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10 January 2022
Berkeley County woman sentenced for drug chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Tammy Jean Holmes, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 21 months of incarceration for a drug charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Holmes, 35, pleaded guilty in July 2021 to one count of “Aiding and Abetting the Distribution of Heroin and Fentanyl Mixture.” Holmes admitted to working with another to sell heroin and fentanyl in August 2019 in Berkeley County.
This charge is the result of investigations supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) under the Attorney General-led Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS)/Special Operations Division (SOD) Project Clean Sweep. This initiative seeks to reduce the supply of synthetic opioids in “hot spot” areas previously identified by the Attorney General of the United States, thereby reducing drug overdoses and drug overdose deaths, and identify wholesale distribution networks and sources of supply operating nationally and internationally.
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.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Barbour County man admits to firearms chargeRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Kyle Richard Lantz, II, of Philippi, West Virginia, has admitted to a firearms charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Lantz, 38, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Machinegun.” Lantz admitted to having a machinegun in August 2019 in Barbour County.
Lantz faces up 10 years incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon S. Flower is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
667 Kilograms of Cocaine Apprehended On-Board a Vessel Near St. Croix; Three British Virgin Islands Citizens and a Citizen of the Dominican Republic ArrestedRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, United States Virgin Islands – United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced that three British Virgin Islands citizens and one citizen of the Dominican Republic were arrested today, January 9, 2022, on criminal charges related to their alleged possession with intent to distribute 667 kilograms of cocaine on-board a vessel apprehended yesterday near St. Croix.
According to court documents, on January 9, 2022, at approximately 3:30 p.m., Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations (CBP-AMO) along with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) detected a thirty-two feet vessel headed north towards the vicinity of the British Virgin Islands. When law enforcement approached the vessel, it was dead in the water. Captaining the vessel was British Virgin Islands resident Shannon John. Passengers included Sean John and Emmanuel Tolentino-Lebron, both also from the BVI, and Augusto Rodriquez-Molina, a citizen of the Dominican Republic. Federal authorities located approximately 667 kilograms of cocaine packaged in approximately 20 block-shaped bales onboard.
All four men were arrested and charged with possession with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine on a covered vessel, and conspiracy to commit the same offense, in violation of 46 U.S.C. § 70503(a)(1) & 46 U.S.C. § 70506(b). If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
CBP-AMO and Homeland Security Investigations are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Everard E. Potter is prosecuting the case.
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.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
"Long Time Coming" Update: Parkersburg Man Pleads Guilty in Connection with His Role in Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Carlo Ramsey, 56, of Parkersburg, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Ramsey admitted to assisting Ambera Roberts and Era Dawn Corder in the distribution of methamphetamine in the Parkersburg area by supplying them with methamphetamine on several occasions between June and September 2021. Ramsey further admitted that he knew both Roberts and Corder were engaged in the distribution of methamphetamine during this period of time.
Ramsey faces up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on April 14, 2022.
Robert Sanders, Jr., and Floyd Dermonta Ramsey are still facing federal charges as a result of the nearly year-long investigation dubbed “Long Time Coming,” which also resulted in more than a dozen arrests on state criminal complaints in Wood County. Ambera Roberts, Era Dawn Corder, and Matthew Edward Depew, all of Parkersburg, previously entered guilty pleas in this case and await sentencing.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the excellent investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Parkersburg Narcotics Task Force (PNTF), the Parkersburg Police Department, the West Virginia State Police, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Vienna Police Department, the Williamstown Police Department, the Wood County Sheriff’s Office, the Cabell County Sheriff’s Office, the Boyd County (KY) Sheriff’s Office, the Russell (KY) Police Department and the Raceland (KY) Police Department.
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr., presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe is handling the prosecution.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-00163.
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7 January 2022
Yarmouth Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Yarmouth man was sentenced today in federal court for conspiracy to distribute over 500 grams of cocaine, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
Chief U.S. District Judge Jon D. Levy sentenced Isaiah Mokeme, aka “O,” 25, to ten years in prison and four years of supervised release. Mokeme pleaded guilty in March 2021.
According to court records, in January 2019, Mokeme and others agreed to ship cocaine from California to southern Maine for further distribution. On January 10, 2019, Mokeme shipped an overnight package from Los Angeles to Westbrook, Maine. The package was intercepted and found to contain three kilograms of cocaine. Law enforcement then recovered a receipt indicating a similar package was shipped on January 9, 2019.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, United States Marshals Service, and the Portland and Los Angeles police departments investigated the case.
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West Richland Man Extradited from Kazakhstan Sentenced to 23 Years in Prison for Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
Richland, Washington – On January 6, U.S. District Judge Salvador Mendoza, Jr. sentenced Trent Drexel Howard, 50, of West Richland, Washington, to 23 years in federal prison for attempted production of child pornography. Judge Mendoza also ordered Howard to serve an additional 20 years on federal supervision after he is released from prison. Howard pleaded guilty on September 23, 2021.
According to court documents, from 2008 through 2016, Howard attempted to produce child pornography of at least 14 different minor victims by hiding cameras in the bathrooms and bedrooms of his residence in the Eastern District of Washington. Howard captured video footage of his minor victims in nude and semi-nude states.
The investigation began when Howard distributed 168 files containing suspected child pornography images and videos to an undercover agent using a publicly accessible, Internet-based, file-sharing network. Federal agents obtained and executed a search warrant at Howard’s residence and discovered the hidden camera footage on some of the more than 100 electronic devices they seized.
Howard was working in Kazakhstan when federal agents executed the search warrant at his residence. After learning of the investigation, Howard attempted to remain in Kazakhstan and avoid facing these charges, but Kazakh authorities arrested him on September 12, 2019. A Kazakh judge ordered Howard detained pending an extradition request from the United States, which soon followed. According to the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, Howard’s removal from Kazakhstan is the first extradition to the United States from Kazakhstan.
U.S. Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref for the Eastern District of Washington praised the complex international efforts taken to investigate the case, bring the prosecution, and extradite Howard to face these charges in Richland: “Mr. Howard earned every day of his multi-decade sentence,” said U.S. Attorney Waldref. “This case makes it clear that those who exploit children in our community will be held accountable, even if they try to hide in a foreign country or avoid extradition to the United States. I cannot commend highly enough the agencies and departments that worked together to achieve justice for this serial child predator. The FBI led a collaborative investigation that required the excellent and diligent work of the U.S. State Department, the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the Southeast Regional Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and detectives from the Kennewick, Richland, and Moses Lake Police Departments. It is simply remarkable how many moving parts were involved in bringing this investigation and prosecution to a just resolution.”
“For more than a decade, Mr. Howard victimized numerous minors and possessed tens of thousands of child exploitation materials,” said Special Agent in Charge Donald M. Voiret of the FBI Seattle Field Office. “This case demonstrates that no matter where in the world our subjects may be, the FBI will stop at nothing to hold child predators accountable.”
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the FBI Spokane Resident Office, with the Southeast Regional ICAC Task Force, and the Kennewick, Richland, and Moses Lake Police Departments. Invaluable assistance was provided by the U.S. Department of State and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs. The case was prosecuted by Ann T. Wick, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.
West Haven Man Charged with Unlawful Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced today that Michael Brillon, 59, of West Haven, Vermont was arrested yesterday for unlawfully possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. A criminal complaint was filed today in United States District Court, and Brillon is expected to have his initial appearance this afternoon.
According to court records, a collaborative stolen property investigation of the Winhall, Wilmington, Fair Haven, and Bennington Police Departments and the Vermont State Police resulted in the execution of a search warrant at Brillon’s property in West Haven yesterday morning. During the investigation, local law enforcement learned that Brillon was alleged to possess firearms and had been making threatening statements. Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations were asked to assist in the search. The search resulted in the seizure of a SAR Arms 9mm semi-automatic pistol, two rifles, and a large quantity of marijuana consistent with an intent to distribute. Brillon has a long criminal history that includes felony convictions for sexual assault on a minor and aggravated domestic assault. Those convictions prohibit Brillon from possessing firearms.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that a criminal complaint contains allegations only and that Brillon remains presumed innocent until and unless he is convicted of a crime. Brillon faces a maximum sentence of 10 years of imprisonment.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Winhall, Wilmington, Fair Haven, and Bennington Police Departments and the Vermont State Police, and the assistance of the Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations. Kerest added, “this case exemplifies the greatest strength of Vermont law enforcement – their willingness and ability to work collaboratively for the good of Vermonters.”
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 https://www.justice.gov/psn
The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan Ophardt. Brillon is represented by Richard Bothfeld, Esq.
United States Marshals Offering up to $10,000 for Information Leading to the Capture of Alleged Spokane FraudsterRead the Press Release
SPOKANE, WASHINGTON – The United States Marshals are offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the capture of William Oldham Mize, who failed to appear for a pretrial conference before United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice in Spokane. Mize, 60, is alleged to have participated in a multi-million-dollar fraud, and has been a fugitive from justice since approximately July 10, 2019, when he is alleged to have violated his pretrial release conditions by failing to make himself available for pretrial supervision to the U.S. Probation Office and failing to contact his attorney. A United States Magistrate Judge has issued a warrant for Mize’s arrest.
On December 18, 2018, a federal Grand Jury in the Eastern District of Washington found probable cause to indict Mize and others on numerous charges including mail fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, conspiracy to commit health care fraud, money laundering, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The alleged criminal activity took place for years, between September 2013 and April 2018. Court records indicate that Mize is alleged to have caused fake car accidents, falls, and other accidents in multiple states. To date, insurers have paid more than $6 million on Mize’s allegedly fraudulent claims.
Mize originally appeared in federal court on January 9, 2019, to answer a summons issued in connection with his federal indictment. He was released pending trial on conditions that included reporting to the U.S. Probation Office as often as directed, contacting his defense attorney weekly, posting an unsecured $750,000 appearance bond, surrendering his U.S. Passport, limiting his travel to Washington and Nevada, and showing up for all future court dates.
Mize is believed to have used numerous aliases, including Phillip Novak, Phillip Gonzalez, Phillip Boito, Bill Babaian, Bill Park, William Park, William Talento, William Westfall, Phillip Amezcua, Phillip Smith, William Smith, Will Smith, William Frangella, William Tardy, William Sharp, Phillip Tardy and Chad Harris. He has previously frequented cities in Washington, California, Florida, and Mexico, as well as Las Vegas and New Orleans.
Mize is a white male with brown hair and brown eyes. He stands 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighs approximately 240 pounds. The charges in the indictment are merely allegations, and the Defendant is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty.
Tips may be submitted directly to the United States Marshals Service by calling 1-877-WANTED2 or using the USMS Tips App.
The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney George J.C. Jacobs, III. The case number is 18-CR-00232-TOR.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Recognizes Law Enforcement Appreciation Day Jan. 9Read the Press Release
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — In honor of Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, Jan. 9, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina recognizes the hard-working men and women in law enforcement for the sacrifices that they make on a daily basis to protect the citizens of this State and Country.
