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Thursday 2 December 2021
Suburban Chicago Woman Charged in Federal Court in Connection with Alleged Child Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago woman has been arrested after she allegedly arranged for a child to engage in commercial sex acts with customers at hotels.
JAMARI HODGE, also known as “Hypnotic” and “Miracle,” 26, of Calumet City, Ill., is charged with one count of producing child pornography. Hodge was arrested Wednesday. A detention hearing is scheduled for Dec. 6, 2021, at 12:30 p.m., before U.S. District Judge Beth W. Jantz.
The charge and arrest were 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. Valuable assistance was provided by the Lansing, Ill., Police Department, Calumet City, Ill., Police Department, and Richton Park, Ill., Police Department. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shy Jackson.
According to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago, Hodge took sexually explicit photographs of the victim and posted them in online advertisements offering commercial sex, the complaint states. Hodge then rented hotel rooms in Illinois that were used for encounters with individuals who responded to the advertisements, the complaint states. Hodge allegedly set the prices and had the customers pay her in cash or electronic transfer after the encounters.
Production of child pornography is punishable by a statutory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison and a maximum sentence of 30 years. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
The public is reminded that a complaint is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
If you believe you are a victim of sexual exploitation, you are encouraged to contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by logging on to www.missingkids.com or by calling 1-800-843-5678. The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Stockton Man Sentenced to over 11 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking of a ChildRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Angel Jesus Sanchez-Manriquez, 22, of Stockton, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley to 11 years and three months in prison for sex trafficking of a child, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, between October and December 2020, Sanchez-Manriquez posted approximately 70 advertisements on a website, each of which contained photos of a 16‑year-old victim, advertising the victim’s availability to perform commercial sex acts. Sanchez-Manriquez referred to the victim as his “Snow Bunny.”
Sanchez-Manriquez rented motel rooms in and around the Stockton area in which the victim performed commercial sex acts. After executing search warrants, law enforcement agents learned that Sanchez-Manriquez also used his cellphone to take photographs and record videos of the victim engaged in sex acts with adults, including Sanchez-Manriquez.
“The pop-culture imagery of sex work is a far cry from the realities of human trafficking cases like these. Every day, adults and minors are marketed and sold to paying customers by exploiters who control and profit from every aspect of the illegal transactions,” said Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan of the FBI Sacramento Field Office. “Our agents are deeply committed to working tirelessly with our local, state, and federal partners to recover victims of human trafficking and ensure whose who exploit them face justice. They work closely with victim services specialists to ensure victims are afforded an opportunity to break free from the cycle of exploitation and abuse that is all too common in these cases. No person should ever be trafficked. Please call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1(888) 373-7888 if you or someone you know needs help.”
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian A. Fogerty and Sam Stefanki 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 those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet safety education.
St. Thomas Woman Pleads Guilty to Disorderly Conduct on United States Postal Service Property and is Sentenced to Two Years’ ProbationRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced that a St. Thomas woman pleaded guilty today to engaging in disorderly conduct on United States Postal Service property and was sentenced to two years’ probation.
According to court documents, Chantelle Grant retrieved a package from the Ottley Post Office in St. Thomas on June 22, 2021. As she was leaving the post office, she bumped into another woman, and then left the building. A few minutes later, Chantelle Grant returned to the building, ran towards the woman she had bumped into minutes before, and punched the woman in the face. She then exited the building again and drove off in a car.
The United States Postal Inspection Service investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Sleeper prosecuted the case.
St. Louis business owner pleads guilty to tax fraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – United States District Court Judge Henry E. Autrey accepted a plea of guilty from Robyn T. Roberts for multiple counts of aggravated identity theft, wire fraud and preparing and submitting false tax returns. A grand jury in the Eastern District of Missouri indicted Roberts earlier this year on several counts of wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and tax fraud.
Roberts pleaded guilty on today’s date for two counts of wire fraud, two counts of aggravated identity theft and five counts of tax fraud in connection with her work as a tax preparer at Roberts Tax Professionals. Roberts is responsible for causing the overpayment of more than $400,000 in tax refunds by preparing fraudulent tax returns. As part of her scheme, Roberts used stolen social security numbers and fraudulently claimed dependents, education expenses, and business losses on behalf of both herself and other taxpayers.
“Tax preparers have a duty to their clients to prepare complete and accurate tax returns that comply with the law,” said Special Agent in Charge, Tyler Hatcher, IRS Criminal Investigation, St. Louis Field Office. “IRS-CI’s efforts to investigate and prosecute tax fraud are critical to overall compliance. Our Special Agents play an important role in protecting not only honest taxpayers from criminal activity, but the nation’s revenue as well.”
Sentencing is set for March 3, 2022.
The case was investigated by the IRS-Criminal Investigations.
St. Croix Woman Sentenced to 18 Months Incarceration in Federal Prison for Her Involvement in a Multi-Defendant Tax Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
St. Croix, USVI – United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced today that Thema Liverpool, age 33, from St. Croix, Virgin Islands was sentenced on December 2, 2021 in federal court by Judge Wilma A. Lewis to eighteen months incarceration, followed by three years of supervised release for her involvement in a multi-defendant tax fraud scheme. Liverpool also must pay restitution of $83,111.71 to the Internal Revenue Service, the amount of falsely claimed tax return proceeds deposited into her bank accounts as a result of the scheme. The defendant pled guilty on November 18, 2019 to Conspiracy to Defraud the United States.
According to the plea agreement filed with the court, from January 2011 to July 2012, Thema Liverpool and others participated in a scheme to steal money from the United States treasury by fraudulently obtaining federal income tax refunds. The scheme involved the acquisition of personal identifying information of individuals (i.e. name, social security number, and date of birth) used to electronically file falsified tax returns with a designation of refunds to the acquired bank accounts or debit cards. Defendant and her co-conspirators withdrew the deposited refunds, spent them using a debit card, or transferred them to other accounts, all for personal use.
Of ten defendants charged in the tax fraud scheme, Liverpool is one of nine to plead guilty. The tenth defendant, Jacinta Gussie, was found guilty in June of 2021 after a six-day trial of Conspiracy to Defraud the United States, four counts of Theft of Government Money, and two counts of Aggravated Identity Theft. Jacinta Gussie was sentenced on November 12, 2021 to 3.75 years of prison and ordered to pay $44,561.11 in restitution.
The prosecution of this fraud scheme is the result of years of investigative work by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations, which identified and dismantled a massive stolen identity refund fraud scheme perpetrated in the Virgin Islands and elsewhere.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Ortiz.
Se ofrece recompensa por ciudadano mexicano que enfrenta cargos por tráfico internacional de cocaína y metanfetaminasRead the Press Release
Una corte federal del Distrito de Columbia divulgó la acusación formal contra Juan Carlos Valencia González, alias “Pelón”, “Tricky Tres”, “O3”, “El 3”, “JP”, y “Pelacas”. Ayer, el Departamento de Estado anunció una recompensa de hasta 5 millones de dólares por información que conduzca a su arresto y sentencia.
Un gran jurado en el Distrito de Columbia remitió la acusación en contra de Juan Carlos Valencia González el 8 de octubre de 2020. De acuerdo a los documentos de la corte, al menos desde principios de 2007, Valencia González conspiró con otros para importar más de cinco kilogramos de cocaína y 500 gramos o más de metanfetaminas a los Estados Unidos desde el extranjero. Los documentos de la corte también alegan que Valencia González portó y utilizó un arma de fuego para llevar a cabo sus operaciones de narcotráfico.
“Estados Unidos está comprometido a trabajar con nuestros socios globales para ir en contra de las grandes organizaciones narcotraficantes,” dijo el Procurador Adjunto Kenneth A. Polite Jr. de la División Criminal del Departamento de Justicia. “Estas organizaciones dañan a nuestras comunidades, y las fuerzas de ley estadounidenses se enfocarán en estos individuos responsables por la proliferación de drogas peligrosas en Estados Unidos, sin importar donde residan.”
“El Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación es una de las organizaciones narcotraficantes más violentas y prolíficas de México, y ha estado inundando a Estados Unidos con fentanilo y metanfetaminas, causando sobredosis y muerte a tantos estadounidenses,” dijo la Administradora de la DEA Anne Milgram. “El anuncio de la recompensa hecho hoy subraya el compromiso de los EEUU. por ir tras los individuos y organizaciones que causan el mayor daño a nuestras comunidades.”
Este caso es parte de la operación “Pinky y Cerebro,” la cual recibió apoyo del Fuerza de Trabajo contra las Drogas y el Crimen Organizado (OCDETF). La división de la DEA en Los Ángeles está investigando el caso.
Los fiscales Kirk Handrich, Kate Naseef, y Kaitlin Sahni de la División Criminal sobre Narcóticos y Drogas Peligrosas están llevando el caso. La oficina de Relaciones Internacionales de la División Criminal apoyó significativamente.
Las acusaciones son meramente alegatos y todos los acusados se presumen inocentes hasta que se demuestre su culpabilidad más allá de duda razonable en una corte de ley.
En Ingles: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/reward-offered-mexican-national-indicted-international-cocaine-and-methamphetamine
Sanford Man Sentenced for Tampering with Pizza DoughRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Sanford man was sentenced today in federal court for tampering with a consumer product, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
Chief U.S. District Judge Jon D. Levy sentenced Nicholas Mitchell, 39, to four years and nine months in prison and three years of supervised release. Mitchell was also ordered to pay $229,611.92 in restitution to the victim of the offense. Mitchell pleaded guilty on June 24, 2021.
According to court records, Mitchell was an employee of a Scarborough company that manufactured pizza doughs that were supplied to Hannaford for resale to consumers. In approximately June 2020, Mitchell was fired.
On October 5, 2020, Mitchell entered the Hannaford store in Saco and placed razor blades in several of the doughs that were for sale in the display case. Customers later purchased the tainted pizza doughs. When the customers opened the pizza doughs, they discovered the razor blades inside the doughs. When Hannaford learned of the tainted product, store personnel removed the remaining pizza doughs from the refrigerator case. During this process, a store employee discovered another dough with a razor blade in it.
