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Thursday 18 November 2021
Dominican National Sentenced for Identity Theft ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston in connection with using the identity of a U.S. citizen at the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles.
Hector Antonio Cruz Ciprian, 33, a Dominican national previously residing in Lowell, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Cruz Ciprian will be subject to deportation proceedings upon completion of his sentence. On June 21, 2021, Cruz Ciprian pleaded guilty to one count of false representation of a Social Security number and one count of aggravated identity theft.
On June 14, 2016, Cruz Ciprian used the identification of a U.S. citizen to apply for an out-of-state driver’s license conversion at the Registry of Motor Vehicles in Haverhill. In the application, Cruz Ciprian provided, among other things, a Social Security card, birth certificate and utility bill in the victim’s name.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security’s Investigation’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF), a specialized field investigative group comprised of personnel from various local, state, and federal agencies with expertise in detecting, deterring, and disrupting organizations and individuals involved in various types of document, identity, and benefit fraud schemes.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; and John Cremonini, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations; U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General; U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; and the Lynn Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Deitch of Mendell’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Department of Justice Announces $139 Million for Law Enforcement Hiring to Advance Community PolicingRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – The Department of Justice today announced more than $139 million in grant funding through the department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) COPS Hiring Program (CHP). The awards provide direct funding to 183 law enforcement agencies across the nation, allowing those agencies to hire 1,066 additional full-time law enforcement professionals. In the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Montana, two cities were awarded funding totaling $750,000.
“We are committed to providing police departments with the resources needed to help ensure community safety and build community trust,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The grants we are announcing today will enable law enforcement agencies across the country to hire more than 1,000 additional officers to support vitally important community oriented policing programs.”
“I am pleased to announce that Great Falls and Hardin will be receiving COPS awards. This money will help their police departments hire more officers, support local efforts to drive down violent crime and make their communities safer for everyone,” U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
The following cities in Montana received awards:
- Great Falls – $375,000
- Hardin – $375,000
CHP is a competitive award program intended to reduce crime and advance public safety through community policing. CHP provides funds directly to law enforcement agencies to hire new or rehire additional career law enforcement officers, thereby increasing their community policing capacity and crime prevention efforts. Of the 183 agencies awarded grants today, approximately half will use the funding to focus on building legitimacy and trust between law enforcement and communities; 41 agencies will seek to address high rates of gun violence; 21 will focus on other areas of violence; and 19 will focus CHP resources on combating hate and domestic extremism or supporting police-based responses to persons in crisis. The complete list of awards can be found here.
Since its creation in 1994, COPS has invested more than $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local and Tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of more than 135,000 officers. CHP, COPS’ flagship program, continues to be in demand today: In FY21, COPS received 590 applications requesting nearly 3,000 law enforcement positions. For FY22, President Biden has requested $537 million for CHP, an increase of $300 million.
To learn more about CHP, please visit https://cops.usdoj.gov/chp-award. For additional information about the COPS Office, please visit https://cops.usdoj.gov/.
The COPS Office is the federal component of the Department of Justice responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. The only Department of Justice agency with policing in its name, the COPS Office was established in 1994 and has been the cornerstone of the nation’s crime fighting strategy with grants, a variety of knowledge resource products, and training and technical assistance. Through the years, the COPS Office has become the go-to organization for law enforcement agencies across the country and continues to listen to the field and provide the resources that are needed to reduce crime and build trust between law enforcement and the communities served.
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Court assesses more than $170M in penalties against two area ophthalmologistsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Two ophthalmologists and their eye clinic must pay millions of dollars for fraudulently billing Medicare in relation to the evaluation and treatment of glaucoma, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
“Deliberately overcharging the government for medical services wastes our country’s precious health care resources,” said Lowery. “We will not stand idly by as providers in our district attempt to abuse the system.”
U.S. District Judge Lynn N. Hughes assessed the amounts against Dr. Mustapha Kibirige, 58, and Dr. Emelike Agomo, 57, and the eye clinic they operated in Houston – Outreach Diagnostic Clinic LLP. Kibirige also practices in Humble.
The action is a result of a whistleblower lawsuit a former employee of Outreach had filed under the False Claims Act (FCA). It alleged the two ophthalmologists were fraudulently billing the Medicare Program for single eye pressure measurement tests used to assess and treat glaucoma. Kibirige and Agomo allegedly billed the federal health care program using an improper reimbursement code that provided a higher reimbursement than what was allowed.
Under the FCA, the government is entitled to treble damages and a penalty on each false claim. Judge Hughes determined those damages amounted to $2,422,350. The court further found the practice had submitted 14,450 false claims to the Medicare Program between 2006 and 2012. Judge Hughes assessed a penalty of $11,803 for each of those false claims, resulting in a total of $170,553,350 in penalties.
Under the FCA, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a share of the recovery.
The Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Deputy Civil Chief Andrew A. Bobb and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose Vela handled that matter.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Convicted Felon Sentenced for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Austin Hack, 24, of Lafayette, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Michael J. Juneau to 26 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, on firearms charges.
Hack was indicted by a federal grand jury on November 18, 2020 and charged with one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. On April 6, 2021, Hack pleaded guilty to the charge. This case was initiated on January 25, 2019 when officers with the Lafayette Police Department arrested Hack on outstanding arrest warrants on unrelated matters. Before his arrest, Hack was seen driving a silver Mercedes Benz vehicle and had parked it at a residence on Sonny Street in Lafayette. Law enforcement officers surrounded the residence and demanded Hack to come out of the residence. He eventually complied and officers obtained a search warrant and conducted a search of the vehicle he had been driving. Inside the vehicle officers found a revolver loaded with 5 rounds of ammunition, as well as 20 additional rounds of ammunition. Hack admitted to law enforcement officers that the firearm was his and he had purchased it off the street.
As an individual having been previously convicted of a felony, Hack knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition. His prior felony conviction is for illegal possession of a stolen firearm (2018).
The ATF and Lafayette Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Nickel prosecuted the case.
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 is part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.
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Controller for Anaheim-Based Companies Charged in Federal Grand Jury Indictment that Alleges $3 Million EmbezzlementRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – A federal grand jury today returned a 15-count indictment that accuses the former controller for two Anaheim-based companies of embezzling more than $3 million by directing the transfer of company funds to bank accounts that she controlled.
Rosalba Meza, also known as “Rosalba Sceville,” 47, of Coto de Caza, who was arrested earlier this month pursuant to a criminal complaint filed by prosecutors, is scheduled to be arraigned on the indictment on November 29 in United States District Court.
From May 2017 through the end of 2019, Meza allegedly made unauthorized transfers – currently estimated to total $3,071,880 – from bank accounts belonging to Trilogy Plumbing, Inc. and a related company called Matrix Management, LLC.
In February 2019, Meza told executives their companies did not have funds to meet payroll obligations and failed to inform the executives that she had been embezzling from the companies, the indictment alleges. Several months later, while the companies were the subject of an IRS enforcement action because of unpaid payroll taxes, Meza falsely told the executives that she did not pay the quarterly payroll taxes because she instead had used those funds to pay employees, according to the indictment.
The indictment alleges that, once the funds were transferred to her accounts, Meza used the stolen money to make approximately $292,137 in cash withdrawals at bank branches and more than $1 million in withdrawals at ATMs in the United States and Mexico. Meza also allegedly wired approximately $870,209 to bank accounts in Mexico owned by a family member and another $250,000 in transfers to other family members and friends.
The indictment also alleges that Meza filed tax returns for the years 2017 through 2019 that failed to report as income the embezzled funds.
The indictment charges Meza with eight counts of wire fraud, four counts of money laundering and three counts of subscribing to a false tax return. The wire fraud charges carry a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison, while the money laundering and tax counts carry potential penalties of 10 years and three years, respectively.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation are conducting the investigation in this matter.
Special Assistant United States Attorney Ryan G. Adams of the Santa Ana Branch Office is prosecuting this case.
Colville Tribal Member Sentenced to 78 Months After Robbing and Killing VictimRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – Senior United States District Judge Rosanna M. Peterson sentenced Maddesyn George, age 27, an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, to 78 months (six-and-a-half years) in federal custody for voluntary manslaughter and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Earlier this year, George admitted that she had killed Kristopher “Buddy” Graber in a dispute over money and drugs that George stole from Graber the night before. George also admitted in her Plea Agreement that she had not acted in self-defense. George is likely to be released back into the community in 2025, after which she will spend the rest of her life on federal Supervised Release.
Judge Peterson calculated George’s sentencing range under the United States Sentencing Guidelines at 108-135 months, in part because of George’s criminal history, which includes numerous convictions for drug offenses, burglary, assaults, and making a false statement. However, Judge Peterson disagreed with the United States’ position that George’s criminal history was understated, and exercised her discretion to impose only 78 months of custody despite the United States’ request for a sentence of 204 months.
According to court documents, George – who identified herself in a video recording and telephone records as “Martha Ruthless” – was inside a car on the morning of July 12, 2020. Graber approached the car to recover 47 grams of methamphetamine, a 9mm semi-automatic pistol, and more than $5,000 in cash, which George had stolen from him the night before when he was asleep. Eyewitnesses described Graber as “cool, calm, and collected” that morning. But rather than return Graber’s property or simply drive away, George fired Graber’s own gun at him, shattering the glass of the partially-open window of the locked car door. George’s shot struck Graber in the heart, killing him. Graber had no weapon in his possession when George killed him. In his left hand, he held only a cigarette. While Graber lay dying, George tried to pass the gun off to an eyewitness, and got upset when a neighbor tried to call 911. She then hid the stolen methamphetamine in a nearby field, and hid almost $3,000 in her undergarment. George admitted in her Plea Agreement that she was going to distribute a portion of the methamphetamine to others – as she had done the previous night at the Coulee House Motel. Court documents also revealed that George had a history of distributing drugs on the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation.
