in federal court today facing a charge of bank robbery. He will remain in custody pending a preliminary and detention hearing scheduled for Jan. 31.
According to a criminal complaint, on Jan. 25, Castro Aragon allegedly entered the First Convenience Bank located inside a Walmart on Coors Boulevard in Albuquerque and presented a demand note to the teller, implying he had a firearm. The teller complied and Castro Aragon allegedly fled with a large amount of cash. After security personnel observed Castro Aragon allegedly crossing I-40 on a pedestrian bridge, Albuquerque police located Castro Aragon, who allegedly had cash protruding from his pockets, and detained him.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to protecting our financial institutions and the people they serve” said Fred Federici, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico. “Anyone who believes bank robbery is a quick means to easy money should understand that this is a serious crime with severe consequences. That quick robbery means up to 20 years in prison, and more if a gun is used.”
“Bank robbery is not only a crime against the financial institutions so many of us depend on, it's a threat to the safety of the employees, general public and law enforcement officers,” said Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office. “The FBI and our partners are committed to tracking down each and every bank robber and bringing them to justice. We are asking for the public's help. Take a look at our website - bankrobbers.fbi.gov - and if you have any information, call us immediately at 1-800-CALL-FBI. Together, we can make our community safer.”
A complaint is only an allegation. A defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Castro Aragon faces up to 20 years in prison.
The FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Eva M. Fontanez is prosecuting the case.
Acoma man pleads guilty to involuntary manslaughter in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
ALBUQERQUE, N.M. – Anthony Faustine, 41, of Pueblo of Acoma, New Mexico, and an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Acoma, pleaded guilty in federal court on Jan. 26 to involuntary manslaughter in Indian Country. Faustine will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled.
Faustine was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 9, 2020. According to the plea agreement, on April 22, 2020, Faustine attempted to evade law enforcement while driving with a blood alcohol level at twice the legal limit. Faustine lost control of the vehicle. As the vehicle rolled, a passenger, identified in court records as John Doe, was ejected and died from injuries sustained in the crash. The incident occurred on the Pueblo of Laguna.
By the terms of the plea agreement, Faustine faces a sentence of five years and 10 months in prison.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case with assistance from the Laguna Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case.
A Convicted Felon Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Unlawfully Possessing a Stolen FirearmRead the Press Release
Jackson, TN – John Davidson Long, 28, has been sentenced to 120 months in federal prison for being a convicted felon unlawfully possessing a stolen firearm. Joseph C. Murphy, Jr., United States Attorney, announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, on September 9, 2020, at approximately 10:30 p.m., Jackson Police Department’s Gang Enforcement Unit was monitoring the overt ‘Police’ cameras in the Parkway East Apartment Complex at Carver Cove in Jackson, Tennessee, because a large number of Vice Lord gang members had gathered in that area. While monitoring the cameras, Long was observed standing outside of a car with a black handgun protruding from his waistband. As a convicted felon, Long is prohibited from possessing firearms.
As officers responded to the area, Long got into the passenger seat of a black Nissan Altima and fled. JPD Officers conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle for a window tint violation. Jocelyn Kidd was identified as the driver of the vehicle, and Long was the front seat passenger. Ms. Kidd gave law enforcement consent to search the vehicle. During the search, officers located a black Taurus .9mm handgun hidden inside a dash panel in front of where Long had been seated. That handgun matched the description of the firearm that the officer observed protruding from Long’s waistband. The handgun was loaded with one round in the chamber and 11 rounds in the magazine. Further investigation revealed the firearm was stolen in August 2020.
On January 27, 2022, United States District Judge J. Daniel Breen sentenced Long to 120 months' imprisonment - the maximum sentence allowed by law for possessing a stolen firearm. He will also serve three years of supervised release upon his release from prison. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the Jackson Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Assistant United States Attorney Josh Morrow prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
###
26 January 2022
Wheeling man sentenced for a firearms chargeRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Randolph Michael Smith, of Wheeling, West Virginia, was sentenced to 92 months of incarceration for a firearms charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Smith, 42, pleaded guilty in August 2021 to one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.” Smith, a person prohibited from having firearms because of prior convictions, admitted to having a 9mm semi-automatic pistol in August 2020 in Ohio County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Clayton J. Reid prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives and the Wheeling Police Department investigated.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Warren County Man Sentenced to 198 Months for Possessing and Receiving Child Pornography, and Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Terry Lajeunesse, age 50, of Pottersville, New York, was sentenced today to 198 months in prison for possessing and receiving child pornography, and for obstruction of justice.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Lajeunesse pled guilty on August 12, 2021, admitting to possessing and receiving images and videos of child pornography on his cell phone. Lajeunesse further admitted to asking a minor to falsely take responsibility for the crimes that Lajeunesse himself committed. At the time Lajeunesse possessed and received child pornography, he was on probation following a state conviction for possessing a sexual performance by a child less than 16 years old.
Chief United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby also imposed a 20-year term of supervised release, which will begin after Lajeunesse is released from prison. Lajeunesse will also be required to register as a sex offender.
This case was investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of the New York State Police, and the Warren County Probation Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashlyn Miranda.
This case is prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
Waldorf Air Force Lieutenant Pleads Guilty to Transportation of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Jason Daniel Ort, age 36, of Waldorf, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to transportation of child pornography.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Brigadier General Terry Bullard, Commander Air Force Office of Special Investigations.
According to his guilty plea, between September 28, 2020, and October 1, 2020, Ort knowingly transported videos containing child pornography from Maryland to New York.
As stated in his plea agreement, on October 2, 2020, the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office of New York (OSCO) received a complaint from an adult complainant (Individual 1) that Ort had placed a black spy camera in Individual 1’s bedroom while visiting the individual’s home. On October 1, 2020, Individual 1 located the camera, which contained an SD card. Upon review of the SD card’s contents, Individual 1 discovered a video of a minor female using the bathroom and lifting up her dress to wipe herself. Individual 1 observed a video of Ort entering the bathroom and adjusting the camera. According to military records, Ort is a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force stationed in Maryland and was scheduled for leave during that time to visit Individual 1’s residence in New York.
In an interview with OSCO officers, Ort admitted to placing the camera in Individual 1’s bedroom and that he placed the camera in several other locations, including in a bathroom at another residence in Pocomoke City, Maryland. Ort said that he watched the videos for sexual pleasure and knew that his actions were wrong.
As a result of their investigation, OSCO seized multiple electronic items in New York, including the spy camera containing the SD card and Ort’s laptop. A subsequent forensic review of the SD card revealed at least 10 video files depicting minor females using the bathroom and bathing. Ort recorded these videos using the spy camera placed in the bathroom of the Pocomoke City, Maryland residence in and around December 2019 and January 2020. The camera appeared to be positioned under the sink, facing the toilet and the shower. Throughout the videos, four minor females were recorded with their genitals exposed while either showering or using the toilet.
A forensic review of the Ort’s laptop seized in New York revealed hundreds of files constituting child pornography. Some of the files depicted prepubescent minors engaged in sex acts.
As detailed in his plea agreement, on November 16, 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Ort’s Waldorf, Maryland residence and recovered numerous electronic devices including a 1 TB digital hard drive, a 500 GB hard drive, and a second laptop with a 1 TB hard drive.
Upon review of one of the hard drives, law enforcement found duplicate video files to those found on the SD card depicting the minor victims. The files were located under the folder labeled “Jason’s Photos\OTS Flight 2-10 (Pictures & Video)\EMLEX (Emergency Management Leadership Exercise)\Info Assurance.”
Further, a forensic review of the second laptop located at Ort’s residence revealed a search for “production of child pornography charge” and “Citizen’s Guide to U.S. Federal Law on Child Pornography” on October 7, 2020.
Ort and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Ort will be sentenced to between 10 years and 15 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang has scheduled sentencing for May 4, 2022, at 2 p.m.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "Resources" tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI. The Air Force Office of Special Investigations, and the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office of New York for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Collins who is prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
# # #
Venezuelan National Apprehended at Sea Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Possess Cocaine on Board a Vessel Subject to the Jurisdiction of the United StatesRead the Press Release
St. Croix, VI – United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced today that 33-year old Venezuelan national Johan Garcia Suarez, one of eleven Venezuelan nationals apprehended at sea off of St. Croix, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute over 5 kilograms of cocaine while on board a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.
According to court documents, on the evening of September 25, 2019, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) Cutter DONALD HORSLEY intercepted a suspicious 55-foot vessel named LA GRAN TORMENTA displaying Venezuelan nationality indicia approximately 38 nautical miles south of St. Croix. Occupants of the LA GRAN TORMENTA did not reply to DONALD HORSLEY'S efforts to engage in questioning of the crew, and upon detection, the LA GRAN TORMENTA changed course and jettisoned packages. USCG Cutter DONALD HORSLEY crew members subsequently retrieved two bales from the water. The two jettisoned bales contained packages with brick shaped objects, which were subsequently laboratory tested and found to contain approximately 49 kilograms of cocaine hydrocholoride (powder cocaine).
After requesting and receiving permission from the flag state (Venezuela) to stop the vessel, USCG personnel attempted a right of visit boarding, which was ineffective because crew on the LA GRAN TORMENTA disregarded Coast Guard personnel’s instructions. Eventually USCG personnel obtained control of the LA GRAN TORMENTA through use of an "entanglement tactic" which stopped the vessel’s engine. A USCG counter-drug boarding team encountered 11 persons, including the defendant.