“Every day, law enforcement officers put on their uniforms and leave the safety of their homes to protect and serve our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Corey F. Ellis. “These officers risk their lives to make South Carolina safer, and indeed many have made the ultimate sacrifice. We appreciate their sacrifices, owe them a tremendous debt of gratitude, and stand with them as they do their important work.”
Although COVID-19 currently hinders our ability to appropriately recognize our law enforcement partners in person, U.S. Attorney Ellis invites the public to follow the Office’s Twitter page at https://twitter.com/USAO_SC, where we will be sharing stories throughout January about the work our law enforcement partners do in their communities. U.S. Attorney Ellis also encourages the public to do what they can to recognize the efforts of their local law enforcement officers.
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CONTACT PERSON: Derek Shoemake, Public Information Officer, U.S. Attorney’s Office, [email protected], (843) 327-0882
U.S. Attorney’s Office Recognizes Law Enforcement Appreciation DayRead the Press Release
Sunday, January 9, 2021, is National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, a day dedicated to showing our support for law enforcement on the local, state, and federal levels. Created in 2015, this day allows us to voice our appreciation to law enforcement officers for their service to us all.
Every day our law enforcement colleagues run towards the danger as front-line workers and first responders to ensure public safety, address incidents involving domestic violence, substance misuse disorders, and mental health challenges. In this great state of Vermont, we all depend on law enforcement to protect people from crime and violence. The prosecutors in the United States Attorney’s Office also rely on our law enforcement colleagues to investigate crime carefully and thoroughly and to uncover and ferret out those that victimize the vulnerable.
Over the past two years we have been frequently reminded of the difficult challenges faced by law enforcement officers, many of which have been amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021 across the country, 491 police officers died in the line of duty. Vermont did not lose an officer in the line of duty in 2021, but the dangers that took the lives of those 491 lives exist every day in our state.
On January 9, take a moment to recognize these challenges and to show support for those who serve and protect. Send them an email, tweet support for them, or just give them a call and say, “thank you.” These small gestures are significant as we show our support for those who dedicate their lives to public safety.
The United States Attorney’s Office thanks the men and women of law enforcement for the dedication, sacrifice, and commitment to the rule of law they display every day. We recognize that you make our cases possible, and we will continue working together to promote justice and public safety in 2022.
Two Manchester Men Plead Guilty to Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
CONCORD – Christopher Yule, 30, and Jacob Brady, 30, of Manchester, pleaded guilty in federal court to drug trafficking charges and related charges, United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today. Yule pleaded guilty two counts of possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Brady pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 29, 2020, Manchester police detectives received information that a female would be traveling from Manchester to Lawrence, Massachusetts to obtain a significant amount of drugs for redistribution in New Hampshire. Surveillance officers observed her drive to Lawrence and park in an area known as a distribution “hot spot.” A vehicle registered to Yule parked close by and extinguished its lights. Within a minute, the cars departed. Surveillance units followed both vehicles.
When Yule’s vehicle entered Manchester, it was stopped by the police for a traffic violation and suspicion of drug activity. Brady was the driver of the vehicle. Yule and Brady both engaged in furtive movements within the vehicle as officers approached. Both individuals were instructed to step out of the vehicle. Brady explained that he and Yule traveled to Lawrence so Yule could meet with his source and purchase drugs. He further disclosed the drugs were in the glove compartment.
During the encounter, an officer observed through the window a tied-off glassine baggie protruding from a side compartment area. It contained a powder that appeared to be fentanyl. Yule consented to a search of the vehicle and officers located over 78 grams of fentanyl and over six grams of cocaine base.
On March 27, 2021, Hooksett police officers responded to a call reporting a male “passed out” in a rental van in a hotel parking lot known as a hot spot for drug activity in Hooksett. The caller stated a needle and firearm were visible in the vehicle. Officers found Yule slumped over in the driver’s seat with a needle and tourniquet visible next to him. Officers also saw a firearm in the open driver’s door compartment. After securing the firearm, they woke Yule.
Officers learned that Yule was a convicted felon and he was placed under arrest. During a search incident to arrest, officers located syringes in his pockets, $3,170 in his wallet and two small bags of suspected drugs, which Yule identified as “crack.”
On March 30, 2021, pursuant to a search warrant, officers searched the van and found over 58 grams of methamphetamine and over five grams of fentanyl. They also located holsters, loaded 9mm magazines, and other firearm accessories.
Yule and Brady are both scheduled to be sentenced on April 15, 2022.
“Drug trafficking continues to endanger the health and welfare of the residents of Manchester and other communities in New Hampshire,” said U.S. Attorney Farley. “Armed drug dealers are an even greater danger because their illegal behavior increases the risk of violence. By working with the Manchester Police Department to prosecute drug dealers like Yule and Brady, we are improving public safety in Manchester and throughout the Granite State.”
This matter was investigated by the Manchester Police Department and the Hooksett Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joachim H. Barth.
This case is part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.). In July of 2018, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the creation of S.O.S., which is being implemented in the District of New Hampshire and nine other federal districts. The goal of S.O.S. is to combat the large number of overdoses and deaths associated with fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. In New Hampshire, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is focusing its efforts on prosecuting synthetic opioid trafficking cases arising in Hillsborough County, which includes Manchester and Nashua.
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Three Puerto Rican Men Arrested On-Board a Vessel Near St. Thomas for Possessing 75 Kilograms of CocaineRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, United States Virgin Islands – Three Puerto Rican men were arrested on December 29, 2021 in St. Thomas, USVI on criminal charges related to their alleged possession with intent to distribute cocaine on board a covered vessel.
According to court documents, on December 29, 2021, Pedro Juan Ramos-Ramirez, Johny Arias Rodriguez, and Gerald Albert Cruz were on-board a vessel in United States customs waters that was traveling at night without navigation lights. Agents from United States Customs and Border Protection, Air and Marine Operations (“CBP-AMO”) activated their vessel’s blue emergency lights, siren, and navigation lights. Two passengers on the vessel then began throwing bags overboard. Once the passengers finished throwing the bags overboard, the operator of their vessel began to vary his speed and maneuver the vessel wildly, attempting to evade the CBP-AMO agents.
The agents rendered the engine on the individuals’ vessel inoperable. The three individuals on the vessel were then taken into custody. A subsequent search located three black duffel bags containing seventy-five kilogram packages of cocaine.
The three men are charged with possession with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine on a covered vessel, and conspiracy to commit the same offense, in violation of 46 U.S.C. § 70503(a)(1) & 46 U.S.C. § 70506(b). If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
CBP-AMO and Homeland Security Investigations are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Sleeper is prosecuting the case.
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.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Three Colombian Nationals Arrested at the Cyril E. King Airport for Improper Entry and Visa FraudRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – Three Colombian nationals were arrested on December 31, 2021, at the Cyril E. King Airport on criminal charges related to their alleged improper entry into the United States and use of fraudulent visas.
According to court documents, Oscar David Mira Aristizabal, 49, Alexander Lopera Castaneda, 31, and Maria Eugenia Alzate Sosa, 29, arrived in St. Thomas, USVI by boat from St. Martin on December 27, 2021, without presenting themselves at a port of entry. On December 30, 2021, they presented themselves to Customs and Border Protection for inspection at the Cyril E. King Airport. There, they presented visas that showed signs of alteration and that lacked certain security features. A check of automated databases determined that the individuals had no pending applications for entry documents with Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Mira Aristizabal, Lopera Castaneda, and Alzate Sosa are charged with improper entry, under 8 U.S.C. § 1325(a)(1), and visa fraud, under 18 U.S.C. § 1546(a). If convicted, each individual faces a maximum penalty of 126 months in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Homeland Security Investigations is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Sleeper is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Three Amazon Marketplace Sellers Plead Guilty to Price Fixing DVDs and Blu-Ray Discs in Ongoing InvestigationRead the Press Release
A New Jersey man and two New York men pleaded guilty yesterday to fixing the prices of DVDs and Blu-Ray Discs sold on the Amazon Marketplace.
According to court documents filed in Knoxville, Tennessee, Morris Sutton, Emmanuel Hourizadeh and Raymond Nouvahian were charged with conspiring with others to fix prices of DVDs and Blu-Ray Discs sold through the Amazon Marketplace. The price-fixing conspiracy each engaged in was ongoing from at least as early as November 2017 and continued until at least Oct. 29, 2019. Sutton, Hourizadeh and Nouvahian are the second, third and fourth individuals to be charged and to plead guilty in the ongoing investigation.
“As American consumers increasingly turn to e-commerce, it is critically important to deter, detect and prosecute crimes that prevent fair and open competition in online marketplaces,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “These charges demonstrate the Antitrust Division’s continued commitment to prosecuting anticompetitive conduct wherever it may occur.”
According to a one-count information charging Sutton, and another one-count information charging Hourizadeh and Nouvahian, each of the charged individuals and his co-conspirators agreed to raise and maintain the prices of DVDs and Blu-Ray Discs sold in their Amazon Marketplace storefronts. The Amazon Marketplace is an e-commerce platform that enables third-party vendors to sell new or used products alongside Amazon’s own offerings. The Amazon Marketplace is owned and operated by Amazon.com Inc.
“Price-fixing schemes chip away at the benefits afforded to us by a fair market system,” said Assistant Director in Charge Michael J. Driscoll of the FBI’s New York Field Office. “Artificially inflating prices to avoid giving consumers a choice, for the sole purpose of benefitting those involved in the fraudulent scheme, is a violation of federal law. These guilty pleas should serve as a warning to other like-minded criminals.”
“We are gratified to have contributed to this investigation and applaud the exceptional work by the investigative team for both protecting the individual consumer and the deterrence of activities in violation of the Sherman Act,” said Special Agent in Charge Ken Cleevely of the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General (USPS OIG). “Along with our law enforcement partners, the USPS OIG will continue to aggressively investigate those who would engage in this type of harmful conduct.”
A criminal violation of the Sherman Act carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $1 million criminal fine for individuals. The maximum fine may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the crime, if either of those amounts is greater than the statutory maximum fine. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Antitrust Division’s Chicago Office is prosecuting the case, which was investigated with the assistance of the FBI’s New York Field Office and USPS OIG’s Contract Fraud Investigations Division.
Anyone with information concerning price fixing or other anticompetitive conduct related to the sale of DVDs, Blu-Ray Discs, or other products sold through Amazon Marketplace should contact the Antitrust Division’s Chicago Office at 312-984-7200, Antitrust Division’s Citizen Complaint Center at 888-647-3258 or www.justice.gov/atr/contact/newcase.html, or FBI’s New York Field Office at 212-384-1000.
South Florida Man Who Recorded Himself Sexually Abusing Child Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – Yesterday, United States District Court Judge Aileen M. Cannon sentenced Nicholas Antonio Zamudio-Hernandez, 19, of Vero Beach, Florida, to 360 months in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, for production and possession of child pornography.
