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Tuesday 23 November 2021
Assistant Commissioner of NYC Probation Department Sentenced to 12+ Years for Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Robert Costello, 54, of Bethlehem, PA, was sentenced to twelve years and seven months in prison, and lifetime supervised release by United States District Court Judge Joseph F. Leeson, Jr. for child pornography offenses.
In March 2021, Costello pleaded guilty to all counts against him: three counts of receipt of child pornography, one count of access with intent to view child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography. The defendant admitted to receiving sexually explicit images of children over the Internet and possessing thousands of sexually explicit images and videos of children on several devices that he kept and stored at his residence. During the time that he committed these crimes, Costello was employed as Assistant Commissioner of the New York City Department of Probation.
“The defendant held a position of public trust paid by taxpayer dollars as an Assistant Commissioner with the City of New York,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “And at the same time, he was also downloading and storing sexually exploitative images of children – thus creating demand for those depictions to be produced and children to be victimized. Our Office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners in all jurisdictions to investigate and prosecute child sexual exploitation offenses – no matter what profession or status the offenders may hold.”
“Sexually exploiting children is a terrible crime, made even more reprehensible when the perpetrator is someone in a position of public trust,” said Brian A. Michael, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations Philadelphia, “Robert Costello, as an Assistant Commissioner of New York City’s probation department, violated that trust, and now he will face the consequences. HSI will continue to pursue cases like this one, to protect children and ensure that those responsible are held accountable for their crimes.”
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Investigations and Bethlehem Township Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Francis A. Weber and Kelly Harrell and Department of Justice Trial Attorney Jessica Urban of the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS).
Arizona Man Sentenced for Conspiring to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Glendale, Arizona, man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for conspiring to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Eric Waldron, 54, to 15 years in prison and five years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty in June 2021.
According to court records, between January 2017 and August 2018, Waldron and other members of the conspiracy distributed large quantities of methamphetamine in northern Maine. Waldron, acting as a source of supply for the conspiracy, coordinated multi-pound shipments of methamphetamine from Arizona to conspirators who distributed it in Aroostook County. Members of the conspiracy sent thousands of dollars in cash to Waldron in connection with this drug trafficking enterprise.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated the case.
“I am so pleased to see this collaboration between DEA and MDEA in Aroostook County, where our local law enforcement partners have seen a dramatic increase in the use of methamphetamine,” said U.S. Attorney McElwee. “I am hopeful such collaboration will serve to disrupt the supply of this destructive substance to this region of Maine.”
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 www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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Area man pleads guilty to his role in carjacking plotRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – United States District Court Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk accepted a plea of guilty from Antwan Jones for his role in a carjacking, weapons charges and assaulting a federal officer on November 22, 2021.
A grand jury in the Eastern District of Missouri indicted Jones in May 2021 for aiding and abetting Paul Latham in carjacking a victim in St. Louis the previous year. According to the plea agreement, Latham stopped his SUV next to the victim on January 15, 2020. Latham waited in the SUV while Jones approached the victim at gunpoint and demanded her purse. The carjacking victim surrendered her purse, which contained the keys to her car. Latham and Jones drove around the area and used the victim’s key fob to locate her Mercedes Benz. Once they found the car parked nearby, Latham used the victim’s keys to drive her car away while Jones drove away in Latham’s SUV.
According to the indictment, Jones was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a previous conviction.
Later that night, police tracked the victim’s phone to East St. Louis, Illinois. There, police discovered Latham’s SUV parked in the 1800 block of Boismenue Avenue with the victim’s purse still inside.
Days later as federal authorities arrested Jones, he resisted the attempt and physically assaulted a federal officer. For his role in the incident, Latham previously entered a plea of guilty in October.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.
Aransas man guilty of meth chargeRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A federal jury sitting in Corpus Christi has found a 59-year-old local man guilty of conspiracy to distribute more than five grams of meth and possession with intent to distribute 27 grams of meth, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
The jury deliberated for approximately three hours following a two-day trial before returning a guilty verdict on both counts against Ronald Flirt.
On Nov. 17, 2020, authorities were surveilling a known drug stash house when they witnessed Flirt stop at the location. A Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent testified at trial, describing how someone had exited Flirt’s vehicle, entered the stash house and returned to the truck.
Law enforcement then pulled Flirt over and found he had a total of 10 Ziplock bags of meth. They had a total street value of more than $4,000.
Further testimony revealed he tried to deceive authorities when the initially stopped him. However, jurors saw bodycam video in which law enforcement asked Flirt to show him his hands which demonstrated he had one finger missing as he attempted to hide a bag of meth.
The jury also heard that Flirt had a Santa Muerte statue to protect him from law enforcement. It clearly did not work.
The defense attempted to convince the jury the drugs were solely for personal use and that Flirt intended to smoke an entire ounce of meth. They did not believe those calins and found him guilty as charged.
U.S. District Judge David Morales set sentencing for Feb. 23, 2022. At that time, Flirt faces up to 40 years in prison and a possible $5 million maximum fine. He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
The DEA and police departments in Corpus Christi and Mathis conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Marin and John Marck are prosecuting the case.
Appleton Man Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding Social Security of over $73,500 in Supplemental Security Income BenefitsRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Richard G. Frohling of the Eastern District of Wisconsin announced that on November 22, 2021, Senior U.S. District Judge William C. Griesbach sentenced Appleton resident John P. Fischer (age: 63) to 18 months’ imprisonment and three years’ supervised release after Fischer pled guilty to Supplemental Security Income (“SSI”) Fraud, in violation of Title 42, United States Code, Section 1383a(a)(3)(A).
From 2009 to 2017, Fischer fraudulently received over $73,500 in federal and state SSI benefits by knowingly concealing numerous resources from the Social Security Administration (“SSA”). SSI is a nationwide welfare program for the blind, disabled, and those over 65 years of age who have little to no income and no more than $2,000 in resources. SSI is funded by general tax revenues, unlike SSA pensions and SSDI that are funded by payroll taxes.
Fischer filed for SSI claiming that he met all criteria, but in fact, he had bank accounts, investment accounts, and vehicles that put him well above the $2,000 limit. Among them was a Roth IRA worth more than $42,000 that Fischer knowingly concealed from the SSA and secretly cashed out. Fischer also paid over $48,000 for two GMC Acadia SUVs without notifying the SSA that he had the money or the vehicles. In addition, Fischer’s scheme involved concealing his accounts and vehicles under the guise of two different “churches,” which were simply a front to hide his assets.
At sentencing, Judge Griesbach rejected Fischer’s request for probation and stressed that Fischer’s serious and long-standing criminal conduct warranted substantial prison time for purposes of punishment, deterring others from committing fraud, and reinforcing the public’s confidence in social-safety-net programs like SSI. The court also ordered Fischer to pay full restitution for his crime.
To that end, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has initiated an action to seize and auction two of Fischer’s vehicles, including a fully restored 1957 Chevy Bel Air that Fischer concealed from the SSA.
"SSI benefits are designed to help those in true need,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Frohling. “Individuals who lie about their own circumstances to wrongfully obtain such benefits harm every taxpayer and hurt those in need by undermining the integrity of these vital programs.”
“SSI is a critical safety net that provides much needed assistance,” said Andrew Boockmeier, Special Agent in Charge, Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, Chicago Field Division. “Mr. Fischer’s fraudulent actions—failing to report and attempting to hide his assets—caused SSA to improperly pay benefits to which he was ineligible to receive. SSA OIG will continue to work to protect SSA benefits from fraud and misuse. I thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for prosecuting this case.”
SSI Fraud is a felony punishable by up to five years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years’ supervised release.
This case was investigated by the SSA’s Office of the Inspector General in Milwaukee. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy W. Funnell and Kelly B. Watzka
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Public Information Officer Kenneth Gales 414-297-1700
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Anchorage Man Charged for Violating Marine Mammal Protection ActRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE – An Anchorage man is charged by information on two counts of wildlife trafficking misdemeanors.
According to court documents, Uzi Levi, 70, of Anchorage purchased six non-handicrafted Pacific walrus tusks and one three-tusked non-handicrafted Pacific walrus head mount from an undercover U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service special agent, all of which is in violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, it is unlawful for a non-Alaskan native to transport, purchase, sell, export or offer to purchase, sell or export any marine mammal or marine mammal product for any purpose other than public display, scientific research or enhancing the survival of a species or stock or any marine mammal part that has not been made into an authentic native article of handicraft.
In June 2020, a special agent with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service observed what appeared to be an Alaskan Native male carrying a two-tusked, non-handicrafted walrus head mount into the car rental business office owned by Levi and then leave without it. A few weeks later, an undercover U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service special agent went to Levi’s car rental business and inquired about renting a vehicle. He explained that he didn’t have a lot of money and asked if there were other ways to rent a vehicle, such as trade or barter. The unidentified person at the business called Levi and handed the phone to the undercover agent. During this call and over the next eight months, Levi and the agent exchanged numerous phone calls and texts about the purchase of non-handicrafted walrus ivory, which resulted in Levi purchasing six non-handicrafted Pacific walrus tusks on July 13, 2020, and one non-handicrafted, three tusked walrus head mount on September 29, 2020
Levi is scheduled to make his initial court appearance on December 6, 2021, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew M. Scoble of the U.S. District Court for Alaska. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of one year in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting U.S. Attorney Bryan Wilson of the District of Alaska made the announcement.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steve Skrocki and Yunah Chung are prosecuting the case.
8 Civilian Employees of the Philadelphia Police Department Indicted on Theft and Fraud Charges for Collecting Pandemic Unemployment AssistanceRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA –United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that the following defendants were charged with fraudulently obtaining emergency unemployment benefits related to COVID-19. Each of the following defendants was charged with one count of mail or wire fraud and one count of theft of government funds for obtaining Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) funds while working for the Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) and also collecting his or her City paycheck:
Shannon Reynolds, age 25, of Philadelphia, PA; Najah Harrell, age 32, of Philadelphia, PA; Korey Kinard, age 29, of Philadelphia, PA; Keely Maude, age 23, of Philadelphia, PA; Tashika White, age 50, of Cheltenham, PA; Paulette Johnson, age 55, of Philadelphia, PA; Monica Pelzer, age 45, of Philadelphia, PA; and Yarelis Feliciano, age 28, Philadelphia, PA.
Seven of the eight defendants are employed as radio dispatchers for the PPD: Reynolds, Harrell, Kinard, Maude, White, Pelzer and Feliciano. The eighth defendant, Johnson is employed as a clerk for the PPD. Each defendant is charged in a separate Indictment with the two counts noted above.
On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) was signed into law. The CARES Act created the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program, which provides unemployment benefits to individuals not eligible for regular unemployment compensation or extended unemployment benefits, including individuals, families, and businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Eligibility to receive weekly PUA benefits is predicated on an applicant’s unemployment for reasons related to the pandemic, and it requires that the applicant was able to work each day and, if offered a job, would have been able to accept it. Once an applicant is approved to receive benefits, the applicant is required to submit weekly certifications indicating that he or she: was ready, willing and able to work each day; was seeking full time employment; did not refuse any job offers or referrals; and had reported any employment during the week and the gross pay or other payments received.
Each of the defendants is alleged to have submitted weekly certifications stating that they were not employed and were ready, willing, and able to work each day. The Indictments charge that these statements were false because each defendant was employed at the time by PPD. According to the Indictments, as part of the weekly certifications, each defendant also certified that he or she was not earning any wages or grossly unreported true wages to secure eligibility. However, these statements are also allegedly false according to PPD payroll records. As a result of these false statements, each defendant received PUA funds for multiple weeks in which he or she also collected his or her PPD salary.