Johan Garcia Suarez’s sentencing date has yet to be scheduled. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The other ten defendants are scheduled for trial on July 18, 2022 in federal court. They face a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and maximum of life if convicted.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (D.E.A.). It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa P. Ortiz. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at http://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Ulster County Man Sentenced to 60 Months for Conspiring to Commit COVID-19 Relief FraudRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jean R. Lavanture, a/k/a “JR,” a/k/a “Rudy Lavanture,” age 49, of Saugerties, New York, was sentenced today to 60 months in prison for conspiring to commit bank fraud and conspiring to commit wire fraud.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Lavanture pled guilty on September 2, 2021, admitting to fraudulently obtaining $4,870,781 in government-backed loans meant for businesses struggling with the financial effects of the coronavirus pandemic. He conspired with Sean M. Andre to obtain $4,309,581 in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans between June and August 2020, by submitting fraudulent loan applications in the names of four inactive companies that Lavanture controlled. Each loan application grossly misrepresented each company’s employees and payroll. Each application also included false corporate tax documents that Andre created as part of the scheme. Lavanture admitted that none of his companies actually had a payroll or employees.
Lavanture also admitted that, on his own, he fraudulently obtained $561,200 in Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDLs”) from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).
Chief United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby also imposed a 3-year term of post-imprisonment supervised release, ordered Lavanture to pay restitution in the amount of $4,870,781, and ordered Lavanture to forfeit proceeds of the fraud, including a motel property he purchased in Rockaway Beach, Missouri; $476,253.25 in U.S. currency; a 2007 Bentley Continental; a 2013 BMW X5; and the balances of 19 bank accounts at a total of 9 banks, into which Lavanture had deposited fraud proceeds.
Andre, age 31, of Brooklyn, New York, pled guilty on May 26, 2021 to conspiring to commit bank fraud and conspiring to commit wire fraud. Andre’s sentencing is scheduled for February 24, 2022.
Jamur Pharmes, age 44, of Hampton, Georgia, pled guilty on July 1, 2021 to conspiring to commit wire fraud. He admitted that he and Lavanture conspired to submit fraudulent EIDL applications in the names of two companies connected to Pharmes. Pharmes obtained approximately $159,900 as a result of the scheme, and paid a $10,000 fee to Lavanture. Pharmes is scheduled to be sentenced on February 24, 2022.
This case was investigated by the FBI, Internal Revenue Service (IRS)-Criminal Investigation, and the SBA Office of Inspector General, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Barnett and Joshua R. Rosenthal.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
U.S. Navy Commander Pleads Guilty in the Run up to the Seventh Fleet Navy Bribery TrialRead the Press Release
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark W. Pletcher (619) 546-9714, Michelle Wasserman (619) 546-8431, Valerie Chu (619) 546-6750, and David Chu (619) 546-8266
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – January 26, 2022
SAN DIEGO – U.S. Navy Commander Stephen Shedd pleaded guilty in federal court today to bribery charges, admitting that he and eight other indicted leaders of the U.S. Navy’s Seventh Fleet received more than $250,000 in meals, entertainment, travel and hotel expenses, gifts, cash and the services of prostitutes from foreign defense contractor Leonard Glenn Francis.
Shedd is one of nine members of the Seventh Fleet indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2017 for conspiring with and receiving bribes from Francis, the owner and CEO of Singapore-based Glenn Defense Marine Asia, which provided services for U.S. Navy ships in port, including tugboats; fenders; security; food; fuel; water; trash and waste removal; and transportation.
Shedd is the third of the Seventh Fleet defendants to plead guilty. The trial of the remaining defendants is scheduled to begin on February 28, 2022. The remaining six defendants - who are accused of conspiring to trade military secrets and substantial influence for sex parties with prostitutes and luxurious dinners and travel, among other lavish things of value - include U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Bruce Loveless; Captains David Newland, James Dolan, David Lausman and Donald Hornbeck; and Commander Mario Herrera.
The overarching fraud and bribery investigation has resulted in federal criminal charges against 34 U.S. Navy officials, defense contractors and the GDMA corporation. So far, 28 of those have pleaded guilty, admitting collectively that they accepted millions of dollars in luxury travel and accommodations, meals, lavish gifts, or services of prostitutes, among other things of value, from Francis in exchange for helping GDMA win and maintain contracts and overbill the Navy by over $35 million.
The U.S. Navy’s Seventh Fleet represents a vital piece of the United States military’s projection of power as well as American foreign policy and national security. The largest numbered fleet in the U.S. Navy, the Seventh Fleet is comprised of 60-70 ships, 200-300 aircraft and approximately 40,000 sailors and Marines. The Seventh Fleet is responsible for U.S. Navy ships and subordinate commands that operate in the Western Pacific throughout Southeast Asia, Pacific Islands, Australia, and Russia and the Indian Ocean territories, as well ships and personnel from other U.S. Navy Fleets that enter the Seventh Fleet’s area of responsibility.
According to Shedd’s admissions as set forth in his plea agreement, the defendants informed Francis of planned U.S. Navy ship movements by providing Francis with classified U.S. Navy ship schedules and narrative summaries of those schedules. The defendants provided Francis with internal, proprietary U.S. Navy information. The defendants took official acts and exerted pressure on, advocated before, and provided advice to other U.S. Navy officials, knowing and intending that such advocacy and advice would form the basis for such other officials' decisions to pay GDMA’s claims, overlook inflated invoices, quash bid protests filed by GDMA's competitors, suppress competition in contract awards, and resolve in GDMA’s favor other questions, matters, and controversies regarding GDMA’s husbanding business.
From November 2006 to October 2008, Shedd served as the Seventh Fleet’s South Asia Policy and Planning Officer, where he was, in part, responsible for identifying ports that U.S. Navy ships would visit. From November 2008 to May 2010, Shedd served as a Personnel Distribution Officer stationed in Millington, Tennessee, and thereafter, upon being promoted to Commander, from March 2011 until May 2014, Shedd served as the Executive Officer and later the Commanding Officer of the U.S.S. Milius.
“The defendant has admitted he was one of the many whose allegiance was switched from the Navy to Leonard Francis,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “This abdication of the defendant’s duties to the Navy and the United States comes with heavy consequences.”
“Mr. Shedd's disgraceful actions while serving in a sensitive position with the U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet betrayed the standards and expectations of all members of the Armed Forces and jeopardized the Fleet's safety and security,” said Kelly P. Mayo, the Director of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS). “This lengthy investigation demonstrates that DCIS and our law enforcement partners will continually strive to fortify the integrity of the Department of Defense's procurement systems by doggedly pursuing and rooting-out corruption in the Department.”
“Cmdr. Shedd abused his high-level position in the Navy by illegally accepting lavish gifts from Mr. Francis in exchange for providing Mr. Francis classified ship schedules listing numerous ships, specific ports, and dates for the visits far in advance of ship visits,” said NCIS Director Omar Lopez. “NCIS and our law enforcement partners are committed to rooting out bribery and corruption that wastes valuable U.S. taxpayer money and damages the integrity of the Navy.”
Shedd is scheduled to be sentenced on July 21, 2022 before U.S. District Judge Janis L. Sammartino.
DEFENDANT Case Number: 17-CR-0623-JLS
Stephen Shedd Age: 48 Temecula, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy to Commit Bribery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371
Maximum Penalty: Five years in prison, $250,000 fine
Bribery of a Public Official, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 201(b)(2)
Maximum Penalty: Fifteen years in prison, $250,000 fine
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Defense Criminal Investigative Service
Naval Criminal Investigative Service
Defense Contract Audit Agency
U.S. Attorney’s Office Reaches Settlement with Ashland-based Hospital Resolving Alleged Violations of the Americans with Disabilities ActRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office reached an agreement on Tuesday with King’s Daughters Medical Center, a private hospital based in Ashland, Kentucky, to resolve allegations that one of the hospital’s outpatient clinics violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by turning away patients because they had or were being treated for Opioid Use Disorder (OUD).
According to a complaint submitted by a prospective patient, King’s Daughters Outpatient Behavioral Medicine, the hospital’s outpatient behavioral medicine clinic, refused to accept her as a patient because she was prescribed buprenorphine, a medication used to treat OUD. The complaint prompted investigation pursuant to the ADA into the clinic’s practice of turning away prospective patients who were prescribed medications used to treat OUD, like buprenorphine and methadone, or who were diagnosed with OUD. Individuals receiving treatment for OUD are generally considered disabled under the ADA, which, among other things, prohibits private healthcare providers from discriminating on the basis of disability.
Under the terms of the agreement, King’s Daughters will adopt non-discriminatory admissions policies at the clinic, revise its non-discrimination policy to specifically address discrimination on the basis of OUD, provide training on the ADA and OUD to admissions personnel, pay a civil penalty of $50,000 to the United States, and pay the complainant $40,000 for pain and suffering.
This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie Pond, as part of the U.S. Attorney Program for ADA Enforcement, in coordination with the Disability Rights Section of the Department’s Civil Rights Division.
Those interested in finding out more about the ADA or this settlement agreement can call the toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TDD) or access the Department’s ADA website at http://www.ada.gov. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt.