Court records showed that George provided law enforcement with numerous accounts of what happened, frequently contradicting her own story. George initially tried to claim self-defense, alleging that Graber had sexually assaulted her the night before. When she was arrested, she said “I had no choice.” In her Plea Agreement, however, George admitted that the shooting was not legally justified because she exerted more force than was lawful under the circumstances. Indeed, the facts undermining George’s self-defense claim are undisputed: a significant amount of time had passed since the alleged assault, Graber did not have a weapon, George was not under any immediate threat, and Graber was on the other side of a locked car door when George shot him.
“This case is devastating—one human being is dead and another is going to prison,” said Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington. “But the United States prioritizes the investigation and prosecution of violent crime, whenever it happens, and whoever commits it. The safety of our communities is paramount, including on the Colville Reservation where families have experienced a tragic increase in violent crime. Our mission is to follow the facts wherever they lead. In this case, the facts that Ms. George admitted lead to one inescapable conclusion: she chose to shoot and kill an unarmed man through a locked car door so she could keep the methamphetamine and money she had stolen from him. Whatever else can be said about this tragedy, neither violence nor vigilantism are the answers. I commend the federal and tribal officers who conducted the investigation, the emergency medical personnel who responded to the shooting, and Assistant United States Attorneys Alison Gregoire and Rich Barker, who prosecuted this complicated and wrenching case with fairness, compassion, and justice.”
United States Attorney Waldref also addressed some of the attention this matter has received: “In this case, it is a fact that the Defendant was an Indigenous woman who killed an unarmed person because she did not want to return the drugs and money she had stolen from him. It is also a fact that many violent crimes against Indigenous women have historically gone unsolved and unprosecuted. Both injustices must be addressed, in an evenhanded way by people who have command of, respect for, and a responsibility to, all the facts. The United States Attorney’s Office will continue to aggressively pursue those who commit crimes of violence on Native American Reservations in the Eastern District of Washington.”
The United States Attorney made it clear that under her leadership, crimes of violence will continue to be prosecuted vigorously, based on the specific facts of individual cases: “We will continue to follow the facts wherever they lead, no matter who the Defendant may be. We will continue to seek fair resolutions for all victims of violent crime, no matter how long it takes. We will continue to make Eastern Washington communities safer and stronger through prosecutions driven by facts and evidence, no matter what the reactions may be on social media or commentary. And we will continue to pursue justice in all cases as we have today for Mr. Graber and his family.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Colville Tribal Police investigated this case, which was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Alison Gregoire and Richard Barker.
Citrus County Woman Pleads Guilty to Producing Sexually Explicit Photos of A Child and Distributing Them over the InternetRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Ashley Renea Hilligoss (37, Citrus Springs) has pleaded guilty to producing photos depicting a minor child being sexually abused. She faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison and a potential life term of supervised release. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
Hilligoss had been indicted on June 22, 2021.
According to court documents, Hilligoss took sexually explicit photographs of a minor female and sent them to another individual using the internet. FBI agents later searched an encrypted online file storage account belonging to the receiving individual and recovered copies of these photos. When interviewed by law enforcement, Hilligoss admitted to taking and sending the photographs of the child.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Ocala Resident Agency. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William S. Hamilton.
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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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.
Church Employee Sentenced to 5 ½ Years for EmbezzlementRead the Press Release
A former church bookkeeper has been sentenced to five and a half years in federal prison for using church funds for personal enrichment, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Lisa Dawn Stabeno, 52, pleaded guilty in May to two counts of bank fraud. She was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix, who lamented her “brazen thefts” and ordered her to pay $450,000 in restitution.
According to court documents, Ms. Stabeno embezzled more than $450,000 from Church on the Rock, a non-denominational religious institution serving more than 3,400 parishioners in Lubbock.
In plea papers, Ms. Stabeno admitted that she began embezzling from the church in November 2013, just four months after assuming accounting responsibilities.
She began by using two credit cards – one assigned to a church employee and one assigned to a pastor – to pay personal expenses, including a car loan she co-financed with her daughter, medical and dental expenses, clothing, salon services, and restaurant meals. She also used the credit cards to purchase supplies for a bakery she co-owned with her daughters.
Beginning in 2014, Ms. Stabeno began making payments to herself with church credit cards using Square, a digital point-of-sale payment system which processes payments from credit cards run through a port connected to a cell phone.
In 2015, Ms. Stabeno opened two credit cards, one in her own name and one in her daughter’s name, which she used for personal expenses. She then paid off hundreds of thousands of dollars in credit card debt on the cards using money from church bank accounts, including its general operating account, and its “Dream Center” ministry account.
She also used the personal credit cards to make “purchases” and payroll at her bakery, then paid off the cards with money from the church accounts, thus boosting the bakery’s sales and profits and raising her daughters’ salaries.
The church discovered Ms. Stabeno’s fraud in the summer of 2018 and terminated her employment.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, Lubbock Resident Agency, conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann Howey prosecuted the case.
Chisago County Felon Sentenced to 175 Months in Prison for Illegal Possession of a Firearm, Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Chisago County man was sentenced today to 175 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for unlawfully possessing a firearm as a felon and for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court documents, on July 12, 2020, Derrick Russell Hoff, 36, was involved in a road rage incident. Hoff, who was driving a pickup truck, ran another vehicle off the road, fired multiple shots at the two occupants, and rammed the vehicle on the side of the road before abandoning his pickup truck on a nearby residential driveway. Chisago County Sheriff’s deputies recovered from Hoff’s abandoned pickup truck spent shell casings and live ammunition, a loaded 9mm magazine, four plastic gallon-size bags containing over 167 grams of actual methamphetamine in crystal shard form, digital scales, baggies, and other drug-sale paraphernalia. Near the truck, buried by some trees, deputies later found a 9mm semiautomatic firearm, loaded with 11 rounds matching those found inside Hoff’s truck.
On June 17, 2021, Hoff pleaded guilty to one count of possessing a firearm as a felon and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Because he has prior felony convictions in Anoka, Chisago, and Isanti Counties, Hoff is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.
Acting U.S. Attorney Charles J. Kovats made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson sentenced the defendant.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Chisago County Sheriff’s Office.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Bejar.
Charleston Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Distribution of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Vincent Williams, 40, of Charleston, was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison for distribution of five grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to court documents, Williams sold approximately 13 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in Hurricane on September 15, 2017 and again on September 18, 2017. On September 19, 2017, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Williams’ residence in Charleston and found approximately 2,266.3 grams of methamphetamine that Williams admitted he intended to distribute. Law enforcement officers also found a .40 caliber handgun and approximately 107.14 grams of heroin inside Williams’ residence.
United States Attorney William S. Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the U.S. Marshals Service.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence.
Assistant United States Attorney Nick Miller prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:18-cr-00110.
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Canton Man Sentenced to 46 Months in Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Canton man was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison for drug trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Brad Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Dwight Powell, 54, was charged following an extensive DEA investigation into drug traffickers in central Mississippi. The investigation resulted in the total seizure of approximately $585,000.00 in U.S. currency and 12 kilograms of cocaine.
Powell was ensnared as part of the investigation and pled guilty on July 30, 2021, to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.
Powell was prosecuted as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Hinds County Sheriff’s Office, the Jackson Police Department, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics and the Internal Revenue Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Keesha Middleton and former Assistant United States Attorney Chris Wansley.
Broken Arrow Man Convicted After Found with 4,000+ Images and Videos of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A federal jury Wednesday found a Broken Arrow man guilty after his electronic devices were found to have more than 4,000 images and videos depicting the rape and molestation of children, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
Earl Hardy Morrow, 39, was convicted of distribution and receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography.
“My office and our local, state, tribal, and federal law enforcement partners seek to protect children not only from their sexual abuser, but also from their revictimization through the repeated viewing of that abuse in child pornography,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “Individuals like Earl Morrow must be held accountable for their role in a vile industry that preys on children across the globe.”
On Feb. 20, 2020, Morrow distributed and received child pornography via electronic means. From Nov. 5, 2019, to Feb. 27, 2020, Morrow further possessed visual depictions involving prepubescent minors and minors who were under 12 years of age.
On Feb. 20, 2020, multiple files of child sexual abuse material were sent to the Tulsa Police Department’s Cyber Crimes Unit via the BitTorrent network from an IP address that was later tracked to a Broken Arrow user. The final torrent file distributed to Tulsa Police contained multiple video files depicting the sexual abuse of children.
Officers served a search warrant on the address where Morrow resided on Feb. 27, 2020. During the search, Morrow told officers that he used BitTorrent on his computer and that he had illegal files on the computer.
During the forensic extraction and review of Morrow’s devices, the following items were found in Morrow’s bedroom and transported to the Tulsa Police Department for forensic extraction and review:
- 32GB Thumb drive connected to a keychain on Morrow’s car keys, found on the desk in his room--3140 pictures and 25 videos of child sexual abuse material found.
- Computer built by the defendant-- 546 pictures and 85 videos of child pornography, as well as the qBittorrent program.
- Laptop found on Morrow’s desk- 39 pictures and 79 videos of child pornography.
- 32 GB thumb drive found on Morrow’s desk-- 497 pictures and 54 videos of child pornography, includes 1 RTF document, titled “Daddy’s Collection,” where the author is Morrow, and the contents of the document lists child pornography search terms.
- 2 GB thumb drive found on Morrow’s desk-- 5 videos of child pornography.
The Tulsa Police Department led the investigation into Morrow with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations.
“The Tulsa Police Department’s Cyber Crimes Unit and Homeland Security Investigations consistently locate, investigate, and arrest child predators. These officers and agents are key partners when holding defendants accountable at trial,” said Johnson.
Visiting U.S. District Judge Daniel D. Crabtree from Kansas presided over the trial. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Nassar, Nathan E. Michel, and Stacey P. Todd are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part the Northern District of Oklahoma’s Operation Clean Sweep, which charged 33 child predators. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Nassar led the operation in conjunction with more than a dozen local, state, tribal and federal law enforcement agencies. The case is also 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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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.justice.gov/psc.