“Pandemic Unemployment Assistance funds are intended to help Americans who are not working or who have experienced dramatically reduced working hours due to the pandemic, not people who are already gainfully employed,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “Thieves who attempt to take these funds are taking advantage of others’ misfortune – ripping them off while also ripping off all taxpayers who fund the program. As alleged, these eight defendants fraudulently obtained funds that could have helped struggling individuals.”
“It should go without saying that, if you’re a) employed, and b) working for a law enforcement agency, applying for any sort of unemployment compensation is a really bad decision,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “It’s particularly disappointing when people with steady paychecks coming in are taking money set aside for those most affected by the pandemic. The FBI will continue to hold accountable anyone defrauding the government and taxpayers like this.”
These cases were investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, and the Philadelphia Police Department with assistance from the Pennsylvania Department of Industry and Labor. These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Lanni.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
3 defendants plead guilty in dark web drug sales caseRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Three of six defendants charged this spring with selling liquid psychedelic mushrooms online to customers all over the country have pleaded guilty in federal court in Columbus.
James Verl Barlow, 44, of Las Vegas, and Matthew Taylor Barlow, 35, of Murray, Utah, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today and Jennifer Helen Cambpell, 42, also of Murray, Utah, admitted her guilt yesterday. Each of the three defendants pleaded guilty to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute a psychedelic mushroom analogue. James Barlow also pleaded guilty to conspiring to launder the drug proceeds.
According to James Barlow’s court documents, as part of his guilty plea, he will forfeit approximately $15 million in drug proceeds and property, including millions of dollars’ worth of cryptocurrency, more than half a million dollars in cash, a 2016 Tesla Model-X Wagon, and land in Brighton, Colorado, valued at more than $1.5 million, as part of this case.
Between November 2013 and April 2021, the defendants sold liquid psychedelic mushrooms in nine milligram vials for approximately $20 each on the darknet through the monikers TRIPWITHSCIENCE and PERFECTSHROOMS. Court documents detail that at least one customer was located in Columbus.
James Barlow used individuals in Nevada, Utah and Maryland to arrange shipments of both powder and liquid mushrooms from Las Vegas, Memphis, and Gulf Breeze, Florida, to customers throughout the United States and Europe.
In total, the investigation by the Central Ohio Cyber Drug Task Force determined Barlow’s organization was responsible for distributing 315 kilograms of powder mushroom analogues and 3,200 kilograms of liquid mushrooms.
The defendants face up to 20 years in prison. Congress sets the maximum statutory sentence. Sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Bryant Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation; Keith Martin, Special Agent in Charge, DEA; Vance Callender, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Lesley C. Allison, Inspector in Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); and Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin announced the pleas entered into before U.S. District Judge Sarah D. Morrison. Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Hunter is representing the United States in this case.
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Monday 22 November 2021
Young Houstonian sent to prison for nearly 20 yearsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 24-year-old Houston man has been ordered to federal prison following his convictions on robbery, brandishing and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer Lowery.
Dametric Marquise Hunter pleaded guilty Aug. 31.
Today, U.S. District Judge Vanessa Gilmore ordered him to serve a total of 234 months in federal prison. The sentence will be immediately followed by five years of supervised release.
Co-defendant Joshua Dawayne Prater, 23, Houston, pleaded guilty to one count each of robbery and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. He received a total sentence of 132 months Nov. 15.
In January and February of 2019, Hunter, Prater and others committed a series of commercial armed robberies, including several that took place at Walgreens stores.
On Feb. 12, 2019, a joint task force operation resulted in the surveillance and arrest of Hunter and Prater as they fled a robbery at a Walgreens on Westheimer Parkway in Fort Bend County. A shoot-out ensured and two others believed to be involved in the robbery were killed.
The investigation led to the discovery that Hunter and Prater also committed to multiple robberies in 2019.
Both men have been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI and Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Michael Lewis and Matthew Roy Peneguy are prosecuting the case.
Williston Woman Charged with Unlawful Handgun Possession During Road Rage IncidentRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Grace Ross, 46, of Williston, Vermont has been charged by a federal grand jury in Burlington with unlawful possession of a firearm after having previously been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. The government is also seeking forfeiture of the seized Taurus 9mm pistol.
According to court records, on July 30, 2021 the Burlington Police received a report that the driver of a black Mazda, later identified as Ross, pointed a handgun at another vehicle which contained two adults and a baby. The incident occurred near Main Street and South Prospect Street in Burlington. According to the court records, Ross cut off another vehicle, nearly causing a collision. After the driver of the other vehicle honked the horn, Ross, who was then driving in front of the other vehicle, pulled a handgun out and pointed it at the other car through her rear window. Soon after, the Burlington Police Department pulled over Ross’s vehicle and seized the firearm. Ross was originally charged in state court with aggravated assault, though the state case was dismissed after the filing of federal charges.
Ross pled not guilty to the charge. United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle ordered Ross released on conditions pending further proceedings in 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. See https://www.justice.gov/psn.
The indictment is an accusation only. The defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The maximum sentence for the alleged offense is ten years of imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. If found guilty of the offense, the defendant’s actual sentence will be determined with reference to the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
This matter was investigated by the Burlington Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Perella. Ross is represented by Michael Desautels, Esq. of the Federal Public Defender’s Office.
United States Proposes Modification to EPA Consent Decree to Reduce Sewer System Overflows for the Hampton Roads Sanitation DistrictRead the Press Release
The United States lodged with the U.S. District Court of Eastern Virginia today a proposed modification of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2010 consent decree with the Hampton Roads Sanitation District (HRSD) to require implementation of a comprehensive set of improvements to the sewer system to resolve longstanding problems with sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs). SSOs are releases of untreated or partially-treated sewage from a municipal sanitary sewer. They are especially prominent in older sewage systems due to deteriorating pipes and outdated sewage treatment systems. The HRSD sewer system serves 18 municipalities with 1.7 million residents.
“This modification to the consent decree will ensure that the sanitation district continues to take active measures to improve the sewer system for Hampton Roads and the surrounding region, resulting in a cleaner, safer Chesapeake Bay,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “This modification will help ensure local communities’ access to the Chesapeake Bay for recreation as well as for commercial shell fishing.”
“Today’s modification requires Hampton Roads Sanitation District to address the decades long problem of sanitary sewer overflows,” said Acting Assistant Administrator Larry Starfield, for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “EPA and the State of Virginia worked with the HRSD to develop a long-term solution that will improve water quality for all communities, including those that are historically underserved and overburdened by pollution.”
Specifically, the modification will incorporate and enforce projects and schedules that are included in HRSD’s Regional Wet Weather Management Plan. Under the wet weather plan, HRSD will spend about $410 million between 2020 and 2040 on 15 priority projects to improve HRSD’s system and greatly reduce the frequency and volume of SSOs.
The projects are scattered throughout the Hampton Roads region in Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Virginia Beach, Williamsburg and York County. They will help protect water quality in the Elizabeth River, James River, Nansemond River and York River, as well as the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.
HRSD, as part of an integrated plan with its wet weather projects, will also implement a $2.2 billion aquifer replenishment project – known as Sustainable Water Infrastructure for Tomorrow or SWIFT. This project will involve injecting treated wastewater into an underground aquifer rather than discharging it to local surface waters, reducing wastewater discharges to the Chesapeake Bay by 90%.
Once the modification is finalized and approved by the court, HRSD would be required to complete six of the projects by 2030 and the remaining nine projects by 2040. These projects focus on increasing the capacity of the regional sanitary sewer system. Projects will include upgrading and replacing pump stations and installing multiple wastewater storage facilities.
For more information on SSOs, visit: https://www.epa.gov/npdes/sanitary-sewer-overflows-ssos.
The modification to the consent decree, lodged today in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, is subject to a 30-day public comment period and approval by the federal court. A copy of the modification to the consent decree is available on the Justice Department website at http://www.usdoj.gov/enrd/Consent_Decrees.html.
Texas woman admits to role in drug distribution operationRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Narkevia Lewis, of Houston, Texas, has admitted to her role in methamphetamine, crack cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin drug distribution operation, United States Attorney William J, Ihlenfeld, II announced.
Lewis, age 23, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Aiding and Abetting the Maintaining Drug-Involved Premises.” Lewis admitted to working with another to run an apartment in Morgantown for the purpose of distributing methamphetamine, cocaine base, fentanyl, and heroin in the spring of 2020.
Lewis faces up to 20 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $500,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zelda E. Wesley and Sarah E. Wagner are prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The FBI's Northern West Virginia Drug Task Force in partnership with the Mon Metro Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated. The Task Forces have members from the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; West Virginia State Police; Monongalia County Sheriff's Office; and, the Morgantown, WVU, Granville and Star City Police Departments. The investigation was also assisted by the following law enforcement partners: the Monongalia County Prosecutor’s Office, the FBI in Houston, Texas; the Houston Police Department's Multi Agency Gang Initiative; the United States Postal Inspection Service in Houston; and, the FBI and DEA in Los Angeles, California.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Related case here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/25-people-indicted-drug-trafficking-operation-spanned-several-states
Superseding Indictments Charge Three Bank Employees and Eight Others in Alleged Counterfeit Checks and Bank Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Acting United State Attorney Richard B. Myrus announced today that a pair of superseding indictments unsealed in federal court in Providence charge eleven individuals, including three bank employees, with participating in schemes to defraud local banks by creating and depositing checks, then withdrawing bank funds prior to financial institutions discovering the fraudulent activity. The counterfeit checks contained personal account information belonging to, among others, individuals, small businesses, an insurance company, and an attorney’s office.
According to the indictments, four defendants allegedly participated in one scheme that defrauded banks for approximately one year beginning in April 2020. Seven individuals allegedly participated in an unrelated scheme that defrauded banks for approximately 14 months beginning in January 2020.
In one of the schemes, an indictment unsealed on Thursday alleges that Terrance Richardson, 30, of Providence, obtained and stole checks and bank account information belonging to businesses and individuals, and used the information to create counterfeit checks. The indictment alleges that Richardson gained the assistance of Machaela Farias, 26, of Providence, an employee at Santander Bank, to facilitate the deposit of the counterfeit checks.
It is further alleged that as part of the scheme, Richardson and others obtained debit card information of individuals who agreed to be compensated for allowing counterfeit checks to be deposited into their bank accounts. Once the checks were deposited, Richardson, Farias, Johanna Arias, 33, of Providence, Jordan Robertson, 24, of Providence, and others, quickly withdrew the funds from the accounts. The indictment alleges that members of the conspiracy deposited at least $165,154 in counterfeit checks and withdrew at least $89,453 in cash.
The indictment charges Richardson, Farias, Arias, and Robertson with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and 14 counts of bank fraud. Additionally, Richardson is charged with aggravated identity theft.
In an unrelated matter, an indictment unsealed on November 15, 2021, alleges that Richard Koboi, 26, of Providence, Maximillan Mwah, 38, and Godgift Rosler, 33, of Pawtucket, obtained and stole checks and bank account information belonging to small businesses and individuals. It is alleged that some of the account information and checks were accessed and provided by Savonnah Briggs, 26, and Isha-Lee Savage, 23, of Providence, while working at Citizens Bank and Santander Bank respectively. The information was allegedly used to create counterfeit checks that Koboi, Mwah, and others deposited into the bank accounts of individuals that were paid in exchange for their agreement to allow their bank accounts to be used. Nearly$70,000 in counterfeit checks was deposited into the accounts. The indictment alleges that Koboi, Mwah, Junior Richards, 24, of Pawtucket, Darren Maenza, 27, of Pawtucket, and others made rapid withdrawals, cash transfers, and debit card purchases from the accounts.