– END –
U.S. Attorney’s Office Joins Launch of High School Mentoring Program Targeting Violence and Substance Use PreventionRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The United States Attorney’s Office is joining with three Project Safe Neighborhoods community outreach partners in the launch of a 20-week in-school mentoring program for students at Blackstone Academy Charter School. The program focuses on community leadership in nonviolence and substance use prevention. The launch of the program this week coincides with the recognition of National Mentoring Month.
Coordinated by LISC (Local Initiatives Support Corporation) Rhode Island, students assume the roles of community leaders (Mayor, Police Chief, School Principal etc.), and, working alongside mentors from LISC, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Nonviolence Institute, and Project Weber/RENEW, students prepare proposals on Nonviolence and Substance Use Prevention. They will engage in training on Nonviolence and anti-stigma, and hear from people working on the frontlines to end cycles of violence and substance abuse. Students will use what they learn in the classroom and through direct action serving the community to build solutions for a healthier city. They will deliver their proposals to elected and civic leaders.
“Fighting the devastation visited on our communities by gun violence and substance abuse means more than just effective prosecution strategies,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Cunha. “It means building effective community partnerships to mentor, support, and provide alternatives before lives and communities are destroyed. Our office is proud to join in this critical effort.”
Becki Marcus, Assistant Program Officer at LISC, said, “LISC is thrilled to provide coordinating support for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Project Weber/ RENEW, and the Nonviolence Institute to teach a class on Community Leadership in Nonviolence and Substance Use Prevention at Blackstone Academy Charter School. LISC is the backbone agency of the Pawtucket Central Falls Health Equity Zone, a community-driven collaborative devoted to addressing social determinants of health. We are excited for this class to engage youth as visionaries and leaders of change to build solutions for nonviolence and health in their communities.
"The Nonviolence Institute (NVI) is very excited to have an opportunity to work with Blackstone Academy in our mission to spread the nonviolence message through a Nonviolence Educational Training curriculum. NVI believes that we are all part of the solution, and it is the language, principles, steps, and components that connect and build our Beloved Community by spreading and sharing the practice of Nonviolence,” Said Cedric Huntley, Executive Director of NVI.
“Much of Project Weber/RENEW's (PWR) work is focused on harm reduction and evidence-based approaches to combat the overdose epidemic through needle exchange, Narcan distribution, and advocating for other proven efforts like harm reduction centers. However, we know through our own lives that the opposite of addiction is connection: we aim to foster this connection with people through our shared lived experiences,” noted Ashley Perry, Pawtucket Program Manager. “At PWR we use our voices and experiences to advocate for better systems to treat people with dignity and respect, and work to move forward from counterproductive policies. We are so excited to work with the next generation and have the youth at Blackstone Academy learn more about our experiences so they can do the crucial advocacy and work to help address violence and overdose in their communities.”
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
For additional information about United States Attorney’s Office’s PSN outreach programs visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ri or contact Community Engagement & Crime Prevention Coordinator David Neill at (401) 709-5035 or at [email protected].
###
Twenty Arrested, Charged in Operation Shut Down CornerRead the Press Release
Twenty alleged drug dealers and their associates have been arrested and charged in “Operation Shut Down Corner,” announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
The operation – which involved more than 150 agents and officers from the North Texas OCEDTF Strike Force – focused on Hamilton Park, a north Dallas neighborhood that has long been plagued by crime driven by a violent gang known as the Hamilton Park Posse.
During the investigation, DEA agents and their law enforcement partners seized 37 guns, 220 lbs of drugs (including cocaine, fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills, methamphetamine, and marijuana), $420,000 in assets (including U.S. currency, vehicles, and jewelry).
Twenty-one defendants have been charged in two indictments alleging a variety of crimes, including conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, conspiracy to distribute cocaine, maintaining drug involved premises, using cell phones to facilitate the distribution of controlled substances, and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes. (One defendant remains a fugitive.)
Many of the defendants arrested in Operation Shut Down Corner have extensive criminal histories and have faced charges including aggravated assault, battery, robbery, theft, forgery, drug possession, weapon possession, and terroristic threats.
“This drug trafficking, gun wielding street gang has been terrorizing their neighborhood for far too long,” U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham said at a press conference at the DEA Wednesday. “I hope the residents of Hamilton Park will rest easier tonight knowing that the Justice Department has their backs.”
“As the layers of this investigation began to reveal themselves, we identified a highly organized, poly-drug distribution organization, feeding our streets with cocaine, crack-cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine, and deadly counterfeit prescription drugs containing fentanyl,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Eduardo Chavez. “The Hamilton Park area of Dallas was once described to me as a ‘Forgotten Neighborhood.’ That stops now.”
Those charged include:
• Randall Hoskins, aka “Rambo,” charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances
• Demetric Watson, charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances
• Rosie Bush, aka “Shanta,” charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances
• Kemerra Gilbert, charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances
• Jerome Brown, charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances
• Jimmy Reedy, aka “UM-8033,” charged with unlawful use of a communication facility
• Quientin Titus, aka “QT” or “Quick Trip,” charged with maintaining a drug involved premises and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances
• Devonte Thursby, aka “Wook,” charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and unlawful use of a communication facility
• Jerome Miller, charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances
• Brian Williams, charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
• Staecey Logan, charged with two counts of unlawful use of a communication facility
• Kimmy Blanton (fugitive), charged with unlawful use of a communication facility
• Tamara Cashaw, charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and unlawful use of a communication facility
• Damone Dixon, charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances
• Michael Gipson, aka “Grip,” charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances
• Bridney Fannin, charged with unlawful use of a communication facility
• Reginald Lamar Denson, charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
• Jahmear Chance Jackson, charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
• Addison Cole, aka “Addy” or “Scat Back,” charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances
• Sergei Gharpetian, charged with conspiracy to launder money
• Tigran Mkrtchyan, charged with conspiracy to launder money
Indictments are merely allegations of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
If convicted, some defendants face maximums of up to 40 years in federal prison.
The investigation was led by the North Texas OCDETF Strike Force – which includes the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Dallas Field Division, the U.S. Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations’ Dallas Field Division, the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Postal Service, U.S. Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General – along with the Dallas Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Myria Boehm is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Assistant U.S. Attorney Travis Elder.
The Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The North Texas OCDETF Strike Force investigates and prosecutes major drug trafficking, money laundering, and other high priority transnational organized crime networks.
Tuscaloosa Man Sentenced to More than 10 Years in Prison on Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – A federal judge today sentenced a Tuscaloosa man on drug and gun charges, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Mickey French.
Chief U.S. District Court Judge L. Scott Coogler sentenced Ladarius De’Shaun Jones, 21, of Tuscaloosa, to 126 months in prison for possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance and possessing a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. Jones pleaded guilty to the charges in September 2021.
“Drugs and guns are a combination that often leads to violence,” U.S. Attorney Escalona said. “The defendant’s actions at the time of his arrest were extremely dangerous, and I commend the Tuscaloosa Police Officers for avoiding a loss of life during this incident.”
“Removing the criminal element that illegally uses firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes and to facilitate violent crimes, is a priority of the ATF,” SAC French said. “The ATF will continue to work in conjunction with law enforcement agencies and the community to remove the criminal elements that negatively impact our communities.”
According to the plea agreement, on August 2, 2020, a Tuscaloosa Police Officer attempted to conduct a lawful traffic stop on Jones. Jones fled in his vehicle and led the police officer on a high-speed chase through several neighborhoods until reaching a dead-end street. Jones got out of the vehicle, and cash fell out onto the ground. Jones began picking up the cash and threw a small backpack on the ground in front of the vehicle. As Jones was picking up the cash, the police officer tackled him. Jones actively resisted the police officer’s attempts to arrest him, and the two struggled for several minutes. Jones retrieved a Glock .45 caliber pistol from the backpack he threw. The officer initially thought the firearm resembled a BB gun but was uncertain. Upon seeing Jones grab the item, the police officer knocked it out of Jones' hands. The struggle continued. Jones ultimately complied. Multiple Tuscaloosa Police Officers arrived on scene to assist and took Jones into custody. Officers located the firearm and learned that it was not a BB gun, but was a Glock .45 caliber pistol. The pistol was equipped with a rifle conversion kit and was loaded with a high-capacity magazine with one round in the chamber. The officers seized approximately 594 grams of marijuana and $1,105 in cash.
ATF investigated the case, along with the Tuscaloosa Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittney Plyler prosecuted the case.
Truck driver gets significant sentence for human smugglingRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 28 year-old San Benito resident has been ordered to federal prison following his convictions for transporting illegal aliens with his tractor trailer, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Rene Garcia pleaded guilty Aug. 5, 2021.
Today, U.S. District Judge Drew Tipton sentenced Garcia to a total of 41 months in prison to be immediately followed by three years of term of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, Judge Tipton took into consideration the nature and facts of the case and noted Garcia had recently been convicted of transporting illegal aliens.
On May 13, 2021, Garcia arrived at the Falfurrias Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint driving a semi-truck and trailer. A K-9 alerted to the vehicle which prompted authorities to refer him to secondary inspection.
Ultimately, authorities found 51 undocumented individuals in the trailer, hidden among pallets of onions. At least one of them reported that it was hard to breathe and there was no way to escape in the event of an emergency.
Garcia later admitted to making arrangements with someone in San Benito to smuggle the aliens through the Falfurrias checkpoint and onto Houston.