Breaux Bridge Woman Sentenced for Defrauding Her Employer Out of over $300,000Read the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Tracie Sonnier, 51, of Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Michael J. Juneau to 24 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, on wire fraud charges. Sonnier was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $335,015.67.
Sonnier pleaded guilty on July 19, 2021 to a Bill of Information charging her with one count of wire fraud. The charges stemmed from an investigation that began when her employer discovered money missing from their business account. Sonnier was employed by Aries Marine Corporation (Aries) from 1996 until her termination in May 2020. She worked as an administrative assistant and had bookkeeping duties at Aries. An investigation by agents with the U.S. Secret Service and the Lafayette Police Department revealed that Sonnier created a scheme to defraud Aries using Aries’ bank accounts, without authorization, to pay for personal expenses. The investigation revealed that her scheme resulted in a loss to the company of $335,015.67.
The U.S. Secret Service and the Lafayette Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy prosecuted the case.
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Bakersfield Fentanyl Dealer Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Uriel Ivan Portillo, 35, of Bakersfield, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, on Nov. 21, 2019, Portillo distributed 5,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl in exchange for $40,000 during a controlled purchase in Bakersfield.
Portillo is scheduled for sentencing before U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd on Feb. 18, 2022. Portillo faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Southern Tri-County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force; the Kern County Sheriff’s Department; and the Bakersfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen Escobar, Angela Scott, and Melanie Alsworth are 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 www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Au Gres Resident Sentenced to 28 Years in Federal Prison on Production of Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
BAY CITY – An Au Gres resident was sentenced yesterday to 28 years in federal prison on charges of using a minor to produce visual depictions of sexually explicit conduct and ordered to pay $54,500 in restitution to the victims and $5,100 in special assessment, announced Acting United States Attorney Saima Mohsin.
Mohsin was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Timothy Waters, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division.
Sentenced was Christopher Paul Botimer, 59.
Botimer pleaded guilty in December 2020 to one count of using a minor to produce visual depictions of sexually explicit conduct before United States District Judge Thomas Ludington.
On or about October 6, 2017, while in Arenac County, Michigan, Botimer, a computer network engineer, took sexually explicit photographs of a 2-year-old child in his care. In making some of those photographs, Botimer engaged in sexual contact with the victim. He saved the resulting sexually explicit images on several electronic devices. For several years, well before he began to take sexually explicitly photographs of the victim, Botimer searched for child pornography over the Internet. He repeatedly downloaded sexually explicit images of minor children for his sexual gratification. He then either saved or deleted the child pornography from one of the many digital devices available to him at his home. He also made available some of the images to others through a peer-to-peer network.
“Botimer is a child predator and his conduct was reprehensible. Today’s lengthy sentence ensures Botimer will no longer be a threat to young children,” said Acting US Attorney Mohsin. “I commend the agents and prosecutors who worked on this case and hope that this 28-year sentence helps bring some closure to the victim and victim’s family.”
This case was investigated by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigations Task Force and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Anca Pop and Jaqueline Hotz.
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Ash Grove Woman Indicted for Stealing $362,000 from Springfield EmployerRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – An Ash Grove, Missouri, woman has been indicted by a federal grand jury for a wire fraud scheme in which she embezzled more than $362,000 from her Springfield, Mo., employer.
Carrie Leigh Long, 52, was charged in a 24-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Mo., on Wednesday, Nov. 17. That indictment was unsealed and made public today upon Long’s arrest and initial court appearance.
Long was employed by Executive Coach Builders, Inc. to provide in-house accounting services to the company and to Executive Bus Builders, Inc. The companies are headquartered in Springfield but do business worldwide with factories and sales offices in Missouri and California. The companies build luxury buses, coaches, and limousines. Long was hired in April 2014.
The federal indictment alleges that Long stole at least $362,175 from the companies from February 2016 to September 2020. Long is also charged with filing false tax returns that failed to report that income, as well as failing to pay approximately $902,226 of employment taxes the companies owed to the IRS.
Long allegedly used her position as an in-house accountant for the companies, and her access to the companies’ check stock, to regularly write checks against the companies’ bank accounts for unauthorized payments to herself. The indictment also alleges that Long stole money from the companies by filling in unauthorized amounts on some pre-signed checks and making such checks payable to herself. Long also allegedly stole money from the companies by forging signatures on the companies’ checks, filling in unauthorized amounts on the checks, and making such checks payable to herself.
As part of the scheme, the indictment says, Long did not claim the unauthorized payments as personal income on her individual income tax returns from 2016 through 2020.
Beginning in April 2019, Long allegedly ceased to make regular payments to IRS for the employment taxes the companies owed the IRS. Long concealed her actions from company officials, the indictment says, by altering the companies’ bank account statements and misrepresenting on her financial reports that the payments had been made. Long caused the companies to fail to pay over to the IRS approximately $902,226 of taxes owed to the IRS for two quarters of 2019 and one quarter of 2020.
When an agent from the Internal Revenue Service attempted to collect those delinquent tax payments, the indictment says, Long falsely claimed they had been paid and provided altered bank account statements.
The federal indictment charges Long with 17 counts of wire fraud, six counts of failure to pay employment taxes, one count of obstructing the administration of internal revenue laws, and five counts of filing a false tax return.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shannon Kempf. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation and the FBI.
Albuquerque man appears in court on carjacking, weapons chargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Juan Aguirre, 30, of Albuquerque, appeared in federal court on Nov. 17 on charges of carjacking, attempted carjacking and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Aguirre will remain in custody pending a detention hearing scheduled for Nov. 19.
According to a criminal complaint, on the morning of Oct. 12, detectives with the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) Gang Unit along with APD Gang Suppression Officers allegedly found Aguirre in a stolen pickup truck. At the time, Aguirre allegedly was in possession of a handgun. Aguirre has previous felony convictions for conspiracy to commit robbery, auto burglary, and conspiracy to commit auto burglary. As a previously convicted felon, Aguirre cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.
That afternoon while in police custody, Aguirre allegedly became ill and requested to be transported to a hospital by ambulance. Once at the hospital, Aguirre allegedly walked out of the emergency entrance and through the parking lot. He allegedly approached an occupied vehicle parked next to an elementary school, insinuated that he had a gun, and demanded that the driver get out of the vehicle and leave the keys inside. The vehicle owner drove away before Aguirre could enter the vehicle.
Aguirre then allegedly approached another vehicle at a nearby preschool. As the victim got out of the vehicle, Aguirre allegedly demanded the keys. When the victim refused, Aguirre allegedly ripped the keys from the victim’s hand and took the victim’s vehicle.
On Oct. 14, Gang Unit detectives located and arrested Aguirre.
A complaint is only an allegation. A defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Aguirre faces up to 15 years in prison.
The FBI Violent Crimes and Gangs Task Force and APD investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Trembley is prosecuting the case.
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$614,823 Awarded to Law Enforcement Agencies in the Eastern District of OklahomaRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice today announced more than $139 million in grant funding through the department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) COPS Hiring Program (CHP). The awards provide direct funding to 183 law enforcement agencies across the nation, allowing those agencies to hire 1,066 additional full-time law enforcement professionals. In the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the cities of Haileyville, Seminole, Stringtown, and Tishomingo, along with Hughes County, were awarded funding totaling $614,823.00.
“We are committed to providing police departments with the resources needed to help ensure community safety and build community trust,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The grants we are announcing today will enable law enforcement agencies across the country to hire more than 1,000 additional officers to support vitally important community oriented policing programs.”
“Protection and service of the public is the goal of law enforcement,” said Acting United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “This funding will aid these police and sheriff departments in the Eastern District in achieve that goal.”
The following entities in the Eastern District of Oklahoma received the following award amounts:
- The City of Haileyville – $75,106
- Hughes County – $97,535
- The City of Seminole – $243,265
- The City of Stringtown – $88,206
- The City of Tishomingo – $110,711
CHP is a competitive award program intended to reduce crime and advance public safety through community policing. CHP provides funds directly to law enforcement agencies to hire new or rehire additional career law enforcement officers, thereby increasing their community policing capacity and crime prevention efforts. Of the 183 agencies awarded grants today, approximately half will use the funding to focus on building legitimacy and trust between law enforcement and communities; 41 agencies will seek to address high rates of gun violence; 21 will focus on other areas of violence; and 19 will focus CHP resources on combating hate and domestic extremism or supporting police-based responses to persons in crisis. The complete list of awards can be found here.
Since its creation in 1994, COPS has invested more than $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local and Tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of more than 135,000 officers. CHP, COPS’ flagship program, continues to be in demand today: In FY21, COPS received 590 applications requesting nearly 3,000 law enforcement positions. For FY22, President Biden has requested $537 million for CHP, an increase of $300 million.
To learn more about CHP, please visit https://cops.usdoj.gov/chp-award. For additional information about the COPS Office, please visit https://cops.usdoj.gov/.
The COPS Office is the federal component of the Department of Justice responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. The only Department of Justice agency with policing in its name, the COPS Office was established in 1994 and has been the cornerstone of the nation’s crime fighting strategy with grants, a variety of knowledge resource products, and training and technical assistance. Through the years, the COPS Office has become the go-to organization for law enforcement agencies across the country and continues to listen to the field and provide the resources that are needed to reduce crime and build trust between law enforcement and the communities served.
Wednesday 17 November 2021
“Cocaine Pepe” gets significant sentence for selling narcoticsRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 33-year-old Alice resident has been ordered to federal prison for possession with intent to distribute 112 grams of meth, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Jose Francisco Arredondo aka Cocaine Pepe pleaded guilty Aug. 19.
Today, U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos ordered him to serve a 151-month sentence to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that detailed Arredondo’s life of crime and how he terrorized the Alice and Jim Wells County community – 28 arrests and was one of the main sources of meth, cocaine, steroids and more in Alice. In handing down the sentence, Judge Ramos noted Arredondo was consistently arrested multiple times with guns and drugs and that previous jail sentences did not seem to dissuade him from criminality.