The indictment charges each defendant with conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Additionally, the indictment charges Richards, Maenza, and Rosler with 12 counts of bank fraud and Richard Koboi with 12 counts of bank fraud and one count each of aggravated identity theft and felon in possession of a firearm.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ly T. Chin.
The matter was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Acting United States Attorney Myrus thanks the FBI for its assisting in the arrest of several of the defendants.
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South Carolina Chiropractor Pleads Guilty and Agrees to $9 Million False Claims Act Consent JudgmentRead the Press Release
On Nov. 8, the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina entered a $9 million civil consent judgment for the United States against South Carolina chiropractor Daniel McCollum under the False Claims Act. On that same day, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina filed an information and plea agreement in which McCollum admitted to engaging in a conspiracy to pay illegal kickbacks and to defraud healthcare programs by billing for unnecessary medical services. The maximum criminal penalty McCollum could face is five years in prison and a fine of $250,000. A sentencing date has not been set.
McCollum owned and operated pain management clinics, laboratories and a pharmacy in South Carolina. He also operated pain management clinics in North Carolina and Tennessee. McCollum’s clinics did business collectively as Pain Management Associates.
On May 31, 2019, the United States filed a civil complaint alleging that McCollum caused the submission of false claims to federal health care programs arising from kickbacks he paid for urine drug testing (UDT) referrals in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute; referrals prohibited under the Stark Law from physicians with whom McCollum had financial relationships; and claims for UDT and other services that were not medically necessary and that lacked a legitimate medical purpose.
On Oct. 29, McCollum agreed to resolve the government’s False Claims Act allegations, including admitting that he violated the Anti-Kickback Statute by providing kickbacks in the form of a direct bill program whereby his laboratory, Labsource, gave referring providers an opportunity to earn revenue generated from their commercially-insured UDT referrals as an inducement for those providers to refer all of their federally-insured UDT patients to Labsource. McCollum also caused medically unnecessary prescriptions for pain creams often without the knowledge or approval of the patients’ healthcare providers and regardless of whether the prescription had a legitimate medical purpose. McCollum admitted that the aforementioned conduct constituted misrepresentations, fraudulent omissions and/or deceptive conduct, and that he engaged in this conduct with an intent to deceive the United States and cause the United States to pay false or fraudulent federal healthcare program claims.
Congress passed the Stark Law and the Anti-Kickback Statute to prevent financial incentives from improperly influencing medical decision-making, which can lead to excessive and unnecessary tests and services. Among other things, the Stark Law prohibits billing Medicare for laboratory testing services referred by a physician who has a financial relationship with the laboratory. The Anti‑Kickback Statute prohibits offering or paying anything of value to induce the referral of items or services covered by federal healthcare programs, including laboratory testing services.
“Improper financial relationships between healthcare providers and laboratories can lead to overutilization and increase the cost of healthcare services paid for by the taxpayers,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The provision of medical services and prescriptions should be based on a patient’s medical needs rather than the financial interests of providers.”
“This office will use all tools necessary to ensure justice, deterrence and prevention of healthcare fraud,” said Acting U.S. Attorney M. Rhett DeHart for the District of South Carolina. “The criminal guilty plea and the civil consent judgment entered against the defendant in this case demonstrates that effort.”
“McCollum engaged in deceptive conduct by exploiting the vital programs on which they depend,” said Special Agent in Charge Derrick L. Jackson of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable individuals who endanger the integrity of federal healthcare programs and the beneficiaries they serve.”
“The TRICARE Program is vital to the health and readiness of our active duty service members, retirees and their families,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dillard of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Mid-Atlantic Field Office. “Today’s announcement should leave no doubt that DCIS and its law enforcement partners remain committed to rooting out fraud, holding bad actors accountable and protecting the integrity of the Department of Defense.”
The civil judgment resolves claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Donna Rauch, Muriel Calhoun, Brandy Knight and Karen Mathewson, all former employees of pain management clinics owned or operated by McCollum. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam cases are captioned United States ex rel. Rauch, et al. v. Oaktree Medical Centre, P.C., et al., No. 6:15-cv-01589-DCC (D.S.C.); United States ex rel. Mathewson v. Dr. Daniel A. McCollum, et al., No. 6:17-CV-01190-DCC (D.S.C.); and United States ex rel. Hawkins v. Pain Management Associates of the Carolinas, LLC, et al., No. 8:18-cv-02952-DCC (D.S.C.). In connection with this matter, the United States previously was awarded civil judgments totaling over $140 million against entities owned or operated by McCollum: Oaktree Medical Centre P.C., FirstChoice Healthcare P.C., Labsource LLC, Pain Management Associates of the Carolinas LLC, Pain Management Associates of North Carolina P.C., ProLab LLC and ProCare Counseling Center LLC.
The civil judgment and criminal plea obtained in this matter were the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina, with assistance from the FBI, HHS-OIG, the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office and the DCIS.
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The litigation was handled by Fraud Section Attorneys Yolonda Campbell, Michael Kass, Christopher Terranova and David Wiseman and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Beth Warren and Bill Watkins for the District of South Carolina.
South Bend Man Sentenced to 70 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Jason Cochran, 44 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Jon E. DeGuilio after pleading guilty to possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Cochran was sentenced to 70 months in prison followed by 4 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, on January 27, 2021, Cochran possessed over 50 grams of methamphetamine that he intended to distribute and had a large amount of cash. Cochran has three prior felony convictions and eight misdemeanor convictions.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with the assistance of the St. Joseph County Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank E. Schaffer.
Sioux City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Selling MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
A Sioux City man who sold large quantities of methamphetamine around Sioux City was sentenced November 16, 2021 to more than 15 years in federal prison.
Marcus Anderson, age 43, from Sioux City, received the prison term after a June 22, 2021 guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
In a plea agreement, Anderson admitted he conspired to sell 15,000 grams of methamphetamine around the tri-state area. Anderson further admitted he traveled to Kansas City in the fall of 2018 to obtain methamphetamine for redistribution. He was stopped after picking up approximately nine pounds of ice methamphetamine for redistribution.
Anderson was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Anderson was sentenced to 183 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 10-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Anderson is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jack Lammers and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office..
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-4087.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Second Brother Sentenced to over Ten Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialsRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced Nicholas Stephen Woodyard (30, St. Augustine) to 10 years and 8 months in federal prison for distributing child sexual abuse materials, to be followed by a life term of supervised release. The court also ordered Woodyard to pay $5,000 in restitution to a victim of his crime. Nicholas Woodyard had pleaded guilty on March 5, 2021. Co-defendant Patrick Woodyard (Nicholas Woodyard’s twin brother) was sentenced to 15 years and 8 months in federal prison December 2020, following his pleading guilty on August 28, 2020. Both men had been indicted on March 4, 2020, for the distribution, receipt, and possession of images and videos depicting children being sexually abused.
According to court documents, Homeland Security Investigations began investigating the internet upload of an image depicting the sexual abuse of a child. The image had been distributed from the Woodyard brothers’ residence in St. Augustine. Agents executed a search warrant and seized electronic devices that contained hundreds of files of child sex abuse materials, including videos of the sexual assault of a toddler-aged child. A forensic examination of one of these devices revealed Nicholas Woodyard’s efforts to secretly record his close family members while they were naked and his attempts and desires to engage in incest.
"Children are the most vulnerable victims, and predators such as this use extraordinary means and sophisticated deceptions to target and victimize innocent children across our communities,” said Homeland Security Investigations (Jacksonville) Assistant Special Agent in Charge K. Jim Phillips. "Thanks to the incredible work and dedication of our HSI special agents and our partners with the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, this predator will no longer have access to such victims.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, working with the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly S. Karase.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
San Bernardino County Man Found Guilty of Federal Charges for Paying for Sex from Underage Girl He Met on InternetRead the Press Release
RIVERSIDE, California – A San Bernardino County man has been found guilty of criminal charges for paying a teenager he met on the internet to have sex with him on two occasions, the Justice Department announced today.
Jason Dee Taylor, 41, of Fontana, was found guilty of one count of sex trafficking of a minor and one count of enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity. A federal jury returned the verdict on Friday afternoon.
According to the evidence presented at his four-day trial, Taylor contacted the victim on a public website. They exchanged messages through that website’s messenger feature and then switched to communicating via Instagram messenger.
Although she initially represented that she was 19 years old, the victim told defendant almost immediately that she was 16, even though she was 15 years old at the time. In response, Taylor wrote her, “I’ll be honest. I like your age, it’s kinda hot.”
Twice in April 2020, Taylor drove to Santa Barbara County, picked up the victim, took her to a hotel, and paid her a total of $600 for sex.
That same month, the victim’s family friend, whose phone she used to communicate with Taylor, found the messages between Taylor and the victim. When a member of the victim’s family sent Taylor a message informing him that they were going to report him to law enforcement, Taylor deleted his Instagram account, but not before the family friend had taken screenshots of the incriminating communications.
United States District Judge Jesus G. Bernal has scheduled a February 7, 2022 sentencing hearing, at which time Taylor will face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
The FBI investigated this matter, with the assistance of the Guadalupe Police Department, the Santa Maria Police Department, and the Fontana Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Sonah Lee of the Riverside Branch Office is prosecuting this case.
Queens Man Sentenced to 19 Months in Prison for Threatening to Murder Members of CongressRead the Press Release
Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Brendan Hunt was sentenced by United States District Judge Pamela K. Chen to 19 months’ imprisonment for threatening to assault and murder members of the United States Congress to impede, interfere with and intimidate those members and to retaliate against them on account of their performance of their official duties. Hunt was convicted of that charge after a jury trial in April 2021, which was the first trial to address the consequences of the January 6, 2021 assault on the Capitol.
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.
“We will not tolerate threats to members of the United States Congress or calls to overthrow our democratically elected government,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Not only will we investigate and vigorously prosecute these crimes, but today’s sentence sends a clear message that those who seek to harm our representatives and bring chaos to our democracy will be punished.”
On January 8, 2021, two days after the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., Hunt posted a video titled “KILL YOUR SENATORS” that included the summary “Slaughter them all,” to BitChute, an Internet-based video sharing site. In the video, Hunt made dangerous additional threats, exhorting his viewers to violence and telling them that “[w]e need to go back to the U.S. Capitol when all of the Senators and a lot of the Representatives are back there, and this time we have to show up with our guns. And we need to slaughter these m-----f-----s.” Hunt also advocated for the violent overthrow of the federal government, claiming that “our government at this point is basically a handful of traitors . . . so what you need to do is take up arms, get to D.C., probably the inauguration . . . so called inauguration of this m-----f-----g communist Joe Biden . . . [T]hat’s probably the best time to do this, get your guns, show up to D.C., and literally just spray these m-----f-----s . . . put some bullets in their f------g heads.” Hunt stated, “If anybody has a gun, give me it, I’ll go there myself and shoot them and kill them . . . [W]e have to take out these Senators and then replace them with actual patriots. This is a [Zionist Occupied Government].”
On January 9, 2021, the defendant posted another video in which he stated “[t]hose 100 Senators should really be afraid about going into public now” and that “We have the first amendment, that’s still around, remember? And we have the second as well. There are really only a hundred of these weakling Senators. They are mass murdering psychopaths who are intent on our destruction, and they form an illegitimate government. Every single one of them just needs to go.”