He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations and BP conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Overman prosecuted the case.
Troy Man Sentenced for Trafficking a Kilogram of HeroinRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jose Leon Roldan, age 43, of Troy, New York, was sentenced today to 36 months in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, for conspiring to traffic a kilogram of heroin.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Acting Special Agent in Charge Timothy Foley, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division; and Rensselaer County Sheriff Pat Russo.
Leon Roldan previously admitted to working with his father, Carlos Leon Rivera, and Mario Figueroa-Portalatin, to sell heroin in Troy, from November 2019 to March 30, 2020. Leon Roldan admitted to regularly traveling to New York City with his father, where they would acquire heroin from Figueroa’s source of supply. They brought the heroin back to Troy, where they and Figueroa prepared and packaged it for sale to customers.
Figueroa-Portalatin, of Troy, pled guilty on August 11, 2020, and was sentenced to 151 months in prison.
Leon Rivera, of Troy, pled guilty on June 9, 2021, and was sentenced to 87 months in prison.
This case was investigated by the DEA and the Rensselaer County Sheriff’s Office, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett.
Three Men Plead Guilty to Defrauding AmazonRead the Press Release
Defendants Sold Textbooks They Rented Through Amazon’s Textbook Rental Program
GRAND RAPIDS – U.S. Attorney Andrew B. Birge announced today that Paul Larson of Kalamazoo, and Gregory Gleesing of Portage, pled guilty to mail fraud in United States District Court in Lansing, Michigan. Lovedeep Singh Dhanoa, also of Portage, previously pled guilty to mail fraud related to the same fraudulent scheme.
According to court documents, Paul Larson, age 32, Gregory Gleesing, age 43, and Lovedeep Singh Dhanoa, age 25, allegedly participated with Geoffrey Mark Talsma, age 36, also of Kalamazoo, in a scheme to defraud Amazon’s textbook rental program. Larson, Gleesing and Dhanoa admitted through their guilty pleas that from approximately September 2016 to October 2019, one or more of them assisted Talsma in renting textbooks from Amazon through the internet. According to the plea agreements, Talsma taught them how to create numerous Amazon accounts using fake names, multiple street addresses, and multiple email accounts to circumvent Amazon’s limit of 15 textbook rentals per customer. They admitted assisting Talsma in obtaining the textbooks at a rental price that was a fraction of their true value and selling the textbooks at a profit through area bookstores and over the internet, all without ever paying the agreed upon buyout price for the books at the end of the rental period.
Larson is scheduled to be sentenced on Tuesday, June 21, 2022; Gleesing on Wednesday, June 1, 2022; and Dhanoa on Tuesday, May 24, 2022. All three face a maximum of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. They will also be ordered to pay restitution to Amazon.
The charges against Talsma are scheduled for trial beginning on April 5, 2022, in United States District Court in Lansing, Michigan. The charges against him are mere allegations and he remains innocent until and unless proven guilty at trial.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Postal Inspection Service are investigating the case. Amazon referred the matter to law enforcement and has supported the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ron Stella is prosecuting the case.
###
Torrington Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Bob Murray announced today that ANDREW BRYAN CULLIGAN, age 35, of Torrington, Wyoming pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography during a change of plea hearing held on January 18, 2022, before Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal. Sentencing has been set for April 8, 2022.
Culligan was arrested on August 4, 2021, in Casper, Wyoming after being indicted by a federal grand jury. He faces up to 20 years of imprisonment, 5 years to life of supervised release, a $5,000 special assessment pursuant to the Victims of Sex Trafficking Act of 2015, up to $17,000 in special assessments, and mandatory restitution of not less than $3,000 per requesting victim pursuant to the Amy, Vicky and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act of 2018.
This crime was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christyne M. Martens.
Case Number 0:21-cr-00078-NDF
Superseding Indictment Charges New York Fisherman with Conspiracy, Fraud and ObstructionRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of New York unsealed a superseding indictment charging a fisherman with both conspiracy and substantive charges in connection with a scheme to illegally overharvest fluke and black sea bass.
Christopher Winkler, 61, of Montauk, was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, to obstruct the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) through the falsification of fishing logs, and to unlawfully frustrate NOAA’s efforts at regulating federal fisheries.
In April 2021, Winkler was indicted with several others as part of a conspiracy that was incorporated as part of the new indictment. However, the other defendants were not charged in the superseding indictment. The superseding indictment alleges that between May 2014 and February 2017, Winkler, as captain of the F/V New Age, went on at least 220 fishing trips where he caught fluke or black sea bass in excess of applicable trip limits. At various times during the conspiracy, this fish was sold to two now-defunct companies in the New Fulton Fish Market in the Bronx and a fish dealer in Montauk. According to court filings, the overages of fish included at least 200,000 pounds of fluke, and the overall over-quota fish (of all species) were valued at least at $850,000 wholesale.
Under federal law, a fishing captain is required to accurately detail his catch on a form known as a Fishing Vessel Trip Report (FVTR), which is mailed to NOAA. Similarly, the first company that buys fish directly from a fishing vessel, termed a fish dealer, is required to specify what it purchases on a federal form known as a dealer report. Pursuant to statutory mandate, NOAA utilizes this information to set policies designed to ensure a sustainable fishery. The superseding indictment alleges that part of the conspiracy was to falsify both FVTRs and dealer reports in order to cover-up the fact that fish were taken in excess of quotas.
Initiated as part of Operation One-Way Chandelier, the charges are part of a multi-year, ongoing investigation into fisheries fraud on Long Island. NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement investigated the case. Trial Attorney Christopher Hale and Senior Trial Attorney Kenneth Nelson of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Suburban Chicago Dentist Charged with Orchestrating $1.2 Million Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago dentist fraudulently obtained $1.2 million in medical care loans for purported dental work that was never performed, according to a federal fraud charge.
MICHAEL D. EGAN, 58, of Orland Park, Ill., is charged with one count of wire fraud in a criminal information filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Chicago. The charge is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison. Arraignment is scheduled for Thursday at 1:30 p.m. before U.S. District Judge Edmond E. Chang.
The charge was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kartik K. Raman.
Egan owned and operated a dental practice in Tinley Park, Ill. The fraud charge alleges that in 2015 and 2016, Egan submitted fraudulent applications to a lending company for medical care loans that would purportedly finance certain patients’ dental care. In reality, Egan knew that he would not, and in fact did not, perform the dental work on those patients, the information states. In some instances, after a loan was approved Egan caused the amount to be increased by falsely informing the lending company that additional dental work was needed, when, in fact, Egan knew that no additional treatment – or any treatment at all – would be performed, the information states.
The charge alleges that Egan fraudulently obtained approximately $1.2 million from the lending company. After receiving the fraudulently obtained loan proceeds directly from the lending company, Egan allegedly paid a portion of the money to the purported dental patients as well as to recruiters who had identified the patients to apply for the loans.
The public is reminded that an information 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. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.
Stamford Man Who Fraudulently Obtained More Than $4 Million in Covid-19 Relief Funds Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
Moustapha Diakhate, 46, of Stamford, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today via video conference before U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea to offenses related to his receipt of more than $4 million in COVID-19 relief funds guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Today’s announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Leonard C Boyle, Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite of the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General’s Eastern Region, Special Agent in Charge David Sundberg of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Special Agent in Charge Joleen D. Simpson of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in March 2020, the CARES Act provided emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). In April 2020, Congress authorized more than $300 billion in additional PPP funding. The PPP allowed qualifying small businesses and other organizations to receive unsecured loans at an interest rate of 1%. PPP loan proceeds must be used by businesses on payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent and utilities. The PPP allowed the interest and principal to be forgiven if businesses spent the proceeds on these expenses within a certain period of time of receipt and used at least a certain percentage of the amount to be forgiven for payroll.
The PPP was overseen by the Small Business Administration, which has authority over all PPP loans. Individual PPP loans, however, were issued by private approved lenders, such as Citibank, which received and processed PPP applications and supporting documentation, and then made loans using the lenders’ own funds, which were guaranteed by the SBA.
Diakhate maintained an ownership or management interest in certain small business entities, including Ansonia Developers LLC, Winsbay Inc., Buyers Association Group LLC, Washington Management LLC, Diakhate Capital, Inc., and Poulson & Gold Inc. Beginning in May 2020, Diakhate provided Citibank and M&T Bank with false and fraudulent information during the PPP loan application process in order to obtain PPP loans for each of his six entities totaling more than $4 million. Diakhate then used a portion of the funds for various personal expenses, including to pay off a loan he had been provided to purchase of a 2010 Porsche Panamera Turbo, and to purchase both a Mercedes and BMW. He also purchased a $50,000 certificate of deposit with PPP funds, and disbursed funds to various and individuals unrelated to his business entities.
Diakhate was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on May 7, 2021. Today, he pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years, and one count of making an illegal monetary transaction, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. Judge Shea scheduled sentencing for April 21.
Diakhate is released on a $450,000 bond pending sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher W. Schmeisser.
Individuals with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 are encouraged to report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721, or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
St. Paul Man Charged in Illegal Gun Buying ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minnesota – A St. Paul man has been arrested and charged for his role in a firearms straw purchasing conspiracy, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Charles J. Kovats.