On April 9, law enforcement arrived at a local hotel in response to a potential disturbance. They soon observed a vehicle with its lights on and engine running. Arredondo was driving. As they approached, they immediately noticed a firearm in the center console. Knowing he was a convicted felon, authorities conducted a thorough search of the vehicle.
They ultimately uncovered over $11,000 as well as four bags of narcotics, one with 112 grams of meth, two containing a total of 56 grams of cocaine and another with 13 grams of marijuana. Law enforcement also discovered a digital scale, many lottery tickets, and a defaced firearm.
Arredondo will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Jim Wells County Sheriff’s Office and the Alice Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Marin prosecuted the case.
Woman Pleads Guilty to Second Degree Murder on Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
BAY CITY - A 21-year-old resident of Blanchard, Michigan, Kaden Elizabeth Gilbert, pled guilty to murder in the second degree announced Acting U.S. Attorney Saima Mohsin.
The evidence established that in November of 2020, Gilbert went to the victim’s residence and intentionally stabbed her with a knife severing her femoral artery. The victim lost a significant amount of blood and died due to the stabbing. The crime occurred on the Isabella Reservation in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. Gilbert is a non-Indian. The victim was Indian.
Sentencing is set for March 3, 2022 at 2 p.m. Gilbert faces up to life in prison.
The case was investigated by the Mount Pleasant Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Roy Kranz and Assistant United States Attorney J. Michael Buckley.
West Linn Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Role in Real Estate, Agriculture, and Mining Investment SchemesRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A West Linn, Oregon man was sentenced to federal prison today for posing as a successful real estate developer, hemp seed cultivator, and owner of a precious metals mining venture to fraudulently obtain millions of dollars from individual investors and lenders.
David A Shelofsky, 53, was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release.
“David Shelofsky tried every possible ploy to trick investors out of their money, and, unfortunately, was quite successful in doing so,” said Scott Erik Asphaug, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. “Federal law enforcement authorities will continue to pursue and prosecute bad actors who seek to steal from well-intentioned investors. Meanwhile, we strongly encourage people to think twice and do extensive research before pursuing unconventional investment opportunities like the ones peddled by this defendant.”
“David Shelofsky promised big returns on an eclectic array of investments, including real estate, precious metals, and hemp seed. In reality, his golden guarantees were nothing more than lies. Victim investors—most of whom have ties to Oregon—lost millions while their money funded Shelofsky’s lavish lifestyle,” said Kieran L. Ramsey, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Oregon.
“IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS:CI) is committed to protecting the public from individuals like David Shelofsky who shamelessly steal and defraud,” said Special Agent in Charge Bret Kressin of IRS:CI. “Because financial crimes devastate communities, we will continue to investigate and bring to justice those who commit these crimes.”
According to court documents, beginning in 2013, in Oregon and elsewhere, Shelofsky knowingly and intentionally devised several different investment fraud schemes. Shelofsky falsely told prospective investors and lenders that he had successful real estate development projects in Bend, Oregon and West Linn and a successful hemp seed cultivation and distribution venture in West Linn. During the same time period, Shelofsky and two other individuals formed a precious metals mining operation that purportedly used a proprietary mining technique to extract precious metals from the sand tailings of other mining operations. While the group made minimal efforts to operate the venture, Shelofsky misled several investors about the status of the operation to fraudulently obtain funds.
Shelofsky made repeated and deliberate misrepresentations and false promises about the status and success of his various ventures, the purported returns investors would receive, and the existence of collateral pieces of real estate supposedly backing investments. Shelofsky employed the services of others to further his schemes and establish his credibility, including a lawyer to create legal documents and an assistant to open bank accounts in the names of several limited liability corporations. Shelofsky used investor funds for personal expenses and to support his own high standard of living. Dozens of individual investors and lenders lost millions of dollars as a result of Shelofsky’s schemes.
On June 5, 2020, Shelofsky was charged by criminal complaint with wire fraud and money laundering. Later, on October 20, 2020, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a 17-count indictment charging Shelofsky with wire fraud and money laundering. On August 26, 2021, he pleaded guilty.
A restitution hearing is scheduled for January 7, 2022 before U.S. District Court Judge Michael H. Simon.
Acting U.S. Attorney Asphaug, Special Agent in Charge Ramsey, and Special Agent in Charge Kressin made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Claire M. Fay prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katie DeVilliers served as forfeiture counsel.
Wareham Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Wareham man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for possessing child pornography.
David St. Jacques, 57, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to 10 years in prison and five years of supervised release. On April 15, 2021, St. Jacques pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography.
In September 2020, a search of St. Jacques’s residence resulted in the seizure of a computer, three phones and one thumb drive that contained child pornography. St. Jacques destroyed at least two other drives and attempted to destroy one of his phones when agents arrived to execute the search warrant. St. Jacques also admitted to exchanging child pornography with other individuals on various chatting applications.
St. Jacques was convicted in March 2009 in Plymouth County Superior Court of several counts of dissemination and possession of child pornography.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne Paruti, Chief of Mendell’s Major Crimes Unit, prosecuted the case.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
Two Men Indicted on Drug Distribution Charges Following Investigation of Fentanyl SalesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Two men, both from Washington, D.C., have been indicted on federal charges following an investigation by federal and local law enforcement agencies into a drug operation that was selling Fentanyl and heroin in the Ivy City area of Northeast Washington.
Nathaniel Scruggs, 37, and Andrew Cooper, 46, were arrested on Nov. 10, 2021, and remain detained following hearings this week in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Scruggs is charged with six counts of unlawful distribution of Fentanyl and heroin, and, in a separate indictment, Cooper is charged with five counts of Fentanyl distribution. Both men are to appear Nov. 22, 2021, for a status hearing before the Honorable Amit P. Mehta.
The indictments were announced today by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Criminal Division, Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Division Office of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and Kevin Davis, Chief of the Fairfax County, Va. Police.
The arrests followed an investigation into drug sales that allegedly were taking place near the defendants’ two residences in the 1900 block of Capitol Avenue NE. According to court documents, the joint law enforcement investigation began last spring after the defendants were linked to drug sales and pending overdose investigations by the Fairfax County Police Department. As noted by the DEA, because of its potency and low cost, drug dealers nationally have been mixing Fentanyl with other drugs including heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine, increasing the likelihood of a fatal interaction.
At the time of the arrests, law enforcement executed search warrants at the defendants’ residences. According to court documents, law enforcement seized more than 400 grams of suspected Fentanyl and other drugs from Cooper’s residence, along with counterfeit OxyContin pills that were actually Fentanyl, cocaine and other drugs, approximately $74,430 of bundled cash, three cell phones, and a firearm. From Scruggs’s residence, agents seized $1,200 in cash and four cell phones, according to the court filings.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This investigation is part of an 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 www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the Washington Division Office of the DEA, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the Fairfax County, Va. Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David T. Henek, of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Three Indicted for Running “Grandparent Scheme” that Defrauded Elderly Victims in Western PARead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - Two residents of Las Vegas, NV and one resident of Reseda, CA, have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh, PA on a charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Roderick Feurtado, 54, of Las Vegas, NV 89166, Tarek Bouanane, 45, Las Vegas, NV 89139, and Roberto Gutierrez, 49, of Reseda, CA 91335, as defendants.
According to Indictment, in September 2021, the defendants traveled to the Pittsburgh area to execute a scheme to defraud that targeted elderly victims. To execute the scheme, members of the conspiracy called the victims, posed as an attorney, and falsely represented that one of the victim’s relatives, typically a grandchild, had been incarcerated and needed money for bail and legal fees. With assistance from Feurtado and other members of the conspiracy, Bouanane and Gutierrez then posed as couriers or bail bondsman, visited the victims at their homes, and collected the fraudulently obtained money. At least $250,000 was obtained in the Western District of Pennsylvania and elsewhere as a result of the conspiracy.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendants.
Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey R. Bengel is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Department of Homeland Security Investigations and Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Texas Woman Pleads Guilty to Schemes to Procure Adoptions from Uganda and Poland through Bribery and FraudRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Bridget M. Brennan announced that a Texas woman who was a program manager at an Ohio-based international adoption agency pleaded guilty today to schemes to procure adoptions of Ugandan and Polish children by bribing Ugandan officials and defrauding U.S. authorities.
According to court documents, Debra Parris, 69, of Lake Dallas, engaged in a scheme with others to bribe Ugandan officials to procure adoptions of Ugandan children by families in the United States. These bribes included payments to (a) probation officers intended to ensure favorable probation reports recommending that a particular child be placed into an orphanage; (b) court registrars to influence the assignment of particular cases to “adoption-friendly” judges; and (c) High Court judges to issue favorable guardianship orders for the adoption agency’s clients. In her plea agreement, Parris also admitted that she continued to direct the adoption agency’s clients to work with her alleged co-conspirator Dorah Mirembe, after knowing that Mirembe caused clients of the adoption agency to provide false information to the U.S. State Department for the purpose of misleading it in its adjudication of visa applications.
According to court documents, in a second scheme, after alleged co-conspirator Margaret Cole, the adoption agency’s Executive Director, learned that clients of the adoption agency determined they could not care for one of the two Polish children they were set to adopt, Parris and her co-conspirator took steps to transfer the Polish child to Parris’s relatives, who were not eligible for intercountry adoption. In her plea agreement, Parris also admitted that after the child was injured and hospitalized, Parris agreed with her co-conspirator to conceal their improper conduct from the U.S. State Department in an attempt to continue profiting from these adoptions.
Parris pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and commit visa fraud in connection with the Uganda scheme, and conspiracy to defraud the United States in connection with the Poland scheme. She is scheduled to be sentenced on March 9, 2022. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Trial against Cole is scheduled to commence on Feb. 7, 2022. Mirembe remains at large.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Bridget M. Brennan for the Northern District of Ohio; and Acting Assistant Director Jay Greenberg of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division made the announcement.