In May 2021, law enforcement agents learned that someone was using multiple social media accounts to store images of child pornography. After an investigation, agents executed a search warrant at Zamudio-Hernandez’s residence in Vero Beach. They recovered several videos and images that Zamudio-Hernandez created of himself sexually abusing a child under the age of 13. Zamudio-Hernandez later admitted to producing the videos and images, and abusing the child.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Anthony Salisbury, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
HSI Miami (Fort Pierce office) investigated this case, which is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Hoover.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), 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 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 the Project Safe Childhood initiative and for information regarding Internet safety, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 21-14031-CR-AMC.
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Shiprock man facing federal firearms and drug trafficking chargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Jason E. Begay, 40, of Shiprock, New Mexico, made his initial appearance in federal court on Jan. 6 on a two-count indictment charging him with possession with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of methamphetamine and using and carrying a firearm during the commission of a drug trafficking crime. Begay remains in custody pending an arraignment and detention hearing scheduled for Jan. 10.
According to the indictment and other court records, on Nov. 14, 2021, near Morgan Lake on the Navajo Nation, Navajo Police officers responding to a 911 call made contact with Begay who was slumped over his steering wheel. A handgun allegedly was in plain view on the front passenger seat. Begay allegedly led officers in a high-speed pursuit to the south side of Shiprock, where his vehicle became stuck in soft dirt near a fence line. Begay allegedly got out of the vehicle and attempted to flee on foot, but was apprehended by officers. Officers allegedly found Begay in possession of several firearms, ammunition and approximately 6.8 pounds of methamphetamine.
An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Begay faces a minimum of five years and up to lifetime in prison.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office and the Navajo Nation Police Department investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Novaline D. Wilson is prosecuting the case.
Shannon Kepler Sentenced to 25 Years for MurderRead the Press Release
Former police officer Shannon Kepler, 61, was sentenced today in federal court for killing Jeremey Lake on Aug. 5, 2014.
U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced Kepler to 25 years in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. Per the family’s request, he further ordered Kepler to pay restitution in an amount to cover the cost of a headstone for the victim. Kepler was sentenced for using a firearm in the commission of second degree murder. A separate assault charge for firing at Lake’s brother was previously dismissed by Judge Frizzell due to the statute of limitations.
During sentencing, Jeremey’s father spoke in court. He described the emotional and physical toll taken by his first-born son’s death and the subsequent trials. He described how difficult it was to think of his son suffering while the defendant drove away from the crime scene.
Jeremey’s father and the family members who submitted letters reminded the Court that Jeremey never had the chance to grow into the man he had hoped to become for his unborn child. They explained that prior to his death, Jeremey found a steady residence and intended to go to welding school. They also spoke about his selflessness and willingness to help others, as evidenced by his volunteer work at the homeless shelter. One family member explained that the only place she could speak to Jeremey now was at his grave.
“Nineteen-year-old Jeremey Lake died almost immediately after Shannon Kepler gunned him down in the street in 2014,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “Kepler, at the time, was sworn to uphold the law but instead made a series of decisions that led to the young man’s murder. Today’s 25-year sentence provides a measure of justice to Mr. Lake’s family, though I know their healing continues. It also serves as a reminder that the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners will hold individuals accountable for acts of violence in our community.”
A federal jury convicted Kepler in April 2021 for killing Lake.
A week prior to Lake’s 2014 murder, Kepler dropped off his 18-year-old daughter at a homeless shelter with no extra clothing, no money, and no cell phone. He later logged into his daughter’s Facebook account while he was at work and saw that she had newly changed her status to being “in a relationship” with Jeremey Lake. Kepler then used police databases to gather information on Lake and printed off police reports about the victim. The day of the crime, Kepler changed into dark clothing, used his wife’s SUV, then travelled after dark to Lake’s last known address with a loaded revolver in the waistband of his pants.
After seeing Lake and Lisa Kepler around 9 pm, Kepler approached Lake and shot him in the street on North Maybelle Avenue, near downtown Tulsa. After shooting the victim twice through the chest, he turned and fired in the direction of his daughter, the victim’s brother, and a third witness to the killing. Lake died at the scene.
At the time of the murder, Kepler was a 24-year veteran of the Tulsa Police Department.
Kepler appealed his 2017 State manslaughter conviction for the killing on grounds that his case should have been tried in federal court based on the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in McGirt v. Oklahoma. Kepler is a citizen of the Muscogee Nation, and the shooting took place on the nation’s Reservation.
The FBI and Tulsa Police Department joined forces to lead the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ross E. Lenhardt and Sean J. Taylor prosecuted the case. Mr. Lenhardt is a prosecutor from the Western District of Pennsylvania, and Mr. Taylor is a prosecutor from the Eastern District of Texas. Both volunteered to assist prosecution efforts in the Northern District of Oklahoma due to increased jurisdictional responsibilities regarding crimes that occur on the Muscogee, Cherokee and Quapaw Nations’ Reservations involving Native American victims or defendants.
You can find the trial press release here.
Schuylkill County Man Sentenced to 100 Months’ Imprisonment for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that David Collazo, age 34, of Frackville, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on January 6, 2022, to 100 months’ imprisonment by U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani for possession with intent to distribute crystal methamphetamine.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Collazo previously pleaded guilty and admitted to possessing between 50 and 150 grams of highly-pure crystal methamphetamine for further distribution in the Schuylkill County area between December 2018 and February 2019.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Schuylkill County Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. O’Hara prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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Salem County Man Charged with Possession of Firearm by Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Salem County man made his initial appearance on a charge of illegally possessing a firearm, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Jabbar Pierce, 41, of Penns Grove, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He appeared by videoconference before U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew J. Skahill on Jan. 6, 2022, and was detained.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Nov. 9, 2021, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a residence in Penns Grove based on probable cause that Pierce, a six-time convicted felon, had committed firearms and drugs crimes and that evidence of those crimes would be at the residence. While executing the warrant, officers encountered Pierce, who told officers that anything illegal in the residence belonged to him. Pierce also told officers that they would find a firearm behind a couch and drugs in a cabinet. Upon searching the residence, officers recovered from behind the couch a .40 caliber rifle and detached 24-round magazine containing 14 rounds of ammunition. Officers also recovered suspected controlled substances and drug packaging from a kitchen cabinet.
The felon in possession of a firearm charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Camden Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey L. Matthews in Newark; the Salem County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Kristin J. Telsey; and the Penns Grove Police Department, under the direction of Officer in Charge Robert Frett, with the investigation leading to the charge.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.
The charge and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Rapid City Man Sentenced for Failure to Register as Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender was sentenced on January 7, 2022, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.
Sonny Ray Escarsega, a/k/a Sonny Ray Ruiz, age 39, was sentenced to 20 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Escarsega was indicted by a federal grand jury on October 14, 2020. He pled guilty on October 14, 2021.
Escarsega was convicted of Aggravated Sexual Abuse in July 2003. As a result of this conviction, he is required to register as a sex offender. On August 7, 2020, Escarsega updated his sex offender registration to reflect that he was residing at an address in Rapid City. Escarsega subsequently failed to reside at his registered address and absconded from federal supervised release. Between August 10, 2020, and October 14, 2020, Escarsega failed to properly register as a sex offender and update his registration.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
Escarsega was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rapid City Man Sentenced for Failure to Register as Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender was sentenced on January 6, 2022, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.
Roy Brushbreaker, III, age 27, was sentenced to time served through April, 25, 2022, equal to approximately nine months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Brushbreaker was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 19, 2021. He pled guilty on September 30, 2021.
Brushbreaker was convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact in April 2019. As a result of this conviction, he is required to register as a sex offender and to update his registration within three business days of relocation or changing employment. On May 10, 2021, Brushbreaker moved out of his registered address in Rapid City and thereafter failed to update his registration. His whereabouts were unknown until he was arrested in Rapid City on July 22, 2021.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
Brushbreaker was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Raleigh Drug Trafficker Sentenced to More Than 16 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – A Raleigh man was sentenced yesterday to 195 months in prison for Distribution of cocaine base (crack). On February 24, 2021, Needham Holder, III pled guilty to the charge.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Needham Holder, III, 33, distributed in excess of 18 kilograms of cocaine base (crack) in the Raleigh area from November 2017 until his arrest on June 8, 2019. Due to a significant criminal record, Holder qualified for sentencing as a career offender. Holder’s prior convictions include possession with intent to sell or deliver cocaine, assault inflicting serious injury, selling a controlled substance within 1000 feet of a park, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Raleigh Police Department and The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. Newby, Jr. prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:20-cr-416-FL.
Previously Convicted Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Jason Wade Harley, age 49, of Frederick, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to possession of child pornography.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Frederick County Sheriff Charles A. “Chuck” Jenkins.
According to Harley’s plea agreement, on February 24, 2020, four suspected child pornographic images were uploaded to the internet. The internet platform to which the images were uploaded reported the upload to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Harley’s name and email address was listed under the information of the subscriber that uploaded the child pornographic material. Investigators determined that several of the images distributed on the internet platform depicted the sexual abuse of infants and prepubescent minors, and that the upload was linked to Harley’s account.
On August 28, 2020, investigators executed a search warrant at Harley’s residence. As a result of the executed search warrants, investigators located a SIM card within a cell phone that contained two videos of children engaged in sexually explicit activity as well as 499 images of child pornography, including images that depicted the sexual abuse of infants and prepubescent minors. That same day, Harley admitted to investigators that he sent images of child pornography to online accounts and that he has sexual fantasies involving children.
As stated in his plea agreement, investigators also executed a search warrant for Harley’s online accounts. Following the review of Harley’s internet activity, investigators discovered evidence that Harley searched multiple phrases including “young sluts.” On another internet account, investigators discovered 11 additional images of child pornography and conversations between Harley and another internet user. Within the online communications, Harley stated that he possessed 260 pictures and 130 videos of child pornography in a hidden vault and expressed his interest in sexual abuse of children.
Harley faces a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum of 20 years in prison followed by up to lifetime of supervised release for possession of child pornography. U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander has scheduled sentencing for March 31, 2022 at 11:00 a.m.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "Resources" tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI and the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine L. Duey and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Joyce King, who are prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Postal Employee Arrested for Theft of MailRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the filing of a
criminal complaint and arrest of Miranda Delee Farleigh (25, Ocklawaha) for theft of mail matter by a postal employee. If convicted, Farleigh faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison.According to court documents, Farleigh worked as a contract employee of the United States Postal Service (USPS) delivering mail for the Lady Lake Post Office. Farleigh’s route included mail delivery services to postal stations in The Villages. On or about November 23, 2021, Farleigh’s supervisor discovered several tubs and bags of U.S Mail in Farleigh’s possession that had been rifled (unlawfully opened).
A criminal complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.