According to court documents, between May 11, 2021, and October 17, 2021, Gabriel Lee Young-Duncan, 27, and a previously charged co-conspirator participated in a conspiracy to illegally purchase multiple firearms, including one that was used in the Seventh Street Truck Park Bar shooting on October 10, 2021. Young-Duncan and his co-conspirator agreed to work together to illegally acquire firearms by making false statements to Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) throughout the Twin Cities. Specifically, the co-conspirator would purchase the firearms, stating on the ATF Form 4473 that the co-conspirator was the actual buyer, and then transfer the firearms to Young-Duncan, who would keep the firearms, or further transfer them to third parties.
According to court documents, Young-Duncan and his co-conspirator worked together to illegally obtained dozens of firearms, including four Glock 9mm semiautomatic pistols and two Mossberg 9mm semiautomatic pistols.
Young-Duncan is charged with one count of conspiracy to make false statements in the purchases of firearms. He made his initial appearance yesterday in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Cowan Wright.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the St. Paul Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Calhoun-Lopez is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
St. Louis man pleads guilty for his role in the attempted armed robbery of Robinson’s JewelersRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – United States District Court Judge Audrey G. Fleissig accepted a plea of guilty from Deven Strauther, age 30, on today’s date for knowingly attempting to rob Robinson Jeweler’s on May 25, 2019. A grand jury in the Eastern District of Missouri previously indicted Strauther in July 2019. Judge Fleissig set sentencing for May 4, 2022.
According to the plea agreement, on May 25, 2019, Strauther and at least two other individuals arrived on the parking lot of the Robinson’s Jewelers in a stolen vehicle with the intent to commit an armed robbery. Strauther and another individual were armed as they attempted to enter the jewelry store. The business is equipped with two entry doors that allow entry into the business. As a security measure, the second door must be opened electronically by the staff.
Strauther entered the first door of the business as another suspect followed. Strauther and the other individual were not able to gain complete entry into the business because staff did not electronically open the second door. When Strauther was unable to gain entry through the second door, he kicked out the lower portion of the glass on the door to try and get in.
Fearing for their safety, the business owner and an off-duty police officer, who were both armed with firearms, fired at Strauther. In response, Strauther discharged his weapon as he and the other individual ran from the business. Strauther was located approximately 30 minutes after the shooting at an area hospital with two gunshot wounds to his abdomen.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives are investigating this case.
South Carolina Man Sentenced to 44 Months in Prison for Assaulting Law Enforcement During Capitol BreachRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A South Carolina man was sentenced today to 44 months in prison for assaulting law enforcement with a dangerous weapon during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, which disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress that was in the process of ascertaining and counting the electoral votes related to the presidential election.
According to court documents, Nicholas Languerand, 26, of Little River, South Carolina, was among rioters standing near the archway leading from the Lower West Terrace to the interior of the Capitol. Between 4:50 and 5 p.m., he threw various objects at officers with the U.S. Capitol Police and Metropolitan Police Department, including an orange traffic barrier and two stick-like objects. The officers were protecting the Lower West Terrace entrance. Based on the size and weight of the objects, as well as the speed and force with which Languerand threw them, the items were capable of inflicting serious bodily injury. Additionally, at about 5 p.m., Languerand took possession of a police riot shield, struck it against the ground, and then held it in front of him as he confronted police.
At the time of the Capitol breach, Languerand was residing in Wolcott, Vermont. He later moved to South Carolina, where he was arrested on April 15. He pleaded guilty on Nov. 3, in the District of Columbia, to assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers with a dangerous weapon. In addition to the prison term, Judge John D. Bates ordered Languerand to pay $2,000 in restitution. He also must serve a period of two years of supervised release following completion of his prison term. He additionally was ordered to perform 60 hours of community service.
The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina. The case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington and Columbia, South Carolina Field Offices. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.
In the one year since Jan. 6, more than 725 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 225 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.
###
Somerset County Man Pleads Guilty to Meth ChargeRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A former Somerset County resident pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Terrell Robison Ickes, 31, of Listie, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to Count One of the Indictment before Senior United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson.
In connection with the guilty plea, on or about June 23, 2020, to on or about July 3, 2020, Ickes did possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Judge Gibson scheduled sentencing for May 26, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. The law provides for a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison, a fine of $10,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Arnold P. Bernard Jr. is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Somerset County Detectives and the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Ickes.
Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A man who received child pornography was sentenced today to more than 15 years in federal prison.
Ricardo Castillo, Jr., age 64, from Sioux Falls, SD received the prison terms after an August 31, 2021, guilty plea to receipt of child pornography. In a plea agreement, Castillo admitted that he utilized his work computer to receive and possess child pornography between July 2017 and January 2019. Castillo committed this offense after having a 1991 conviction for Lascivious Acts with a Child in the Iowa District Court for Woodbury County. A forensic examination of Castillo’s work computer and a hard drive revealed at least 4,000 images of child pornography, which Castillo attempted to delete when confronted by law enforcement.
Castillo was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Castillo was sentenced to 183 months’ imprisonment and ordered to pay $9,000 in restitution to victims. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mikala Purdy-Steenholdt and Ron Timmons, and was investigated by the Sioux City, Iowa Police Department.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-CR-4092.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Sioux City Man Sentenced to More Than 25 Years in Federal Prison for Meth and Firearm ConvictionsRead the Press Release
A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine and possessed a firearm during his drug trafficking was sentenced January 24, 2022, in federal court in Sioux City.
Jerry Powell, 32, from Sioux City, Iowa, pled guilty on May 19, 2021, to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of illegal possession of a firearm, and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes. Powell had two previous drug-related convictions, one in Iowa in 2018 and one in South Dakota in 2007.
At defendant’s plea and sentencing hearings, evidence showed that between 2016 and December 17, 2020, Powell and others conspired to distribute 50 grams of methamphetamine in the Sioux City area. On December 17, 2020, law enforcement in Sioux City caught Powell attempting to flee a legal traffic stop, first by vehicle, at speeds in excess of 100 mph on city streets, then, after crashing the vehicle, on foot. Law enforcement observed Powell throw a handgun (later determined to be a loaded .357 magnum revolver) away during his attempted flight. Law enforcement later seized six ounces of methamphetamine from the vehicle operated by Powell. Powell admitted he had acquired the methamphetamine from a source and possessed it with the intent to distribute some or all of it to another person or persons. Powell also admitted he was prohibited from legally possessing a gun due to being a previously convicted felon.
The court also found that Powell and another, working for another conspirator, were involved in the transport of at least 10 pounds of methamphetamine from a source in Arizona back to Sioux City.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Powell remains in custody of the United States Marshals Service until he can be transported to a federal prison. Powell was sentenced to 254 months’ imprisonment and must serve a 5 year term of supervised release following imprisonment.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Sioux City Police Department and the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21-4005. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Silver Valley Woman Admits to Wire Fraud Scheme to Embezzle from Her EmployerRead the Press Release
COEUR D'ALENE – An Osburn, Idaho woman pleaded guilty to wire fraud.
According to court records, Trina Marie Welch, 48, of Osburn, Idaho, was employed by Kasco of Idaho, LLC as a bookkeeper from 2012 until July 3, 2019. Beginning in at least 2013 and continuing until the day she was terminated on July 3, 2019, Welch used her position as a bookkeeper to engage in a scheme and plan to defraud Kasco and engage in a scheme to obtain money and property by making materially false and fraudulent representations and promises. In summary, Welch embezzled funds from Kasco by writing and creating at least 341 checks which were drawn on the Kasco bank account. Those checks were written to Welch's own credit cards and money was applied to the credit cards outstanding balances. During the plea hearing, Welch admitted that in 2017 alone she took over $930,000 just to pay her Bank of America credit cards. Welch admitted she bought properties for herself and others related to her and spent the money at spas, travel for herself and family and friends, and other personal endeavors. Welch admitted that she took at least $1,500,000, and acknowledged that the United States contends she took at least $3,674,338.86 in total. As part of the plea agreement, Welch agreed to pay restitution and forfeit her interest in any of the properties she bought with the money.
Welch is scheduled to be sentenced on April 13, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine, and three 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 efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which led to charges.
###
Seattle drug dealer who preyed on young runaway sentenced to prisonRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 29-year-old Seattle-area resident was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 10 years in prison for four federal felonies, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. Steve Godina Ochoa was arrested in February 2020, after a 13-year-old runaway disclosed to counselors, that Godina Ochoa repeatedly sexually assaulted her. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour imposed a 10-year term of supervised release to follow the prison sentence.
According to records filed in the case, in November 2019, the Bellevue Police Department Sexual Assault Unit began investigating Godina Ochoa after disclosures from a young victim. When Godina Ochoa and his vehicles were located, law enforcement seized quantities of methamphetamine and heroin and three firearms. Two of the firearms had been reported stolen – one from Federal Way and the other from Snohomish County. Godina Ochoa had more than $4,500 cash in the car – the proceeds from his drug dealing. Godina Ochoa was prohibited from possessing firearms due to prior convictions for arson and unlawful possession of a firearm.
When law enforcement seized and analyzed Godina Ochoa’s electronic devices they found images of the sexual assault on the young victim. The images constitute child pornography.
In asking for the 10-year sentence prosecutors wrote to the court, “There are very few crimes that are more serious than those involving the sexual abuse and exploitation of children and narcotics trafficking is an undeniable blight on our community which robs our citizens of quality and longevity of life. As a convicted felon, the defendant elected to use firearms to protect his wares again putting himself and others are risk of harm or death all in an effort to support his lifestyle.”