If you believe you are a victim of this offense, please visit https://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/victim-witness-program or call (888) 549-3945.
The FBI’s Cleveland Field Office is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Jason Manning and Alexander Kramer of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Chelsea Rice of the Northern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs assisted in the investigation.
The Fraud Section has lead responsibility for investigating and prosecuting all FCPA matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa.
Texas Woman Pleads Guilty to Schemes to Procure Adoptions from Uganda and Poland through Bribery and FraudRead the Press Release
A Texas woman who was a program manager at an Ohio-based international adoption agency pleaded guilty today in the Northern District of Ohio to schemes to procure adoptions of Ugandan and Polish children by bribing Ugandan officials and defrauding U.S. authorities.
According to court documents, Debra Parris, 69, of Lake Dallas, engaged in a scheme with others to bribe Ugandan officials to procure adoptions of Ugandan children by families in the United States. These bribes included payments to (a) probation officers intended to ensure favorable probation reports recommending that a particular child be placed into an orphanage; (b) court registrars to influence the assignment of particular cases to “adoption-friendly” judges; and (c) High Court judges to issue favorable guardianship orders for the adoption agency’s clients. In her plea agreement, Parris also admitted that she continued to direct the adoption agency’s clients to work with her alleged co-conspirator Dorah Mirembe, after knowing that Mirembe caused clients of the adoption agency to provide false information to the U.S. State Department for the purpose of misleading it in its adjudication of visa applications.
According to court documents, in a second scheme, after alleged co-conspirator Margaret Cole, the adoption agency’s Executive Director, learned that clients of the adoption agency determined they could not care for one of the two Polish children they were set to adopt, Parris and her co-conspirator took steps to transfer the Polish child to Parris’s relatives, who were not eligible for intercountry adoption. In her plea agreement, Parris also admitted that after the child was injured and hospitalized, Parris agreed with her co-conspirator to conceal their improper conduct from the U.S. State Department in an attempt to continue profiting from these adoptions.
Parris pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and commit visa fraud in connection with the Uganda scheme, and conspiracy to defraud the United States in connection with the Poland scheme. She is scheduled to be sentenced on March 9, 2022. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Trial against Cole is scheduled to commence on Feb. 7, 2022. Mirembe remains at large.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Bridget M. Brennan for the Northern District of Ohio; and Acting Assistant Director Jay Greenberg of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division made the announcement.
If you believe you are a victim of this offense, please visit https://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/victim-witness-program or call (888) 549-3945.
The FBI’s Cleveland Field Office is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Jason Manning and Alexander Kramer of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Chelsea Rice of the Northern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs assisted in the investigation.
The Fraud Section has lead responsibility for investigating and prosecuting all FCPA matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and Cole and Mirembe are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Tax Preparer Sentenced in COVID-19 Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A South Florida tax preparer was sentenced today to two years in prison for perpetrating a scheme to fraudulently obtain over 100 COVID-19 relief loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
According to court documents, Leonel Rivero, 35, of Miami, owned a tax-preparation business and submitted approximately 118 fraudulent PPP loan applications on behalf of himself and his accomplices. Combined, the 118 loan applications sought more than $2.3 million in PPP funds. On each loan application, Rivero falsified the applicant’s prior-year sole proprietorship income and expenses and submitted fraudulent IRS tax forms. Rivero and his accomplices received approximately $900,000 in PPP loans as a result of the fraud. As part of his plea agreement, Rivero agreed to forfeit that entire amount.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Matthew Line of the IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Miami Office; and Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite of the U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of the Inspector General (SBA-OIG) Investigations Division, Eastern Regional Office made the announcement.
The IRS-CI investigated the case with assistance from the SBA-OIG.
Trial Attorney Della Sentilles of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Browne of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Grosnoff handled the asset-forfeiture component of the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the PPP. Since the inception of the CARES Act, the Fraud Section has prosecuted over 150 defendants in more than 95 criminal cases and has seized over $75 million in cash proceeds derived from fraudulently obtained PPP funds, as well as numerous real estate properties and luxury items purchased with such proceeds. More information can be found at https://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/ppp-fraud.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Suburban Chicago Man Convicted on Federal Gun and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal jury has convicted a suburban Chicago man on firearm and drug charges for illegally possessing two loaded handguns and dealing heroin and crack cocaine.
BRIAN STAFFORD, 42, illegally possessed the guns and drugs in his vehicle and residence in Bellwood, Ill., on Nov. 2, 2016. A day earlier, Stafford sold 101 grams of heroin to an individual who, unbeknownst to Stafford, was cooperating with law enforcement.
After a week-long trial in U.S. District Court in Chicago, the jury on Friday found Stafford guilty of one count of possessing heroin and crack cocaine with the intent to distribute, one count of illegal possession of firearms by a previously convicted felon, and one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of drug-trafficking activities.
A separate jury in 2019 convicted Stafford of illegally possessing three assault rifles. All of the handguns and rifles illegally possessed by Stafford were linked to thefts from a cargo train that passed through Chicago in September 2016.
The convictions are punishable by a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in federal prison, and a maximum of life. U.S. District Judge Robert W. Gettleman did not immediately set a sentencing date.
The convictions were announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. Substantial assistance was provided by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Cook County Sheriff’s Office; Evergreen Park, Ill., Police Department; and Bolingbrook, Ill., Police Department. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Saurish Appleby-Bhattacharjee and Alejandro Ortega.
Stoughton Man Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud Scheme Related to COVID-19 PandemicRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Stoughton man pleaded guilty yesterday in connection with a fraudulent scheme to obtain COVID-19-related small business loans from several financial institutions.
Yves Montima, 53, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for March 9, 2022. Montima was charged on Nov. 4, 2021.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) created a temporary loan program directed at small businesses called the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Independent contractors were eligible to apply for PPP loans, which were processed by private financial institutions and fully guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration. If an independent contractor used the loan funds for approved purposes, such as payroll, the loan could be forgiven by the financial institution and paid for by the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Montima participated in a scheme that obtained over $220,000 in proceeds through fraudulent PPP loan applications submitted between April 2020 and April 2021. According to the charging documents, Montima and a co-conspirator submitted 12 fraudulent PPP loan applications, both in their own names and in the names of others, at several financial institutions. It is also alleged that Montima and his co-conspirator received kickback payments from individuals on whose behalf they submitted fraudulent PPP loan applications.
The charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, up to five years of supervised release, a fine of up to $1 million or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater, and forfeiture. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell and Frederick J. Regan, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, Boston Field Office made the announcement. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the U.S. Postal Service, Massachusetts State Police and the Boston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Markham, of Mendell’s Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip C. Cheng, of Mendell’s Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit, are prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
St. Petersburg Man Sentenced to Fifteen Years for Attempting to Entice and Meet A 5-Year-Old Child for SexRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Eric James Templeton (33, St. Petersburg) to 15 years in federal prison for attempting to entice and meet a 5-year-old child for sex. Templeton was also ordered to serve a 15-year term of supervised release, to register as a sex offender, and to pay $11,700 in restitution.
Templeton had pleaded guilty on March 9, 2021.
According to court documents, from May 19 through May 21, 2020, Templeton engaged in online chats and text messaging with an individual whom he believed to be the mother of a 5-year-old child. During those conversations, Templeton indicated to the “mother” (actually an undercover Homeland Security Investigations agent) his desire to meet and sexually abuse the child. On May 21, 2020, Templeton agreed to meet the “mother” and her child for that purpose. Templeton arrived at the meeting location in Tampa and was arrested by HSI agents. A search of Templeton’s person revealed that he was carrying a bottle of lubricant and two lollipops.
“Thanks to the partnership between HSI special agents and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, this child predator will now be behind bars,” said HSI Tampa Assistant Special Agent in Charge Micah McCombs.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erin Claire Favorit.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
South Florida Tax Preparer Sentenced in COVID-19 Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – A South Florida tax preparer was sentenced today to 24 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for carrying out a scheme to fraudulently obtain over 100 COVID-19 relief loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). He was also ordered to pay over $1 million in restitution.
Leonel Rivero, 35, of Miami, owned a tax-preparation business and submitted approximately 118 fraudulent PPP loan applications on behalf of himself and his accomplices. Combined, the 118 loan applications sought more than $2.3 million in PPP funds. On each loan application, Rivero falsified the applicant’s prior-year sole proprietorship income and expenses and submitted fraudulent IRS tax forms. Rivero and his accomplices received approximately $900,000 in PPP loans as a result of the fraud. As part of his plea agreement, Rivero agreed to forfeit that entire amount.
U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez for the Southern District of Florida; Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Matthew Line of the IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Miami Office; and Special Agent in Charge Amelake McCall-Brathwaite of the U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of the Inspector General (SBA-OIG), Investigations Division, Eastern Regional Office, made the announcement.
The IRS-CI investigated the case with assistance from SBA-OIG.
South Florida Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Browne and Trial Attorney Della Sentilles of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case. South Florida Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Grosnoff handled asset-forfeiture.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
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-cr-20160.
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Somerset County Man Charged with Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Somerset County, New Jersey, man was charged today with allegedly distributing videos and images of child sexual abuse, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Marcevan Manasse, 27, Somerville, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count of distribution of child pornography. He appeared by videoconference today before U.S. Magistrate Judge André M. Espinosa and was released on $100,000 unsecured bond.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From Sept. 20, 2020, through Nov. 22, 2020, Manasse distributed material containing images and video files of child sexual abuse, via a publicly available online peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing network of linked computers. Users must download the P2P program, which is widely available for free on the internet. The program allows the user to place files into a designated “shared” folder on a hard drive, from which other P2P program users can then download those files directly to the “shared” folders of their own computers. Users can then browse, search, select, and directly download, those files. The program typically keeps a log of each downloaded event.
Law enforcement officials conducted an undercover online session to access the P2P program and to download five video files and 11 images containing child sexual abuse from an IP address assigned to an internet service provider account associated with Manasse’s residence. These files included multiple visual depictions of pre-pubescent children being sexually abused by adults.