“Eliminating threats to the U.S. food supply is one of FDA’s key missions,” said Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey J. Ebersole, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations New York Field Office. “We will continue to investigate and bring to justice those who jeopardize the public health for personal or other motives.”
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Saco Police Department investigated the case, with assistance from the North Berwick and Dover, New Hampshire police departments.
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Roanoke Woman Sentenced for Misusing Official Government SealRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va., – A Roanoke woman was sentenced this week to two years’ probation, the first 90 days of which must be spent on home detention, for creating a document misusing the official seal of the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia.
According to court documents, Lisa Rachelle Spangler, 50, obtained new employment with Medi Home Health in 2020. As part of her employment, a background check was conducted on Spangler, which revealed Spangler was previously convicted of a federal crime in the Western District of Virginia, a fact she hid from her new employers.
Spangler was convicted in 2018 of making a false statement under oath in a federal court proceeding.
When Spangler was confronted about her conviction, she produced a document on letterhead from the Office of the Clerk with the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia. The letter included the name of the current Clerk of Court and the seal for United States District Court.
The letter claimed that Lisa Rachelle Spangler was not involved in the case referred to in the background check. The letter was not legitimate, and had been fabricated by the defendant.
U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh of the Western District of Virginia made the announcement.
The United States Secret Service investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charlene R. Day prosecuted the case.
Reward Offered for Mexican National Indicted for International Cocaine and Methamphetamine Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
A federal court in the District of Columbia unsealed an indictment earlier this year against Juan Carlos Valencia Gonzalez, aka Pelon, Tricky Tres, O3, El 3, JP, and Pelacas. Yesterday, the U.S. Department of State announced a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to his arrest and conviction.
A grand jury in the District of Columbia returned an indictment against Juan Carlos Valencia Gonzalez on Oct. 8, 2020. According to court documents, beginning in as early as 2007, Valencia Gonzalez conspired with others to import more than five kilograms of cocaine and 500 grams or more of methamphetamine into the United States from a foreign country. Court documents further allege that Valencia Gonzalez carried, used, and possessed a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking.
“The United States is committed to working with our global partners to pursue large scale drug trafficking organizations,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These organizations target and damage our communities, and U.S. law enforcement will target those individuals responsible for the proliferation of dangerous drugs here at home, no matter where they reside.”
“CJNG is one of Mexico’s most violent and prolific drug trafficking organizations, which has been flooding the United States with fentanyl and methamphetamine, causing the overdose and death of countless Americans,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “Today’s reward announcement underscores the U.S. government’s commitment to pursuing the individuals and organizations that are causing the most harm in our communities.”
This case is part of “Operation Pinky and the Brain,” which was supported by the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The DEA’s Los Angeles Field Division is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Kirk Handrich, Kate Naseef, and Kaitlin Sahni of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section are prosecuting the case. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance.
The allegations of a criminal indictment are merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
En Español: https://www.justice.gov/espanol/pr/se-ofrece-recompensa-por-ciudadano-mexicano-que-enfrenta-cargos-por-tr-fico-internacional
Randolph County man sentenced for a drug chargeRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Joshua Derek Raines, of Elkins, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 60 months of incarceration for a firearms charge, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II announced.
Raines, 38, pleaded guilty in July 2021 to one count of “Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Crime.” Raines admitted to having a .40 caliber pistol during a drug trafficking crime in August 2019.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Mountain Region Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force investigated.
U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Raleigh County Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Federal Gun and Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Raleigh County man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for possession of 100 grams or more of heroin and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
According to court documents, Richard James Pfost, 39, of Beaver, was the front seat passenger in a vehicle traveling in Belle when deputies with the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle. Deputies observed marijuana in the vehicle and conducted a search of the vehicle. In the front passenger side of the vehicle, where Pfost was seated, deputies located approximately 112 grams of heroin, 88 grams of methamphetamine, 11 grams of cocaine, a loaded Smith and Wesson M&P Shield 9mm pistol, and a loaded Ruger EC9 9mm pistol. Pfost also had $420 in his possession, which he admitted were drug distribution proceeds. Pfost also admitted that he intended to distribute the heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine for money and that the firearms in his possession were to protect himself, the drugs he possessed, and the drug proceeds.
“Drug trafficking is a significant driver of violence in our communities, particularly in Raleigh and Kanawha Counties,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “This substantial sentence demonstrates the effectiveness of our partnerships with ATF and other federal, state and local law enforcement in removing drug dealers with guns from our streets.”
“Drug dealers with guns are a threat to the safety of our communities,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the Louisville Field Division. “ATF, along with our local law enforcement partners, will aggressively investigate, arrest and pursue prosecution of these offenders. Today’s sentencing is an example of that effort and highlights the ongoing partnership and commitment between ATF and law enforcement in Raleigh and Kanawha Counties to make our communities safer for everyone.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department, the Beckley Police Department, the Oak Hill Police Department and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit investigated the case.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Cremeans prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-00094.
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Puerto Rico Mayor Pleads Guilty to Accepting Bribes in Exchange for Millions in Municipal ContractsRead the Press Release
A mayor pleaded guilty yesterday in Puerto Rico to engaging in a bribery scheme in which he received cash payments in exchange for awarding municipal contracts to a particular company (Company A). Relatedly, a Puerto Rico contractor was arrested today for allegedly paying bribes and kickbacks to the mayor.
Felix Delgado-Montalvo, 40, was the mayor of and highest-ranking government official in the municipality of Cataño. Delgado-Montalvo resigned his position as mayor on Tuesday. According to court documents, Delgado-Montalvo unjustly enriched himself by accepting bribes, including cash payments from a particular person, whose business, Company A, would then benefit by being rewarded municipal contracts, including a contract worth nearly $50,000. As part of his plea agreement, Delgado-Montalvo agreed to forfeit $105,820 as proceeds of his illegal conduct.
Relatedly, Mario Villegas-Vargas, 42, of Gurabo, who owned an asphalt and paving company in Puerto Rico, was indicted for allegedly paying kickbacks and bribes to Delgado-Montalvo in exchange for valuable municipal contracts. According to the indictment, beginning in or around June 2017, Villegas-Vargas paid kickbacks and bribes in exchange for Delgado-Montalvo exerting his influence on municipal officials in Cataño, resulting in Villegas-Vargas’s business receiving over $9.9 million in municipal contracts.
Delgado-Montalvo pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to solicit and accept bribes. He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 8, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Chief Judge Raúl M. Arias-Marxuach for the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Villegas-Vargas is charged with conspiracy to pay bribes, bribery, and use of an interstate facility in aid of racketeering. If convicted of all counts, Villegas-Vargas faces a maximum total 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.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow for the District of Puerto Rico, and Acting Assistant Director Jay Greenberg of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division made the announcement.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s San Juan Field Office.
The cases are being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Ryan R. Crosswell of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott H. Anderson and Nicholas W. Cannon of U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and Villegas-Vargas is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Puerto Rican Man Pleads Guilty in Wide-Ranging Fentanyl, Heroin and Cocaine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Puerto Rican man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Worcester to his role in a wide-ranging fentanyl, heroin, crack and cocaine trafficking conspiracy.
Rafael Hidalgo Rodriguez, 33, of Ponce, P.R., pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 280 grams or more of cocaine base and 500 grams or more of cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman scheduled sentencing for March 21, 2022. Rodriguez was charged in an eight-count superseding indictment along with 17 others in July 2020.
According to court documents, following a fatal fentanyl overdose in September 2018, law enforcement began an investigation into a drug trafficking organization (DTO) in the Fitchburg area led by co-conspirators Pedro Baez and Anthony Baez. Through court-authorized interceptions of phones used by the DTO and its suppliers, agents were able to identify the individuals who supplied Pedro and Anthony Baez with cocaine, heroin and fentanyl.
Over the course of the investigation, agents seized over 1.8 kilograms of a heroin and fentanyl mixture, over 3.6 kilograms of cocaine and over 50 grams of crack cocaine, as well as a stolen, loaded handgun, drug manufacturing equipment and over $376,000. Rodrigues distributed between three and five kilograms of cocaine.
Rodriguez is the ninth defendant to plead guilty in this case. In December 2020, Anthony Baez was sentenced by Judge Hillman to 13 years in prison and five years of supervised release. Pedro Baez pleaded guilty on Feb. 2, 2021 and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 17, 2022.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute 280 grams or more of cocaine base and 500 grams or more of cocaine provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, at least four years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Correction; and Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Fitchburg and Lunenburg Police Departments; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and the Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alathea Porter of Mendell’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
The operation was conducted is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. More information on the OCDETF program is available here: https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf/about-ocdetf.
The details contained in the court documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Proud Boys Member Sentenced to 87 Months on Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jonathan M. Cuney, age 38, and a part-time resident of East Greenbush, New York, was sentenced today to 87 months in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, for unlawfully possessing firearms including “ghost guns,” and ammunition.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and John B. DeVito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF).
Cuney previously pled guilty to unlawfully possessing, as a felon, a Springfield Armory rifle and an FMK Firearms Inc. AR-15-style rifle receiver/frame, and to possessing three unregistered silencers, between September 9, 2019 and November 14, 2019.
Cuney has a prior conviction for unlawful gun trafficking. In December 2015, he pled guilty, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, to transporting and selling firearms with obliterated serial numbers while he was a licensed firearms dealer. He was sentenced to 37 months in prison, and returned to East Greenbush in April 2017 upon his release from prison.
In pleading guilty on June 22, 2021, Cuney also admitted that from at least August 2018 until November 12, 2019, he purchased firearms parts from several dozen online retailers, and had these items shipped to East Greenbush; Willits, California (where he maintained a residence); and Providence, Rhode Island (where he formerly maintained a legitimate firearms business). Cuney then used these firearms parts to manufacture non-serialized handguns and rifles, and silencers. These firearms are often called “ghost guns” because they do not have serial numbers, making them more difficult for law enforcement to track.
ATF searched Cuney’s East Greenbush storage unit on November 14, 2019, and found it to contain, among other items:
- Two (2) rifles,
- One (1) revolver,
- Four (4) serialized AR-15-style rifle receivers/frames,
- Two (2) completed “ghost” guns,
- Five (5) pistol parts kits,
- Two (2) completed silencers and enough parts to build more than ten (10) silencers, and
- An assorted quantity of firearm parts and accessories – of which five (5) would be classified as machine guns under federal law – and 3,250 rounds of assorted rifle and pistol ammunition.
