Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
20 December 2021
Massachusetts Man Sentenced in Connection with Drug Trafficking in VermontRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Elijah Jovann Wheeler-Watson, 25, of Springfield, Massachusetts, was sentenced today in United States District Court in Burlington in connection with his October 2019 drug trafficking activity in Vermont. Wheeler-Watson previously pleaded guilty to possessing with intent to distribute cocaine base and fentanyl. U.S. District Judge William K. Sessions III sentenced Wheeler-Watson to thirty months of imprisonment to be followed by a four-year term of supervised release.
According to court records and proceedings, on October 23, 2019, Wheeler-Watson was the passenger in a car leaving a St. Johnsbury, Vermont residence known for drug activity. Law enforcement stopped the car and determined that Wheeler-Watson possessed 42 grams of cocaine base, 25 bags of fentanyl, a digital scale, and over $1,900 in U.S. currency. Several months before this incident, Wheeler-Watson had finished serving a five-year sentence in Massachusetts for multiple armed robberies. After his release from Massachusetts custody, Wheeler-Watson had traveled to Vermont several times, and had earned at least $13,000 in gross proceeds from drug trafficking activities.
Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Cate handled this case, which was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Vermont State Police Drug Task Force. Wheeler-Watson was represented by Mark Kaplan, Esq.
Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Transporting over $300,000 of Stolen MoniesRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – A Maryland man pleaded guilty today to transporting over $300,000 of stolen monies from West Virginia to Maryland.
According to court documents, Dhanraj Singh, 61, of Bowie, Maryland, worked at a local resort for many years. Singh admitted that from 2017 to 2020, he stole approximately $382,449 from the resort and routinely transported the stolen monies from West Virginia to Maryland.
Singh pleaded guilty to interstate transportation of stolen property and faces up to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced on April 8, 2022.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office.
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen E. Robeson is prosecuting 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 5:21-cr-00240.
###
Man Sentenced to 14 Years for Machine Gun Possession, Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
An Irving man was sentenced today to 14 years in federal prison for possession of multiple unregistered machine gun conversion sears as well as numerous drug crimes, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Ramon Navarro III, 23, pleaded guilty in March to four counts of an unregistered firearm and eight counts of distribution of controlled substances. Because the government did not offer Mr. Navarro a plea deal, he pleaded open to the charges against him, with no assurances as to the term of imprisonment prosecutors would recommend to the judge. He was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Sam A Lindsay.
According to court documents, Mr. Navarro, who used the aka “Trae Alvarez,” admitted that he possessed four machine gun conversion sears, three-piece devices designed to convert semiautomatic weapons into machineguns, all lacking serial numbers and of unknown origin. He also possessed six Glock pistols, each with an incorporated conversion sear, transforming the firearms into machine guns in operating condition.
(Unlike semiautomatic firearms, machineguns – weapons that can shoot more than one shot, without manual reloading, by single function of the trigger – are generally unlawful for civilians under the National Firearms Act.)
None of the firearms were registered to Mr. Navarro in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, he admitted. He also admitted to trafficking in cocaine and heroin.
“This investigation is an example of ATF’s steadfast commitment to working with Dallas Police Department and all our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners in combining resources to combat violent crime, disrupt firearms trafficking, and ultimately create safer communities,” stated Jamey VanVliet, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Dallas Field Division.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division and the Dallas Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Linda Requénez is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Assistant U.S. Attorney Walt Junker.
This case was prosecuted under Project Guardian, a Department of Justice initiative aimed at reducing gun violence by enforcing federal firearm laws through coordination between the federal government and state and local law enforcement.
MS-13 Member Sentenced for Assault with a Deadly Weapon and Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. —Lorenzo Amador, 23, of Mendota, was sentenced on December 17, 2021, by United States District Judge Dale A. Drozd to five years and three months in prison for assault with a deadly weapon in aid of racketeering and conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute marijuana, Acting United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Amador was a member of La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), a violent criminal street gang that engages in racketeering activity, including murder, kidnapping, extortion, and drug trafficking. On August 12, 2018, Amador and fellow MS-13 members kicked, hit, and stabbed a member of a rival gang in the back with a knife, slicing his diaphragm and sending him to the emergency room where he had to have life-saving surgery.
After the attack, Amador logged on to his Facebook account and used coded language to send word of the attack to his fellow MS-13 members. His message was intercepted pursuant to lawful wiretap on the Facebook account of one of his fellow MS-13 members. In the days following the stabbing, Amador’s fellow MS-13 members called each other in frantic efforts to warn Amador that police might be closing in on him and to try to help him flee Mendota, which he did. Police eventually caught him two months later.
Amador also joined a drug conspiracy, which he participated in by driving to Los Angeles to help the gang pick up drugs, returning to Mendota with the drugs, and selling them for the gang.