The count of distribution of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, New Jersey Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jason J. Molina, with the investigation leading to today’s charges. She also thanked the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office for its assistance with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dong Joo Lee of the Violent Crimes Unit in Newark.
The charge and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
San Francisco Woman Sentenced to 18 Months for Pandemic Relief Loan Fraud and Impersonating AttorneysRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Miranda Devlin, aka Miranda M., aka Miranda P., was sentenced today in United States District Court to 18 months in federal prison for making false statements in a loan application for federal government pandemic relief funds and for mail fraud involving the stealing of California attorneys’ identities and practicing law, announced Acting United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Craig D. Fair, and Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration J. Russell George. The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge Maxine M. Chesney.
Devlin, 37, of San Francisco, pleaded guilty on July 21, 2021. In her plea agreement, Devlin described multiple crimes she committed from March 2012 through May 2020 to defraud individuals and the government. In one of her schemes, Devlin – who has never been an attorney – admitted she stole the identities of two female attorneys licensed by the State Bar of California and deceived people into believing she was a licensed attorney. Beginning in 2012, Devlin started to assume attorneys’ names and used their license numbers. She even paid one attorney’s State Bar dues, without knowledge of the attorney, to keep the attorney’s license active. Devlin further admitted to submitting change of address requests to the U.S. Postal Service in order to have other people’s mail forwarded to her, including one attorney’s State Bar license card. Several people hired Devlin as their attorney. Devlin admitted she represented multiple individuals in the courtrooms of Bay Area county Superior Courts.
Devlin further admitted engaging in a scheme to defraud the federal government’s pandemic relief program of $368,800. To commit one fraud, Devlin submitted a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) borrower application form requesting money from the United States Small Business Administration (SBA) program. The PPP arose out of the CARES Act passed by Congress in March 2020 that authorized forgivable PPP loans to small businesses, to promote job retention and cover specified business expenses during the pandemic. Devlin’s PPP application contained several deliberately false statements that Devlin certified as true. Her statements included that she had a business named Common Nucleus of Cancer (CNC) and that it had 2019 payroll expenses and also had paid taxes in 2019. CNC was, however, only a shell company. In her plea agreement, Devlin admitted that CNC had no employees and no business expenses. Devlin admitted that with her PPP loan application she submitted false tax forms and records for 2019 as evidence of the salaries and business expenses she purportedly paid. As a result of that application, Devlin received a PPP loan of $32,700. Devlin admitted that she did not pay any purported business expenses or salaries with that money but rather used it for her own personal benefit.
Devlin further admitted that she continued the scheme and applied for and eventually received a larger, additional loan in the amount of $336,100 from the SBA. In all, Devlin admitted that she unlawfully received a total of $368,800 from the SBA in government pandemic relief loans.
In addition to her 18 month prison sentence imposed for mail fraud in violation of 18 USC § 1341 and making false statements in a loan application in violation of 18 USC § 1014, United District Judge Maxine M. Chesney ordered that Devlin pay restitution in the amount of $565,355. The sentence also included a 5 year period of supervision following Devlin’s release from prison.
Devlin has been in custody since March 2, 2021, and begins her sentence immediately.
The United States Attorney’s Office Special Prosecutions Section prosecuted the case. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA).
Sacramento Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Joseph Elijah Cuaron, 21, of Sacramento, was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez to five years in prison for a fentanyl distribution conspiracy, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Cuaron supplied approximately 1,000 counterfeit oxycodone M‑30 pills containing fentanyl to two co-conspirators, Joshua Cabanillas, of Woodland, and Gregory Tabarez, 23, of Sacramento, on July 13, 2020, for them to distribute 500 pills to an FBI confidential source. After Cabanillas and Tabarez sold 500 pills to the confidential source, law enforcement stopped them and seized the remaining approximately 500 pills that Cuaron had supplied to them.
This case is the product of an investigation by the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the California Highway Patrol, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, and the Woodland Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Spencer prosecuted the case.
Fentanyl distribution and conspiracy charges remain pending against co-defendants Tabarez and Severo Reyna. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Charges against Cabanillas were dismissed following his death in November 2020.
Roanoke Doctor Sentenced to Three Years’ Imprisonment for Over-Prescribing OpioidsRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – A Roanoke, Virginia doctor was sentenced to 36 months in prison, a fine of $10,000, and a forfeiture money judgment of $500,000 yesterday for distributing and dispensing Schedule II controlled substances to patients outside the usual course of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose. The controlled substances charged included high dosages of morphine, oxycodone, and hydromorphone.
U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh announced the sentence today, stating, “Ms. Lewis violated her patients’ trust by placing her own greed before their very real needs. This significant sentence sends a strong message that our office will continue to investigate and prosecute any in the health care system who seek to illegally profit from the opioid crisis.”
According to evidence presented in court, Verna Mae Lewis, 70, profited over $523,000 from her illegal prescribing. The evidence also demonstrated that she prescribed patients the same regimen of opioids month after month without tapering and, in some cases, escalated dosages without any medical justification. She issued these prescriptions following little to no medical examination, without supporting records or diagnostic studies, and in contravention of guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the Virginia Board of Medicine.
Lewis continued to prescribe opioids to patients in spite of their documented histories of substance abuse, accidental overdoses, and previous terminations from other medical practices for testing positive for cocaine and other illicit drugs.
As part of her guilty plea, Lewis agreed to surrender her medical licenses and registrations, to never apply for their reinstatement, and to never practice medicine in the future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration–Tactical Diversion Squad, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, the Virginia State Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and the Virginia State Police investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin B. Johnson prosecuted the case for the United States.Rhode Island Woman Sentenced for Phishing SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Rhode Island woman was sentenced yesterday for sending phishing emails to candidates for political office and others.
Diana Lebeau, 21, of Cranston, R.I., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Jennifer C. Boal to two years’ probation and was ordered to forfeit computer equipment that she used to facilitate her offense. On July 27, 2021, Lebeau pleaded guilty to one count of attempted unauthorized access to a protected computer.
In or about January 2020, Lebeau sent phishing emails to approximately 22 members of the campaign staff of a candidate for political office. The emails, which purported to be from either the campaign’s managers or one of the campaign’s co-chairs, directed the recipients to put their account credentials into an attached spreadsheet, or to click a link that connected them to a Google Form that solicited the same credentials. Lebeau also sent several phishing emails to the candidate’s spouse and to others at the spouse’s workplace. The emails, which purported to be either from Microsoft’s “Security Team” or from an employee of the workplace’s technology helpdesk, requested that recipients provide account credentials or other information about their computers by adding it to attached spreadsheets or on a website that mimicked the appearance of the employer’s legitimate website.
In or about March 2020, Lebeau drafted and sent phishing emails targeting another candidate for political office. The emails, which purported to be from the candidate’s cable and internet provider, contained a false “login link” that the recipient could use to address an issue with his or her account by providing account credentials. Lebeau also impersonated this candidate in online chats with the cable and internet provider, in an attempt to reset and obtain the candidate’s account password.
Lebeau did not act with financial or political motive or to benefit any foreign government, instrumentality or agent.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth B. Kosto, Deputy Chief of Mendell’s Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit, prosecuted the case.
Queens Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISIS and an Additional 100 Months for Slashing a Correctional Officer at a Federal Jail in BrooklynRead the Press Release
Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Ali Saleh, a U.S. citizen from Queens, New York, was sentenced by United States District Judge William F. Kuntz, II, to 30 years’ imprisonment for attempting to provide material support and resources to the designated foreign terrorist organization the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). Saleh pleaded guilty to the charge in July 2018.
Saleh was also sentenced to 100 months’ imprisonment for assaulting a federal correctional officer and possessing contraband at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York (the “MDC”) to run consecutive to the terrorism sentence. Saleh pleaded guilty to the charge in June 2019.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s National Security Division, and Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the sentence.
“Today’s sentence demonstrates the strong commitment of this Office and its law enforcement partners to rooting out and prosecuting dangerous jihadists like Saleh and stopping their efforts to support terrorist attacks at home or abroad,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Saleh is also held accountable for his vicious and premeditated attack on a federal correctional officer while in pre-trial detention.”
“Saleh made numerous attempts to travel overseas to join ISIS, and when those efforts failed, attempted to assist others in joining the terrorist organization,” stated AAG Olsen. “Once arrested and detained, he attacked a correctional officer with an improvised weapon. With the sentences handed down today, he is being held accountable for these crimes. The National Security Division is committed to identifying and holding accountable those who seek to provide material support to foreign terrorist organizations and we will be unyielding in our efforts to bring to justice those who commit violence against the men and women in law enforcement and corrections. I want to thank the agents, analysts and prosecutors who are responsible for this case.”
“Ali Saleh’s attempts to support ISIS, and his subsequent attack on a federal correctional officer, resulted in the penalties enforced upon him today. The FBI’s JTTF here in New York, along with our partners, continues to lead the way in preventing and intercepting threats posed by those like Saleh, who seek to harm our citizens at home and overseas,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Driscoll.
Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISIS
Starting in 2013 and thereafter, Saleh swore an oath of allegiance to ISIS and embraced ISIS’s directive to either travel to the Middle East to fight for ISIS or take action at home in support of ISIS. On August 25, 2014, Saleh stated online, “I’m ready to die for the Caliphate, prison is nothing.” On August 28, 2014, Saleh stated online, “Lets be clear the Muslims in the khilafah [caliphate] need help, the one who is capable to go over and help the Muslims must go and help.” That same day, Saleh made an airline reservation to travel from New York to Turkey, a country bordering Syria. Saleh was ultimately prevented from traveling because his parents took away his passport.
Saleh then redirected his efforts to facilitating others’ support of ISIS. In October 2014, Saleh communicated with an ISIS supporter in Mali through an online messaging platform and sent a wire transfer in the amount of $500 to fund that person’s travel to Syria. Around the same time period, Saleh communicated with several other individuals in an effort to facilitate their support of ISIS, including known ISIS supporters in the United Kingdom and Australia.