The case was investigated by the Bellevue Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) and the Department of Homeland Security (HSI).
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson.
Rite Aid Agrees to Pay $30,000 to Resolve Alleged Violations of the Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
CONCORD – United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today that Rite Aid has agreed to pay $30,000 in civil monetary penalties to resolve allegations that it violated the Controlled Substances Act when its pharmacists filled forged prescriptions at a Rite Aid store in Manchester.
In the agreement, Maxi Drug North, Inc. d/b/a Rite Aid agreed to pay $30,000 to resolve allegations that its pharmacists filled 15 forged prescriptions for the same individual at its location at Mammoth Road in Manchester between October of 2016 and March of 2018.
Under the Controlled Substances Act, a valid prescription for a controlled substance must be issued for a legitimate medical purpose by an individual practitioner acting in the usual course of his or her practice. Based on its investigation, the government alleged that the pharmacists at Rite Aid should have known that they were presented with invalid prescriptions that should not have been filled.
Rite Aid denied liability in this matter and cooperated with the government’s investigation.
“Criminals use a wide variety of methods to obtain controlled substances, including passing forged prescriptions,” said U.S. Attorney Farley. “When pharmacies dispense controlled substances to customers, they have an obligation to ensure that the prescriptions they fill are legitimate. If a pharmacy does not adequately scrutinize prescriptions, potentially dangerous drugs can be diverted to unlawful uses that jeopardize public safety. We will use the Controlled Substances Act and all available tools to protect public health and safety in the Granite State. I am grateful to the DEA’s diversion investigators for their investigative work in this case and their ongoing efforts to protect the residents of New Hampshire.”
The case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Raphael Katz. The matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
###
Registered Sex Offender Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Child Exploitation OffenseRead the Press Release
Paducah, KY – A Greenville man, previously required to register as a sex offender in the state of Kentucky, was sentenced yesterday to 20 years in prison, followed by a lifetime term of supervised release, for attempting to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity. There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, Dustin R. Stone, 29, of Greenville, Kentucky traveled to Paducah, Kentucky on December 3, 2018, to meet with a person he believed to be a 13-year-old minor for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity. In November of 2018, after receiving a complaint that Stone was sending sexually explicit text messages to minors, detectives with the Paducah Police Department launched an undercover investigation. From November 21, 2018, through December 3, 2018, Stone sent numerous sexually explicit messages to an undercover detective who was posing as a 13-year-old girl. Stone expressed his desire to meet the minor for sexual activity. Stone was arrested on December 3, 2018, when he traveled to Paducah to meet with the supposed minor. During their investigation, detectives learned that Stone was required to register as a sex offender in the state of Kentucky as the result of a 2014 conviction in Muhlenberg Circuit Court for attempted use of electronic means to induce a minor in a sex offense.
“Prosecuting those who seek to exploit children in the Western District is a top priority of this office,” stated United States Attorney Michael A. Bennett. “I commend the detectives of the Paducah Police Department and the prosecutors who work daily to ensure our children are safe and our neighborhoods secure.”
“I am proud of the work our detectives did to remove a child predator from our community,” said Chief of Police Brian Laird. “We look forward to continuing to work with the U.S. Attorney’s office to obtain federal convictions for those who would prey on our children.”
The General Investigations Unit of the Paducah Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Leigh Ann Dycus and Raymond McGee, of the United States Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office, prosecuted the case.
###
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Readout of Justice Department Leadership Meeting with Election OfficialsRead the Press Release
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland today convened a virtual discussion with a bipartisan group of election officials to provide an update on the work of the Election Threats Task Force.
Notably, the updates included the Task Force’s first charge for interstate threats to kill government officials, information on the work to review the over 850 reports of threats to election officials, and updated guidance to grant recipients that grant funding can be used to deter, detect and protect against threats of violence against election workers, administrators, officials and others associated with the electoral process.
The Attorney General reiterated that the Justice Department has no tolerance for – and will not hesitate to investigate and prosecute – illegal threats or acts of violence that target those who administer our elections. These threats endanger election officials, and they endanger our democracy.
During her remarks, Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco committed to continued dialogue with the election officials and workers community, and affirmed that the Task Force will continue to work diligently to investigate threats of violence to the individuals administering free and fair elections throughout the nation.
During the meeting, Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta announced that the Bureau of Justice Assistance has provided guidance to states that Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program funds can be used to deter, detect and protect against threats of violence against election officials. The Byrne JAG program is a leading source of federal criminal justice funding to state and local jurisdictions, helping to fill gaps in state, local, and tribal criminal justice systems. The broad criminal justice purposes supported by the JAG Program permit JAG funds to be used to deter, detect and protect against threats of violence against election workers, administrators, officials and others associated with the electoral process. Associate Attorney General Gupta also encouraged those that are interested in using JAG funds for these purposes to start conversations with their respective State Administering Agency about purpose and process.
FBI Director Christopher A. Wray and Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department's Criminal Division also participated in the meeting.
The Attorney General and department leadership first met with the bipartisan group of election officials in August 2021 following the formation of the Task Force.
To report suspected threats or violent acts, contact your local FBI office and request to speak with the Election Crimes Coordinator. Contact information for every FBI field office may be found at https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/. You may also contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or file an online complaint at tips.fbi.gov. Complaints submitted will be reviewed by the task force and referred for investigation or response accordingly. If someone is in imminent danger or risk of harm, contact 911 or your local police immediately.
Pittsburgh Man Admits Threatening a Former Girlfriend who had a PFA Order Against HimRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – An inmate of Allegheny County Jail has pled guilty to a charge of transmitting a threat in interstate commerce, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
William Jackson, age 49, formerly of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pled guilty in front of Senior District Judge Nora Barry Fischer on January 24, 2022.
According to the information presented to the court, on August 2, 2019, Jackson made a telephone call to a former girlfriend who had a Protection from Abuse Order against him protecting herself and her children and stated on the call that he intended to kill one of her children. Jackson also accepted responsibility for two other threats—made to the victim and her parents—that same night.
Jacksons faces up to five years in prison, a fine of not more than $250,000, and a term of supervised release of not more than three years. Sentencing is scheduled for May 5, 2022.
Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Vasquez Schmitt is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bridgeville Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
This case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Philadelphia Man Admits Role in Murder for HireRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Philadelphia man pleaded guilty today to conspiring with Sean Caddle and a longtime accomplice to murder one of Caddle’s associates, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Bomani Africa, 61, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge John Michael Vazquez to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit murder for hire. One of Africa’s conspirators, Sean Caddle, pleaded guilty on Jan. 25, 2022, before Judge Vazquez, to his role in the murder scheme.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In April of 2014, Caddle solicited one of his conspirators (identified as “CC-1”), a Connecticut resident, to commit a murder on Caddle’s behalf in exchange for thousands of dollars. CC-1 then recruited Africa, a longtime accomplice from Philadelphia, to join the plot. After CC-1 confirmed his and Africa’s interest in the job, Caddle told CC-1 that the target was a longtime associate who had worked for Caddle on various political campaigns.
On May 22, 2014, Africa and CC-1 traveled from out-of-state to the victim’s apartment in Jersey City. After entering the apartment, Africa and CC-1 stabbed the victim to death and then CC-1 set fire to the victim’s apartment.
After Caddle learned that the victim had been murdered, the following day, he met CC-1 in the parking lot of a diner in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Caddle paid CC-1 thousands of dollars in exchange for the murder, and CC-1 shared a portion of those proceeds with Africa.
Africa faces a maximum potential penalty of life imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for June 7, 2022.
U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr. in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office for its assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee M. Cortes Jr., Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Health Care Fraud Unit, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Farrell, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Cybercrime Unit.
Pharmacist Sentenced for $180 Million Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Mississippi pharmacist was sentenced today to five years in prison in the Southern District of Mississippi for a multimillion-dollar scheme to defraud TRICARE and private insurance companies by paying kickbacks to distributors for the referral of medically unnecessary prescriptions. The conduct resulted in more than $180 million in fraudulent billings, including more than $50 million paid by federal health care programs.
According to court documents, David “Jason” Rutland, 42, of Bolton, a pharmacist and co-owner of compounding pharmacies, schemed to defraud TRICARE and other health care benefit programs by distributing medically unnecessary compounded medications. TRICARE is the health care program for uniformed service members, retirees and their families. Rutland adjusted prescription formulas to ensure the highest reimbursement without regard to efficacy. He solicited recruiters to procure prescriptions for high-margin compounded medications and paid those recruiters commissions based on the percentage of reimbursements paid by pharmacy benefit managers and health care benefit programs, including commissions on claims reimbursed by TRICARE. Rutland also routinely and systematically waived and/or reduced copayments to be paid by beneficiaries and members, including utilizing a purported copayment assistance program to falsely make it appear as if his pharmacy and its affiliate compounding pharmacies had been collecting copayments, among other things.
Rutland pleaded guilty on July 20, 2021, to conspiracy to defraud the United States and solicit, receive, offer and pay illegal kickbacks. In addition to the term of imprisonment, Rutland was ordered to pay restitution and forfeit all assets traced to his ill-gotten gains.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca for the Southern District of Mississippi; Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the FBI’s Jackson Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Cyndy Bruce of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DoD OIG-DCIS) Southeast Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Jackson Field Office and DoD OIG-DCIS are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Emily Cohen and Alejandra Arias of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathlyn Van Buskirk for the Southern District of Mississippi are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Sara Porter and Dustin Davis of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.