The investigation was conducted by the California Department of Justice and California Highway Patrol Special Operations Unit, the Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium (MAGEC), the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Special Services Unit (SSU). The CHP Special Operations Unit is a collaborative investigative effort between the California Department of Justice and California Highway Patrol that provides statewide enforcement to combat violent career criminals, gangs, and organized crime groups, along with intrastate drug traffickers. Assistant United States Attorneys Ross Pearson, Michael Tierney, and Kimberly Sanchez prosecuted the case.
Several of Amador’s co-defendants have been sentenced. One remaining defendant will be sentenced in 2022.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violewnt crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This 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.
Luray Man Pleads Guilty to Cyberstalking Army RecruiterRead the Press Release
HARRISONBURG, Va. – A Luray, Virginia man pleaded guilty today to cyberstalking a female Army recruiter after being upset about failing his Army entrance examination.
According to court documents, Braxton Louis Danley, 26, contacted the victim, an army recruiter in Harrisonburg, Virginia, via email in February 2018 expressing his interest in joining the United States Army. In March 2018, Danley arrived at the victim’s recruiting station in Harrisonburg to take the required entrance exam. When Danley was unable to obtain a passing score, the victim and other recruiters instructed Danley to continue studying and to retake the test at a later date.
In April 2018, Danley called the victim multiple times on both her Army-issued cell phone and the recruiting station general telephone to inquire about re-taking the entrance exam. Each time, Danley was asked if he had studied for the test - which he admitted that he had not - and was advised that he would only be permitted to re-take the test after he had studied.
On May 14, 2018, Danley sent an email to the victim’s official Army email address stating, “I remember every thing you [expletive] done to me so time to settle the score.” (sic). On the same date, Danley called the recruiting station and told another recruiter he was angry and that he (Danley) needed to be arrested. In light of the email threat and phone call, the victim obtained a “no trespassing” notice and posted it at the recruiting station.
For the next few months, Danley continued to send the victim harassing texts. Eventually, the victim obtained a state Preliminary Order of Protection (PPO) against Danley.
On December 23, 2018, Danley posted a message on Facebook directed at the victim and two other Army recruiters that read, in part, “your lieing fu**ed up my life . lock and load fu**ers ima at your doorstep now .”(sic) A week later, Danley was arrested for violation of the state PPO and was convicted and sentenced to 12-months’ incarceration. He was released in June 2019.
Within a couple months of his release, Danley again posted threats against the victim on Facebook. Finally, in January 2020, Danley posted a message on Facebook that read “24 im getin locked remember j rj this is to. you im coming to get you.”(sic) Along with the message, Danley posted a link to a YouTube video that depicted, through images and lyrics, a violent home invasion and murder of the family residing in the home.
Danley pleaded guilty today cyberstalking and is scheduled to be sentenced on February 1, 2022 where he faces a sentence of up to five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Harrisonburg Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald M. Huber is prosecuting the case.
Louisville Felon Sentenced to Federal Prison for Fentanyl and Illegal Possession of HandgunRead the Press Release
Louisville – A Louisville man was sentenced on December 13, 2021, to over 12 years in prison for possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute and being a felon in possession of a gun.
According to court documents, on March 22, 2019, James Terry Wood, 37, possessed over 18 grams of fentanyl and a Browning .40 caliber handgun. Wood had previous felony convictions for reckless homicide, facilitating burglary and kidnapping, possessing controlled substances, being a felon in possession of a firearm, evading police, and tampering with evidence.
Wood had an outstanding federal arrest warrant, and on March 22, 2019, the United States Marshals Service located Wood in a truck in a Walmart parking lot on Raggard Road in Louisville. The Marshals, with assistance from the Louisville Metro Police Department, surrounded Wood’s truck. Wood then brandished a handgun, leading to a standoff that lasted several hours before Wood eventually got out of the truck and surrendered. Wood was convicted at trial on May 20, 2021.
“As demonstrated by this case, our federal law enforcement agencies have strong working relationships with LMPD,” stated Michael A. Bennett, United States Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky. “I commend the U.S. Marshals Service, ATF, LMPD, and the assigned prosecutors for their outstanding work in making Louisville safer for all who live and work here.”
“Persons with histories of violent crime and drug offenses, like this defendant, pose an increased threat to the safety of our communities and are the focus of our firearms enforcement efforts,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the Louisville Field Division. “Today’s sentencing is another example of the ongoing efforts of ATF, Louisville Metro Police Department and U.S. Marshals Service partnering together to take a violent, repeat offender off the streets and make our communities safer for everyone.”
“LMPD is grateful to have such strong federal partnerships and we look forward to further dismantling criminal activity,” said Louisville Metro Police Chief Erika Shields. “We’re seeing how valuable these collaborations are as we strive to keep our community safe. We want the public to know this criminal conduct will not be tolerated in our community as demonstrated by the prosecution of this case.