In July 2015, Saleh purchased 48 pyrotechnic mortars (large, tube-fired fireworks described as “artillery shells” on the packaging and containing explosive powder), stored them in a hidden area in the trunk of his car, and drove towards New York City. Law enforcement agents discovered on the cell phone that Saleh used at this time detailed instructions regarding how to create a bomb, including a hand thrown improvised explosive device, a pipe bomb, and a pressure cooker bomb, using explosive powder from fireworks. Saleh’s fireworks were sufficient to create multiple hand thrown IEDs or a pressure cooker bomb. As Saleh drove toward New York City with the explosive materials in his trunk, his car broke down, and he was forced to have it towed. Saleh later abandoned the car.
Saleh then made five separate attempts, over 10 days, to travel to the Middle East to fight for ISIS. On July 24, 2015, Saleh contacted an ISIS travel facilitator in Libya and made a same-day one-way booking to travel from New York to Cairo, Egypt. Notably, Egypt and Libya are bordering countries and it was relatively easy and common at that time for individuals to travel from Egypt to Libya to join ISIS. Saleh went to JFK and attempted to pay for the flight at the airline ticket counter, but he was informed by airline personnel that a message had come up on the screen and he left the ticket line. Saleh subsequently visited international airports in Newark, Philadelphia and Indianapolis, but continued to encounter travel restrictions. Saleh attempted to circumvent air travel restrictions by taking a train from Cleveland to Toronto, Canada, to fly to the Middle East from Canada. After law enforcement intervention, however, Saleh did not board the train and instead returned to New York.
After his encounters with law enforcement, Saleh changed his online social media moniker and expressed his support for ISIS under new usernames. On August 24, 2015, Saleh stated online, “I am a terrorist.” On September 1, 2015, Saleh stated online, “If they aren’t implementing shariah [Islamic law] grab ur gun and implement shariah and see how fast the world turns against u.”
In September 2015, Saleh was arrested at his home on charges of attempting to provide material support to ISIS. During a search of the home, agents recovered paper copies of an itinerary and Turkish visa issued in Saleh’s name for his September 2014 attempt to travel, and a duffel bag containing flashlights, headlamps, and other survival gear. Agents also recovered a black trunk containing 29 machetes. Saleh was subsequently detained at the MDC.
Assault on a Federal Correctional Officer
During his detention at the MDC, Saleh has assaulted numerous federal correctional officers and staff members, crafted weapons from materials in prison, broken cell windows and light fixtures, damaged property, initiated false emergency alarms, and set fires. In total, he has been cited on more than 90 separate occasions for disciplinary infractions at the MDC.
On July 13, 2018, at approximately 12:35 p.m., while a senior correctional officer was retrieving trash through an access slot of Saleh’s cell, Saleh reached through the slot and slashed the officer with an improvised knife, lacerating the officer’s right forearm and damaging the officer’s radial nerve. Saleh smiled at the officer and said, “I hope you die.” The correctional officer subsequently underwent surgery for his wound.
The government’s cases are being handled by the Office’s National Security & Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Saritha Komatireddy, Margaret E. Lee and Alexander F. Mindlin are in charge of the terrorism prosecution, with assistance provided by Trial Attorney Stephanie Sweeten of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Assistant United States Attorney Douglas M. Pravda is in charge of the assault and contraband prosecution.
The Defendant:
ALI SALEH
Age: 28
Queens, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket Nos. 15-CR-517, 18-CR-468 (WFK)
Pittsburgh Man Indicted on Child Sexual Exploitation ChargesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of Production and Attempted Production of Material Depicting the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Anthony Cerasi, age 46, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on April 13, 2021, Cerasi used and attempted to use Minor A, a minor female, to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing any visual depiction, namely, videos depicting Minor A engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than fifteen years and not more than thirty years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Heidi M. Grogan is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The FBI Pittsburgh Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Pittsburgh Felon, 21, Charged with Violating Federal Drug and Gun LawsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - One resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal narcotics and firearms laws, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.
The three-count Indictment named Marquis McMeans, age 21, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on or about July 5, 2021, McMeans possessed with intent to distribute a quantity of crack cocaine and possessed a firearm in furtherance of this drug trafficking crime. McMeans, a convicted felon, is prohibited by Federal law from possessing a firearm.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 5 years to a maximum of life in prison, a fine not to exceed $1,500,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Christopher M. Cook is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and City of Pittsburgh Bureau of Police conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 13 Years for Armed Robbery of Mount Airy Neighborhood Bar on Germantown AvenueRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Lawrence Laws, 29, of Philadelphia, PA, was sentenced today to 13 years in prison and five years of supervised release for committing Hobbs Act robbery (robbery which interferes with interstate commerce) and using, carrying and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence arising from his participation in a robbery of a business in the Mount Airy section of Philadelphia.
In February 2017 at approximately 1:15 a.m., the defendant and two co-defendants laid in wait for the owner of the Mermaid Bar located on Germantown Avenue, as he was closing the bar for the night along with his bartender. The victims approached their car and, after realizing that one of the defendants was hiding inside, holding what appeared to be an AK-47 assault rifle and waiting for the victims, they took off running. The defendants caught up to the bar owner, a 76-year old man, and his bartender and ordered them onto the ground.
The robbers forced the victims back into the bar at gunpoint, and proceeded to steal a firearm, cash, cartons of cigarettes, and a cell phone. Testimony at trial detailed how the defendants first took money from the bar owner’s pockets, money from the cash register, and a firearm hidden behind the bar, before two of the robbers forced the elderly business owner to the basement to steal money hidden there. When the owner initially resisted, Laws pointed a gun to his head, threatened to kill him, and also threatened to go to his home if he did not comply with their demands. While in the basement, one of the robbers took the owner’s debit card and PIN number, which they used to make multiple cash withdrawals from the bank ATM across the street before fleeing the scene together. Laws’ co-defendants previously pleaded guilty to charges related to this incident.
“Lawrence Laws and his co-defendants traumatized an elderly business owner and his employee, preying on them when they were most vulnerable – at the end of their shift, in the early morning hours when the hustle and bustle of Germantown Avenue stops,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Williams. “Today’s sentence should serve as an example to others who use guns to terrorize business owners: our ‘All Hands on Deck’ initiative uses every law enforcement tool at our disposal to find and stop the most violent criminals in their tracks. If you rob any kind of business in Philadelphia with a firearm, you are going to face serious federal charges.”
“What Laws and the others put their victims through was horrifying,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “People shouldn’t have to fear being ambushed at gunpoint at their workplace, home, or anywhere else. Our Violent Crimes Task Force is working hard to put dangerous armed robbery crews like this behind bars and make Philadelphia safer. Today’s sentence ensures Laws won’t be terrorizing anyone else like he did that night in Mount Airy.”
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alison Donahue Kehner.
Passaic County Man Admits Receiving and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Passaic County man admitted today to receiving and possessing child pornography, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Vaughn Tiedeman, 48, of West Milford, New Jersey, pleaded guilty to receipt and possession of child pornography before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Between July 2018 and April 2019, Tiedeman downloaded and possessed more than 600 images of child sexual abuse, including images of young children and depictions of violence.
The charge of receipt of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000. The charge of possession of child pornography carries a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for April 20, 2022.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jason J. Molina, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah A. Sulkowski of the Violent Crime Unit and Francesca Liquori, Chief of the Narcotics/Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force Unit, in Newark.
Ohio man admits to drug traffickingRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Richard Lee Edgell, of Belmont, Ohio, has admitted to a drug charge, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II announced.
Edgell, 32, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.” Edgell admitted to distributing methamphetamine in January 2021 in Ohio County. Law enforcement seized 191 grams of methamphetamine, also known as “ice,” and 89 grams of fentanyl during a search of Edgell’s vehicle. They also recovered $12,380.00, which Edgell agreed to forfeit.
Edgell faces up to 20 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn M. Adkins is prosecuting the cases on behalf of the government. The Ohio Valley Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.
Ohio Man Sentenced to 110 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – Jonathan L. Wells, 48 years old, of Hicksville, Ohio, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to possessing with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine and possessing a firearm as a felon, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Wells was sentenced to 110 months in prison followed by 4 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, on May 10, 2020, Wells was pulled over by law enforcement. During that stop, the officer saw baggies of drugs in plain view, which were later confirmed to contain 23 grams of methamphetamine. Wells had over $1,000 cash on his person despite being unemployed since 2012. Text messages found on Wells’ phone confirmed his drug dealing activities. Officers also located a loaded .40 caliber handgun under Wells’ seat and he admitted to being a convicted felon. Wells criminal history reveals he has been convicted of prior offenses involving drugs, violence and property crimes.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives with the assistance of the Butler Police Department and the Auburn Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sarah Nokes and Brent Ecenbarger.
This case was being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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North Versailles Man Sentenced to Prison for Possessing 1,200 Images of Child Pornography on His PhoneRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – An Allegheny County resident has been sentenced in federal court to 40 months in prison to be followed by 104 months of supervised release on his conviction of possession of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.
Chief United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak imposed the sentence on Travis Kuhns, 28, of North Versailles, PA 15137.
According to information presented to the court, Kuhns was an active member of an online group called Yum Yum Trading, which was notorious for trading child pornography. While a member of the group, Kuhns posted child pornography links to the group and sent links directly to an undercover FBI Agent who had become a member. Kuhns also engaged in online chats with the Agent and expressed his sexual interest in children. Law enforcement subsequently executed a search warrant on Kuhns’s residence and discovered in excess of 1,200 images of child pornography on his cell phone.