Cuney also rented a storage unit in Redway, Humboldt County, California. ATF searched this storage unit on November 20, 2019, and found it to contain, among other items:- Two (2) Glock pistols,
- Seven (7) additional handguns,
- Three (3) rifles,
- One (1) shotgun,
- Five (5) machinegun conversion kits,
- More than ten (10) silencers, and
- More than 1,000 rounds of assorted rifle and handgun ammunition.
Cuney also admitted to unlawfully possessing, on September 17, 2019, in Columbia, Missouri, several thousand rounds of ammunition that he purchased at a firearms store through a straw purchaser.He also admitted to unlawfully possessing, on November 12, 2019, near Tucson, Arizona, a pistol and a rifle, which were discovered during a traffic stop of a vehicle that Cuney was driving.
Cuney has also admitted to joining the Proud Boys organization in late 2018.
In sentencing Cuney, Senior United States District Judge Frederick J. Scullin, Jr. noted that “ghost guns are killing people on the streets every day in this country.”
Judge Scullin noted Cuney’s prior service in the United States Marine Corps, including a combat deployment to Iraq, but said that “any credit you might get for being a veteran is outweighed by your conduct as a criminal. You know how to play the system. You tell a good story – an ‘A’ for creating writing, but an ‘F’ for conduct.”
As part of his plea agreement, Cuney agreed to abandon a variety of firearms, silencers, ammunition, and firearm parts found in both East Greenbush and Redway, California, as well as the following items, all found in Redway: one pair of handcuffs with key; 56 Monadnock disposable single cuffs; and clothing items, patches and badges bearing law enforcement acronyms and insignia, including a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) ball cap, FBI badges, FBI patches, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) patches, and DEA badges.
These cases were investigated by the ATF New York Field Division, with assistance from ATF Special Agents and Task Force Officers in Arizona, California, Missouri, Rhode Island, and Wyoming. The California Highway Patrol also assisted in the investigation.
The New York case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett.
The Arizona case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Serra M. Tsethlikai of the District of Arizona.
The Missouri case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. Oliver of the Western District of Missouri.
Previously Deported Alien Charged with Illegal Re-EntryRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Efrain Gregorio-Gonzalez, age 22, of Mexico, was indicted on December 1, 2021, by a federal grand jury with illegal re-entry into the United States by a previously deported alien.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Gregorio-Gonzalez was previously deported from the United States to Mexico in September 2018. He is alleged to have illegally reentered the United States again sometime after September 2018 and was found in the United States in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.
This matter was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). Assistant United States Attorney Joanne M. Sanderson is prosecuting the case.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Gregorio-Gonzalez faces a maximum penalty of 10 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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Pomona Parolee Sentenced to Nearly Three Years in Federal Prison for Stealing Humvee from Army Reserve Center in UplandRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Pomona man was sentenced today to 34 months in federal prison for stealing a military Humvee from the Army Reserve Center in Upland and then briefly leading police on a chase through a neighborhood.
Armando Garcia, 30, was sentenced by United States District Judge John A. Kronstadt. Garcia pleaded guilty on August 19 to one count of theft of government property. At the time of the offense, Garcia was on parole after being convicted in 2019 in state court on theft and burglary charges.
On November 9, 2020, Garcia stole a militarized High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle – commonly known as a Humvee – that had been secured by a padlock at the Reserve Center in Upland.
Soon after Garcia drove off with the semi-armored combat vehicle with a turret mount, Pomona Police officers saw the Humvee and attempted to make a traffic stop of the unlicensed vehicle.
“[Garcia] fled, leading the officers on a roughly four-minute high-speed chase during which [Garcia] drove on the wrong side of the road, blew through multiple red lights and stops signs, swerved across the road, and drove through several narrow alleys before ultimately giving up,” prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum.
Garcia stopped the Humvee in front of a home on a residential street in Pomona and was arrested at the scene.
Inside the Humvee, police found a large pair of bolt cutters and an Army-approved padlock that appeared to have been cut, according to court documents that note the padlock had secured a steel wire put in place to prevent the turning of the steering wheel.
The FBI’s San Gabriel Valley Safe Streets Task Force investigated this matter. The Pomona Police Department is the sponsoring agency of the Task Force and has hosted the task force since its inception in 2008.
Assistant United States Attorney Juan M. Rodríguez of the General Crimes Section prosecuted this case.
Pekin Man Sentenced to 151 Months in Prison for Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – A Pekin, Illinois, man, Daniel W. Dawe, 48, of the 1600 block of Crescent Drive has been sentenced to 12 years and 7 months in the Bureau of Prisons, to be followed by 8 years of supervised release for possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.
At the sentencing hearing, the government presented evidence that on or about November 5, 2019, Dawe was a passenger in a vehicle that was stopped for a traffic violation. Dawe was searched due to his status on parole, and officers located several individual baggies of suspected ice methamphetamine hidden on his person. A lab report later revealed the methamphetamine weighed 17.584 grams and was 100% pure. Dawe admitted he had been released from prison approximately six months prior in June 2019 and had purchased approximately eight ounces of ice methamphetamine in the time frame since his release. Dawe was on mandatory supervised release for the State of Illinois at the time of this offense.
Dawe pleaded guilty to the sole count of the indictment on June 25, 2021, pursuant to a written plea agreement.
Dawe faced enhanced statutory penalties for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute due to his prior 2012 conviction for robbery, a serious violent felony offense - specifically, a minimum of 10 years to life imprisonment, a minimum of eight years to life term of supervised release, and a maximum $8,000,000 fine.
Dawe has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals since his arrest November 5, 2019. The Drug Enforcement Administration and Pekin Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine G. Legge represented the government in the prosecution.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF)’s National Methamphetamine Strategic Initiative, spearheaded locally out of the Pekin Police Department. The primary goal of this initiative is to address methamphetamine trafficking and its attendant consequences by using a coordinated, multi-agency approach targeting the highest levels of drug trafficking leadership. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Panamanian Intermediary Pleads Guilty in Connection with International Bribery and Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares (Luis Martinelli Linares), 39, a citizen of Panama and Italy, pleaded guilty today in the Eastern District of New York before U.S. District Judge Raymond J. Dearie for laundering $28 million in connection with a massive bribery and money laundering scheme involving Odebrecht S.A. (Odebrecht), a Brazil-based global construction conglomerate.
According to court documents, the scheme involved the payment of more than $700 million in bribes to government officials, public servants, political parties, and others in Panama and other countries around the world to obtain and retain business for the company. On Dec. 21, 2016, Odebrecht pleaded guilty in the Eastern District of New York to a criminal information charging it with conspiracy to violate the anti-bribery provisions of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) for its involvement in the bribery and money laundering scheme.
Luis Martinelli Linares admitted that he agreed with his brother, Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Linares, and others to establish offshore bank accounts in the names of shell companies to receive and disguise over $28 million in bribe proceeds from Odebrecht for the benefit of his close relative, a high-ranking public official in Panama. To advance the scheme, Luis Martinelli Linares agreed with others to cause the wiring of the Odebrecht bribe funds into and out of the United States, and used some of the proceeds of the scheme to purchase a yacht and a condominium in the United States.
Luis Martinelli Linares pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. He also agreed to a forfeiture amount of approximately $18.9 million. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 20, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Judge Dearie will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Linares was arrested, along with his brother Luis Martinelli Linares, at el Aeropuerto Internacional la Aurora in Guatemala on July 6, 2020, pursuant to a provisional arrest request from the United States as they were attempting to depart Guatemala on a private plane. The defendants were charged on Feb. 4, 2021, in a five-count indictment in connection with this bribery and money laundering scheme. The United States continues its efforts to have Ricardo Martinelli Linares returned to the United States to face justice.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York, and Acting Assistant Director Jay Greenberg of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division made the announcement.
The FBI’s International Corruption Unit in New York is investigating this case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Luis Martinelli Linares.
Trial Attorney Michael Culhane Harper of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, Trial Attorneys Barbara Levy and Michael Redmann of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS), and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alixandra E. Smith of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Mantell of U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York’s Civil Division is handling forfeiture matters.
The Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting all FCPA matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa.
The Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative in MLARS was formed to prosecute money launderers and forfeit the proceeds of foreign official corruption and, where appropriate, to use those recovered asset to benefit the people harmed by the corruption and abuse of office. Individuals with information about possible proceeds of foreign corruption located in or laundered through the United States should contact federal law enforcement or send an email to [email protected].
An indictment is merely an allegation, and Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Linares is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Panamanian Intermediary Pleads Guilty for His Role in an International Bribery and Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
BROOKLYN, NY – Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares (Luis Martinelli Linares) pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering for his role in a massive bribery and money laundering scheme involving Odebrecht S.A. (Odebrecht), a Brazil-based global construction conglomerate. The proceeding was held before United States District Judge Raymond J. Dearie.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Kenneth A. Polite Jr., Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the guilty plea.
The Odebrecht scheme involved a conspiracy to pay more than $700 million in bribes to government officials, public servants, political parties, and others in Panama and other countries around the world, to obtain and retain business for the company. On December 21, 2016, Odebrecht pleaded guilty in the Eastern District of New York to a criminal information charging it with conspiracy to violate the anti-bribery provisions of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
At today’s plea hearing, Luis Martinelli Linares admitted that he entered into a conspiracy with his brother, Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Linares (Ricardo Martinelli Linares), and others, to establish offshore bank accounts in the names of shell companies in order to receive and disguise over $28 million in bribe proceeds from Odebrecht for the benefit of his close relative, a high-ranking public official in Panama. To advance the scheme, Luis Martinelli Linares admitted that he and others caused Odebrecht bribe funds to be wired into and out of the United States and used certain wire transfers involving the proceeds of the scheme to purchase a yacht and a condominium in the United States.