Passaic County Man Admits Role in Illegal Money Transmitting SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Passaic County, New Jersey, man today admitted his role in an illegal money transmitting business, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Julio De La Cruz Acosta, 42, of Paterson, New Jersey, pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti to a criminal information charging him with aiding and abetting an illegal money transmitting business.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From July 2016 to December 2017, De La Cruz Acosta accepted $1.94 million in cash to purchase 67 cashier’s checks at banks in and around New Jersey and elsewhere. De La Cruz Acosta admitted that he knew that the cash was from an illegal source and that he purchased the cashier’s checks to aid, abet and facilitate an illegal money transmitting business.
The investigation revealed that the cash was the proceeds of illegal drug distribution. The check purchases were part of a large-scale illegal money transmitting and money laundering scheme designed to hide the illegal source of the cash and transfer it from New Jersey to the Dominican Republic and Colombia, all while attempting to avoid scrutiny by law enforcement and U.S. banks.
The charge of aiding and abetting an illegal money transmitting business carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of $250,000 or twice the amount involved in the offense, whichever is greater. Sentencing is scheduled for May 17, 2022.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents and task force officers of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, New Jersey Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Susan A. Gibson; special agents and task force officers of IRS - Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael Montanez; the Morristown, New Jersey, Police Department, under the direction of Acting Police Chief Darnell Richardson; and the Direccion Nacional de Control de Drogas (the Dominican Republic National Drug Directorate, or DNCD) with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan M. Peck of the Asset Recovery and Money Laundering Unit in Newark.
This case 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.
Parmelee Man Sentenced for Assaulting a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Parmelee, South Dakota, man convicted of Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer was sentenced on January 6, 2022, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.
Odell Good Shield, age 34, was sentenced to time served through February 15, 2022, equal to approximately seven months, followed by three years of supervised release, with the first three months to be served on home confinement, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Good Shield was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 11, 2021. He pled guilty on October 6, 2021.
The conviction stemmed from an incident that occurred in the early morning hours of March 17, 2021. On that date, Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Service officers responded to a report that Good Shield was drunk and causing a disturbance at a residence in Todd County, South Dakota. Good Shield was subsequently arrested and transported to the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Adult Correctional Facility. During the transport, the arresting officer pulled over the patrol vehicle to secure Good Shield’s wrist restraints. Another officer stopped to assist. Good Shield then became non-compliant and kicked the assisting officer in the chest.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
Good Shield was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Owner of third cockfighting venue sentenced to prison for illegal animal fighting operationRead the Press Release
STATESBORO, GA: A Burke County man has been sentenced to prison after admitting to operating a cockfighting venue.
William Shannon Scott, 49, of Midville, Ga., was sentenced to 16 months in prison after pleading guilty to Sponsoring and Exhibiting an Animal in an Animal Fighting Venture, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall also ordered Scott to pay a fine of $2,500 and a special assessment of $100 and to forfeit the land on which the fights were held, prohibited him from owning birds or fowl or engaging in cockfighting, and ordered him to serve two years of supervised release after completion of his prison term.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“William Shannon Scott’s sentencing represents the final trip to court for three men who operated illegal animal fighting venues in the Southern District of Georgia,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Thanks to outstanding work from our law enforcement partners, we have shut down these three animal cruelty arenas – and it should serve as a warning to those who would attempt to engage in this reprehensible practice.”
The owners of two other venues, Wendell Allan Strickland, 67, of Swainsboro, Ga., and Lanier Augustus Hightower, 65, of Lincolnton, Ga., currently are serving federal prison terms after admitting to similar charges.
As described in court documents and testimony, Scott operated a cockfighting venue called Little Sunset on his Midville property. The venue alternated weekend events with Strickland’s Emanuel County venue, The Red Barn. Scott was arrested in June 2020 on federal charges as part of Operation Sunrise, a multi-agency raid of a cockfighting tournament at his property in which nearly 200 possible defendants were identified. Six months earlier, the operation on Hightower’s farm in Lincoln County was the first of the three raided by law enforcement agencies during a cockfighting tournament in December 2019.
“These callous showcases of death are no longer in operation, thanks to our law enforcement partnerships,” said Jason Williams, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Agriculture-Office of Inspector General. “This agency has made animal fighting a high priority in order to demonstrate that these inhumane acts of cruelty to animals will not be tolerated.”
The investigation into animal fighting operations in the Southern District were led by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Inspector General (USDA-OIG) and in cooperation with multiple federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The U.S. Government has initiated forfeiture proceedings for the real property on which each of the three tournaments were held, while overseeing the forfeiture of more than $200,000 in cash from illegal betting along with knives and gaffs that were affixed to the animals during fights.
The cases were investigated by the USDA-OIG and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Xavier A. Cunningham and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Rock.
Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Case Results in Sentences of 58+ Years in Prison for Six IndividualsRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced the completion of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force investigation in the Western District of Louisiana.
Robert Edward Simpson, 49, of Benton, Louisiana, was sentenced by Chief Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. to 292 months (24 years, 4 months) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Simpson was also ordered to pay a fine in the amount of $25,000.
Simpson and five others were indicted by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking charges in October 2020. On June 24, 2021, Simpson pleaded guilty and admitted to conspiring with Thomas Shane Benefield, Tania Cedillo, Rosa Palacios a/k/a “Mama,” Casey Head, and Tanya Simpson-Procell, to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Agents with FBI’s Northwest Louisiana Violent Crime Task Force conducted an investigation into the drug trafficking activities of Simpson and his co-defendants. They were able to obtain an order granting permission to wiretap Simpson’s phone which led agents to learn that Simpson’s drug suppliers were Cedillo and Palacios, who were from the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Intercepted phone conversations showed that Simpson made trips at least once a week to the Dallas area and pick up large quantities of methamphetamine from the different suppliers. Benefield and Simpson-Procell both helped Simpson distribute methamphetamine to many different buyers and Head was a regular multi-ounce buyer. Agents obtained evidence that on March 11, 2020, Simpson sold 55.7 grams of methamphetamine to an individual in Shreveport. He was arrested on June 18, 2020 and admitted to buying methamphetamine in the Dallas area and distributing it in the Shreveport/Bossier City area.
The following co-defendants have each previously pleaded guilty and been sentenced in this case:
- Thomas Shane Benefield, 46, of Bossier City, was previously sentenced to 168 months (14 years) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
- Casey Head, 39, of Bossier City, Louisiana, was previously sentenced to 60 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
- Tania Cedillo, 35, of Dallas, Texas, was previously sentenced to 57 months in prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
- Rosa Palacios a/k/a “Mama,” 52, of Dallas, Texas, was previously sentenced to 24 months in prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
- Tanya Simpson-Procell, 48, of Bossier City, was previously sentenced to 110 months (9 years, 2 months) in prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Northwest Louisiana Violent Crime Task Force, Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office and Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Aaron Crawford and Mike Shannon.
This effort is part of an ongoing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (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.
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Nine MS-13 Gang Members Indicted for Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A federal judge in the District of Maryland unsealed a superseding indictment today charging nine members of La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) with racketeering conspiracy involving murder, extortion and money laundering. MS-13 is an international criminal organization and one of the largest street gangs in the United States.
The superseding indictment charges Hernan Yanes-Rivera, 20; Franklyn Edgardo Sanchez, 24; Brayan Alexander Torres, 28; Agustino Eugenio Rivas Rodriguez, 24; Brian Samir Zelaya Mejia, 23; Miguel Angel Ramirez, 21; Jorge Isaac Argueta Chica, 21; and Diego Fabrisio Angel-Artiga, 22, with racketeering conspiracy. The superseding indictment also charges Yanes-Rivera, Torres, Rivas Rodriguez, Zelaya Mejia, Ramirez, Argueta Chica and Angel-Artiga with conspiracy to interfere with commerce by extortion.
“MS-13 uses violence and intimidation to prey upon vulnerable communities,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Criminal Division is committed to dismantling MS-13 and protecting all communities from the harm alleged in this indictment.”
“Witness retaliation will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland. “As alleged in the superseding indictment unsealed today, these MS-13 members not only extorted money from community members to support the gang — both in Maryland and in El Salvador — they also allegedly killed an individual who was cooperating with law enforcement. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Maryland and our local and state partners are working together to remove violent gang members to keep our communities safe from the threat of MS-13.”
According to court documents, in the United States, MS-13 is organized into branches or “cliques.” These defendants were allegedly members or associates of Weedams Locos Salvatrucha, an MS-13 clique operating primarily in the Adelphi, Maryland area. As alleged, the defendants extorted multiple victims, from whom they collected extortion payments, or “rent,” on a regular basis. Several of the defendants allegedly illicitly transferred this money to MS-13 associates in El Salvador.
The superseding indictment also alleges that Yanes-Rivera and Sanchez, acting at the direction of senior MS-13 members, murdered an individual in retaliation for the victim’s cooperation with law enforcement.
If convicted, the defendants face statutory maximums ranging from 20 years to life imprisonment for the racketeering conspiracy and 20 years for the extortion conspiracy. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI, Homeland Security Investigations and Prince George’s County Police Department are investigating the case. Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations and Montgomery County Police Department provided valuable assistance.
Trial Attorney Brendan Woods of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Baldwin and Joel Crespo of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
New Orleans City Judge Indicted for Filing False ReturnsRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in New Orleans returned an indictment today charging a city court judge with filing false tax returns.
According to the indictment, from 2013 to 2016 Ernestine Anderson-Trahan, a judge of the Second City Court in the Parish of Orleans, Louisiana, allegedly officiated hundreds of marriage ceremonies each year but did not report on her federal tax returns the entire income earned from presiding over those ceremonies. Trahan allegedly earned between $80 and $100, paid to her in cash, for each marriage she officiated at the courthouse. She allegedly charged higher officiant fees for marriages conducted outside normal business hours, outside the courthouse, or on Valentine’s Day. Trahan allegedly did not report all of these officiant fees on her 2013 through 2016 federal tax returns. On her 2013 and 2014 tax returns, Trahan also allegedly did not report the income she received in those tax years for providing outside legal work before becoming a judge.
Trahan is scheduled to make her initial court appearance on Jan. 24 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Janis van Meerveld of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each of the four counts of filing a false tax return. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans for the Eastern District of Louisiana made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation and the FBI are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Brian Flanagan and William Montague of the Justice Department’s Tax Division are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
New Orleans City Judge Indicted for Filing False ReturnsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A federal grand jury in New Orleans returned an indictment today charging a city court judge with filing false tax returns.
According to the indictment, from 2013 to 2016 Ernestine Anderson-Trahan, a judge of the Second City Court in the Parish of Orleans, Louisiana, allegedly officiated hundreds of marriage ceremonies each year but did not report on her federal tax returns the entire income earned from presiding over those ceremonies. Trahan allegedly earned between $80 and $100, paid to her in cash, for each marriage she officiated at the courthouse. She allegedly charged higher officiant fees for marriages conducted outside normal business hours, outside the courthouse, or on Valentine’s Day. Trahan allegedly did not report all of these officiant fees on her 2013 through 2016 federal tax returns. On her 2013 and 2014 tax returns, Trahan also allegedly did not report the income she received in those tax years for providing outside legal work before becoming a judge.