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorneys David K. Kessler, Ian C. Richardson and Francisco J. Navarro are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
BRENDAN HUNT
Age: 37
Ridgewood, QueensE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 21-CR-086 (PKC)
Providence Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison for Trafficking CocaineRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A Providence man who previously served nearly twenty years in federal prison for trafficking cocaine has been sentenced to ten years in prison for possessing 500 grams or more of cocaine with the intent to distribute, announced Acting United States Attorney Richard B. Myrus.
According to court documents, while on federal supervised release less than four years after being released from federal prison, Jesus Martinez, 49, was found in December 2020 by U.S. Postal Inspection Service Inspectors to be in possession of more than three kilograms of cocaine.
Beginning in the fall of 2020, Postal Inspectors tracked several parcels that exhibited strong evidence that they contained narcotics that were mailed to Martinez. As part of the investigation, on December 9, 2020, Postal Inspectors executed court-authorized searches of Martinez’s Providence residence and a vehicle he was known to drive frequently. From inside Martinez’s apartment Postal Inspectors seized nearly 202 grams of cocaine and $52,880 in cash. From inside the vehicle, law enforcement seized nearly 3,000 grams of cocaine.
Martinez admitted to investigators that about six months prior to his arrest, he had begun having parcels of cocaine shipped from Puerto Rico to various locations in Providence. Martinez claimed to have paid $37,000 per kilo of cocaine, selling them to customers for $42,000.
Martinez pleaded guilty on September 8, 2021, to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. He was sentenced on Friday by U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith to 120 months in federal prison to be followed by eight years of federal supervised release.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Zechariah Chafee.
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Previously Convicted Felon Sentenced to Nine Years for Unlawful Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Kenneth Blakeney, 29, of Philadelphia, PA, was sentenced to nine years in prison and three years of supervised release by United States District Court Judge Gene E. K. Pratter for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
In June 2021, the defendant was convicted at trial for being a felon in possession of a gun stemming from an incident the previous year. In March 2019, Philadelphia Police Officers found a loaded gun in the defendant’s possession during a traffic stop. The defendant was a convicted felon and was not allowed by law to possess a firearm. When officers attempted to recover the gun, the defendant fled from the police, leading officers on a car chase for multiple blocks until the defendant eventually jumped out of his car and ran. The defendant was arrested several months later and was charged by Indictment in October 2019.
“Being a felon illegally in possession of a firearm is a serious offense, particularly in Philadelphia where gun violence is rampant,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “Today’s sentence should serve as an example to others who have previously been convicted of felony offenses and are considering carrying firearms: our ‘All Hands on Deck’ initiative uses every law enforcement tool at our disposal to find and stop you. If you choose to illegally carry a firearm, you are going to face serious federal charges.”
“Today’s sentence ensures that a violent criminal is taken off the streets for a long time,” said Matthew Varisco, Special Agent in charge of ATF’s Philadelphia Field Division. “Keeping our communities safe from violent felons like Blakeney will always be our top priority. I would like to thank our partners at the Philadelphia Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s office for their continued support in our joint effort to maintaining public safety.”
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.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Philadelphia Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Jeanette Kang.
Pennsylvania’s United States Attorney’s Offices and the Pennsylvania Sheriffs’ Association Join Forces to Educate the Traveling Public About Safe Firearms TransportRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania Jennifer Arbittier Williams, the United States Attorneys for the Middle and Western Districts of Pennsylvania, and the Pennsylvania Sheriffs’ Association are joining forces this holiday season to educate airline travelers on the safe and proper way to transport firearms and thereby reduce risk and delay to the traveling public.
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers in Pennsylvania are on pace to seize a record number of firearms at Pennsylvania airport security checkpoints in 2021, despite greatly reduced air traffic due to the pandemic. Most of the firearms seized by TSA are loaded. Firearms at security checkpoints pose a serious security risk to the public and to TSA officers. Passengers who bring firearms to security checkpoints also disrupt the security screening process and delay travelers from getting to their departure gates.
The number of airline travelers is expected to surge over the next six weeks, so it is important for the public to hear this message now. Responsible gun owners can protect the public by personally and carefully checking to make sure that their carry-on bags do not contain firearms.
“By partnering with the Pennsylvania Sheriffs’ Association to increase awareness and education regarding safe firearm transportation, we aim to reduce the number of firearms seized at airport security checkpoints. At the same time, to protect the traveling public and TSA employees, we will pursue all options including prosecution and referral of concealed carry permit holders to the appropriate Sheriff,” said U.S. Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, U.S. Attorney John C. Gurganus of the Middle District of Pennsylvania, and Acting U.S. Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman of the Western District of Pennsylvania in a joint statement.
“As the law enforcement body that processes licenses to carry in the Commonwealth, Pennsylvania Sheriffs support Second Amendments rights. An overwhelming majority of Pennsylvanians with a license to carry are responsible gun owners, who comply with all state and federal laws, including not knowingly taking a weapon onto an airplane. We appreciate the U.S. Attorneys’ concerns about concealed weapons and are glad to work with them to bring attention to this matter. Therefore, we encourage all gun owners to double and triple-check your carry-on luggage to make sure you have not forgotten to remove any weapons,” said Pennsylvania Sheriffs’ Association President, Joseph Groody, who also serves as the Schuylkill County Sheriff.
In October, Acting U.S. Attorney Kaufman announced a deterrent strategy to reduce the number of guns at Pittsburgh International Airport security checkpoints. In addition to possible criminal charges and stiff civil penalties, passengers with guns in carry-on bags could face revocation of their concealed gun carry permit due to negligence. As a result of the collaboration between the Pennsylvania Sheriffs’ Association and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices, County Sheriffs in all 67 counties have agreed to provide permit holders with information about safe firearm transport and to review referrals from federal authorities for possible revocation of the offender’s concealed carry permit.
Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms in checked baggage if they are properly packaged and declared at their airline ticket counter. Firearms must be unloaded, placed in a hard-sided locked case, and packed separately from ammunition. Then the locked case must be taken to the airline check-in counter to be declared. Learn more at https://www.tsa.gov/travel/transporting-firearms-and-ammunition.
TSA may issue a $3,000 to $13,910 civil penalty to travelers who bring weapons to the security checkpoint. Civil penalties apply to travelers with or without concealed firearm carry permits because even though an individual may have a concealed carry permit, it does not allow for a firearm to be carried onto a plane.
The Pennsylvania Sheriffs’ Association is dedicated to preserving the time-honored Office of Sheriff in Pennsylvania and assisting the Commonwealth’s 67 County Sheriffs in acquiring the education and training required for law enforcement officers. More information on the organization is available at https://pasheriffs.org/.
Pennsylvania’s United States Attorney’s Offices and the Pennsylvania Sheriffs’ Association Join Forces to Educate the Traveling Public About Safe Firearms TransportRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - The Pennsylvania Sheriffs’ Association and the United States Attorney’s Offices for the Western, Middle, and Eastern Districts of Pennsylvania are joining forces this holiday season to educate airline travelers on the safe and proper way to transport firearms and thereby reduce risk and delay to the traveling public.
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers in Pennsylvania are on pace to seize a record number of firearms at Pennsylvania airport security checkpoints in 2021, despite greatly reduced air traffic due to the pandemic. Most of the firearms seized by TSA are loaded. Firearms at security checkpoints pose a serious security risk to the public and to TSA officers. Passengers who bring firearms to security checkpoints also disrupt the security screening process and delay travelers from getting to their departure gates.
The number of airline travelers is expected to surge over the next six weeks, so it is important for the public to hear this message now. Responsible gun owners can protect the public by personally and carefully checking to make sure that their carry-on bags do not contain firearms.
“As the law enforcement body that processes licenses to carry in the Commonwealth, Pennsylvania Sheriffs support Second Amendments rights. An overwhelming majority of Pennsylvanians with a license to carry are responsible gun owners, who comply with all state and federal laws, including not knowingly taking a weapon onto an airplane. We appreciate the U.S. Attorneys’ concerns about concealed weapons and are glad to work with them to bring attention to this matter. Therefore, we encourage all gun owners to double and triple-check your carry-on luggage to make sure you have not forgotten to remove any weapons,” said Pennsylvania Sheriffs' Association President, Joseph Groody, who also serves as the Schuylkill County Sheriff.
“By partnering with the Pennsylvania Sheriffs’ Association to increase awareness and education regarding safe firearm transportation, we aim to reduce the number of firearms seized at airport security checkpoints. At the same time, to protect the traveling public and TSA employees, we will pursue all options including prosecution and referral of concealed carry permit holders to the appropriate Sheriff,” said U.S. Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, U.S. Attorney John C. Gurganus of the Middle District of Pennsylvania, and Acting U.S. Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman of the Western District of Pennsylvania in a joint statement.
In October, Acting U.S. Attorney Kaufman announced a deterrent strategy to reduce the number of guns at Pittsburgh International Airport security checkpoints. In addition to possible criminal charges and stiff civil penalties, passengers with guns in carry-on bags could face revocation of their concealed gun carry permit due to negligence. As a result of the collaboration between the Pennsylvania Sheriffs’ Association and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices, County Sheriffs in all 67 counties have agreed to provide permit holders with information about safe firearm transport and to review referrals from federal authorities for possible revocation of the offender’s concealed carry permit.
Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms in checked baggage if they are properly packaged and declared at their airline ticket counter. Firearms must be unloaded, placed in a hard-sided locked case, and packed separately from ammunition. Then the locked case must be taken to the airline check-in counter to be declared. Learn more at https://www.tsa.gov/travel/transporting-firearms-and-ammunition.
TSA may issue a $3,000 to $13,910 civil penalty to travelers who bring weapons to the security checkpoint. Civil penalties apply to travelers with or without concealed firearm carry permits because even though an individual may have a concealed carry permit, it does not allow for a firearm to be carried onto a plane.
The Pennsylvania Sheriffs’ Association is dedicated to preserving the time-honored Office of Sheriff in Pennsylvania and assisting the Commonwealth’s 67 County Sheriffs in acquiring the education and training required for law enforcement officers. More information on the organization is available at https://pasheriffs.org/.
Pennsylvania’s United States Attorney’s Offices and the Pennsylvania Sheriffs’ Association Join Forces to Educate the Traveling Public About Safe Firearms TransportRead the Press Release
Collaboration includes statewide referrals to Sheriffs for review of concealed carry permits
Harrisburg - The Pennsylvania Sheriffs’ Association and the United States Attorney’s Offices for the Western, Middle, and Eastern Districts of Pennsylvania are joining forces this holiday season to educate airline travelers on the safe and proper way to transport firearms and thereby reduce risk and delay to the traveling public.
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers in Pennsylvania are on pace to seize a record number of firearms at Pennsylvania airport security checkpoints in 2021, despite greatly reduced air traffic due to the pandemic. Most of the firearms seized by TSA are loaded. Firearms at security checkpoints pose a serious security risk to the public and to TSA officers. Passengers who bring firearms to security checkpoints also disrupt the security screening process and delay travelers from getting to their departure gates.
The number of airline travelers is expected to surge over the next six weeks, so it is important for the public to hear this message now. Responsible gun owners can protect the public by personally and carefully checking to make sure that their carry-on bags do not contain firearms.
“As the law enforcement body that processes licenses to carry in the Commonwealth, Pennsylvania Sheriffs support Second Amendments rights. An overwhelming majority of Pennsylvanians with a license to carry are responsible gun owners, who comply with all state and federal laws, including not knowingly taking a weapon onto an airplane. We appreciate the U.S. Attorneys’ concerns about concealed weapons and are glad to work with them to bring attention to this matter. Therefore, we encourage all gun owners to double and triple-check your carry-on luggage to make sure you have not forgotten to remove any weapons,” said Pennsylvania Sheriffs' Association President, Joseph Groody, who also serves as the Schuylkill County Sheriff.