Luis Martinelli Linares and Ricardo Martinelli Linares were initially arrested at el Aeropuerto Internacional la Aurora in Guatemala on July 6, 2020, pursuant to a provisional arrest request from the United States as they were attempting to depart Guatemala on a private plane. The defendants were charged on February 4, 2021, in an indictment in connection with this bribery and money laundering scheme. The United States has also requested to extradite Ricardo Martinelli Linares, and those proceedings are ongoing.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alixandra Smith of the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section, Trial Attorney Michael Culhane Harper of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, and Trial Attorneys Barbara Levy and Michael Redmann of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section. Assistant United States Attorney Laura Mantell of the Office’s Civil Division is handling forfeiture matters. The FBI’s International Corruption Unit in New York is investigating this case.
The Defendants:
LUIS ENRIQUE MARTINELLI LINARES
Age: 39
Panama City, PanamaRICARDO ALBERTO MARTINELLI LINARES
Age: 42
Panama City, PanamaE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 21-CR-65 (RJD)
Pair Sentenced to More than 10 Years for Distributing Methamphetamine, Heroin, Cocaine, and Fentanyl in Roanoke AreaRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – A pair of Roanoke men, who conspired with others to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine, at least 100 grams of heroin, and 40 grams or more of both fentanyl and cocaine, were sentenced last week to more than 10 years each in federal prison.
Jarod Sylvester Alston, 28, was sentenced last week to 135 months in federal prison and Antonio Lemar Waddell, 32, was sentenced to 132 months in prison.
According to court documents, from at least May 2018 until September 2019, Alston, Waddell, and others engaged in trafficking methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and fentanyl out of a residence on Crescent Street, NW, in the City of Roanoke.
On August 28, 2019, investigators executed a search warrant at the Crescent Street residence and seized a variety of illegal drugs, including approximately 370 grams of methamphetamine, 103 grams of fentanyl, 8 grams of cocaine, 6 grams of heroin, and 119 grams of a mixture containing heroin and fentanyl. In addition, multiple firearms and more than $38,000 in cash were also seized.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh of the Western District of Virginia and Charlie J. Patterson, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Washington Field Division made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the City of Roanoke Police Department, the Roanoke Division of the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program, and the Virginia State Police investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Miller and Kari Munro prosecuted the case for the United States.
Owner of East Bay Tax Preparation Company Charged with Tax FraudRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – A federal criminal complaint unsealed today charges Traci Austin with aiding and assisting in the preparation of fraudulent tax returns, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds and Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, and IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Mark H. Pearson.
The complaint describes Austin, 44, of Brentwood, Calif., as the owner of a tax return preparation business called Emeryville Tax Services (“ETS”). According to the complaint, Austin prepared materially false and fraudulent tax returns for her clients by including false and/or inflated Schedule A expenses, false and/or inflated Schedule C income and expenses, and false dependents. By doing this, Austin fraudulently reduced her clients’ taxable income and tax liability, thereby resulting in larger refunds for the client and higher return preparation fee income for Austin. The investigation has revealed that Austin allegedly assisted in the preparation of at least 42 fraudulent tax returns and an estimated tax loss of well over $697,000 to the federal government.
In addition to the false and fraudulent tax return preparation scheme, the complaint also alleges that since 2016, Austin has hosted a “Tax School” through ETS and charged a fee of at least $200 for students to attend the tax school. According to the complaint, the goal of the tax school was to hire the attendees as preparers for ETS and prepare tax returns for ETS clients as well as the attendees’ own clients. During the tax school, Austin allegedly instructed prospective tax preparers how to fraudulently manipulate tax returns to generate the maximum tax refund, and thus the maximum tax preparation fee by listing fictitious side businesses under Schedule C and fake business expenses on Schedule A, for example, the complaint describes how Austin taught her students how she created a fictitious dog grooming business for a client, created a fictitious profit and loss statement for the fake business, and how she instructed the client to print out some photos of dogs to support the idea of her fictitious business.
Austin is charged with aiding and assisting in the preparation of false and fraudulent federal income tax returns, in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 7206(2).
The charges in the complaint are merely allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
If convicted, Austin faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison and a $100,000 fine; however, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Austin made her initial federal court appearance this morning before United States Magistrate Judge Kandis A. Westmore. Austin remains out of custody and her next scheduled appearance is at 10 a.m., on February 24, 2022, for a status conference before Magistrate Judge Westmore.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Abraham Fine is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Kay Konopaske and Helen Yee. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation.
Orono Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing a Short-Barreled RifleRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: An Orono man pleaded guilty today in federal court to possessing an unregistered firearm, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
According to court records, on March 2, 2021, Louis J. Dettling, 27, of Orono, Maine, was stopped by the Holden Police Department and arrested on outstanding state charges. A subsequent inventory search of Dettling’s vehicle revealed a short-barreled rifle that was not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record (NFRTR). Federal law prohibits the possession of a rifle having a barrel of less than 16 inches in length unless that weapon is registered to the possessor in the NFRTR.
Dettling faces up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office, and the Lewiston and Holden police departments.
The prosecution is part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative. PSN is a nationwide initiative that brings together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement officials, prosecutors, community leaders and other stakeholders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in a community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. PSN is coordinated by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in the 94 federal judicial districts throughout the 50 states and U.S. territories. PSN is customized to account for local violent crime problems and resources. Across all districts, PSN follows four key design elements of successful violent crime reduction initiatives: community engagement, prevention and intervention, focused and strategic enforcement, and accountability.
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Oregon Check Casher and Construction Company Operators Indicted in Payroll Tax Evasion SchemeRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A federal grand jury in Portland returned a five-count indictment today charging six individuals for their roles in a multiyear scheme to evade the payment of payroll and income taxes on the wages of construction workers.
David A. Katz, 45, of Tualatin, Oregon, the operator of Check Cash Pacific, Inc., a check cashing business with locations in the Portland area and Vancouver, Washington, is charged with conspiring with five individuals affiliated with Oregon-based construction companies to defraud the U.S. by facilitating under-the-table cash wage payments to construction workers to impede and obstruct the IRS’s ability to compute, assess, and collect payroll and income taxes due on the cash wages.
Additionally, Katz is charged with four counts of filing false currency transaction reports with the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN).
Others charged with conspiracy to defraud the U.S. include Martin S. Elizondo, 46, also of Tualatin; Melesio Gomez-Rivera, 47, of Aloha, Oregon; Jorge Peraza, 49, and Natallie N. Graham, 46, both of Beaverton, Oregon; and Jose L. Altamirano, Sr., 60, of Bend, Oregon.
According to the indictment, from at least January 2014 and continuing through December 2017, Elizondo, Gomez-Rivera, and Peraza are alleged to have successfully evaded the employment tax obligations of their respective construction companies and assisted other construction companies do the same. To carry out the scheme, they cashed or had other individuals cash millions of dollars in payroll checks at various locations of Katz’s check cashing business, used the cash to pay construction workers under-the-table, and filed false business and payroll tax returns.
Altamirano is alleged to have used co-conspirators to cash payroll checks at Katz’s business to pay employees of his construction company under-the-table. Graham is alleged to have worked in the office of a subcontracting company used to facilitate and organize the unreported cash payments to workers.
In total, Katz and his co-conspirators cashed approximately $192 million in payroll checks, causing a combined employment and individual income tax loss of $68 million.
Katz, Elizondo, Gomez-Rivera, Peraza, and Graham will be arraigned on these charges in federal court in Portland on December 15, 2021.
Conspiracy to defraud the U.S. is punishable by up to five years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years’ supervised release. Filing false currency transaction reports is punishable by up to 10 years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years’ supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug of the District of Oregon made the announcement.
This case was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth D. Uram and Gavin W. Bruce are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Ohio County man admits to child pornography chargeRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Zachary Musilli, of Wheeling, West Virginia, has admitted to a child pornography charge, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II announced.
Musilli, 26, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Possession of Child Pornography.” Musilli admitted to having child pornography with some depicting children under the age of 12 in March 2021 in Ohio County.
Musilli faces up to 20 years of incarceration and fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Danae DeMasi-Lemon is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The FBI, the West Virginia Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, and the Wheeling Police Department investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.
New York Resident Convicted by a St. Thomas Federal Jury for Smuggling Marijuana in a Carry-On Bag, Apprehended Upon Arrival at the Cyril E. King Airport, St. ThomasRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert for the District of the Virgin Islands announced that Christopher Dunn, resident of New York, NY, was convicted today for possession with intent to distribute marijuana.
According to the evidence presented at trial, on February 11, 2021, Christopher Dunn arrived at the Cyril E. King airport on an inbound flight from JFK New York, on board Delta Airlines flight 635. While conducting an inbound inspection, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers discovered a green leafy material in the contents of Dunn’s carry-on luggage. CBP officers then proceeded to escort Dunn to secondary inspection. Once in secondary inspection, officers conducted a thorough search of Dunn’s carry-on bags and discovered inside three vacuum sealed bags of marijuana. In total, Dunn had 1.37 kilograms of marijuana.
This case is being investigated by the Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations and CBP. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Natasha Baker and Juan Albino, and is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation.
OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Dunn will be sentenced at a later date.
New York Man Sentenced to 4 ½ Years for Passport Fraud Conspiracy and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that THIERNO O. BAH, age 30, a resident of New York, New York, was sentenced on December 1, 2021 by U.S. District Judge Sarah S. Vance to 54 months in prison for his role in a criminal conspiracy that involved using false passports to defraud banks.
According to court documents, BAH and codefendant Manuela Gonzalez-Bookman flew from Newark Liberty International Airport to Louis Armstrong International on February 18, 2020. The following day they drove a rental car to a Capital One branch in Metairie. Gonzalez-Bookman entered the bank while BAH waited in the car outside. Gonzalez-Bookman then attempted to cash a stolen check while using a false passport card in the name of another person. When bank employees became suspicious, they called Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s deputies who arrested the pair. Federal agents subsequently determined that BAH and Gonzalez-Bookman had executed the scheme at several other bank branches while using stolen identities. The two individuals had also taken a prior trip to New Orleans on January 31, 2020, where they executed or attempted to execute at least seven fraudulent transactions, including a failed attempt to withdraw $18,600.00 in cash from one victim’s account.
Court documents further detailed how agents developed additional evidence connecting BAH to further fraud. Agents searched BAH’s phone after obtaining a search warrant and found additional stolen credit card numbers along with identities. In one example, BAH’s phone contained a photo of a handwritten note that included a victim’s name, address, social security number, date of birth, current account balance, and last transaction from the victim’s bank account. Agents used this information to corroborate further fraud committed by BAH.