Trahan is scheduled to make her initial court appearance on Jan. 24 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Janis van Meerveld of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each of the four counts of filing a false tax return. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation and the FBI are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Brian Flanagan and William Montague of the Justice Department’s Tax Division are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Montebello Man Sentenced to More Than 33 Years in Prison for Causing Fentanyl Overdose that Resulted in Woman’s DeathRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Montebello man who provided a lethal dose of fentanyl to a victim was sentenced today to 400 months in federal prison.
Edwin Oliva, 30, was sentenced by United States District Judge André Birotte Jr.
Oliva pleaded guilty in September 2021 to one count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death and one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin. He has been in federal custody since March 2019.
During the early hours of February 28, 2019, Oliva gave the victim a line of drugs to snort and did not tell her the substance was fentanyl – a powerful synthetic opioid. Believing the substance to be cocaine, the victim ingested the drug, which resulted in a fatal overdose.
Oliva did not call 911 or otherwise seek medical care for the victim until nearly six hours after texting a friend that the victim was not breathing.
In the nearly six hours between when Oliva learned that the victim was not breathing and when he ultimately called 911, he cleaned his apartment, removing the fentanyl and other evidence of drug trafficking. He placed these items in the trunk of his significant other’s car and then drove away from the apartment in attempt to hide it from law enforcement.
Later that day, Montebello Police officers executed a search warrant on the car and discovered 1.9 kilograms (4.2 pounds) of heroin, 21 grams of fentanyl, 1.4 kilograms (3.2 pounds) of marijuana, 0.4 grams of methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, a loaded .45-caliber semiautomatic pistol, a blue flip phone he used to conduct drug transactions, and a notebook he used as a pay/owe ledger.
While in custody in March 2019, Oliva directed his significant other to destroy evidence in the case, and he also directed her to tell law enforcement that the blue flip phone was a play phone for their children.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Montebello Police Department investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Maria Jhai and Kathrynne Seiden of the General Crimes Section prosecuted this case.
Mission Man Sentenced for Threatening a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Mission, South Dakota, man convicted of Influencing a Federal Officer by Threat was sentenced on January 6, 2022, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.
Donovan Jace Oakie, age 24, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Oakie was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 13, 2021. He pled guilty on September 30, 2021.
The conviction stemmed from an incident that occurred on June 30, 2021, in Todd County, South Dakota. On that date, Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services personnel, Federal Bureau of Investigation personnel, and U.S. Marshals Service personnel were searching for Oakie, who had an arrest warrant for a violation of federal supervised release. Oakie was located at a residence in the South Antelope Housing Community, near Mission. Oakie fled from the residence and attempted to hide in an area of overgrown brush. He ignored commands to surrender and threatened to shoot a deputy U.S. Marshal. Oakie attempted to flee again, at which point he was apprehended and taken into custody.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
Oakie was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Middle District of Florida U.S. Attorney’s Office Collects More Than $160 Million in Civil and Criminal Actions in Fiscal Year 2021Read the Press Release
Tampa ― U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced today that the Middle District of Florida (MDFL) collected $160,946,371.39 related to criminal and civil matters in the fiscal year ending September 30, 2021 (FY 2021), during the tenure of his predecessors, Maria Chapa Lopez and Karin Hoppmann. Of that amount, $109,846,390.39 represents total collections in criminal and civil actions. Included in this amount is $60,443,168.31 recovered in its locally handled cases; $21,450,090.69 in criminal cases and $38,993,077.62 in civil cases.
The MDFL’s Civil Division, led by Civil Chief Randy Harwell, recovered a total of $88,396,299.70 on behalf of federal agencies and programs in affirmative civil enforcement cases during the last fiscal year. This amount has two components. In addition to its efforts in local civil cases noted above, the district’s Civil Division also joins forces with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and with the Department of Justice Civil Frauds Section to address fraud schemes and illegal practices extending beyond district boundaries. The MDFL’s Civil Division recovered an additional $49,403,222.08 in these jointly handled cases.
Additionally, the district’s Asset Recovery Division, led by Chief Anita Cream, working with partner agencies, forfeited $51,099,981 from criminal and civil asset forfeiture actions completed in fiscal year 2021. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes. For instance, in FY 2021, more than $6.5 million forfeited in the MDFL in this and prior years was returned to victims of the criminal offenses upon which the forfeitures were based, and more than $2.4 million was shared with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. The district anticipates that the vast majority of the more than $51 million forfeited in FY 2021 will be returned to crime victims.
“The commitment of my predecessors, continued leadership by our office’s civil division and asset recovery division chiefs, and great coordination with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners has resulted in the collection and recovery of millions of dollars from those who have sought to benefit from fraud and other illegal activities,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg. “These collected funds will assist victims in their recovery process and aid law enforcement as they continue to hold criminals accountable for their crimes.”
U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
The largest civil collections were from affirmative civil enforcement cases, in which the United States recovered government money lost to fraud or other misconduct or collected fines imposed on individuals and/or corporations for violations of federal health, safety, civil rights, or environmental laws. In addition, civil debts were collected on behalf of several federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Defense Health Agency, the Internal Revenue Service, the Small Business Administration, and the Department of Education. See below for MDFL significant civil case highlights.
Significant Affirmative Civil Enforcement Cases
United States and the State of Florida ex rel. Albright v. Regency, Inc., et al.
Case no. 8:19-cv-686-T-30AEP (M.D. Fla.)
“Operation Brace Yourself,” a national takedown staged in April 2019, addressed a major fraud scheme directed at the sale of medically unnecessary durable medical equipment (DME) to Medicare beneficiaries. A qui tam relator filed a lawsuit in the Middle District of Florida that alleged that Regency Inc., a company owned and operated by Kelly Wolfe, fraudulently established DME companies (by providing false information regarding the true owners’ identities, among other misrepresentations on Medicare applications). Regency then sold those companies to other individuals, who used the companies to fraudulently bill Medicare for medically unnecessary DME that resulted from kickbacks or other inappropriate marketing practices. In 2019, the United States Attorney’s Office secured a major asset freeze that reached more than $30 million in cash and luxury items pending the resolution of a number of criminal prosecutions. In February 2021, the qui tam allegations were resolved through an ability-to-pay civil settlement for $20.3 million.
Press Release: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/florida-businesswoman-pleads-guilty-criminal-health-care-and-tax-fraud-charges-and-agrees-203
United States v. AAR Corp.; U.S. ex rel. Harvey v. AAR Corp., et al.
Case no. 3:15-cv-00390 (S.D. Ill.)
This civil investigation focused on allegations that a military contractor, AAR Corporation, and its Melbourne, Florida based subsidiary, AAR Airlift Group, Inc., had defrauded the United States while performing under contracts established to maintain military helicopters. A qui tam case was filed in the Southern District of Illinois that alleged the defendants owned and maintained helicopters for use in transporting Department of Defense cargo and personnel in support of missions in Afghanistan and Africa. The qui tam relator contended that the contractor knowingly failed to maintain nine aircraft in accordance with contract requirements, and that consequently, the helicopters were not airworthy and should not have been certified as “fully mission capable.” Separately, the Federal Aviation Authority asked the United States Attorney’s Office in the Middle District of Florida to pursue civil penalties to address overlapping allegations of misconduct by the contractor. In July 2021, the defendants agreed to resolve the qui tam allegations for $11,088,000, and an additional payment of $429,273.69 to resolve the FAA penalty claim.
Press release: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/aar-corp-agrees-pay-11-million-settle-false-claims-act-allegations-aircraft-maintenance
United States v. Ashish Pal, MD (M.D. Fla.)
This civil investigation resolved allegations that an Orlando-area cardiologist, Dr. Ashish Pal, had performed medically unnecessary ablations and stent procedures on veins that did not qualify for treatment under accepted standards of medical practice. Additionally, the government alleged that Dr. Pal had falsified patient medical records to justify the procedures by overstating the degree of reflux and diameter of veins, and by falsely documenting patient symptoms. The United States also alleged that, in many instances, the ablations had been performed by ultrasound technicians outside their permitted scope of practice. In September 2021, Dr. Pal paid the United States $6.75 million in a civil settlement that resolved these allegations.
Press release: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/orlando-cardiologist-pays-675-million-resolve-allegations-performing-unnecessary-medical
United States ex rel. Thompson v. Surgical Care Affiliates, LLC
Case no. 6:15-civ-2189-41LRH (M.D. Fla.)
The United States intervened in this qui tam case in January 2020 and pursued civil claims alleging that a former Orlando urologist and a local surgery practice group had defrauded federal payors through false claims for medically unnecessary lithotripsy services. In January 2021, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced a settlement of the claims with the estate of the individual physician (who had passed away after the filing of the law suit) for $1.75 million. In February 2021, the United States settled in principal with the remaining defendants for $3.4 million.
Press releases: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/pr/estate-deceased-urologist-agrees-pay-more-17-million-settle-false-claims-act-liability
https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/pr/surgical-care-affiliates-and-orlando-surgery-center-agree-pay-34-million-settle-false
United States ex rel. Herbold v. Doctor’s Choice Home Care Inc., et al.
Case no. 8:15- cv-01044 (M.D. Fla.)
United States ex rel. Billings, Sykes, and Eschoyez-Quiroga v. Doctor’s Choice Home Care Inc.
Case no. 8:16-cv-3112 (M.D. Fla.)
Two qui tam relators filed lawsuits in the Middle District of Florida and alleged that a Sarasota-based home health company, Doctor’s Choice Home Care, had defrauded Medicare in claims for home health services. The relators contended that the defendants offered improper financial inducements to referring physicians in the form of sham medical director agreements and bonuses to physicians’ spouses who were Doctor’s Choice employees and, additionally, that the company pressured clinical personnel to increase home visits to allow Doctor’s Choice to avoid a payment reduction (LUPA) by Medicare. Timothy Beach and Stuart Christensen founded Doctor’s Choice and formerly served as its top executives. These allegations were resolved in November 2020 for $5.158 million paid by Doctor’s Choice related to the inducement and LUPA allegations, and an additional $647,000 paid by Beach and Christensen related to the inducement allegations.
United States ex rel. Thornton v. National Compounding Co. et al.
Case No. 8:15-cv-2647 (M.D. Fla.)