“By partnering with the Pennsylvania Sheriffs’ Association to increase awareness and education regarding safe firearm transportation, we aim to reduce the number of firearms seized at airport security checkpoints. At the same time, to protect the traveling public and TSA employees, we will pursue all options including prosecution and referral of concealed carry permit holders to the appropriate Sheriff,” said U.S. Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, U.S. Attorney John C. Gurganus of the Middle District of Pennsylvania, and Acting U.S. Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman of the Western District of Pennsylvania in a joint statement.
In October, Acting U.S. Attorney Kaufman announced a deterrent strategy to reduce the number of guns at Pittsburgh International Airport security checkpoints. In addition to possible criminal charges and stiff civil penalties, passengers with guns in carry-on bags could face revocation of their concealed gun carry permit due to negligence. As a result of the collaboration between the Pennsylvania Sheriffs’ Association and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices, County Sheriffs in all 67 counties have agreed to provide permit holders with information about safe firearm transport and to review referrals from federal authorities for possible revocation of the offender’s concealed carry permit.
Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms in checked baggage if they are properly packaged and declared at their airline ticket counter. Firearms must be unloaded, placed in a hard-sided locked case, and packed separately from ammunition. Then the locked case must be taken to the airline check-in counter to be declared. Learn more at https://www.tsa.gov/travel/transporting-firearms-and-ammunition.
TSA may issue a $3,000 to $13,910 civil penalty to travelers who bring weapons to the security checkpoint. Civil penalties apply to travelers with or without concealed firearm carry permits because even though an individual may have a concealed carry permit, it does not allow for a firearm to be carried onto a plane.
The Pennsylvania Sheriffs’ Association is dedicated to preserving the time-honored Office of Sheriff in Pennsylvania and assisting the Commonwealth’s 67 County Sheriffs in acquiring the education and training required for law enforcement officers. More information on the organization is available at https://pasheriffs.org/.
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Operation False Haven: Convicted Child Rapist Sentenced for Naturalization Fraud and Judicially DenaturalizedRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO, N.C. – A Lee County resident was sentenced on November 17, 2021, to 6 months in prison and was judicially denaturalized.
Ruben Rosas-Avalos, age 25, a naturalized citizen of the United States, born in Mexico and residing in Lee County, was sentenced by United States District Judge Loretta C. Biggs. Rosas-Avalos pleaded guilty to naturalization fraud on July 20, 2021.
According to court records, on February 23, 2016, Rosas-Avalos fraudulently obtained U.S. citizenship by making materially false statements under oath regarding his naturalization application. In response to the question “Have you ever committed, assisted in committing, or attempted to commit, a crime or offense for which you were not arrested?” he answered, “No.”
On March 28, 2019, in the Superior Court of North Carolina in Lee County, Rosas-Avalos was convicted of statutory rape of a child and indecent liberties with a child. Rosas-Avalos was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of over 26 years and ordered to register as a sex offender. According to court records, Rosas-Avalos committed the offense of indecent liberties with a child on July 27, 2015 and committed the offense of statutory rape of a child on September 13, 2017. The victims of those crimes were two different children. Rosas-Avalos was not arrested until after he naturalized, thus immigration officials were unaware of his crimes.
Sandra J. Hairston, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina, made the announcement. Agents with ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations assigned to the Document Benefit Fraud Task Force investigated the case as part of Operation False Haven, an ongoing initiative purpose-built to aggressively identify and prosecute child molesters and other egregious felons who fraudulently obtained U.S. citizenship. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank J. Chut.
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Omaha Man Sentenced for Obtaining Firearms by FraudRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that Blake D. Colson, 29, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on November 19, 2021 by United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher to twelve months’ imprisonment for wire fraud. After Colson’s release from prison, he will begin a two-year term of supervised release. Judge Buescher ordered Colson to pay $15,349.58 in restitution.
Colson was a manager for Frontier Justice Omaha (FJO). In late 2020, he used his managerial access at the business to create phony gift cards, then used the phony gift cards to obtain seventeen firearms, ammunition, and firearm accessories. The fraud came to light as a result of FJO’s own internal review of its firearm transaction records. When confronted, Colson admitted to the scheme and cooperated in the return of stolen items, nearly all of which were recovered.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the Omaha Police Department.
Northwest Arkansas Group Sentenced to 141 Years Combined in Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
FAYETTEVILLE – The final member of a Northwest Arkansas group has been sentenced to federal prison for the Distribution of Methamphetamine. The Honorable Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearings for the United States District Court in Fayetteville.
In the spring of 2019, Agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) launched an investigation into drug trafficking and money laundering in the Western District of Arkansas. For approximately a year between April 2019 and August of 2020, agents conducted extensive investigative activities into a large, Northwest Arkansas-based drug trafficking organization led by Nathan Martin.
This investigation resulted in the arrest, prosecution, and imprisonment of fifteen (15) individual drug traffickers and money launderers and the seizure of approximately 28 kilograms of methamphetamine, approximately 415 grams of heroin, approximately 61 grams of fentanyl, 5 firearms, and over $43,000.00 in funds derived from drug trafficking.
The sentencings of the drug trafficking organization members are as follows:
WDAR Case No. 5:20 CR 50044 – 001-012 – (Indictment issued August 26, 2020)
Nathan Martin: age 36, Rogers, Arkansas - Aiding and Abetting in the Distribution of More Than 50 grams of a Mixture or Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine – 300 months imprisonment, 4-year term of supervised release, a fine of $9,900, and a $100 special assessment.
Karla Avelar-Mejia: age 23, Rogers, Arkansas - Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine - 60 months imprisonment, a 3-year term of supervised release, a fine of $1,400, and a $100 special assessment. Rogers
Evan Boyd: age 26, Springdale, Arkansas - Distribution of Methamphetamine -130 months imprisonment, a 3-year term of supervised release, a fine of $2,400, and a $100 special assessment.
Gary Boyd: age 40, Bella Vista, Arkansas - Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine – 180 months imprisonment, 3-year term of supervised release, a fine of $1,900, and a $100 special assessment.
Patrick Ford: age 23, Rogers, Arkansas - Distribution of Methamphetamine -120 months imprisonment, a 5-year term of supervised release, a fine of $2,400, and a $100 special assessment.
Humberto Noel Gonzalez: age 38, Rogers, Arkansas - Distribution of Methamphetamine – 78 months imprisonment, a 3 -year term of supervised release, a fine of $1,400, and a $100 special assessment.
Christopher Lee Jackson: age 59, Rogers, Arkansas - Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine – 100 months imprisonment, a 3 -year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Michael Moran: age 38, Bentonville, Arkansas - Distribution of Heroin -120 months imprisonment, a 3-year term of supervised release, a fine of $1,400, and a $100 special assessment.
Thomas Porras: age 32, Bentonville, Arkansas - Distribution of More Than 50 Grams of a Mixture Containing Methamphetamine- 110 months imprisonment, a 4 -year term of supervised release, a fine of $1,400, and a $100 special assessment.
Katie Putty: age 41, Springdale, Arkansas - Distribution of More Than 5 Grams Actual - 30 months imprisonment, a 3-year term of supervised release, a fine of $1,400, and a $100 special assessment.
Dakota Siller: age 26, Springdale, Arkansas - Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering- 84 months imprisonment, a 3-year term of supervised release, a fine of $1,400, and a $100 special assessment.
Ruben Zapien: age 35, Rogers, Arkansas – Aiding and Abetting in the Distribution of More Than 50 grams of a Mixture or Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine- 188 months imprisonment, a 5-year term of supervised release, a fine of $900, and a $100 special assessment.
Natalie Urbina: age 26, Rogers, Arkansas - Aiding and Abetting the Possession with Intent to Distribute of More Than 50 Grams of a Mixture or Substance Containing Methamphetamine - 87 months imprisonment, a 4-year term of supervised release, a fine of $900, and a $100 special assessment.
Bernardo Carcamo: age 29, Rogers, Arkansas - Aiding and Abetting the Possession with Intent to Distribute of More Than 50 Grams of a Mixture or Substance Containing Methamphetamine - 63 months imprisonment, a 4-year term of supervised release, a fine of $900, and a $100 special assessment.
Helena Belena Sorimle: age 23, Springdale, Arkansas - Conspiracy to Distribute More Than 50 Grams of a Mixture or Substance Containing Methamphetamine: - 42 months imprisonment, a 4-year term of supervised release, a fine of $400, and a $100 special assessment.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
The Drug Enforcement Administration Fayetteville Division, Benton County Sheriff’s Office, Rogers Police Department, Benton County Drug Unit, Bentonville Police Department, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Springdale Police Department, 4th Judicial District Drug Task Force, Arkansas National Guard Counter Drug Unit, Homeland Security Investigations Fayetteville Division, United States Postal Service, United States Marshals Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the Arkansas State Probation and Parole investigated the case.p
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Harris prosecuted the case for the United States.
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.
Nigerian Email Scammers Sentenced to Combined 22+ Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Two Nigerian fraudsters arrested in DOJ’s Operation reWired have been sentenced to a combined 22 ½ years in federal prison, announced acting U.S. Attorney Chad E. Meacham.
Opeyemi Abidemi Adeoso, 46, pleaded guilty in June of 2020 to 17 counts of wire fraud, eight counts of money laundering, six counts of use of a false passport, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. He was sentenced Thursday by Chief U.S. District Judge Barbara M.G. Lynn to 151 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $9.3 million in restitution.
His coconspirator, Benjamin Adeleke Ifebajo, 47, pleaded guilty in March 2020 to seven counts of wire fraud, six counts of money laundering, four counts of use of a false passport, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. He was sentenced in June to 120 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $2.1 million in restitution.
“These defendants utilized multiple tactics to deceive unsuspecting businesses out of their money. By assuming fictitious identities they defrauded dozens, which risks business health and in turn, erodes overall economic health,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. DeSarno. “Along with our federal law enforcement partners, we will continue to hold fraudsters accountable for their crimes and the harm they cause.”
Agents initiated an investigation into the pair in August 2018, after receiving a report of a business email compromise scheme from a victim who had transferred more than $504,000 into a bank account registered to a “Daniel Sammy Campbell.” Using the address associated with the account, they traced it back to Mr. Adeoso. Agents then reviewed bank surveillance footage and traced funds to identify Mr. Adeoso and Mr. Ifebajo, Nigerian nationals in the U.S. on non-immigrant vias.
According to court documents, the defendants admitted they used fraudulent passports to open individual bank accounts under assumed names. Other members of the conspiracy then sent phishing emails – which spoofed the email addresses of victims’ employers, supervisors, and other known business contacts – to numerous individuals prompting them to initiate wire transfers from their personal bank accounts or from their employer’s bank accounts.
Once the money hit the defendants’ accounts, they withdrew the money, often tens of thousands of dollars at a time, in cash, via cashiers’ checks, or through electronic transfer, then deposited the funds into other alias accounts. Occasionally, they made purchases with the money.
Mr. Adeoso is believed to have used aliases including, but not limited to: Peter Kuffor, George Macharty, Nelson Johnson, Braheem Larke, Michael Albert, Michael Jaden Sean, Michael Jeff Brown, and Benjamin Zee Brown. Mr. Ifebajo is believed to have used aliases including, but not limited to: Joseph Eric Johnson, Jeremiah Alex Malcom, Tidwell Anthony Wilson, and Andrew James Williams.