New York Man Pleads Guilty in Multi-Million Dollar Fraudulent Prize Notice SchemeRead the Press Release
A fifth defendant pleaded guilty today in the Eastern District of New York to participating in a fraudulent, multi-million dollar mass-mailing scheme that tricked consumers into paying fees for falsely promised cash prizes.
According to court documents, from November 2013 through November 2018, Carmine Maietta, 75, of Westbury, New York, engaged in a direct-mail scheme that sent fraudulent prize notification mailings to thousands of consumers. The mailings induced consumers to pay a fee, purportedly in return for a large cash prize. None of the consumers who sent a fee ever received such a prize. Maietta pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud.
“Mass mailing fraud schemes often trick elderly victims into sending money based on false promises of large cash prizes,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice is committed to pursuing and prosecuting the perpetrators of these schemes.”
“With today’s guilty plea, Maietta admits to deceiving elderly and other vulnerable victims into believing they had won cash prizes when, in reality, he was simply pocketing their hard-earned funds,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. “This office is committed to protecting the vulnerable from the financial harm caused by fraudulent mail solicitation schemes.”
“Sweepstakes and other frauds are extremely damaging to those who fall victim to a scammers’ pitch of trickery and lies,” said Inspector in Charge Daniel B. Brubaker of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “These fraudulent schemes by design are nothing more than lies written on paper. Postal Inspectors will always vigorously pursue individuals who prey on the public, bringing them to justice for their criminal activity.”
Four other defendants previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud for participating in the scheme. Charles Kafeiti, 58, of Scottsdale, Arizona, pleaded guilty on Dec. 23, 2020. Steven Diaz, 53, of Mount Sinai, New York, pleaded guilty on Feb. 8, 2021. Anthony Kafeiti, 61, of Port Jefferson, New York, pleaded guilty on July 28, 2021. Drew Wilson, 63, of British Columbia, Canada, pleaded guilty on Aug. 24, 2021. The defendants were part of a multi-million dollar mail fraud scheme in which they worked together to coordinate the mailings, open and process victims’ responses to the fraudulent solicitations, manage lists of recipients and respondents, and process victim payments.
Maietta will be sentenced at a later date. Each of the five defendants faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Timothy Finley and Daniel Zytnick of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles P. Kelly of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York are prosecuting the case.
The department’s extensive and broad-based efforts to combat elder fraud seeks to halt the widespread losses seniors suffer from fraud schemes. The best method for prevention, however, is by sharing information about the various types of elder fraud schemes with relatives, friends, neighbors and other seniors who can use that information to protect themselves.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud, and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is staffed seven days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish and other languages are available.
Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Information about the Department of Justice’s Elder Fraud Initiative is available at www.justice.gov/elderjustice.
New York Man Arrested for COVID-19 Relief Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A New York Man was arrested today on charges arising from a scheme to fraudulently obtain business loans and unemployment pandemic relief funds made available under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Ronald Buie, 35, was charged with one count of wire fraud. Buie will make an initial appearance in federal court in the Eastern District of New York this afternoon and will appear in Boston at a later date.
According to the charging documents, Buie engaged in a scheme to defraud the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) by submitting fraudulent applications for loans offered in connection with the CARES Act. It is alleged that Buie applied for SBA loans under various false identities for which he had also opened bank accounts and email accounts. Buie also allegedly submitted fraudulent documentation to apply for and obtain a fraudulent loan from the SBA Paycheck Protection Program for his company, Platinum Car Service LLC. Specifically, in support of his loan application, Buie allegedly provided what he purported to be a monthly bank statement for his business checking account showing an ending balance of more than $198,000, whereas bank records for that particular month show that the actual balance was less than $3,000. In addition, it is alleged that Buie’s scheme also involved the utilization of various false identities to apply for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits.
The charge of wire fraud 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. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Frederick J. Regan, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, Boston Field Office; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigations; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the United States Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Secret Service, New York Field Office; Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance; and the New York City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney William F. Abely, Chief of Rollins’ Criminal Division, is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
New Milford Man Indicted on Child Exploitation ChargesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on January 25, 2022, Luke Shager, age 35, of New Milford, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of interstate travel to engage in illicit sexual contact, online enticement, transportation of a minor and production of child pornography.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that on November 4, 2019, Shager traveled from Pennsylvania to New York to engage in illicit sexual conduct and between July 2020 and December 2020, Shager used the internet and a cellular device to entice a minor victim to engage in sexual activity. The indictment also alleges that on August 1, 2020, Shager transported a minor from New York to Pennsylvania with the intent to engage in sexual activity and on August 2, 2020 Shager produced child pornography.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny P. Roberts is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 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.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
# # #
Monmouth County Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Role in Gun Trafficking Conspiracy and Possessing Firearm as Previously Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Monmouth County, New Jersey, man with a prior felony conviction was sentenced today to 60 months in prison for illegally possessing a firearm and conspiring to illegally sell firearms, including multiple handguns and a semi-automatic rifle, in and around Monmouth and Ocean counties, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Javier Rodriguez-Valpais, 33, aka “Broly,” of Morganville, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Anne E. Thompson to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to engage in firearms trafficking and one count of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon. Judge Thompson imposed the sentence today by videoconference.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From May 2020 through September 2020, Javier Rodriguez-Valpais and others were members of a gun trafficking conspiracy that spanned from Florida to New Jersey. Rodriguez-Valpais sold a .223 caliber semi-automatic rifle to co-defendant Enrique Quijada, who in turn sold the rifle to an individual working at the direction and supervision of the FBI.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Thompson sentenced Rodriguez-Valpais to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, Newark Division, and the Jersey Shore Safe Streets Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr.; and the Freehold Police Department, under the direction of Chief Craig Dispenza, with the investigation leading to the today’s sentencing. He also thanked the FBI Tampa Division, the ATF Newark and Tampa Field Divisions for their assistance in the investigation.
In July 2021 the U.S. Department of Justice launched five cross-jurisdictional strike forces to help reduce gun violence by disrupting illegal firearms trafficking in key regions across the country. Leveraging existing resources, the regional strike forces will better ensure sustained and focused coordination across jurisdictions and help stem the supply of illegally trafficked firearms from source cities, through other communities, and into five key market regions: New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area/Sacramento Region and Washington, D.C. According to gun trace data, a significant number of firearms recovered in the New York/northern New Jersey area originate from outside the area. The new strike force will help ensure sustained and focused coordination between law enforcement and prosecutors in the New York/northern New Jersey area with their counterparts in those other locations.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ian D. Brater of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton.
Middlesex County Man Sentenced to Six Months’ Home Confinement for Selling Carvings Made of Sperm Whale IvoryRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Middlesex County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to five years’ probation, including six months’ home confinement, for the interstate sale of carvings made of sperm whale ivory, U.S Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Richard Gontarek, 55, of Woodbridge, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael A. Hammer in Newark federal court to an information, charging him with two counts of violating the Lacey Act, by selling to a buyer in Pennsylvania carvings made of sperm whale ivory that Gontarek should have known were possessed in violation of New Jersey State law. Judge Hammer imposed the sentence today by videoconference.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Jan. 3, 2018, and on Dec. 6, 2018, Gontarek shipped a package containing a carving made from the tooth of a sperm whale to a buyer in Etter, Pennsylvania, in exchange for payment. Sperm whales are listed in Appendix I to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
The Lacey Act makes it a crime to sell in interstate commerce wildlife possessed in violation of any state law when in the exercise of due care the seller should have known that the wildlife was possessed in violation of the state law. New Jersey state law makes it unlawful for any person to possess with intent to sell ivory or any item that contains or is made from ivory.
Gontarek has agreed to pay a fine of $2,800 to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Lacey Act Reward Fund. He cannot possess, purchase, sell or transport wildlife protected under federal or state law during the probationary period.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement, under the direction of Resident Agent in Charge Sean Mann, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen P. O’Leary of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Government Fraud Unit in Newark.
Middlesex County Man Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Making False StatementsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Middlesex County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 18 months in prison making false statements to United States government agencies, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Gulshan Manko, 37, of Woodbridge, New Jersey, pleaded guilty on Aug. 30, 2021, by videoconference before Chief U.S. District Judge Freda L. Wolfson to an information charging him with one count of making false statements to federal agents. He also pleaded guilty on Sept. 11, 2019, to Count Two of an indictment charging him with making false statements in a separate case.
According to documents filed in these cases and statements made in court:
Manko submitted an application, referred to as an SF-86 Form, for employment as a federal agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration. Manko submitted fictitious academic transcripts from two higher education institutions located in New Jersey and represented that he had graduated from these two academic institutions. Manko made these statements in his employment application knowing that they were false in an attempt to gain employment with the DEA.
In the earlier case, Manko made false statements during a criminal investigation, including falsely asserting that he had shredded a government identification card.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Wolfson sentenced Manko to two years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Thomas Mahoney, and special agents of the DEA, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Susan A. Gibson in Newark, with the investigation leading today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ray Mateo of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit and Joseph Gribko in Newark.