Agents also learned that BAH had pending charges in the Supreme Court for New York, Bronx County. As set forth in BAH’s factual basis, he was pulled over by NYPD officers on July 31, 2019. During the traffic stop, BAH provided a fake ID to officers. The officers also observed credit card skimming paraphernalia in his vehicle. Officers subsequently seized a total of 29 credit cards, three drivers’ licenses, and a card skimming device. The Bronx District Attorney’s Office obtained an indictment charging BAH with 30 counts of criminal possession of a forged instrument second degree, 30 counts of criminal possession of a forged instrument second degree, one count of criminal possession of forgery devices, and one count of unlawful possession of a skimmer device in the second degree.
As to Count 1, passport fraud conspiracy, Judge Vance sentenced BAH to thirty (30) months in prison and three (3) years of supervised release. As to Count 3, aggravated identity theft, Judge Vance sentenced BAH to a mandatory consecutive twenty-four (24) months in prison, one (1) year of supervised release and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee for each Count. The periods of supervised release for both counts will run concurrently. Judge Vance also ordered BAH to pay restitution totaling $32,614.13. Considering the restitution obligation, Judge Vance waived any fine.
The investigation was handled by the U.S. Diplomatic Security Service and Homeland Security Investigations. U.S. Attorney Evans extended his thanks to the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Jefferson Parish District Attorney’s Office for their assistance. U.S. Attorney Evans also thanked the Bronx District Attorney’s Office and the New York Police Department for their contribution to this successful prosecution. Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew R. Payne, K. Paige O’Hale, and J. Ryan McLaren are in charge of the prosecution.
Nevada woman admits transporting minor to Montana for prostitutionRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Nevada woman today admitted allegations that she brought a minor girl to Billings for commercial sex activity, U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
Ashley Michael Stella, 28, of Reno, Nevada, pleaded guilty to a second superseding indictment charging her with transportation of a minor to engage in prostitution. Stella faces a mandatory minimum 10 years to life in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years to life of supervised release.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. Judge Watters will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for April 14, 2022. Stella was detained pending further proceedings.
In court documents filed in the case, the government alleged that on April 21, 2021, law enforcement officers responded to a call of possible commercial sex activity at a Billings motel and knocked on the door of the suspect room. Stella, another individual and a 16-year-old girl, identified as Jane Doe 1, emerged. Jane Doe 1, from Nevada, indicated in interviews that she had met Stella in December 2020. Stella informed Jane Doe 1 and that she worked in commercial sex. Jane Doe 1 told law enforcement that she and Stella traveled to Montana in April from Nevada and that both had engaged in commercial sex. Stella told law enforcement she had met Jane Doe 1 in the fall of 2020 and learned her true age later that year. Stella also told investigators that the two had traveled from Nevada to Montana for the purpose of commercial sex and that she had asked Jane Doe 1 if she wanted to go on the trip.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zeno B. Baucus and Bryan T. Dake are prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the Montana Department of Justice’s Criminal Investigation Division, FBI and Billings Police Department.
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Nampa Man Pleads Guilty to Firearms ViolationsRead the Press Release
BOISE – A Nampa man pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
According to court records, on May 19, 2021, during an Idaho Department of Correction Probation and Parole search, Daniel Vega, 44, of Nampa, was found in possession of a 45 caliber semi-automatic pistol with an obliterated serial number. At the time of the search, Vega was on probation because of a prior conviction for felony domestic battery with traumatic injury and was therefore prohibited from possessing firearms.
Vega pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. He is scheduled to be sentenced on February 16, 2022 and faces a maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison for each charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael M. Gonzalez, Jr., of the District of Idaho made the announcement and commended the cooperative efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Idaho Department of Correction Probation and Parole, and the Nampa Police Department, which led to charges.
This case was prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Treasure Valley Partnership and the State of Idaho to address gang crimes. The Treasure Valley Partnership is comprised of a group of elected officials in southwest Idaho dedicated to regional coordination, cooperation, and collaboration on creating coherent regional growth. For more information, visit www.treasurevalleypartners.org.
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Monongalia County woman admits to drug chargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Sabrina Burton, of Morgantown, West Virginia, has admitted to a drug charge, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II announced.
Burton, 25, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin.” Burton admitted to having heroin in May 2020 in Monongalia County.
Burton faces up to 20 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zelda E. Wesley and Sarah E. Wagner are prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The FBI's Northern West Virginia Drug Task Force in partnership with the Mon Metro Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated. The Task Forces have members from the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; West Virginia State Police; Monongalia County Sheriff's Office; and, the Morgantown, WVU, Granville and Star City Police Departments. The investigation was also assisted by the following law enforcement partners: the Monongalia County Prosecutor’s Office, the FBI in Houston, Texas; the Houston Police Department's Multi Agency Gang Initiative; the United States Postal Inspection Service in Houston; and, the FBI and DEA in Los Angeles, California.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Find more about the case here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/25-people-indicted-drug-trafficking-operation-spanned-several-states
Monmouth County Felon Charged with Impersonating DEA Agent and Possessing HandgunRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Monmouth County, New Jersey, man was arrested today for impersonating a federal agent and illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Wesley Rucker, 34, of Tinton Falls, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, one count of impersonating a federal agent, and one count of possession of an imitation badge. He is scheduled to appear this afternoon by videoconference before U.S. Magistrate Judge Tonianne J. Bongiovanni.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Oct. 22, 2021, Rucker sought treatment in the emergency room of a Red Bank, New Jersey, hospital. Hospital personnel noticed that Rucker had a handgun in his waistband. Rucker told hospital security personnel that he was a member of law enforcement and displayed a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) identification. Hospital security had Rucker store his handgun in a locker in the hospital’s security office. Hospital personnel contacted the Red Bank Police Department after becoming suspicions of Rucker’s claimed affiliation with federal law enforcement. Responding officers confronted Rucker, and he told the officers that he was a “DEA agent.” Rucker displayed the same DEA identification to the officers. As the officers were investigating Rucker’s claims, Rucker attempted to leave the hospital without his handgun. Officers took Rucker into custody and seized the fake identification along with a fake DEA badge that Rucker had not used. Officers learned that Rucker was a previously convicted felon who had no prior affiliation with the DEA.
The felon in possession of a firearm charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The impersonation of a federal agent charge carries a maximum penalty of three years in prison, and a fine of up to $250,000. The possession of an imitation badge charge carries a maximum penalty of six months in prison, and a fine of up to $5,000.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Newark Field Division, Trenton Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey L. Matthews; officers of the Red Bank Police Department, under the direction of Chief Darren McConnell; members of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Lori Linskey; special agents of the DEA, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Susan A. Gibson; officers of the Old Bridge Police Department, under Acting Chief Joseph P. Mandola Jr.; and officers of the Matawan Police Department, under the direction of Chief Thomas J. Falco, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Matthews of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Missoula woman suspected of trafficking methamphetamine appears in courtRead the Press Release
MISSOULA—A Missoula woman had an initial appearance on Dec. 1 on a criminal complaint accusing her of trafficking methamphetamine after law enforcement officers seized 17 pounds of the drug, U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
A criminal complaint filed and unsealed on Dec. 1 alleges that Jasmine Lori Snyder, 39, possessed meth with intent to distribute. The maximum penalty for the crime is a mandatory minimum 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto presided. Snyder was detained pending further proceedings.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The government alleged in court documents that on Nov. 12, law enforcement received information about drug activity in Missoula. An investigation led to the interception and seizure of two packages that were sent through the mail from California and addressed to a Missoula residence where Snyder had packages delivered. Law enforcement served search warrants on the two packages and determined that they contained a total of approximately 17 pounds of meth. Seventeen pounds of meth is the equivalent of about 61,608 doses. Officers arrested Snyder on Nov. 30 near her residence.
The FBI’s Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force, the U.S. Postal Service and the Missoula High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force investigated the case.
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.
PACER case reference. 21-119.
The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
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Mississippi Resident Sentenced to 78 Months in Prison for Healthcare FraudRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal judge today sentenced a Mississippi resident for healthcare fraud and conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Special Agent in Charge Derrick Jackson .
Chief U.S. District Court Judge L. Scott Coogler sentenced Phillip Minga, 56, of Amory, Mississippi, to 78 months in prison. In August, Minga pleaded guilty to four counts of health care fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. The court also ordered Minga to forfeit $7.1 million and to repay more than $16.1 million in restitution.
“By continuing to own or manage pharmacies in Alabama and Mississippi that accepted Medicare patients, Minga did exactly what he agreed not to do” U.S. Attorney Escalona said. “Medicare may exclude persons and companies that it believes do not meet the program’s high standards. Today’s sentence demonstrates that fraudulently evading an exclusion from Medicare is a serious offense with serious criminal penalties.”
“Being a healthcare professional in the Medicare program is a privilege, not a right. When an excluded healthcare provider knowingly disregards restrictions and bills federal health care programs, they divert funds intended to provide care and services for our country’s most vulnerable population,” said Special Agent in Charge Derrick L. Jackson of the HHS-OIG Atlanta Regional Office. “Today’s sentencing should serve as a warning to those who seek to enrich themselves through such fraud schemes.”
According to documents filed by the government, on October 17, 2016, Minga signed a written agreement in which he agreed to be excluded from the Medicare Program for 10 years. The exclusion agreement provided that Medicare would not pay claims submitted by anyone who employed Minga in a management or administrative role. Nevertheless, from 2016 until 2021, Minga committed healthcare fraud by continuing to manage and control pharmacies that submitted claims for payment to Medicare. In order to avoid detection, Minga ensured that those submitting Medicare enrollment/revalidation paperwork for these pharmacies would not disclose Minga’s ownership interest or managerial role in these pharmacies. From October 17, 2016, to August 16, 2021, Medicare paid approximately $16,109,446.67 to the pharmacies in which Minga had an ownership interest or managerial role.
HHS-OIG investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lloyd Peeples, Ryan Rummage, and Don Long prosecuted the case.