A third co-conspirator, Temitope Aminat Folorunsho, 35, pleaded guilty in July 2020 to multiple counts of wire fraud, money laundering, use of false passport, and conspiracy and was sentenced in July 2021 to 37 months in federal prison and ordered to pay roughly $221,000 in restitution. Ms. Folorunsho used aliases Terri L. Brown, Michelle Angel Cole, Robyn L. Granell, and Deborah Kiki Philip.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), and Homeland Security Investigations’ Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany H. Eggers prosecuted the case.
Nicaraguan Man Charged with Illegally Using Social Security Number to Obtain EmploymentRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that EVERTO JAVIER URBINA-BALLADARES a/k/a “JOHAN MANUEL ALBIZU-ORTIZ, age 46, a native of Nicaragua, was charged on November 19, 2021 in a one-count indictment with illegally using a social security number in order to obtain employment, in violation of Title 42, United States Code, Section 408(a)(7)(B).
URBINA-BALLADARES faces up to a maximum term of imprisonment of not more than five (5) years, a fine of up to $250,000.00, up to three (3) year term of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of Homeland Security Investigations in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Carter K. D. Guice, Jr. is in charge of the prosecution.
New York Man Sentenced to over 19 Years’ Imprisonment for Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Lance Green, age 43, of Bronx, New York, was sentenced on November 19, 2021 to 235 months’ imprisonment followed by three years supervised release by United States District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, on March 18, 2021, following a four-day trial, a jury convicted Green of possessing and displaying a firearm that had an obliterated serial number during a neighbor dispute in Kingston, Pennsylvania, on October 5, 2017.
Green had previously been convicted of multiple felony offenses and was on state parole at the time of the offense. On August 17, 2020, while on federal pretrial release, Green committed and was convicted by a Lackawanna County jury of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. In September, Green was sentenced to 7 ½ to 15 years of imprisonment on the state offense. Judge Mariani ordered that his federal sentence be served consecutively to the state parole violation and the Lackawanna County sentence.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Kingston Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Jenny P. Roberts prosecuted 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.
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New York Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Cyberstalking and SextortionRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Christopher Buonocore (35, Hicksville, NY) to 15 years in federal prison for cyberstalking multiple victims. As part of his sentence, the court also entered a restitution order of $164,295.01, payable to the victims of the offense.
Buonocore had pleaded guilty in January 2021.
According to court documents, over a seven-year period, Buonocore used fictitious phone numbers, text messages, and social media accounts to harass, intimidate, cyberstalk, and attempt to sextort six women, including a minor. Buonocore’s harassment campaign involved posting thousands of sexually explicit and nude images of the victims to the internet, as well as the victims’ personal identifying information, including phone numbers, addresses, and social media account identifiers. Buonocore also solicited individuals on the internet to contact and harass the victims, including, at times, enlisting those individuals to attempt to extort additional sexually explicit images from the victims (sometimes referred to as “sextortion”) and other times encouraging these individuals to rape a victim.
During the course of conduct, certain victims discovered that Buonocore was the source of the harassment and confronted him. Despite becoming aware of the emotional and psychological harm caused by his actions, Buonocore continued to engage in the same course of conduct.
“The victims in this case did not let fear silence them. They courageously came forward and worked with law enforcement to help bring this individual’s campaign of torment and terror to an end. The FBI urges any victim of online threats to report the crime. We have the resources and the commitment to investigate these cowardly acts,” said FBI Tampa Division Special Agent in Charge Michael McPherson.
Sextortion occurs when someone threatens to distribute another person’s private and sensitive material if they do not provide the perpetrator with sexually explicit images, sexual favors, or money. The perpetrator may also threaten to harm the victim’s friends or relatives by using information they have obtained from the victim’s electronic devices unless the victim complies with their demands. Cyberstalking and sextortion are serious crimes that are investigated and prosecuted, and victims’ identities can be shielded from the public. Anyone who has been the victim of cyberstalking or sextortion should contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL FBI (225-5324). More resources are available at https://www.fbi.gov/video-repository/newss-what-is-sextortion/view.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa M. Thelwell.
Nevada Resident Sentenced to 21 Months in Federal Prison for Serving as a Straw Purchaser of Firearms Confiscated at the Cyril E. King Airport, St. ThomasRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI –United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced today that Michael Kelly, 30, a resident of Las Vegas, NV, was sentenced to 21 months imprisonment followed by a three-year term of supervised release for assisting in trafficking firearms in interstate commerce.
According to court documents, on April 16, 2016, Kelly purchased two firearms, a Romarm/Century Arms Draco caliber 7.62x39mm and a Glock Model 22 pistol 40 caliber S&W, from a firearms dealer in Las Vegas, NV. While purchasing the firearms, Kelly completed ATF Form 4473 for the purchase. On that form, the defendant stated that he was the actual buyer and was not purchasing the firearms for another person. After purchasing the firearms, Kelly provided the firearms to his co-defendant, Naeem Smith, who paid the defendant $1,200.00 for the purchase.
On April 25, 2016, Kelly purchased two additional firearms, a Glock Model 22 pistol 40 caliber S&W and a Glock Model 22 pistol 40 caliber S&W, from another firearms dealer in Las Vegas, NV and again filled out and signed the ATF Form 4473 for his purchase. In the form, Kelly stated that he was the actual buyer and was not purchasing the firearms for another person. After purchasing the firearms, Kelly provided the firearms to Naeem Smith, who paid the defendant another $1,800.00 for the purchase.
On April 28, 2016, Naeem Smith traveled to St. Thomas, V.I. from Las Vegas, NV. At the Cyril E. King Airport in St. Thomas, V.I., Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers inspected Naeem Smith’s checked bag and discovered multiple firearms, including the firearms that defendant Michael Kelly, had purchased for Naeem Smith described previously.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Delia Smith and Juan Albino prosecuted the case.This case is part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide initiative that brings together federal, state, local and tribal law
enforcement officials, prosecutors, and community leaders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in a community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. For more information on the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods, please see: https://www.justice.gov/psn.Narcotics Dealer Sentenced to Ten and a Half Years in Federal Prison for Federal Drug Trafficking Charges and Assault on a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm sentenced Andrew Joseph Trimmer, age 32, of Bowie, Maryland to ten and a half years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and assault on a federal officer.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Division (DEA); Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD); Chief Darryl McSwain of the Maryland National Capital Park Police, Montgomery County Division; Chief John Nesky of the Bowie Police Department; and Anne Arundel County Police Chief Amal E. Awad.
According to his plea agreement, between May 2018 to September 2020, Trimmer and his girlfriend, Alicia Walls, conspired with others to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl.
Specifically, on May 28, 2018, in Bowie, Maryland, Trimmer sold fentanyl to Victim A. During the narcotics transaction, Victim A and Victim A’s friends ingested the heroin that Trimmer distributed. Shortly after ingestion, Victim A overdosed and lost consciousness. After receiving life support treatment, Victim A survived the overdose, which constituted a serious bodily injury. Prior to the overdose on May 28, 2018, Trimmer distributed at least one gram of heroin and fentanyl to Victim A approximately two times per week for two years.
Occasionally, Trimmer and Walls sold narcotics in the presence of a minor child. On July 16, 2019, while caring for a 9-month-old child, Walls fell asleep after ingesting narcotics, and the child obtained narcotics from Wall’s belongings, ingested the narcotics, and subsequently overdosed. Trimmer and Walls then transported the child to a nearby hospital where healthcare workers revived the child. After receiving additional lifesaving measures, the child survived.
Following the child’s overdose, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Trimmer and Walls’s hotel room. As agents announced themselves, Trimmer attempted to flee on foot. After disregarding law enforcement’s commands to stop, a federal task force officer attempted to physically stop Trimmer from fleeing. Trimmer then proceeded to grab the officer’s body armor and began to physically assault the officer. Eventually, Trimmer was apprehended. The officer sustained a torn meniscus as a result of the assault. During his altercation with the officer, Trimmer shed his jacket from which officers later recovered 30 grams of fentanyl. From Trimmer’s car, police recovered digital scales, plastic bags, and razor blades used by Trimmer and Walls to distribute drugs.
Trimmer and Walls had numerous narcotics customers in the Bowie area, including two other victims, Victim B and Victim C. After Trimmer was taken into custody, Walls continued to distribute heroin and fentanyl to Victim B and Victim C. In October 2020, after obtaining heroin and fentanyl from Walls, Victim B and Victim C both overdosed. Both were transported to the hospital for advanced life support and treatment and ultimately survived. Together, over a six month period, Walls and Trimmer distributed at least 240 grams of heroin and fentanyl to Victim B and Victim C.
Following his arrest and incarceration, Trimmer assaulted corrections officers on three separate occasions causing bodily injuries to several corrections officers. As part of his sentence, Judge Grimm ordered Trimmer pay restitution of $52,174.52 for injuries sustained by the federal task force officer and the corrections officers during the assaults by Trimmer.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the DEA, the PGPD, the Maryland National Capital Park Police, the Bowie Police Department, and the Anne Arundel County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy L. Schwartz, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer L. Wine, and Dwight Draughon who prosecuted the case.
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Moline Man Sentenced for Drug Conspiracy Committed while Incarcerated in Federal Bureau of PrisonsRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Moline, Illinois man, Luis Alberto Hernandez-Barajas, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced on Thursday, November 18, 2021 to 188 months in prison for Conspiracy to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine. Hernandez-Barajas was ordered to serve five years of supervised release to follow his prison term and pay $100 to the Crime Victims’ Fund.
Hernandez-Barajas, age 42, supplied co-defendant, Christopher Hicks, with six pounds of methamphetamine and a half-pound of black tar heroin for distribution in the Quad Cities. In the summer and fall of 2019, Hernandez-Barajas supplied Hicks with hollowed out candles each filled with one pound of methamphetamine. In January 2020, Hernandez-Barajas supplied Hicks with black tar heroin for distribution. Hernandez-Barajas was incarcerated in the federal prison on a prior drug trafficking conviction at the time of this offense. Despite his incarceration, Hernandez-Barajas acquired a cell phone and communicated with Hicks and arranged for the shipments of these controlled substances. Hernandez-Barajas pleaded guilty to the charge on July 14, 2021.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Quad City Metropolitan Enforcement Group investigated the case.
Minnesota Man Sentenced to 5 Years on Methamphetamine ChargeRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Zakaree Stelzer, 25, Lakeville, Minnesota, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 5 years in federal prison for possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Stelzer pleaded guilty to this charge on August 26, 2021.
On December 10, 2020, an officer from the Buffalo County Sheriff’s Department pulled over a car occupied by Stelzer and his co-defendant, Doua Moua, for a cracked windshield and reckless driving. The officer confirmed that Stelzer and Moua both had active state arrest warrants. Officers searched the car and found a toolbox in the trunk that contained approximately 465 grams, or just over 1 pound of methamphetamine. During post-arrest interviews, Stelzer and Moua admitted buying the methamphetamine together in the Twin Cities. Stelzer and Moua both stated that they intended to sell the methamphetamine in the Wisconsin Rapids area.
At the sentencing hearing, Judge Conley noted that Stelzer’s possession of a “staggering amount” of methamphetamine was troubling. Judge Conley stated that telephone records showed that Stelzer had a history of trafficking drugs in the Wisconsin Rapids area. However, Judge Conley also noted that Stelzer’s criminal history was limited.
Moua was previously sentenced by Judge Conley to 6 years in federal prison for his role in the offense on October 19, 2021.
The charge against Stelzer was a result of an investigation conducted by the West Central Drug Task Force, Buffalo County Sheriff’s Department, Mondovi Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Wegner handled the prosecution.