Mexican National Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Attempting to Breach Cockpit then Jumping from Departing Airplane at LAXRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Mexican national was sentenced today to 18 months in federal prison for attempting to breach the cockpit of a commercial airliner taxiing at Los Angeles International Airport, assaulting a flight attendant who tried to stop him, then opening the exit door and jumping out of the aircraft.
Luis Armando Victoria Dominguez, 34, of La Paz, Mexico, was sentenced by United States District Judge Dolly M. Gee, who also ordered him to pay $20,132 in restitution.
Dominguez pleaded guilty in October 2021 to one count of interference with flight crew members and flight attendant.
On June 25, 2021, Dominguez was a passenger on United Airlines flight 5365, operated by SkyWest Airlines, that was scheduled to fly from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City. Soon after the plane pushed back from the gate, Dominguez “sprinted” to the front of the aircraft past a seated flight attendant and “began banging on the cockpit door and manipulating the locked doorknob,” according to an FBI affidavit that was filed with a criminal complaint in this case.
When he failed to gain entry to the cockpit, Dominguez pushed past the flight attendant and went to the emergency exit on the right side of the plane, where he managed to partially open the door, causing the emergency slide to partially deploy, the affidavit states. While a nearby passenger attempted to restrain him, Dominguez managed to get away and jump from the aircraft, missing the emergency slide.
“Once…Dominguez landed on the tarmac, he began crawling away from the aircraft. His right leg appeared broken,” the affidavit states.
“[Dominguez] assaulted a flight attendant and endangered the lives of countless others when he attempted to breach the cockpit of the plane and then partially deployed a slide while the plane was taxiing, causing the pilot to immediately shut off the engine to avoid having the slide sucked into the engine,” prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum. “[Dominguez’s] unruly conduct damaged the plane, taking it out of commission for four days.”
The FBI investigated this matter and received substantial assistance from the Los Angeles Airport Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Lyndsi C. Allsop of the General Crimes Section prosecuted this case.
Massachusetts Man Sentenced to 66 Months for Firearms CrimesRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. –Laveneur Jackson, 41, of Lowell, Massachusetts, was sentenced to 66 months in federal prison for unlawfully possessing a firearm on two separate occasions. Jackson was found guilty by a federal jury on September 28, 2021.
According to trial exhibits and witness testimony during the two-day jury trial, Jackson was prohibited from possessing firearms due to multiple prior felony convictions. Despite this, on two separate occasions in December of 2016, Jackson unlawfully obtained firearms by having an acquaintance purchase them for him at two separate federally licensed gun stores in New Hampshire. Jackson then sold the guns to others in Massachusetts.
“When convicted felons get their hands on guns, they present a grave risk to the public,” said U.S. Attorney Farley. “By obtaining guns unlawfully and selling them in Massachusetts, the defendant not only committed a serious crime, but also put guns into the hands of others who may use them to commit crimes of violence. To protect public safety, we work closely with the ATF and our other law enforcement partners to prosecute gun crimes and keep dangerous felons off the streets.”
“ATF remains dedicated to investigating violent crime and disrupting straw purchasing schemes and today’s sentence is yet another example of the commitment we have made to tirelessly pursue those who violate federal firearms laws.” said James M. Ferguson Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Boston Field Division. “Together, with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to take measures to ensure the safety of our communities and stop the flow of guns to individuals who cannot legally purchase them.”
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Manchester Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Anna Krasinski and Seth R. Aframe, as well as former Assistant United States Attorney Shane B. Kelbley.
###
Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office Seizes Domain Name Purporting to be the Website of the U.S. Department of LaborRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland has seized “US-dolbids.com” which purported to be the official website for the United States Department of Labor.
The seizure of the domain was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Christopher Cooper of the Division of Advanced Technology and Analytics, U.S. Department of Labor - Office of Inspector General; Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.
According to the affidavit filed in support of the seizure, the domain US-dolbids.com claimed to be the official website of the U.S. Department of Labor and claimed to accept bids from potential contractors for ongoing government projects. In order to bid for a purported government contract, the fraudulent domain instructed users to log into a portal with the user’s email address and password. In reality, the website intended to steal a user’s email login credentials for nefarious purposes and financial gain. Additionally, the domain mimicked stylistic designs and language as the authentic U.S. Department of Labor website, including a purported link providing “Coronavirus Resources” for “responding to COVID-19.”
Individuals visiting the site now will see a message that the site has been seized by the federal government and be redirected to another site for additional information.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the U.S. Department of Labor- Office of Inspector General, HSI, the Baltimore County Police Department, and the Baltimore City Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron S.J. Zelinsky and Sean Delaney, who are prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
# # #
Man from Mescalero pleads guilty to federal assault in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
ALBUQERQUE, N.M. – Romeo Martinez, 23, of Mescalero, New Mexico, pleaded guilty in federal court on Jan. 25 to assault resulting in serious bodily injury in Indian Country. Martinez will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled.
According to the plea agreement and other court documents, on June 29, 2021, Martinez, who is not a member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe or any other federally recognized tribe, arrived at his grandmother’s residence and assaulted a victim, identified in court records as “M.B.,” on the Mescalero Apache Reservation. Martinez accused his grandmother and M.B., who is an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, of having his vehicle towed, and began to scream at them. Martinez attacked M.B., hitting her face multiple times and causing a laceration to her forehead and a broken nose and septum. As a result of Martinez’s assault, the victim required medical treatment and surgery.
The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office and the Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matilda McCarthy Villalobos is prosecuting the case.
Man from Mescalero pleads guilty to federal assault in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
ALBUQERQUE, N.M. – Romeo Martinez, 23, of Mescalero, New Mexico, pleaded guilty in federal court on Jan. 25 to assault resulting in serious bodily injury in Indian Country. Martinez will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled.
According to the plea agreement and other court documents, on June 29, 2021, Martinez, who is not a member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe or any other federally recognized tribe, arrived at his grandmother’s residence and assaulted a victim, identified in court records as “M.B.,” on the Mescalero Apache Reservation. Martinez accused his grandmother and M.B., who is an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, of having his vehicle towed, and began to scream at them. Martinez attacked M.B., hitting her face multiple times and causing a laceration to her forehead and a broken nose and septum. As a result of Martinez’s assault, the victim required medical treatment and surgery.
The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office and the Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matilda McCarthy Villalobos is prosecuting the case.
###
Man Who Sold Pistol Used in Synagogue Hostage Crisis Federally ChargedRead the Press Release
The man who sold Malik Faisal Akram the gun he used to kidnap hostages in a Texas synagogue earlier this month has been charged with a federal firearm crime, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Henry “Michael” Dwight Williams, 32, was charged Tuesday via criminal complaint with being a felon in possession of a firearm. He made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Renée H. Toliver in the Northern District of Texas Wednesday afternoon. A detention hearing has been set for Monday, Jan. 31.
“Federal firearm laws are designed to keep guns from falling into dangerous hands. As a convicted felon, Mr. Williams was prohibited from carrying, acquiring, or selling firearms. Whether or not he knew of his buyer’s nefarious intent is largely irrelevant — felons cannot have guns, period, and the Justice Department is committed to prosecuting those who do,” said U.S. Attorney Chad E. Meacham. “We are grateful to the many officers and agents who sprang into action as soon as the synagogue hostage crisis began, and who worked tirelessly to track the weapon from Mr. Akram to Mr. Williams. The freed hostages, the Beth Israel congregation, and indeed the entire Jewish community deserve that support.”
“The Dallas FBI Field Office and our partners have worked around the clock since January 15, 2022 to determine how Malik Faisal Akram acquired the weapon he used to terrorize worshipers at Colleyville’s Congregation Beth Israel synagogue," said Dallas FBI Special Agent in Charge Matthew DeSarno. "Along with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners we pledge to continue our efforts to protect our communities from violence."
According to the complaint, Mr. Williams – a felon previously convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and attempted possession of a controlled substance – allegedly sold Mr. Akram a semiautomatic Taurus G2C pistol on Jan. 13. Two days later, on Jan. 15, agents recovered the pistol from Colleyville’s Congregation Beth Israel synagogue, where Mr. Akram had held four individuals hostage for several hours before he was fatally shot by federal law enforcement.
As part of its intensive investigation into the hostage taking, the FBI tied Mr. Williams to Mr. Akram through an analysis of Mr. Akram’s cellphone records, which showed the pair exchanged a series of calls from Jan. 11 through Jan. 13.
When agents first interviewed Mr. Williams on Jan. 16, Mr. Williams stated that he recalled meeting a man with a British accent, but that he could not recall the man’s name. (Mr. Akram was a British citizen.) Agents interviewed the defendant again on Jan. 24, after he was arrested on an outstanding state warrant. After viewing a photo of Mr. Akram, Mr. Williams confirmed he sold Mr. Akram the handgun at an intersection in South Dallas. Analysis of both men’s cellphone records showed that the two phones were in close proximity on Jan. 13.
Mr. Williams allegedly admitted to officers that Mr. Akram told him the gun was going to be used for “intimidation” to get money from someone with an outstanding debt.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Like all defendants, Mr. Williams is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Dallas Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division, Homeland Security Investigations’ Dallas Field Division, and the Colleyville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Magliolo is prosecuting the case with the support of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Errin Martin, Jay Weimer, Alex Lewis, Lindsey Beran, Nicole Dana, and P.J. Meitl, along with Trial Attorneys David Smith and Michael Dittoe of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.