This case alleged that the two owners of telemarketing entities based in the Fort Lauderdale area had defrauded the TRICARE health program through kickback practices designed to incentivize the issuance of compounded medication prescriptions. Jack Lee Stapleton and Jack Hunter Stapleton formerly owned a marketing business which operated under various names including CV McDowell LLC, and J&J Tel Marketing LLC. The United States alleged that these marketing firms used telemarketing to solicit prospective patients to accept compounded medications regardless of patient need, procured prescriptions for those patients, and then sent those prescriptions to compounding pharmacies that had agreed to pay the marketing companies half of the amount TRICARE reimbursed for each prescription. The Stapletons and their companies conspired with pharmacies to identify compounded drug formulas that maximized the level of reimbursement for the drugs, regardless of the medical need for the chosen formula. They then sought to procure large volumes of prescriptions for those formulas. In many cases, the marketers procured prescriptions by paying telemedicine providers who prescribed expensive compounded drugs without ever seeing the patients or conducting any meaningful medical examination. In March 2021, these allegations were resolved through a civil settlement that paid the United States $4 million.
Press release: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/former-owners-telemarketing-company-agree-pay-least-4-million-resolve-false-claims-act
United States v. Isaacson
Case no. 2:17-cv-352-TPB-NPM (M.D. Fla.)
In this case, the United States alleged that a Fort Myers pain clinic, Collier Anesthesia Pain, LLC, and Tampa Pain Relief Center, had engaged in an illegal kickback scheme by causing affiliated surgery centers to waive copayments for surgical facility fees in order to induce patients to receive injection procedures. Additionally, the United States contended that Collier Anesthesia and Tampa Pain knowingly submitted false claims by improperly billing for evaluation and management services and psychological testing services. In February 2021, the defendants agreed to resolve these allegations in a civil settlement that paid $1.6 million.
Press release: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/pr/pain-clinic-pays-more-16-million-settle-false-claims-act-and-kickback-allegations
United States ex rel. Heyck v. Mori, Bean and Brooks, P.A
Case No. 3:18-cv-590-J-39PDB (M.D. Fla.)
A qui tam relator filed a lawsuit alleging that a Jacksonville radiology practice, Mori Bean & Brooks, PA, had billed healthcare programs for radiological images that had been interpreted outside of the United States. Medicare requires that for tele-radiology services to be eligible for reimbursement, they must be performed within the United States. The United States also contended that the practice group billed for radiology services that were initially performed overseas but were re-interpreted by another radiologist in the United States and billed to the second, domestic radiologist as if the latter doctor had performed the original read. The practice group cooperated with the government’s investigation and in November 2020, agreed to resolve the allegations in return for $1.4 million.
Press release: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/pr/jacksonville-radiology-practice-agrees-pay-14-million-resolve-health-care-fraud
Mexican Man Sentenced for Long-Term Use of Deceased Man’s Identity and Social Security NumberRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that Carlos Robleto-Martinez, 75, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for false use of a Social Security number. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Robleto-Martinez to a term of imprisonment of time served. Robleto-Martinez had been in custody for approximately 7 months at the time of sentencing. There is no parole in the federal system. Robleto-Martinez will now be deported by U.S. immigration authorities.
In January of 2021, the State of Nebraska Department of Labor (DOL) contacted the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles Fraud Unit (DMVFU) about a person living in Schuyler, Nebraska using the identity of a deceased person who resided in Texas.
The Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General (SSA/OIG) confirmed that the Social Security number used by the subject belonged to the decedent. Investigators interviewed Robleto-Martinez who claimed it was an error and presented a State of Texas birth certificate and a Social Security card bearing the decedent’s name and Social Security number. Investigators also obtained the defendant’s fingerprints.
DMVFU determined that Robleto-Martinez used the decedent’s name and Social Security number to renew a Nebraska Driver’s License on June 22, 2020, and on June 4, 2015.
Investigators were able to match Robleto-Martinez’s fingerprints to those from an immigration database, enabling them to determine his true identity and immigration history. According to the records they obtained, Robleto-Martinez presented himself using his true name while entering the United States through the Atlanta airport in 1998. At that time, Robleto-Martinez presented a fraudulent I-551 (Lawful Permanent Resident card) bearing the photo of another person, was denied entry into the United States, and was returned to Mexico.
This case was investigated by the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles Fraud Unit, the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations.
Maryland Man Sentenced to 12 Months in Prison for Sexually Abusing and Blackmailing WomanRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Maryland man was sentenced today to serve 12 months in prison for sexually abusing and blackmailing a woman he met in August 2019 through a dating website, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Steven B. Fabrizio, 58, of Chevy Chase, Maryland, pleaded guilty on July 30, 2021, to one count each of blackmail and third-degree sexual abuse. He was sentenced by the Honorable Marisa J. Demeo in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The judge sentenced him to a total of 30 months of incarceration; however, all but 12 months of that time was suspended on the condition that Fabrizio successfully complete three years of supervised probation. Additionally, he will be required to register as a sex offender for 10 years following his release from prison.
According to the government’s evidence, Fabrizio met the woman on Aug. 19, 2019, after corresponding via a dating website and text. They had consensual sex, and Fabrizio gave her $400 in cash, as agreed upon beforehand. The next day, Fabrizio sought to set up another meeting, and the woman declined. At that point, Fabrizio sent the first in a series of texts to her, warning that the woman’s employer, parents, and landlord would be told about their sex-for-cash arrangement unless she continued to submit to his demands for further sexual encounters.
Similar texts followed, and the woman agreed to see him. During that second encounter, on Aug. 20, 2019, Fabrizio sexually abused her. Fabrizio later persisted with the texts, and the woman contacted the Metropolitan Police Department. He was arrested on Aug. 21, 2019.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended those who investigated the case from MPD’s Sexual Assault Unit. They also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including former Victim Witness Specialist Juanita Harris, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter V. Taylor, who prosecuted the matter.
Maryland MS-13 Gang Members Indicted for Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – A superseding indictment charging members of La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) with racketeering conspiracy involving murder, extortion, and money laundering was unsealed today as to eight defendants. A federal grand jury in Maryland returned the indictment on December 22, 2021. The superseding indictment charges the following defendants with racketeering conspiracy:
Brayan Alexander Torres, a/k/a “Spooky,” 28, of Adelphi, Maryland; Agustino Eugenio Rivas Rodriguez, a/k/a “Cipitio,” “Chuchin,” “Angel,” “Terrible,” and “Small,” 24, of Silver Spring, Maryland; Hernan Yanes-Rivera, a/k/a “Shrek,” “Recio,” and “Garra,” 20, of Adelphi; Franklyn Edgardo Sanchez, a/k/a “Freddy,” “Magic,” “Miclo,” and “Delinquente,” 24, of Adelphi; Brian Samir Zelaya Mejia, a/k/a “Flaco,” “Catrachito,” “Calacas,” “Chispa,” and “Directo,” 23, of Hyattsville, Maryland; Miguel Angel Ramirez, a/k/a “Majin Buu” and “El Gordo,” 21, of Adelphi; Jorge Isaac Argueta Chica, a/k/a “Timido” and “Enano,” 21, of Gaithersburg, Maryland; and
Diego Fabrisio Angel-Artiga, a/k/a “Stewie,” 22, of Hyattsville.The superseding indictment also charges Yanes-Rivera, Torres, Rivas Rodriguez, Zelaya Mejia, Ramirez, Argueta Chica, and Angel-Artiga with conspiracy to interfere with commerce by extortion.
The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; and Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department.
“Witness retaliation will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron. “As alleged in the superseding indictment unsealed today, these MS-13 members not only extorted money from community members to support the gang—both in Maryland and in El Salvador—they also allegedly killed an individual who was cooperating with law enforcement. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Maryland and our local and state partners are working together to remove violent gang members to keep our communities safe from the threat of MS-13.”
“MS-13 uses violence and intimidation to prey upon vulnerable communities,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Criminal Division is committed to dismantling MS-13 and protecting all communities from the harm alleged in this indictment.”
According to court documents, La Mara Salvatrucha gang, also known as “MS-13”, is an international criminal organization composed primarily of immigrants or descendants of immigrants from El Salvador, with members operating in the State of Maryland, including Montgomery County, Prince George’s County, and Frederick County, and throughout the United States. In Maryland and elsewhere MS-13 members are organized in “cliques,” smaller groups that operate in a specific city or region. MS-13 members are required to commit acts of violence, both to maintain membership and discipline within the gang and against rival gangs. One of the principal rules of MS-13 is that its members must attack and kill rivals, known as “chavalas,” whenever possible.
These defendants allegedly were members or associates of Weedams Locos Salvatrucha, an MS-13 clique operating primarily in the Adelphi, Maryland area. As alleged, the defendants extorted multiple victims, from whom they collected extortion payments, or “rent,” on a regular basis. Several of the defendants used the “rent” proceeds and other gang revenues to unlawfully transfer money to MS-13 associates in El Salvador. The superseding indictment also alleges that Yanes-Rivera and Sanchez, acting at the direction of senior MS-13 members, murdered an individual in retaliation for the victim’s cooperation with law enforcement.
If convicted, the defendants face maximum sentences ranging from twenty years to life in federal prison for the racketeering conspiracy and twenty years in federal prison for the extortion conspiracy. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The defendants are expected to have arraignments beginning next week in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt.
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.
Anyone with information about MS-13 is encouraged to provide their tips to law enforcement. The FBI and Homeland Security Investigations both have nationwide tiplines that you can call to report what you know. You can reach the FBI at 1-866-STP-MS13 (1-866-787-6713), or you can call HSI at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE.
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. PSN, an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime, is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. 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 also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron and Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. commended the FBI, HSI, and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation, and thanked the Montgomery County Police Department and Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations and for their assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Baldwin and Joel Crespo, and Trial Attorney Brendan Woods of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section, who are 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 https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Marijuana User Subject to a No-Contact Order Sentenced to Six Months in Prison for Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
A man who unlawfully possessed a firearm was sentenced today to six months in federal prison.
Daric Lawrence, age 36, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 10, 2021 guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
At the guilty plea, Lawrence admitted that, on February 26, 2021, he knowingly possessed a firearm, a 9mm pistol, as a prohibited person. Lawrence was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he was an unlawful user of marijuana and because he was subject to a state court order restraining him from harassing, stalking, or threatening an intimate partner. Shortly after midnight on February 26, a Dubuque police officer stopped Lawrence’s car for running a red light. During the traffic stop, Lawrence told the police officer that he had a gun in his waistband and that he had used marijuana earlier that evening. Lawrence also told the police officer that there was a no contact order in place against him.
Lawrence was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Lawrence was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by the Dubuque Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21-CR-1014.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Sex-Trafficking During Miami Super BowlRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – A New Haven, Connecticut man who coerced two women and a girl into selling themselves for sex in Miami during Super Bowl LIV was sentenced yesterday in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida to 25 years’ imprisonment.
The sentence of 48-year-old Edward Walker follows his conviction after an eight-day trial in October 2021. In that trial, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alejandra L. López and Brian Dobbins presented evidence that in January 2020, Walker brought two adult women and a 17-year-old girl to Miami from Connecticut to engage in commercial sex acts during the Super Bowl. While in Miami, Walker emotionally, psychologically, and financially coerced the victims into soliciting customers and having sex with them in exchange for money, all of which Walker kept. Additional evidence showed that after the Superbowl in Miami, Walker planned to take the victims to Chicago, Illinois (during the NBA All-Star Game), New Orleans, Lousiana (during Mardi Gras), Las Vegas, Nevada, and other places to further sexually exploit them. The jury found Walker guilty of sex trafficking by force and coercion, sex trafficking of a minor and by force and coercion, and transporting a person for sexual activity.