Mayor of Cataño Pleads Guilty to Accepting Bribes in Exchange for Millions in Municipal Contracts and Contractor Arrested for Paying BribesRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO – A mayor pleaded guilty yesterday in Puerto Rico on a criminal charge related to his involvement in a bribery conspiracy in which he received weekly cash payments in exchange for awarding municipal contracts to “Company A.” In a separate indictment, a businessman was arrested today on criminal charges related to his alleged involvement in a scheme to bribe the mayor.
Félix Delgado-Montalvo, 40, was the mayor and highest-ranking government official in the municipality of Cataño. According to court documents, Delgado-Montalvo unjustly enriched himself by accepting things of value, including cash payments, from “Person A,” whose business, Company A, would then benefit by being awarded municipal contracts.
Delgado-Montalvo pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy. He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 8, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
A separate indictment returned yesterday, alleges that beginning in or around June of 2017, Mario Villegas-Vargas, 42, of Gurabo, who owned an asphalt and paving company in Puerto Rico with “Individual B,” paid kickbacks and bribes to Delgado-Montalvo. In exchange for those payments, Delgado-Montalvo exerted his influence on municipal officials in Cataño to ensure that Villegas-Vargas’s business was awarded municipal contracts. The indictment alleges that Villegas-Vargas’s bribe payments and his efforts to conceal those payments resulted in his business being awarded over $9.9 million in municipal contracts in Cataño.
Villegas-Vargas is charged with one count of conspiracy, one count of federal program bribery, and one count of use of an interstate facility in aid of racketeering. If convicted, Villegas-Vargas 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.
“These investigations are not over,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “Today’s announcement makes clear that the citizens of the District of Puerto Rico expect their public officials to act with honesty and integrity, and not for personal gain. I would like to thank the dedicated efforts and support of the FBI and the Department of Justice’s Public Integrity Section in these cases.”
“Public corruption takes resources away from those who need it most and into the pockets of those who are sworn to serve the people. This behavior hurts the people’s trust in our institutions and undermines the work of honest officials who genuinely want to make a difference,” said Joseph González, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Puerto Rico. “This is why we will not allow this kind of behavior to go unpunished. There is still much work to be done and I want to thank our local partners for their assistance in this case and continued support of the FBI mission.”
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, W. Stephen Muldrow, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico, and Special Agent in Charge Joseph Gonzalez of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office made the announcement.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s San Juan Field Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Scott H. Anderson and Nicholas W. Cannon of United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico, and Trial Attorney Ryan R. Crosswell of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section, are prosecuting the cases.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Massachusetts Resident Indicted for Assault and Weapons Charges Stemming from Incident in North TroyRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Ivan Carmona—a 30-year-old man from Springfield, Massachusetts—was indicted today by a federal grand jury sitting in Burlington, Vermont. The three-count indictment charges the defendant with assaulting a Border Patrol Agent with a deadly weapon and with possessing a firearm after having sustained a prior felony conviction. The defendant is currently held without bail on state charges. His arraignment on the federal indictment will be scheduled by the Court on a later date. If convicted, Carmona faces a minimum sentence of seven years in prison and a maximum sentence of lifetime imprisonment. He could also be fined up to $250,000.
The case arose from law enforcement’s November 18, 2021, pursuit of Carmona in connection with an unrelated Vermont warrant. United States Border Patrol (USBP) agents from the Newport, Vermont Border Patrol Station assisted state and local authorities in the pursuit of Carmona near North Troy, Vermont. According to the indictment, during the pursuit, Carmona possessed a loaded handgun and brandished it at one of the pursuing Border Patrol Agents.
An indictment is a charging document and is only a set of formal accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty at trial or by a guilty plea. Any eventual sentence imposed by the Court would be advised by the United States Sentencing Guidelines and statutory factors for sentencing.
Several law enforcement agencies participated in the pursuit and apprehension of Carmona, including USBP, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Air & Marine division of Customs and Border Protection, the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department, the Vermont State Police, and the Vermont Drug Task Force. Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt commended the collaboration between federal and state agencies in the apprehension of Carmona and praised the calmness and professionalism of the involved Border Patrol Agents.
“Ivan Carmona’s alleged actions threatening a federal law enforcement officer, combined with his criminal record, suggest he is a danger to the community,” said James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Boston Field Division. “It is a testament to both the bravery and professionalism of the U.S. Border Patrol agents that Ivan Carmona was arrested without anyone being harmed during his apprehension. This case is the successful outcome of a concerted, collaborative effort with our local, state, and federal partners to apprehend an individual charged with violent conduct by the state of Vermont. We are committed to intervening against armed individuals who threaten the safety of the citizens of Vermont.”
Orleans County Sheriff Jennifer L. Harlow added: “It has become extremely troubling that Orleans County has become a playground for violence. When individuals within our community, or those who travel to our community, are in possession of firearms, illegal drugs, or both, they pose a risk to public safety. These behaviors effect our entire community and all those within. We are so thankful for the wonderful partnership we have with ATF and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for working so closely with our community to help protect us from these dangers.”
The defendant will be assigned representation at his arraignment in the federal proceeding. The federal case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Lasher.
Massachusetts Contractor Pleads Guilty to $1.8 Million Payroll Tax SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Ipswich man who owned and operated numerous Massachusetts businesses pleaded guilty today in connection with charges that he manipulated his payroll to avoid paying taxes.
George Vasiliades, 58, pleaded guilty to 17 counts of failure to collect, account for and pay over federal employment taxes; 17 counts of aiding and assisting the filing of false tax returns; and one count of making a false statement to the Social Security Administration. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for March 24, 2022. Vasiliades was indicted in September 2018.
Vasiliades operated several businesses, including Alpine Property Services, Boston Central Management, Delta Labor Company, Olympic Painting & Roofing and Turnpike General Contracting. Between 2008 and 2013, Vasiliades concealed the true size of his companies’ payroll from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Among other methods, Vasiliades directed certain employees to create shell corporations and then paid employees through these corporations as if they were independent contractors. Vasiliades also paid some employees, including those who were not U.S. citizens and not authorized to work in the United States, from bank accounts that were not connected to his corporate payroll reporting software and, as a result, would not be reported as wages to the IRS. For one non-citizen employee, Vasiliades paid wages using the name and Social Security number of a U.S. citizen employee. In total, Vasiliades’ scheme resulted in more than $1.8 million in tax losses.
The charges of failure to collect, account for and pay over federal employment taxes and making a false statement to the Social Security Administration each provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charges of aiding and assisting the filing of false tax returns each provide for a sentence of up to three years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; Anthony DiPaolo, Chief of Investigations of the Insurance Fraud Bureau of Massachusetts; and Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Region of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, Office of Criminal Investigations – Labor Racketeering and Fraud, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Markham of Mendell’s Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
Maryland Woman Indicted for Passing Fraudulent ChecksRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Lucy Annette Alexander, age 35, of Maryland and Washington, DC, was indicted on December 1, 2021, by a federal grand jury on seven counts of bank fraud for using checks in a fraudulent manner at stores located in the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that between August 2019 and June 2021, Alexander wrote numerous checks at retail store locations, including PetSmart, Sears, Dollar Tree, Weis Markets (or Weis Pharmacy), Food Lion, MOM’s Organic Market, Giant Food, Harris Teeter, The Home Depot, Sally Beauty, Advance Auto Parts, Costco, Barnes & Noble, Hobby Lobby, BJ’s Wholesale Club, CVS Pharmacy, Party City, SHOE SHOW, Bed Bath & Beyond, Roses Discount Store, and others. It is also alleged that the JPMorgan Chase bank accounts from which Alexander wrote these checks were already closed and therefore did not have adequate funds to cover purchases at the above retail stores. Alexander wrote over 200 checks from just one account after it was already closed. The total amount of fraudulent checks written was over $200,000.
It’s also alleged that in May 2020, Alexander wrote and used seven checks from a Chase Bank account for a total of over $17,000, knowing that her account had insufficient funds to cover these checks. These checks were used to purchase goods at Weis Markets, Giant Food, and Roses Discount Store locations in the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ravi Romel Sharma is prosecuting the case.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty under federal law for bank fraud is 30 years’ imprisonment. This charge may also carry a fine of up to $1,000,000 and a term of supervised release following imprisonment. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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Maryland Man Charged with Multiple Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on December 1, 2021, James Henderson Bryant III, of Westminster, Maryland, was indicted by a federal grand jury for committing five bank robberies in Adams, Cumberland, and York Counties between July 19, 2021 and October 5, 2021.
According to U.S. Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that Bryant robbed branches of BB&T Bank and Citizens Bank taking approximately $28,823 in total during the five robberies:
- July 19, 2021 - BB&T Bank, Hanover, PA $3,026
- August 9, 2021 - BB&T Bank, Gettysburg, PA $8,670
- August 30, 2021 - BB&T Bank, Spring Grove, PA $8,710
- September 22, 2021 - Citizens Bank, Dillsburg, PA $6,206
- October 5, 2021 - Citizens Bank, Carlisle, PA $2,211
The indictment also alleges that Bryant used a dangerous weapon during the commission of two of the robberies. Angell Dawn Peacher, age 34, of Westminster, Maryland, was also charged with aiding and abetting Bryant’s commission of the October 5, 2021, bank robbery.
This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian T. Haugsby is prosecuting the case.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged by indictment are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty under federal law for armed bank robbery is 25 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, followed by a period of supervised release following imprisonment. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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Marshall County man admits to drug trafficking chargeRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Luke Colton Cunningham, of Cameron, West Virginia, has admitted to a drug a charge, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II announced.
Cunningham, 27, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Distribution of Methamphetamine.” Cunningham admitted to selling methamphetamine in March 2021 in Marshall County.
Cunningham faces up to 20 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Clayton J. Reid is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Marshall County Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the West Virginia State Police; the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office, and the Cameron Police Department investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.
Man Who Conspired to Distribute Methamphetamine in Tulsa Public Housing Sentenced to 19 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
A Tulsa man was sentenced Thursday for leading a methamphetamine conspiracy and illegally possessing firearms, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
Chief U.S. District Judge John F. Heil III sentenced Charles Dean Studie, 37, to 19 years in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release.