Mercer County Man Sentenced to 408 Months for Drug Trafficking and Possession of Firearm by Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky.— A Harrodsburg, Ky., man, John Michael Essex, 58,was sentenced to 408 months in federal prison on Friday, by Chief U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves, after being convicted of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute heroin, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to the evidence presented at trial, on July 7, 2019, deputies with the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant on a property being occupied and rented by Essex. During the search officers located approximately 354 grams of methamphetamine and 69 grams of a mixture of heroin and fentanyl, in multiple baggies packaged for distribution. A Remington rifle was also located in a vehicle belonging to the Essex. Essex had previously been convicted of a felony and was prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Essex was convicted in August 2021.
Under federal law, Essex must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 10 years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; J. Todd Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Office; and Sheriff Ernie Kelty, Mercer County Sheriff’s Office; announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by DEA and the Mercer County Sherriff’s Office, with assistance from the Danville Police Department, Lincoln County Sherriff’s Office, and the Kentucky State Police Special Response Team. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francisco Villalobos.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Eastern District of Kentucky, Acting U.S. Attorney Shier coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
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Mason City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possessing and Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
A Mason City man who distributed large quantities of methamphetamine around the Mason City area was sentenced November 19, 2021 to 10 years in federal prison.
Jacinto Barrientes, age 56, from Mason City, Iowa, received the prison term after a July 1, 2021, guilty plea to one count of possessing methamphetamine and two counts of distributing methamphetamine.
At the plea hearing, Barrientes admitted to possessing with the intent to distribute and distributing large quantities of methamphetamine around the Northern District of Iowa, specifically Mason City, Iowa. Barrientes has an extensive history of criminal activity including driving while intoxicated, domestic abuse/assault, rioting, and a prior felony drug trafficking offense.
Barrientes was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Barrientes was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Barrientes is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jack Lammers and was investigated by the North Central Iowa Drug Task Force, the Cerro Gordo Sheriff’s Office, the Mason City Police Department, and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21-3008.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Maryland Man Facing Federal Indictment for Drug Conspiracy and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Elias Nick Costianes, Jr., age 43, of Nottingham, Maryland, for two counts of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance—specifically, testosterone and cocaine. The indictment also charges Costianes with possession of firearms and ammunition by an unlawful user of any controlled substance. The indictment was returned on November 18, 2021 and Costianes will have an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Baltimore at a later date. Costianes remains released under the supervision of U.S. Pretrial Services since his arrest on a related federal criminal complaint.
The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.
According to the three-count indictment and other court documents, on February 12, 2021, the FBI executed search warrants at Costianes’s residence, on his vehicle, and on Costianes’ cellphone. Court documents allege that law enforcement recovered four firearms from the residence: a 9mm pistol; a M&P 15 semi-automatic rifle; a .223 caliber semi-automatic rifle; and a 12-gauge shotgun, as well as 9mm, .22 caliber, .223 caliber, and shotgun ammunition. Law enforcement also allegedly recovered three vials of testosterone enanthate and one vial of testosterone cypionate, both controlled substances.
As detailed in court documents, the electronic evidence from Costianes’ phone, including photographs and text message conversations, allegedly revealed that Costianes used and conspired to traffic cocaine and testosterone by acquiring controlled substances from his suppliers to distribute to friends and associates. The indictment alleges that the conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute testosterone lasted from February 2020 through February 2021 and the conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine lasted from March through December 2020.
If convicted, Costianes faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each of the two counts of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance; and a maximum of 10 years in prison for possession of firearms and ammunition by an unlawful user of a controlled substance. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI for its work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey J. Izant, who is prosecuting the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Man Sentenced to a Year in Federal Prison for Selling Weight-Loss Product Containing Unapproved AdditiveRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal judge in Chicago has sentenced a man to a year in prison for manufacturing and selling a purported weight-loss product containing the unapproved additive 2,4-Dinitrophenol, known as DNP.
JONATHAN E. MCGRAW, 33, of Newberg, Oregon, obtained DNP from sources in China and used it as the primary ingredient in capsules that he manufactured in a makeshift lab in his garage and marketed online as a weight-loss product. McGraw sold the capsules to customers throughout the United States via his website – ScorpionDNP.com – and through postings on other sites, including reddit.com. In an effort to deceive regulatory and law enforcement agencies, McGraw falsely labeled his product as pesticide.
DNP is an organic compound that has not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or any other regulatory agency for human consumption in the U.S. McGraw acknowledged in a plea agreement that he knew that the use of DNP by his customers created a risk of death or serious bodily injury.
McGraw pleaded guilty earlier this year to a federal charge of introducing a new drug into interstate commerce without approval. U.S. District Judge John Z. Lee on Friday sentenced McGraw to a year and a day in federal prison.
The sentence was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Lynda M. Burdelik, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations.
“Defendant engaged in a course of conduct over a prolonged period of time that exposed hundreds of individuals to a significant risk of harm or death,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick D. Young argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “Defendant was willing to subject hundreds of people to a risk of death in order to make money for himself.”
Latham Pharmacy Pays Civil Penalty for Improperly Filling Ketamine PrescriptionsRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Fallon Wellness Pharmacy LLC (“Fallon”), of Latham, New York, has agreed to pay $7,150 to resolve allegations that it improperly filled intranasal ketamine prescriptions that raised “red flags.” Fallon admitted to dispensing ketamine to patients who were being treated by two Albany-area doctors who have since lost their ability to prescribe controlled substances.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Acting Special Agent in Charge Keith Kruskall, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division.
“Fallon Wellness Pharmacy has accepted responsibility for dispensing ketamine prescriptions that never should have been written or filled,” said Carla Freedman, United States Attorney for the Northern District of New York. “Whenever a pharmacy receives a suspicious prescription, it must consult the New York State’s Internet System for Tracking Over-Prescribing (I-STOP) Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP). We will continue to use the Controlled Substances Act to prevent and deter the illegal distribution of controlled substances.”
“A DEA regulatory investigation uncovered suspicious prescriptions associated with Fallon Wellness Pharmacy,” said DEA Acting Special Agent in Charge Keith Kruskall. “Numerous red flags found by investigators indicated that this pharmacy was involved in illegitimate and reckless dispensing. I applaud the investigators and our law enforcement partners on this investigation.”
Ketamine is a Schedule III controlled substance that causes sedative and dissociative effects. It has legitimate medical uses, such as surgical anesthesia, and other “off label” uses, but it is also abused recreationally as a “party drug.”
Beginning in 2018, two Albany-area physicians, Dr. Scott McMahon and Dr. Larry Bruni, began prescribing intranasal ketamine for substance abuse patients to self-administer intranasally. Fallon filled many of these ketamine prescriptions. In 2019, the DEA arrested McMahon for crimes associated with his prescribing practices. Fallon personnel knew of McMahon’s arrest, and were aware that approximately one-third of McMahon’s ketamine patients promptly migrated to Bruni after McMahon’s arrest. These same patients were also suffering from a substance abuse disorder, which would have been apparent to Fallon personnel, had they checked the PMP data. Fallon continued filling the ketamine prescriptions written by Bruni until December 2020, when the United States Attorney’s Office made an inquiry.
This settlement resolves allegations that by continuing to fill the ketamine prescriptions after McMahon’s arrest, and not checking the PMP, Fallon ignored “red flags” and failed to comply with its corresponding duty under 21 C.F.R. § 1306.04, to fill only prescriptions that are written for a legitimate medical purpose within the usual course of a professional practice.
Both McMahon and Bruni admitted to writing intranasal ketamine prescriptions that lacked a legitimate medical purpose and were outside the usual course of professional medical practice. McMahon was also sentenced to 38 months in prison for unlawful drug distribution and aggravated identity theft.
This case was investigated by the DEA Albany District Office Diversion Group. Assistant United States Attorney Christopher R. Moran represented the United States in this matter.
Las Vegas Woman Sentenced for Distribution of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – On Friday, a Las Vegas woman was sentenced to 84 months in prison — to be followed by four years of supervised release — for distributing methamphetamine on multiple occasions.
According to court documents, from January 30, 2020 to March 26, 2020, Alexis Catalan (41) sold a total of 391.9 grams of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance. Additionally, she possessed 271.8 grams of methamphetamine.
Catalan pleaded guilty in August 2021 to one count of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. U.S. District Judge James C. Mahan presided over the sentencing hearing.
Co-defendants Justin Wright (36) and Daniel Leath (29) each pleaded guilty to one count of felon in possession of a firearm. In September 2021, Wright was sentenced to 24 months in prison. In November 2021, Leath was sentenced to 30 months in prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Christopher Chiou for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Francisco Burrola for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and HSI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan Cowhig prosecuted the case.
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Las Vegas Man Sentenced to Prison for Using Skimming Devices at Gas Pumps to Steal Credit and Debit Card InformationRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas man was sentenced today to 61 months in prison for his role in a fraud scheme to steal thousands of credit and debit card numbers from victims at gas pumps in Nevada and California.
According to court documents, between November 2018 and June 2019, Danyer Manuel Alarcon Rodriguez (23) was a key member in a conspiracy to install skimmer devices at numerous gas pumps. Alarcon Rodriguez installed at least 27 skimmer devices that obtained at least 481 stolen card numbers.
After obtaining the stolen credit and debit card account information, Alarcon Rodriguez and his co-conspirators would re-encode that account information onto the magnetic strips of counterfeit cards, and then use the counterfeit cards to fraudulently make purchases and ATM cash withdrawals. Collectively, Alarcon Rodriguez and his co-conspirators obtained at least 3,120 stolen credit and debit card account numbers and caused a loss of at least $157,695.51.
Alarcon Rodriguez pleaded guilty in June 2021 to one count of conspiracy, one count of use of unauthorized access device, and one count of aggravated identity theft. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey sentenced Alarcon Rodriguez to three years of supervised release and ordered restitution.
Co-defendant Francisco Rodriguez Gonzalez (35) pleaded guilty in July 2021 and is scheduled to be sentenced in December 2021. Co-defendants Juan Luis Sosa Tamayo (32) and Adrian Leyva Tamayo (32) are scheduled for a jury trial to begin in July 2022.
Acting U.S. Attorney Christopher Chiou for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Brian Spellacy of the U.S. Secret Service made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Schmale is prosecuting the case.
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Lakewood Man Arrested on Federal Complaint Alleging He Threatened to Bomb SBA Offices and Assault Agency EmployeesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Lakewood man was arrested on a federal criminal complaint filed today alleging he threatened to bomb Small Business Administration (SBA) offices and then, the following year, assault SBA employees in response to his inability to obtain COVID-19 emergency business loans.
Christopher Joseph Antoun, 29, was arrested Saturday on a complaint charging him with one count of making threats by interstate communication. He made his initial appearance this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles, where he was ordered jailed without bond. His arraignment is scheduled for December 10.
According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, Antoun owns Federal Student Loan Consulting LLC, a company he runs out of his Lakewood residence. In early 2020, Antoun attempted to obtain a COVID-19 Emergency Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL). These loans provide accessible and borrower-friendly capital to small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
On May 3, 2020, after he failed to receive approval for an EIDL loan or an advance from the SBA, Antoun allegedly sent an email to an SBA-monitored email account and wrote, in part, “IT GOES INTO MY BANK ACCOUNT TONIGHT OR I START BOMBING EVERY LOCATION OWNED BY THE SBA.” An SBA loan officer in Texas received Antoun’s email and contacted law enforcement, according to the affidavit.
Law enforcement visited Antoun at his residence, where he said he was high on marijuana and drunk on alcohol when he sent the threatening email and had no intent of carrying out the threat, and law enforcement later gave him a warning, according to the affidavit.