United States Senior District Court Judge James I. Cohn imposed the sentence, which also includes a supervised release term of 25 years following incarceration.
Walker will soon be transported to the State of Connecticut where he will face charges in United States District Court for the District of Connecticut for the Production of Child Pornography. As to those charges, Walker is innocent unless and until found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami; and Alfredo “Freddy” Ramirez III, Director, Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD), announced the guilty verdict.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, in partnership with MDPD’s Human Trafficking Squad, and the South Florida Human Trafficking Task Force. FBI New Haven; Homeland Security Investigations Miami; Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Miami Office; Miami Beach Police Department; and Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office assisted.
To report suspected human trafficking or to obtain resources for victims, please call 1-888-373-7888; text “BeFree” (233733), or live chat at HumanTraffickingHotline.org. The toll-free phone, SMS text lines, and online chat function are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Help is available in English, Spanish, Creole, or in more than 200 additional languages. The National Hotline is not managed by law enforcement, immigration or an investigative agency. Correspondence with the National Hotline is confidential and you may request assistance or report a tip anonymously.
To learn more about the National Resource Hotline visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. To learn more about the U.S. Department of Justice’s efforts to combat human trafficking visit www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case no. 20-cr-20087.
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MS-13 Members and Associates Indicted in Racketeering, Narcotics and Multiple Murder ConspiraciesRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Virginia returned a superseding indictment yesterday charging 12 members and associates of La Mara Salvatrucha, aka MS-13, with a variety of offenses based on their alleged involvement in a series of murders, racketeering and drug trafficking crimes.
Those charged in the indictment are:
Name
Age
Gang Moniker(s) / Nickname(s)
From
Marvin Menjivar Gutiérrez
29
Astuto
New York
Melvin Canales Saldana
29
Demente
New York
Mario Antonio Guevara Rivera
26
Blue, Azul, Telele
Woodbridge
Cristian Ariel Arevalo Arias
26
Serio
Woodbridge
Carlos Jose Turcios Villatoro
23
Oculto
Woodbridge
Abner Jose Molina Rodriguez
24
Rino, Tecolote
Woodbridge
Manilester Andrade Rivas
32
Mani, Tandori, Conejo, Coqueto
Woodbridge
Jairo Gustavo Aguilera Sagastizado
26
Coy, Maruchan, Psicólogo
New York
Walter Jeovanny Rubio Lemus
27
Caskillo
Woodbridge
Juan Carlos Hernández Landaverde
23
Chele
Annandale
Karen Estefany Figueroa Alfaro
29
N/A
Woodbridge
Juan Manuel Vasquez Reyes
40
Güero
Manassas
According to the indictment, the defendants were members/associates of the Sitios Locos Salvatrucha clique (STLS) of MS-13.The indictment alleges that since at least in and around 2017, MS-13 members and associates regularly travelled to and from Long Island, New York, for the purpose of obtaining cocaine and transporting it to the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, where they and other gang members would sell it primarily, in restaurants and night clubs.
The indictment also charges eight of the defendants with several offenses stemming from their alleged involvement in four murders that occurred in Eastern Prince William County between June 22, 2019, and Sept. 24, 2019. Specifically, the indictment charges:
- Guevara, Arevalo and Turcios with the June 2019 double-murder of M.B.L. and J.G.M., and Vasquez with helping them after they committed the murders;
- Canales and Andrade with the August 2019 murder of E.L.T.; and
- Guevara, Molina and Aguilera with the September 2019 murder of A.K.S.
Defendants in this case are charged with RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, murder in aid of racketeering, accessory after the fact to murder in aid of racketeering, witness tampering, using a firearm during a crime of violence causing death, possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, and violations of the Controlled Substances Act, among other crimes. The statutory penalties for the charged offenses range from a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison to capital punishment. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia; Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs of the FBI’s Washington Field Office and Chief Peter Newsham of Prince William County Police Department made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John Blanchard, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Roberts and Trial Attorney Matthew Hoff from the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section are prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is supported by the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Louisville Man Sentenced to over 14 Years in Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss.- A Louisville, Mississippi man was sentenced to 175 months in prison for conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Vernon “Jeb” Bison, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans.
According to court documents, from November 2014 through March of 2018, Tray Beamon, 32, conspired with others to distribute kilogram quantities of methamphetamine from Texas into central Mississippi. During the investigation, a search warrant was executed at his residence where 1.7 kilograms of methamphetamine, 11 kilograms of marijuana, and numerous firearms were recovered. This case is the result of an extensive investigation dubbed “Operation Highlife,” which targeted illegal methamphetamine distribution in central Mississippi.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This OCDETF case is the result of an investigation targeting illegal narcotics distribution led by Homeland Security Investigations and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Philadelphia Police Department, Neshoba County Sheriff’s Department, Neshoba County District Attorney’s Office, Scott County Sheriff’s Office, Flowood Police Department, Rankin County Sheriff’s Department, Hinds County Sheriff’s Department, Carthage Police Department, Union Police Department, Louisville Police Department, and the Mississippi Highway Patrol.
The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Criminal Chief Attorney Erin Chalk and Assistant United States Attorney Keesha Middleton.
Lehi Couple Charged with Schemes to Defraud Victims, Including a Vulnerable Adult, out of a Combined 3.65 Million Dollars; Husband Charged with Kidnapping in Connection with SchemeRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY- Misiona Patane, 57, and Lavinia Patane, 54, of Lehi, have been charged in U.S. District Court for their alleged role in defrauding one set of victims out of 1.25 million dollars, along with a related scheme to defraud a vulnerable adult out of 2.4 million dollars. In an indictment issued by a federal grand jury, Misiona and Lavinia Patane are charged with two counts of bank fraud and three counts of money laundering, while Misiona Patane is separately charged with four counts of wire fraud, six counts of aggravated identity theft, and one count of kidnapping. The kidnapping charge is based upon Misiona Patane’s alleged role in keeping a vulnerable adult in Samoa for more than a year under false pretenses so Patane could fraudulently obtain more funds from a trust meant for the benefit and care of the adult.
The allegations contained in the indictment state that, in 2011, Misiona Patane became the director of a foundation started by a former professional athlete, known as “P.S.” The foundation was dedicated to assisting individuals in and from Samoa. It is alleged that, later in 2011, Misiona Patane’s wife, Lavinia Patane, became an officer of the foundation. Over the course of several years, Lavinia Patane wrote numerous checks, made deposits, and made cash withdrawals from the foundation without the knowledge of or permission from P.S. The indictment alleges that between 2015 and 2017, the Patanes diverted 1.25 million dollars in tax refunds belonging to P.S. and his wife, and used the money for their own personal use.
In carrying out the second scheme, the indictment alleges that the Patanes stole over 2.4 million dollars from a court-monitored trust which existed for the benefit of a 26-year-old victim known as “J.F.”, who suffers from a permanent traumatic brain injury which occurred in an automobile accident when J.F. was 20 months old. It is alleged that under the terms of the court-monitored conservatorship, two family members were appointed as co-guardians to manage the financial and daily affairs of “J.F.” and that the co-guardians could authorize expenditures of funds from the J.F. Trust. It is alleged that from 2016 to 2018, the Patanes stole $2.4 million dollars from the J.F. Trust, under the guise of helping to provide services and pay for expenses related to J.F.’s care; the Patanes used these stolen funds for their own personal expenses. It is further alleged that Misiona Patane devised a plan to have J.F. participate in a residential program in Samoa, and that Misiona, acting as himself and pretending to be third parties, sent numerous emails and fraudulent documents to J.F.’s guardians and financial advisor to fraudulently obtain money from J.F.’s trust. In addition, it is alleged that Misiona Patane, for the purpose of fraudulently obtaining more money from the trust, falsely stated that “J.F.” was required to stay in Samoa pursuant to a court order and that J.F. would be subject to arrest or imprisonment should J.F. attempt to leave Samoa and travel to the U.S.
Misiona Patane is currently being held in custody pending trial after a finding by a federal magistrate that Misiona Patane is a danger to the community and a risk of flight. Some of the allegations in the indictment occurred while Patane was serving a federal probationary sentence for a previous federal conviction for fraud.
Any individual who believes they may be a victim of fraud by the defendants is encouraged to contact United States Attorney’s Office Victim Coordinator at 801-325-1430.
Assistant United States Attorneys from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah are prosecuting the case against the Patanes. Special Agents from IRS Criminal Investigation are conducting the investigation.
Statements made in charging documents are only allegations and not findings of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty of the charges contained in the indictment.
Lamar County Man Convicted of Federal Firearms ViolationsRead the Press Release
PLANO, Texas – An Arthur City, Texas, man has been convicted of federal firearms violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston today.
Steven Dewayne Wilson, 57, was found guilty by a jury of being a felon in possession of a firearm following a one-week trial before U.S. District Judge Sean Jordan.
According to information presented in court, on March 8, 2017, members of the Lamar County Sheriff's Office responded to a call for service in Arthur City, where it was reported that gunshots had been fired near a residence. It was also reported that the shooter had assaulted another person by striking them in the head with the barrel of a firearm. Upon arrival, law enforcement officers made contact with the reporting parties and searched for Wilson, who was identified as the shooter and lived in a nearby camper. Unable to locate him, the officers left the scene, but they were called back early the next morning with reports that Wilson had returned. Upon contact with Wilson, deputies noticed spent shell casings scattered in front of his camper. Wilson denied possessing any firearms. A search warrant was eventually obtained for Wilson's camper and vehicles. During the search of Wilson's truck, officers found a rifle shoved under the backseat of the cab, and a plastic baggie of ammunition stuffed under the driver’s seat. Wilson, a convicted felon, was arrested for felon in possession of a firearm. During a subsequent interview, Wilson admitted to possessing the firearm, placing it in his truck, and firing it a few days prior. However, at trial, Wilson testified that an acquaintance named “James” actually brought the firearm to Wilson’s residence and that Wilson had never actually handled the firearm. Wilson was not able to provide further details as to whereabouts of “James” or any contact information for “James.”
Wilson was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 14, 2019. He faces up to 10 years in federal prison. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Lamar County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Wes Wynne and Lesley Brooks.
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Justice Department Settles with Texas Recycling Company to Prevent the Release of Ozone Depleting Refrigerants, Which Contribute to Climate ChangeRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a settlement with Derichebourg Recycling USA Inc. (Derichebourg) of Houston to resolve Clean Air Act violations at 10 scrap metal recycling facilities in Texas and Oklahoma.