“Charles Studie used Tulsa public housing as a base of operations to traffic methamphetamine,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “Families in public housing deserve a safe environment to live and raise their children. Thankfully, our partners at the Tulsa Housing Authority Community Enhancement Unit and DEA joined forces to dismantle Studie’s drug operation and protect the community.”
“100,000 Americans died of drug overdoses this year. Oklahomans accounted for 1,009 of those fatalities. As methamphetamine continues to ravage our state, we must stay vigilant in educating our policy makers and enforcing the law on those who would choose to sell and distribute this poison to our citizenry,” said Tulsa County Sheriff Vic Regalado. “I am proud of the work our Tulsa Housing Authority Deputies, in partnership with our colleagues with the Drug Enforcement Administration, have done to ensure the continued safety of our citizens who reside within these housing complexes.”
Studie previously pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy, felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
In his plea agreement, Studie admitted that beginning in June 2019, he knowingly and intentionally conspired with others to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute the deadly drug. He provided methamphetamine and cash to other individuals to promote and further their drug dealing operation, which was being staged out of Tulsa public housing. Studie’s participation required the participation, direction, and action of others, and all parties worked together for their shared mutual benefit. Further, Studie, a felon, admitted that beginning on November 22, 2019, he knowingly possessed a Jennings .25 auto caliber semi-automatic pistol and a Jimenez, .22 LR caliber semi-automatic pistol, in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Tulsa County Sheriff’s Deputies that make up the Tulsa Housing Authority Community Enhancement Unit pursued this investigation as part of their responsibility to ensure the safety and security of the families that live within the Tulsa Housing Authority complexes. The Community Enhancement Unit (CEU) was created through a partnership between the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office and the Tulsa Housing Authority.
The Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office and Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Nassar prosecuted the case.
Mammoth Lakes Man Indicted for 7 Bank Robberies in 5 CountiesRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned an indictment today against John William Boland, 38, of Mammoth Lakes, charging him with five counts of bank robbery and two counts of attempted robbery, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, over a period of five weeks, Boland walked into seven banks, in five different counties, and demanded that the teller give him money from the “second” drawer. He also cautioned that the money handed over should not contain any dye packs or electronic tracking devices. On at least one occasion, Boland indicated to the teller that he had a weapon. Police were able to find and arrest Boland a short time after he left the last bank, aided by witness descriptions of the would-be robber and the car in which he drove away.
According to the criminal complaint, the seven alleged robberies are as follows:
March 29, 2021, El Dorado Savings Bank in Sutter Creek;
April 1, 2021, Wells Fargo Bank in South Lake Tahoe;
April 13, 2021, Wells Fargo Bank in Truckee;
April 16, 2021, Union Bank of California in Redding;
May 1, 2021, Wells Fargo Bank in Placerville;
May 3, 2021, Umpqua Bank in El Dorado Hills (attempted); and
May 4, 2021, Wells Fargo in Bank Rancho Cordova (attempted).
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the South Lake Tahoe Police Department, the Rancho Cordova Police Department, the Redding Police Department, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, the Sutter Creek Police Department, the Placerville Police Department, the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office, and the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney James Conolly is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Boland faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count of conviction. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Macon Man Sentenced to Prison for Trafficking Meth at Local MotelsRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A Macon man convicted of distributing methamphetamine at Macon motels was sentenced to prison this week as part of a larger investigation into drug trafficking along the Eisenhower Parkway corridor.
Carlos Brown aka Lo, 33, of Macon, was sentenced to serve 150 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell on Tuesday, Nov. 30, after he previously pleaded guilty to distribution of methamphetamine. There is no parole in the federal system.
“This criminal organization is responsible for distributing more than 4.5 kilos of methamphetamine at local hotels in a short period of time, damaging lives while creating a breeding ground for additional crime and violence,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Our office, working alongside federal and local authorities, will not tolerate this activity; we will pursue federal prosecution when warranted.”
“The sentencing of Brown and his many co-defendants demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to work diligently along with our local and federal partners to investigate and dismantle drug trafficking organizations,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta.
“We are grateful to see Carlos Brown and his cohorts receive proper justice for their evil deeds. This is one group of individuals who have been stopped from spreading dangerous drugs in our community. Our citizens can appreciate the clear results from the partnership between the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI,” said Bibb County Sheriff David J. Davis.
According to court documents, FBI and Bibb County Sheriff’s Office agents began investigating Brown for distributing methamphetamine at various hotels around the Eisenhower Parkway corridor in Macon in June 2019. As part of the investigation, agents utilized a confidential source (CS) to conduct multiple controlled purchases of methamphetamine between July and Sept. 2019. A wiretap investigation began in Sept. 2019 and, along with surveillance, confirmed Brown was distributing various quantities of methamphetamine to numerous individuals in the Macon area. The interceptions also revealed that Brown had several sources of methamphetamine supply. During the course of the investigation, the methamphetamine organization distributed more than 4.5 kilograms of “ice” methamphetamine.
The following co-defendants are awaiting sentencing:
Roderick Chester, 34, of Macon, was convicted by a federal jury following a three-day trial on Wednesday, Aug. 25, of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Chester is facing a mandatory minimum of ten years up to a maximum of life in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 2, 2022;
Tamara Fryer, 34, of Macon, pleaded guilty to use of communication facility in causing or facilitating the commission of felonies under the controlled substances act and is facing a maximum of four years in prison. A sentencing date has not been scheduled; and,
Milton Hill, 38, of Macon, pleaded guilty to use of communication facility in causing or facilitating the commission of felonies under the controlled substances act and is facing a maximum of four years in prison. A sentencing date has not been scheduled.
The following co-defendants have been sentenced for their crimes:
Robert Lee Whisby, Jr. aka Lil Pumpkin, 46, of Macon and Stone Mountain, Georgia, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to serve 240 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release;
Rodney Morris, Sr., 46, of Macon, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to serve 200 months in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release;
Cartney Pitts aka Blue, 37, of Macon, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to serve 200 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release;
Joshua Barham aka Gambino, 32, of Macon, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to serve 175 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release;
Shauna Bush aka Brittany, 26, of Macon, pleaded guilty to distribution of methamphetamine and was sentenced to serve 121 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release;
Keyundre Stafford aka Dre, 26, of Macon, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and use of communication facility in causing or facilitating the commission of felonies under the controlled substances act and was sentenced to serve 108 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release;
Stephanie Davis, 32, of Macon, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to serve 100 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release;
Kyra Williams aka K-Boo, 29, of Macon, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to serve 100 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release;
Morley Culver, 44, of Macon, pleaded guilty to two counts use of communication facility in causing or facilitating the commission of felonies under the controlled substances act and was sentenced to 96 months in prison to be followed by one year of supervised release;
Troy Faulks, 49, of Macon, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 87 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release;
Lori Harrell, 34, of Macon, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to serve 80 months in prison to run consecutively to sentences imposed in Bibb County, Georgia, Superior Court to be followed by three years of supervised release;
Albruce Green aka B, 41, of Macon, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to serve to 60 months imprisonment to run consecutively to a sentence imposed in an unrelated case to be followed by three years of supervised release;
Ray Kendrick aka Unk, 63, of Macon, pleaded guilty to use of communication facility in causing or facilitating the commission of felonies under the controlled substances act and was sentenced to 48 months in prison to be followed by one year of supervised release;
Theon Robinson, 40, of Macon and Sarasota, Florida, pleaded guilty to use of communication facility in causing or facilitating the commission of felonies under the controlled substances act and was sentenced to serve 46 months in prison to be followed by one year of supervised release; and,
Melvin Cason, 32, of Macon, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to serve three years of probation.
The case was investigated by FBI and the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shanelle Booker, Beth Howard and Will Keyes are prosecuting the case.
Louisiana Men Sentenced for Illegal Possession of Drugs and a FirearmRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that two men from North Louisiana were sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge Terry A. Doughty.
Aaron Farrar, 24, of Sterlington, Louisiana was sentenced to 126 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for possession of methamphetamine. Farrar pleaded guilty to the charge on August 18, 2021. The charge stems from an investigation which began when U.S. Postal Inspection Service agents intercepted a suspicious package that was in route to Farrar’s residence address in Sterlington. Agents obtained a search warrant for the package and found approximately 216 grams of methamphetamine concealed in a clock radio. Law enforcement officers placed a small amount of the methamphetamine back into the package and delivered the package to Farrar at the address. Agents were notified when the package was opened, and they executed a search warrant on the residence. During the execution of the search warrant, agents found the delivered package containing methamphetamine, as well as a loaded handgun with extended magazine. Farrar told law enforcement that the package was being delivered to his residence for someone else and that he was supposed to get paid for getting the package to that individual.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Aaron Crawford prosecuted the case.
Michael James Carroll, 27, of Tallulah, Louisiana was sentenced to 48 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for theft of firearm from a licensed dealer. On or about June 30, 2020, Carroll walked inside Tallulah Gun Sales, a federal firearms licensee in Madison Parish, Louisiana, and removed a Glock pistol from the glass display case without permission. Carroll placed the firearm in his waistband then left the store. Later that day during a traffic stop, law enforcement officers recovered the stolen Glock pistol from Carroll’s vehicle.
The ATF and Madison Parish Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Leon H. Whitten prosecuted the case.
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Long Island Attorney Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison for Stealing Wrongful Death Inheritance from ChildRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, Vincent J. Trimarco, Jr., an attorney admitted to practice law in New York State since 1997, was sentenced by United States District Judge Joan M. Azrack to 57 months in prison for conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud in a scheme to defraud a minor of her inheritance from a federal wrongful death lawsuit. The Court also ordered Trimarco to pay restitution in the amount of $1.5 million, and forfeiture in the amount of $1.5 million. Trimarco pleaded guilty to the charges in October 2020.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the sentence.
“Trimarco’s theft of a seven-figure inheritance from a child so that he could purchase luxury vehicles and invest in real estate is a disgraceful breach of trust and betrayal of his time-honored duties as an attorney. His conduct is an affront to the courts, the bar and the community at large,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Today’s sentence should serve as a warning that this Office will prosecute corrupt attorneys who abuse their positions and break the law for personal gain.”