Assistant United States Attorney Lee J. Karl prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Kaufman commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Kuhns. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
North Carolina Man Sentenced to 75 Months in Prison for a Dog Fighting Offense and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited PersonRead the Press Release
A North Carolina man was sentenced today to 75 months in prison for conspiracy to commit dog fighting offenses and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Delontay Moore, 26, of Concord, pleaded guilty to the charges on July 8. According to court documents, Moore sponsored and exhibited a dog in a dog fight in December 2019, after conspiring with others to prepare and train the dog for the fight. The dog lost and died of injuries sustained during the fight. In February, agents seized 25 dogs from Moore, many of which exhibited the types of scars that are observed in dogs that are used in dog fights. They also showed evidence of gross neglect, including infections where their ears had been cropped; inflamed or infected wounds; and dehydration. On the day of the seizure, three dogs required emergency treatment, including treatment for a fractured leg with exposed bone.
The felon-in-possession charge stemmed from an investigation by the Concord Police Department. According to court documents, the Concord Police Department received an anonymous tip that Moore — who had previously been convicted of drug and weapons felonies — was storing firearms around his property. In December 2019, a detective with the Concord Police Department conducted surveillance there and saw Moore carry what proved to be an AR-15 assault style rifle behind his house and stash it under a tarp. Concord Police Department subsequently recovered the weapon during a search.
Moore was sentenced to 75 months total incarceration: 63 months on the felon in possession charge and 60 months on the conspiracy to commit dog fighting charge, which is the statutory maximum. 48 months of the conspiracy to commit dog fighting charge will run concurrent with the felon-in- possession charge and 12 months will run consecutively.
“Dog fighting is not only inhumane and brutal, but also a federal crime,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Shutting down this criminal industry and holding accountable those who engage in it is part of our ongoing mission.”
“This case reveals the cruel truth of dog fighting: it brutalizes and exploits animals for the sake of trivial human entertainment,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Sandra J. Hairston for the Middle District of North Carolina. “We thank the law enforcement agents who investigated the case. Through their efforts, the defendant will serve a federal prison sentence for participating in this barbarous activity and for illegal possession of a firearm.”
"The intentional infliction of pain and suffering on animals for sport is unfathomable," said Special Agent in Charge Jason Williams of the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Office of Inspector General (USDA-OIG). “We appreciate the commitment of our law enforcement partners in pursuing these individuals who choose to participate in this heinous pastime while also committing other serious offenses in our communities.”
The USDA Office of Inspector General investigated the dogfighting case, with assistance from the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office and the Concord Police Department. The felon-in-possession case was investigated by the Concord Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Waid of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina and Trial Attorney Erica Pencak of the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section prosecuted the case.
North Carolina Man Sentenced to 75 Months in Prison for a Dog Fighting Offense and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited PersonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A North Carolina man was sentenced today to 75 months in prison for conspiracy to commit dog fighting offenses and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Delontay Moore, 26, of Concord, pleaded guilty to the charges on July 8. According to court documents, Moore sponsored and exhibited a dog in a dog fight in December 2019, after conspiring with others to prepare and train the dog for the fight. The dog lost and died of injuries sustained during the fight. In February, agents seized 25 dogs from Moore, many of which exhibited the types of scars that are observed in dogs that are used in dog fights. They also showed evidence of gross neglect, including infections where their ears had been cropped; inflamed or infected wounds; and dehydration. On the day of the seizure, three dogs required emergency treatment, including treatment for a fractured leg with exposed bone.
The felon-in-possession charge stemmed from an investigation by the Concord Police Department. According to court documents, the Concord Police Department received an anonymous tip that Moore — who had previously been convicted of drug and weapons felonies — was storing firearms around his property. In December 2019, a detective with the Concord Police Department conducted surveillance there and saw Moore carry what proved to be an AR-15 assault style rifle behind his house and stash it under a tarp. Concord Police Department subsequently recovered the weapon during a search.
Moore was sentenced to 75 months total incarceration: 63 months on the felon in possession charge, and 60 months on the conspiracy to commit dog fighting charge, which is the statutory maximum. 48 months of the conspiracy to commit dog fighting charge will run concurrent with the felon in possession charge and 12 months will run consecutively.
“Dog fighting is not only inhumane and brutal, but also a federal crime,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Shutting down this criminal industry and holding accountable those who engage in it is part of our ongoing mission.”
“This case reveals the cruel truth of dog fighting: it brutalizes and exploits animals for the sake of trivial human entertainment,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Sandra J. Hairston for the Middle District of North Carolina. “We thank the law enforcement agents who investigated the case. Through their efforts, the defendant will serve a federal prison sentence for participating in this barbarous activity and for illegal possession of a firearm.”
“The intentional infliction of pain and suffering on animals for sport is unfathomable," said Special Agent in Charge Jason Williams of the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Office of Inspector General (USDA-OIG). “We appreciate the commitment of our law enforcement partners in pursuing these individuals who choose to participate in this heinous pastime while also committing other serious offenses in our communities.”
The USDA Office of Inspector General investigated the dogfighting case, with assistance from the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office and the Concord Police Department. The felon-in-possession case was investigated by the Concord Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Waid of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina and Trial Attorney Erica Pencak of the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section prosecuted the case.
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New York Man Sentenced to 33 Months for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Brooklyn, New York man was sentenced in federal court yesterday for distributing heroin and cocaine base, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
Chief U.S. District Judge Jon D. Levy sentenced Henry Jean-Lord, aka “Doughboy” and “Doe Boi,” 34, to 33 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Jean-Lord pleaded guilty in April 2021.
According to court records, Jean-Lord sold heroin to a confidential informant in March 2015 and heroin and cocaine base to another confidential informant in October 2018. Evidence presented at the sentencing revealed that Jean-Lord had been trafficking cocaine base in Maine since as early as 2005, and heroin since at least 2015.
The Portland and South Portland police departments, the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI investigated 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 www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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New York Man Charged with Multi-Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A New York man was charged yesterday in federal court in Boston in connection with a drug distribution conspiracy involving heroin, fentanyl and cocaine.
Wilkin Cedano, 37, of Brooklyn, N.Y., was charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, 40 grams or more of fentanyl and cocaine.
According to charging documents, from approximately November 2019 through Dec. 2, 2019, Cedano conspired with others to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, 40 grams or more of fentanyl and cocaine in Lynn.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, 40 grams or more of fentanyl and cocaine provides a sentence of at least five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $5 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. The Lynn Police Department provided valuable assistance in the investigation of this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samuel R. Feldman and Leah B. Foley of Mendell’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
New United States Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania AppointedRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that John C. Gurganus, former Chief of the Criminal Division, has been appointed United States Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania effective November 17, 2021. Mr. Gurganus was appointed by order of United States Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. Mr. Gurganus’ interim appointment is for 120 days or until a Presidential appointment is made, whichever occurs first.
Mr. Gurganus began his legal career as a law clerk to the late Honorable Richard P. Conaboy, United States District Court Judge, Scranton, Pennsylvania. Thereafter, he began his 33-year legal career with the United States Department of Justice. He entered the Department through the Attorney General’s Honors Program in 1988, as a Trial Attorney with the Antitrust Division in the New York City Field Office. In 1989, he was appointed an Assistant United States Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, and has worked in the Scranton, Pennsylvania office since that time.
During his tenure with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Mr. Gurganus has held a number of positions including First Assistant U.S. Attorney, Criminal Chief, Deputy Criminal Chief, and Lead Task Force Attorney for the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force.
His experience includes the prosecution of a wide variety of cases, including public corruption, drug trafficking, violent crimes, tax evasion, child pornography, extortion, kidnapping, firearms offenses, and fraud crimes. Mr. Gurganus received two Department of Justice Director’s Awards for Superior Performance as an Assistant U.S Attorney: one for work in prosecuting drug overdose cases, and the other for obtaining a guilty verdict for an individual who attempted to provide material support to a terrorist organization.
Mr. Gurganus graduated from Villanova University in 1983 and received a B.A. with honors. He received his law degree in 1986 from the University of Notre Dame Law School. He resides in South Abington Township, Pennsylvania.
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New Orleans Woman Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Stage Automobile Accidents in Order to Defraud Insurance and Trucking CompaniesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that CHANDRIKA BROWN (“BROWN”), age 30, of New Orleans, Louisiana, entered a plea of guilty today to Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371, arising out of staged automobile accidents with tractor-trailers occurring in New Orleans.
According to today’s guilty plea, BROWN, along with her co-defendants, Doniesha Gibson (Gibson), of New Orleans, Louisiana; and Ishais Price (Price), of New Orleans, and a co-defendant driver conspired to commit mail fraud in connection with a staged accident with a co-defendant driver. Today’s guilty plea brings the total number of defendants convicted in “Operation Sideswipe” to twenty-nine (29).
According to court documents, BROWN claimed that on October 15, 2015, she was a passenger in a 2014 Dodge Avenger owned and driven by Gibson that was hit by a Hotard bus while traveling on the I-10 near the flyover of the I-510. Also in the vehicle was defendant Price. In truth, a co-defendant asked Gibson to recruit Brown and Price to ride along as a passenger and he then intentionally sought out a commercial vehicle to intentionally hit. After the staged accident, the co-defendant driver switched seats with Gibson, and they called the N.O.P.D. Gibson, along with the passengers, falsely stated that the Hotard bus illegally changed lanes and caused the accident. Thereafter, BROWN, Gibson, Price, and the co-defendant driver each retained counsel and made demands against Hotard’s owner and insurer for personal injury damages. As a result of the claims, the insurer utilized the U.S. mails to send the settlement drafts to BROWN, Gibson, Price, and the co-defendant driver’s counsel. The total settlement for the Hotard bus accident was approximately $677,500.
BROWN faces a maximum sentence of up to five (5) years of incarceration. Upon release from prison, BROWN also faces a term of supervised release of up to (3) three years, and/or a fine of up to $250,000 or the greater of twice the gross gain to the defendant or twice the gross loss to any person under Title 18, United States Code, Section 3571, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. Sentencing in this matter is scheduled for February 16, 2022, before United States District Judge Sarah S. Vance.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office would also like to acknowledge the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Louisiana State Police, and the Metropolitan Crime Commission with this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Chief of the Financial Crimes Unit; Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward J. Rivera; Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Carboni; and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Long.
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