The federal complaint filed simultaneously with the consent decree alleges that Derichebourg failed to recover refrigerant from appliances and motor vehicle air conditioners before disposal or verify with the supplier that the refrigerant had been properly recovered prior to delivery. Under the settlement, Derichebourg will prevent the release of ozone-depleting refrigerants and non-exempt substitutes from refrigerant-containing items during their processing and disposal processes. Derichebourg will also pay a civil penalty of $442,500.
“To continue protecting stratospheric ozone, we need companies like Derichebourg to comply with the Clean Air Act when recycling appliances and motor vehicles containing harmful refrigerants,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division.
“Refrigerants that are not captured properly can be damaging to the earth’s ozone layer and are known to increase greenhouse gases which leads to climate change,” said Acting Assistant Administrator Larry Starfield for the EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Today’s settlement is a win for the communities surrounding Derichebourg’s facilities, and the environment.”
The settlement also requires Derichebourg to implement a Refrigerant Recovery Management Program at its 10 U.S. facilities; provide notice to its suppliers that all refrigerants, if not being recovered by Derichebourg, must be recovered properly from appliances and motor vehicle air conditioners; reject any appliance or vehicle where there is evidence of unlawful refrigerant venting; and provide an educational handout to its customers on compliant handling of refrigerant-containing items. Derichebourg must also complete an environmental mitigation project that involves ensuring the destruction of all R-12 refrigerant that Derichebourg collects at its ten facilities for the duration of the consent decree. R-12 is one of the most destructive ozone depleting substances and has a global warming potential greater than 10,000 times the power of carbon dioxide.
The consent decree, lodged in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval. The consent decree will be available for viewing at https://www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.
Jamestown Man Pleads Guilty to Multiple Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Jun N. Martinez, 28, of Jamestown, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 100 grams or more of acetyl fentanyl; 400 grams or more of fentanyl; 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; and 500 grams or more of cocaine. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life, and a $10,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua A. Violanti and Misha Coulson, who are handling the case, stated that during the conspiracy, Martinez received several large packages of cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin via mail from an out of state source. He also provided large quantities of crystal methamphetamine and heroin/fentanyl to an individual known to law enforcement, who then sold the drugs to others for profit. The individual then provided additional funds to Martinez for more narcotics.
During a trip in September 2020, to acquire more narcotics, Martinez’s vehicle was stopped by an Illinois State Police Trooper. A search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of approximately 9,589 grams of methamphetamine, 3,157 grams of fentanyl, 2,241 grams of cocaine, and marijuana products. In October 2020, during the execution of a search warrant at Martinez’s Wescott Street residence, investigators recovered methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, a drug ledger and approximately $62,000.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Metro Drug Task Force, under the direction of Jamestown Police Chief Timothy Jackson, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Keith Kruskall, New York Field Division.
Sentencing is scheduled for July 6, 2022, before Judge Sinatra.
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Iowa Sex Offender Sentenced to 17.5 Years in Prison for Child Enticement CrimesRead the Press Release
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – A Muscatine, Iowa, man, Nicholas Bryan Swank, 32, was sentenced on January 6, 2022, to a total of 210 months in prison, to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for attempted enticement of a minor, traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, and soliciting an obscene visual depiction of a minor.
Swank pleaded guilty in July 2021. According to court documents, Swank began communicating online with an individual he believed to be a 15-year-old child. After arranging to meet with the intended victim and asking for explicit photographs, Swank traveled from Muscatine, Iowa, to Rock Island, Illinois, where he was ultimately arrested by federal agents and local law enforcement. At the time of his arrest, Swank was under the supervision of the court in relation to sentences out of the state of Iowa for Theft – Third Degree, Domestic Abuse Assault with Strangulation (1st Offense, No Injury), and two separate instances of a Violation of Sex Offender Registry Requirements (First Offense).
Swank has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals since his arrest in November 2020.
“The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to prosecuting those who seek to sexually exploit children,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Harris. “These are serious crimes that inflict great harm on some of the most vulnerable members of our community, and they merit serious sentences. We also urge parents and guardians to remain vigilant and monitor their children’s online activities.”
This sentence reflects the serious nature of the offense and acts as tangible proof of our commitment to safeguard the children in our communities. The FBI appreciates our collaborative law enforcement partnerships as we work together to stop those who seek to harm our children. said David Nanz, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Springfield Office.
Chief U.S. District Court Judge Sara Darrow imposed concurrent 210-month sentences of imprisonment on each count. In pronouncing Swank’s sentence, Chief Judge Darrow commented on the real danger Swank posed to the community and noted her hope that his sentence would deter others from engaging in the same conduct.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Division, with assistance from Rock Island Police and Illinois State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer L. Mathew represented the federal government in the prosecution.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Informational: Federal Court arraignmentsRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned or appeared this week before U.S. Magistrate judges on indictments handed down by the Grand Jury or on criminal complaints. The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty:
Appearing in Great Falls before U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston and pleading not guilty on Jan. 4 was:
James Dusette Grandchamp, 54, of Poplar, on charges of prohibited person in possession of firearm and ammunition. If convicted of the most serious crime, Grandchamp faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Grandchamp was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Fort Peck Law Enforcement Services investigated the case. PACER case reference. 21-89.
Appearing on a criminal complaint was:
Joseph John Lequin, 65, of Shelby, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth and possession with intent to distribute meth. If convicted of the most serious crime, Lequin faces a mandatory minimum five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and at least four years of supervised release. Lequin was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI investigated the case. PACER case reference. 21-89.
Appearing in Billings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan and pleading not guilty on Jan. 4 was:
Royale Jade Ereaux, 37, of Billings, on charges of bank fraud, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. If convicted of the most serious crime, Ereaux faces a maximum of 30 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release on the bank fraud crime and a mandatory minimum two years in prison consecutive to any other sentence, a $250,000 fine and one year of supervised release on the aggravated identity theft crime. Ereaux was detained pending further proceedings. The IRS investigated the case. PACER case reference. 21-100.
Appearing in Missoula before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto and pleading not guilty on Jan. 3 was:
Tara Ann Gallagher, 43, of Belgrade, on charges of false statement during a firearms transaction. If convicted of the most serious crime, Gallagher faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Gallagher was released pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, FBI, Broadwater County Sheriff’s Office and Missoula County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. PACER case reference. 21-43.
The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
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Houston man sentenced for role in narcotics and weapons distribution ringRead the Press Release
HOUSTON - A 36-year-old Houston resident has been ordered to federal prison for wire fraud, possession of meth and possession of a firearm by a felon, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Steven Nguyen pleaded guilty April 27, 2021.
Today, U.S. District Judge Charles Eskridge ordered him to serve a 110-month sentence to be immediately followed by four years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional information that detailed Nguyen’s long criminal history. In handing down the sentence, Judge Eskridge noted his continued criminal behavior and the serious nature of the offenses.
In October 2019, Nguyen used a victim’s information to apply for a vehicle loan in Georgia. Law enforcement then opened an investigation into Nguyen’s role in a mail theft ring operating in the Houston area.
On April 30, 2020, authorities searched Nguyen’s residence and found approximately two kilograms of meth and 16 firearms, including several semi-automatic rifles equipped with military grade optics.
Nguyen will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future
The U.S. Postal Service and the Harris County Constable’s Office, Precinct 5, conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Carter, Michael Day and Matthew Peneguy prosecuted the case.
Glendale Man Sentenced to 13 Years for Participating in Darknet Drug Distribution RingRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – On Tuesday, Jacob Matthew Medina, 29, of Glendale, Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Douglas L. Rayes to 160 months in federal prison. Medina previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to possess fentanyl and heroin with intent to distribute, in connection with an Internet-based drug trafficking operation.
In November 2018, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service began an investigation of Darknet vendor “Ghost831,” who advertised heroin, methamphetamine, and oxycodone for sale on the Internet. On March 4, 2019, after identifying drug packages mailed by the vendor, investigators executed a federal search warrant at Medina’s residence in Glendale. Medina admitted that he had $31,000 in cash, a firearm, customer lists, package tracking numbers, 502 grams of counterfeit “M30” pills containing fentanyl, and over a pound of heroin in his residence. One of the customers on the list suffered a fatal drug overdose.
“Individuals like this defendant have played a direct role in fueling this nation’s opioid crisis,” said U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino. “The presence of powerful drugs, such as fentanyl, in counterfeit pills that are sold over the Internet has endangered many lives throughout the United States. We are thankful for the strong efforts of our partners at the Postal Inspection Service for their role in interdicting and investigating dangerous contraband.”
“Mr. Medina profited off of numerous individuals addicted to opioids with his fentanyl-laced pills. He utilized the dark web, mistakenly thinking he could outsmart the authorities. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is committed to investigating and dismantling drug trafficking organizations to keep U.S. Postal Service customers and employees safe from such dangerous drugs,” stated Inspector in Charge Melisa Llosa, of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Phoenix Division.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, with assistance from Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR 19-329-001-PHX-DLR
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-002_MEDINA# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Georgia Woman Is Sentenced to Five Years for Scheme That Defrauded Walmart of More Than $850,000Read the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell sentenced Cyianna Ashley Woods, 38, of Atlanta, Georgia, to 60 months in prison yesterday on wire fraud and money laundering charges, for executing a scheme that defrauded more than 300 Walmart stores of over $850,000, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Judge Bell also ordered Woods to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $923,915 in restitution.
Judge Bell previously sentenced Woods’s codefendant, Andre Marquese White, 35, of Norcross, Georgia, to 46 months in prison and three years of supervised release for his role in the conspiracy.
Ronnie Martinez, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in North Carolina and South Carolina, joins U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King said, “This criminal duo engaged in an extensive scheme that defrauded Walmart of hundreds of thousands of dollars. This type of financial crime impacts not only affected retailers but also consumers in the form of higher prices for goods and services.”
“This individual’s long-running and widespread scheme has been thwarted and now she will be held accountable for her crimes.” said HSI Special Agent in Charge Martinez. “Unlawful activity like this hurts businesses and results in higher costs to consumers. This case should serve as a warning to others thinking they can get away with schemes like this that HSI and our law enforcement and private sector partners are watching.”
According to filed court documents and the sentencing hearing, from 2013 to 2019, Woods and White organized and executed a counterfeit bank check and wire fraud scheme against 300 Walmart stores in 24 states, including stores located in Iredell, Catawba, Mecklenburg, Anson, Gaston, and Buncombe Counties in North Carolina. To perpetuate the fraud, the defendants made counterfeit checks, which appeared as legitimate bank checks, that they then cashed at various Walmart stores. In this manner, over the course of the scheme the defendants obtained more than $850,000 in pre-paid debit cards, gift cards, Walmart shopping cards, and other merchandise. Court records also show that, the defendants further laundered the illegal proceeds by purchasing pre-paid debit cards from other retail stores. Both Woods and White previously pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering charges.
U.S. Attorney King thanked HSI for their investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael E. Savage, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.