From April 2012 through August 2017, Trimarco and a co-conspirator executed a scheme to defraud a minor, who was the co-conspirator’s grandchild, of settlement proceeds stemming from a wrongful death action. Using the settlement proceeds, Trimarco and the co-conspirator purchased luxury vehicles, including a Ferrari F430 Spider for $200,000 and a Jaguar XKR convertible for $57,000, as well as multiple properties in Suffolk County for over $600,000, and invested approximately $800,000 in the Emporium, a now-defunct nightclub and music venue in Patchogue, New York, in which Trimarco was, at times, a part owner. Despite orders from the Suffolk County Surrogate’s Court in April 2012, June 2012 and August 2012 restraining the disbursement of the settlement proceeds and ultimately directing that they be returned, Trimarco and his co-conspirator sold the assets that they purchased with the settlement proceeds, but did not return the proceeds to the rightful heir.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Catherine M. Mirabile and Michael J. Bushwack are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Assistant United States Attorney Madeline O’Connor, who is handling forfeiture matters.
The Defendant:
VINCENT J. TRIMARCO, Jr.Age: 52
Smithtown, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 17-CR-583 (S-1) (JMA)
Local Man Faces Federal Charges for Hoax Bomb Threats Directed at Multiple Schools and a Hospital in OregonRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A federal grand jury in Portland returned an indictment today charging a former resident of Newberg, Oregon with calling in hoax bomb threats to three schools and one hospital in Oregon.
Sean Case McGinley, 40, has been charged with four counts of making interstate threats involving explosives and four counts of conveying false information and hoaxes about destructive devices.
According to court documents, on October 26, 2021, McGinley began making multiple calls to the Newberg-Dundee Police Department dispatch center in which he referenced putting a pipe bomb under a vehicle in Newberg. Officers checked the area McGinley referenced, but did not locate a bomb. Meanwhile, McGinley’s calls and phone number were recorded and determined to originate from the St. Louis, Missouri area. Investigators later learned that McGinley formerly resided in Newberg and had family in and around St. Louis.
On November 9, 2021, McGinley placed another call to the Newberg-Dundee dispatch center claiming that a pipe bomb had been placed in the vehicle tailpipe of a Newberg Municipal Court judge. A Newberg-Dundee police officer returned McGinley’s call and spoke with him about the alleged tip. During this discussion, McGinley told the officer that he hoped someone would place a pipe bomb in the judge’s vehicle tailpipe and that he believed the judge was worthless.
On the morning of November 12, 2021, the principal of Newberg High School contacted Newberg-Dundee police to report a potential bomb threat. The principal gave officers a voicemail from an unknown person claiming there was a pipe bomb in the school. Officers determined that the hoax threat was placed by McGinley and that it also originated in St. Louis. Later the same morning, McGinley called a similar threat into Sherwood High School. McGinley then called a school resource officer at Sherwood High School, identified himself, and provided information about a purported pedophilia ring in Sherwood.
Between November 18 and 23, 2021, McGinley called in at least eight additional bomb threats to various public and private institutions. On November 18 and 22, 2021, McGinley called in threats to St. Paul High School and an elementary school in Tigard, Oregon. On November 23, 2021 alone, he called in four separate threats to Fowler Middle School and Twality Middle School in Tigard, the Providence Newberg Medical Center, and Providence Sherwood Medical Plaza. The threat made to the Providence Sherwood Medical Plaza prompted the facility to evacuate ambulatory patients and staff.
Amidst McGinley’s late November threat spree, authorities sought and obtained a federal criminal complaint and arrest warrant against McGinley and, on November 24, 2021, FBI agents arrested him in St. Louis. McGinley made his first appearance in federal court in the Eastern District of Missouri on November 29, 2021 and was ordered detained pending transfer to the District of Oregon. The investigation into McGinley’s threats is ongoing.
Making interstate threats involving explosives is punishable by up to 10 years in federal prison, three years’ supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Conveying false information and hoaxes about destructive devices is punishable by up to five years in federal prison, three years’ supervised release, and a fine of $250,000.
Acting U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug of the District of Oregon made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Newberg-Dundee, Tigard, and Sherwood Police Departments and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott M. Kerin is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Lancaster Man Charged with Drug Trafficking and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG –The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Dwayne Sherman, age 47, of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, was charged in an eight-count superseding indictment on December 1, 2021, by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking and money laundering charges.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the superseding indictment charges Sherman with one count of conspiring to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine between October 2015 and May 2018, in the Middle District of Pennsylvania, California, and elsewhere and seven counts of money laundering.
Sherman was previously charged in October 2015 and awaiting trial in the Middle District of Pennsylvania on money laundering charges related to sending thousands of dollars in drug related proceeds to Mexico to pay for illegal controlled substances.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Hawthorne (California) Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Consiglio is prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty under federal law for the most serious offense is 40 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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La Crosse Man Sentenced to 5 Years for Illegal Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Antwan Taylor, 28, La Crosse, Wisconsin was sentenced today by U.S. Chief District Judge James D. Peterson to 5 years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. This prison term will be followed by 3 years of supervised release. Taylor pleaded guilty to this charge on September 13, 2021.
On the night of August 24, 2020, La Crosse Police Department officers responded to a shots-fired complaint in La Crosse. Officers learned that multiple gunshots were fired from a gray minivan towards a blue sedan. Multiple residents reported bullet hole damage to their homes from the shooting including into a bedroom that was occupied at the time.
The next day, officers conducted a traffic stop on the gray minivan involved in the drive-by shooting. Taylor was one of the occupants in the minivan at the time of the stop. Officers searched the minivan and found a loaded Taurus 9mm handgun in the center console. Officers also found a spent 9mm shell casing under the driver’s seat. The Taurus handgun was identified as the same firearm used in the drive-by shooting the night before. The investigation revealed that the shooting was done at the direction of Taylor and occurred because of a “beef” he had with others. The Taurus was sent to the Wisconsin State Crime Lab for DNA analysis and Taylor’s DNA was found on the firearm.
Taylor was prohibited from possessing a firearm based on multiple prior felony convictions. His criminal history includes convictions for drug trafficking and battery.
At sentencing, Judge Peterson noted that this case was not just about simple illegal gun possession but involved a shooting which made it a more serious crime. Judge Peterson expressed concern about the risk posed to others in the community by shootings involving spraying bullets.
The charge against Taylor was the result of an investigation conducted by the La Crosse Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The La Crosse County District Attorney’s Office also provided assistance in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven P. Anderson prosecuted this case.
This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach involves collaboration by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, and communities to prevent and deter gun violence.
Jury Convicts Georgia Man of Entry Under False PretensesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Andrew Avila, age 45, of Acworth, Georgia, was convicted today of entry under false pretenses following a four-day jury trial, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and U.S. Department of Energy Inspector General Teri L. Donaldson.
The trial evidence demonstrated that Avila traveled from Atlanta, Georgia, on May 2, 2018, and entered the Port of Albany by passing himself off as a Department of Energy (“DOE”) employee. The Port of Albany is a secured area that spans parts of Albany, Rensselaer, and the Town of Bethlehem, New York, and is subject to a security plan required and approved by the United States Coast Guard.
Sentencing is scheduled for April 4, 2022 in Albany, before United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino. On the misdemeanor conviction, Avila faces a term of imprisonment of up to six months and a fine of up to $5,000.
The jury voted to acquit Avila of the felony charge of impersonating a DOE employee.
This case was investigated by the Department of Energy, Office of the Inspector General, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Emily C. Powers and Rick Belliss.
Jersey City Man Found Guilty of Being Felon in Possession of a Firearm While Distributing HeroinRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Jersey City man was found guilty today of being a felon in possession of a firearm and carrying a firearm to facilitate distribution of heroin on the streets of New Jersey, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Raymond Petway, 38, was convicted of one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin, one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking following a three-day trial before U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial:
On Sept. 21, 2017, law enforcement officers from the Jersey City Police Department observed the Petway, a convicted felon, selling heroin at Woodlawn Avenue and Martin Luther King Boulevard in Jersey City while in possession of a loaded and stolen High-Point 9mm handgun.
The count of possession with intent to distribute heroin carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison. The count of being a felon in possession is punishable by a maximum of 10 years in prison. The count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking is punishable by a mandatory minimum term of five years in prison and a maximum of life in prison, which must run consecutively to the term imposed for the drug trafficking count. Sentencing has not yet been scheduled.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited the Jersey City Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director James Shea; special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey L. Matthews in Newark; and the Hudson County Prosecutors Office Forensic Laboratory, under the direction of Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty verdict.
This is a Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) case. PSN is designed to create and foster safer communities through a sustained reduction in violent crime. The program’s effectiveness depends upon the ongoing coordination, cooperation, and partnerships of local, state, tribal, and federal law enforcement agencies and community organizations working together with the communities they serve – engaged in a unified approach coordinated by the U.S. Attorney in all 94 districts.
The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Meriah Russell of the U.S. Attorney's Office Criminal Division in Camden and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sammi Malek of the U.S. Attorney’s Office National Security Unit in Newark.
Jackson Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking CrimesRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. - A Jackson man was sentenced today to 60 months in prison for possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Mississippi.
According to court documents, Javarius Jones, 20, was taken into custody on January 24, 2020, during the execution of a search warrant by law enforcement officers from the FBI, Jackson Police Department, and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics. Several hundred grams of marijuana, multiple firearms, ammunition, and cash were seized from the residence.
Jones pled guilty on August 12, 2021, to possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes.
The FBI, the Jackson Police Department, and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles W. Kirkham prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Inmates Charged with Possessing A Prohibited ObjectRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that three inmates at Federal Correctional Institute – Schuylkill (FCI Schuylkill), Minersville, Pennsylvania, were charged separately by criminal information with unlawfully possessing a prohibited object.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Matthew Davis, age 42, was charged by criminal information with possessing a Samsung cellphone on September 4, 2021;
Keon White, age 32, was charged by criminal information with possessing an LG cellphone on October 27, 2021; and Antwain Hill, age 43, was charged by criminal information with possessing a Samsung cellphone on November 4, 2021.
Under federal law, it is illegal for inmates to possess cellular phones due to the security related issues that their use by inmates presents to the institution.
The matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Assistant United States Attorney Sean A. Camoni is prosecuting the case.
Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is one year of imprisonment. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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