During the summer and fall of 2021, Antoun again attempted to obtain SBA-backed loans and loan advances. Following difficulty in obtaining the loans and advances, Antoun on November 19 allegedly sent an email to several SBA employees. In that email, Antoun threatened to walk into the SBA’s Los Angeles district office “with my nice shiny bat” and “start beating the skulls of SBA staff in. Once the police or whoever it is eventually stops me im [sic] going to go to jail,” the affidavit states.
If convicted, Antoun would face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.
A complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The United States Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Protective Service investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Jason C. Pang of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section is prosecuting this case.
Jury finds local man guilty of distributing fentanyl that resulted in the death of anotherRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS –Gerald E. Cardwell, Jr. of O’Fallon, Missouri was found guilty by a jury after deliberations yesterday at the conclusion of a four-day trial held at the Thomas Eagleton Federal Courthouse.
Cardwell was charged in 2019 for knowingly and intentionally distributing a controlled substance, that led to the death of an individual from the use of the controlled substance distributed by Cardwell.
Evidence presented at trial revealed that the victim had picked Cardwell up from the Hollywood Casino Hotel on the night of July 25, 2019. In the early morning hours of July 26, 2019, Cardwell gave the victim a “special mix” of fentanyl and Adderall, sending text messages to a third-party witness that the victim was “TKO” in the car. Surveillance video obtained from Hollywood Casino Hotel depicted Cardwell, the victim, and the third-party witness enter the hotel shortly before 2 a.m. The third party left approximately ten minutes later, leaving Cardwell and the victim in the hotel room. Cardwell departed at 10:00 the following morning. Housekeeping staff found the victim deceased in the room at approximately 3:15 that afternoon. Evidence at trial suggested that he had been deceased for 8-10 hours. The St. Louis County Medical Examiner’s Office determined that the victim died of fentanyl and ethanol intoxication. However, two toxicologists testified that the victim’s blood alcohol content at the time of his death was .03. According to the Medical Examiner, that small amount of alcohol could not have caused the victim’s death.
Cardwell is facing a sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole on March 3, 2022 at his next appearance in front of United States District Judge John A. Ross.
The case was investigated by the Maryland Heights Police Department.
Judge sentences former St. Louis Metropolitan Police officer for civil rights violationRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Dustin Boone, 37, of St. Louis, Missouri appeared before United States District Court Judge E. Richard Webber on today’s date. Boone was sentenced to twelve months and one day in prison for aiding and abetting the deprivation of civil rights under color of law of undercover police officer Luther Hall during the 2017 Jason Stockley protests. Boone was found guilty in June after a nine-day trial.
The evidence during the trial proved that Dustin Boone assisted former police officer Randy Hays in the assault of undercover police officer Luther Hall. Det. Hall was undercover during the protests following the acquittal of former police officer Jason Stockley.
Bailey Colletta previously pleaded guilty to making false statements to a federal grand jury and was sentenced to probation. Randy Hays, who had earlier pleaded guilty to his role in the matter, was sentenced to a 52-month term of imprisonment. Christopher Myers case is still pending.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Judge sentences former St. Ann Police Officer to six years in prisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Ellis C. Brown, III, 32, of High Ridge, Missouri, appeared before United States District Court Judge Audrey G. Fleissig on today’s date. Brown was sentenced to six years in prison for deprivation of civil rights under color of law. Brown was previously found guilty after a three-day jury trial in June.
The evidence during the trial proved that Brown used unreasonable force during an encounter with a victim. In his capacity as a St. Ann police officer, Brown repeatedly kicked the victim who lay prone on the parking lot of a US Bank at the corner of Natural Bridge and Kingshighway in the city of St. Louis. The April 2019 incident was captured on video and followed a lengthy high-speed chase during which Brown and other St. Ann Police Department Officers pursued the victim through rush hour traffic for more than twenty minutes, at times reaching speeds exceeding 115 mph. Two St. Louis Metropolitan Police Officers intervened to stop Brown’s assault.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Derek Wiseman handled the case.
Jefferson Parish Man Indicted for Violating the Federal Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – TRAVIS CARTER, age 42, a resident of Metairie, Louisiana, was charged on November 19, 2021, in a one-count indictment by a Federal Grand Jury with possession with intent to distribute cocaine in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
If convicted, CARTER faces up to twenty (20) years imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000,000, at least three (3) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charging document and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Jefferson Parish Sherriff’s Office, and St. John Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Ben Myers.
Israeli Securities Trader Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Role in International Insider Trading SchemeRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that DOV MALNIK, an Israeli securities trader and finance professional, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for his role in an international insider trading scheme. MALNIK was extradited from Switzerland and pled guilty on June 25, 2021, to insider trading for his role in trading based on confidential inside information stolen by an insider at a global investment bank and shared with MALNIK in exchange for profits. The sentence was imposed on November 19, 2021, by United States District Judge Victor Marrero.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “This prosecution shows that we will vigorously protect the integrity of our nation’s capital markets by holding insider traders accountable for their use of inside information, regardless of where in the world the inside information is stolen and where tips are illegally passed.”
According to the Superseding Indictment, statements made in open court, and court filings:
DOV MALNIK and his business partner and codefendant Tomer Feingold, both Israeli citizens, were securities traders who traded in their own names and managed various companies and investment funds. From at least 2013 through 2017, MALNIK participated in a large-scale, international insider trading ring. Through the scheme, MALNIK received material, nonpublic information (“MNPI”) concerning acquisitions and potential acquisitions of publicly traded companies from a securities trader who resided in Switzerland (“CC-1”). MALNIK knew that this MNPI was obtained by CC-1 directly and indirectly from individuals who were insiders at publicly traded companies and investment banks. These insiders breached their fiduciary duties and shared MNPI with others, including CC-1, in exchange for compensation, who in turn shared that information with MALNIK. MALNIK used that information to place timely, profitable securities trades resulting in millions of dollars of profits.
Throughout the conspiracy, MALNIK, Feingold, the investment bank insiders, CC-1, and others involved in this scheme, took numerous steps to conceal their unlawful enterprise, including through the use of encrypted messaging applications and multiple unregistered “burner” cellphones to communicate with each other. MALNIK also attempted to avoid detection by engaging in securities trading through numerous offshore corporate entities. For example, in 2011, MALNIK incorporated a British Virgin Islands entity based in Geneva, Switzerland, and subsequently opened trading and/or bank accounts in that shell company’s name. During the insider trading scheme, MALNIK’s offshore companies traded in the stocks of companies about which MALNIK had received MNPI – often with multiple of those companies trading in the same stock and on the same days.
MALNIK also used these entities to transfer a portion of the profits of his and Feingold’s illegal insider trading to CC-1, as per MALNIK’s agreement with CC-1. At first, MALNIK instructed his bank to send the funds to an account at a financial institution in Switzerland that agreed to hold the funds for the benefit of CC-1. After a short time, however, MALNIK’s bank questioned the purpose of the transactions and requested justification for the transfer of funds. Accordingly, in order to deceive the banks, MALNIK, Feingold, and CC-1 agreed that CC-1 would issue fake invoices for consulting services to MALNIK and Feingold’s various offshore entities. The offshore entities would then send the funds to CC-1’s account pursuant to the fake invoices.
To date, this investigation has also resulted in the conviction of other individuals who were involved in this global insider trading scheme, including investment banker Bryan Cohen, who pled guilty on January 7, 2020, to illegally passing MNPI related to his bank’s corporate clients, and entrepreneur and pharmaceutical company executive Telemaque Lavidas, who was convicted on January 15, 2020, of illegally passing MNPI related to Ariad Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
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In addition to the prison term, MALNIK, 43, was ordered to pay a fine of $50,000 and forfeiture of $1,594,779.
Mr. Williams praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and also thanked the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Swiss Federal Office of Justice provided substantial assistance in securing Malnik’s arrest and extradition.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard Cooper and Daniel Tracer are in charge of the prosecution.
Iowa City Man Pleads Guilty to Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
A felon who possessed a firearm pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Joshua Brown, age 49, from Iowa City was convicted of one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. At the plea hearing, Brown admitted that, on July 18, 2020, he knowingly possessed a pistol after having been convicted of two crimes punishable by more than one year of imprisonment. Brown admitted he had prior convictions for unauthorized possession of an offensive weapon in Johnson County in 1995 and possession of a firearm by a felon in Cedar County in 1996.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Brown remains free on bond previously set pending sentencing. Brown faces a possible maximum sentence of ten years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and is being investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Linn County Sheriff’s Office.
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is CR 21-14.
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Indiana Man Sentenced for Armed Pharmacy RobberyRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – An Indianapolis, Indiana, man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in the armed robbery of a Walgreens pharmacy in Jefferson City, Missouri.
Daijahn Antwan Reed, 22, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 11 years and three months in federal prison without parole.
On Aug. 17, 2021, Reed pleaded guilty to one count of armed robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
According to court documents, the armed robbery was part of a larger scheme of violence perpetuated by the Indianapolis-based organization called The Mob for which Reed and his co-conspirators worked. This group and others committed similar offenses across the United States during the spring and summer of 2018.
Reed is the third and final defendant to be sentenced in this case. Co-defendant Jerome Scott King, 22, of Speedway, Indiana, was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison without parole. Co-defendant Raymond Allen Craig, 23, of Indianapolis, was sentenced to 11 years and three months in federal prison without parole. Although Reed and his co-defendants are aware of the identity of a fourth participant in this crime, according to court documents, none of them have identified that individual.
Reed admitted that he and three other men robbed the Walgreens at 2002 Missouri Boulevard at gunpoint shortly after midnight on July 25, 2018. Police officers arrived as the robbers were running from the business. They fled in a vehicle driven by King. As officers followed in pursuit, occupants of the vehicle began throwing items from the vehicle, including more than 4,000 tablets of various controlled substances taken during the robbery with an aggregate value of $9,264.
Multiple officers pursued the vehicle eastbound on U.S. Highway 54 into Callaway County. The Missouri State Highway Patrol deployed spike strips at the U.S. 54-AA/OO interchange. King’s vehicle began to slow, left the highway, crossed the outer road and crashed near Jazel Lane in Holts Summit, Missouri. King and Craig were apprehended; an unidentified man escaped. Officers recovered the loaded Smith & Wesson 9mm handgun used in the pharmacy robbery. The firearm had been stolen from Indianapolis.
A witness called the Jefferson City Police Department at about 4:15 a.m. the same day. The witness reported that Reed, who had not made it to the getaway car after the robbery, knocked on his door and asked to use the phone. Reed spoke with the witness for several hours and admitted that he robbed the Walgreens store. The witness told officers that Reed was on the roof of the O’Reilly Auto Parts store, 1010 Missouri Blvd., in Jefferson City. Officers arrested Reed at that location.
Reed later threatened the life of the witness, according to court documents. After being arrested, Reed conspired with Craig to murder the occupant of the home that Reed ran to for sanctuary following the armed robbery.
King admitted he entered the Walgreens to conduct surveillance and then reported the number of persons inside to Craig. Craig, Reed, and the fourth individual entered the pharmacy wearing medical masks over their faces and medical style gloves on their hands. The unidentified man displayed a firearm and confronted the store clerk. One of the thieves, whose identity could not be determined from the surveillance video, zip-tied the clerk’s hands behind his back while a firearm was pointed at his head, led him to the rear of the business near the pharmacy area, and forced him down on the floor. Craig and Reed jumped over the counter and confronted the pharmacist, brandishing a firearm in a threatening manner, and removed controlled substances from the pharmacy. Both Reed and Craig handled the firearm and brandished it in a threatening manner in the direction of the pharmacist.
This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather D. Richenberger and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Lynn. It was investigated by the Jefferson City, Mo., Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.