Wood was sentenced to 147 months of incarceration followed by 5 years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the United States Marshals, and the Louisville Metro Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nute Bonner and David Weiser prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
###
Louisiana Federal Court Permanently Shuts Down Hammond Tax PreparerRead the Press Release
A federal court in the Eastern District of Louisiana has permanently enjoined a Hammond tax return preparer from preparing federal income tax returns for others and from owning or operating any tax return business in the future.
According to the court order entered Dec. 20, Kenisha Callahan consented to entry of the injunction. The order requires that Callahan send notice of the injunction to her prior customers. The order also permits the United States to conduct post-judgment discovery to monitor Callahan’s compliance with the injunction.
The civil complaint filed against Callahan alleged that she reported fabricated income or losses, and false filing statuses, in order to maximize her customers’ earned income tax credit. Further, the complaint alleged that Callahan impermissibly lowered some of her customers’ tax liabilities by falsely claiming unreimbursed employee business expenses and charitable gifts for individuals who were not entitled to claim such deductions.
Deputy Assistant Attorney General David A. Hubbert of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
Return preparer fraud is one of the IRS’ Dirty Dozen Tax Scams and taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant. (More information can also be found here.) The IRS has information on its website for choosing a tax preparer, has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers, and offers information on how to avoid “ghost” tax preparers, whose refusal to sign a return should be a red flag to taxpayers. The IRS also has a list of important reminders for taxpayers who are about to file their 2020 tax returns, including how to prepare for a smooth filing process.
In addition, IRS Free File, a public-private partnership, offers free online tax preparation and filing options on IRS partner websites for individuals whose adjusted gross income is under $72,000. For individuals whose income is over that threshold, IRS Free File offers electronical federal tax forms that can be filled out and filed online for free.
In the past decade, the Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found this page. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.
Karon Foster Sentenced to 40 Years in Federal Prison for Participating in a Violent Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher today sentenced Karon Foster, age 27, of Baltimore, Maryland, to 40 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to participate in racketeering activity, for a carjacking conspiracy, and for aiding and abetting a carjacking resulting in death.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Acting Special Agent in Charge L.C. Cheeks, Jr. of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.
According to his guilty plea, beginning in April 2019, Foster was part of an enterprise that engaged in a pattern of deadly racketeering activities, including a series of armed carjackings, armed robberies, attempted armed robberies, and the pawning of stolen goods. Specifically, between April 19, 2019 and August 8, 2019, Foster and his crew committed 13 specific violent crimes in Baltimore, including: eight armed carjackings, including one on June 12, 2019, resulting in the murder of a victim, and five armed robberies and attempted robberies, including two in which victims were murdered. Three victims were murdered by Foster’s crew during the time of the conspiracy, and a fourth victim was paralyzed as a result of an armed robbery.
“Over four months in 2019, Karon Foster and his crew were responsible for 13-armed carjackings and robberies throughout Baltimore, including three that killed innocent victims and another that left a victim paralyzed,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron. “Foster and his co-conspirators used firearms and fear to steal cars, property and most tragically the lives of other human beings. This case reflects the collaboration and commitment of federal, state, and local law enforcement to hold accountable violent offenders like Foster and his co-conspirators. Four months of violence will result in at least three decades in federal prison for Karon Foster; hopefully others like him will take notice, choose to put down the guns, and take a different path.”
The plea agreement details a series of violent crimes committed by Foster and his co-conspirators, including a carjacking on June 12, 2019. As two individuals were talking outside, Foster and other members of the enterprise drove up in a stolen vehicle and parked directly across the street from them. Four men exited the vehicle, two of whom possessed firearms. Members of the enterprise approached one of the individuals and announced a robbery. The first individual ran away while the second person resisted the robbers’ commands. That person was shot several times and subsequently died from his injuries. The individual who ran away later returned to the scene and discovered that his/her car and the victim’s body were both gone, and only the victim’s shoes remained at the scene. Foster aided and abetted the enterprise by driving the stolen vehicle to and from the scene of the attempted robbery and the victim’s murder.
Members of the conspiracy not only promoted their activities on social media, but they also shared proceeds of their exploits. As part of the enterprise, Foster pawned items stolen from victims. Members also concealed enterprise activities by hiding, destroying, or disposing of evidence.
This case was made possible by investigative leads generated from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives’ (ATF) National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles. For more information on NIBIN, visit https://www.atf.gov/firearms/national-integrated-ballistic-information-network-nibin.
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. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the ATF, the Baltimore Police Department, and the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patricia C. McLane and Brandon Moore who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
# # #
KC Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Botched Robbery at Grandview Auto DealerRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for the botched robbery of a Grandview, Mo., auto dealership that ended when he shot an employee while fleeing, after a shootout with the owner, who was also armed.
Lyndale E. Watson, also known as “Red, “Blood,” and “Stoni Blud,” 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 18 years and one month in federal prison without parole. The court granted the government’s motion to impose a sentence above the federal sentencing guidelines due to the violent and abhorrent nature of this crime.
On July 14, 2021, Watson pleaded guilty to one count of attempted robbery and one count of carrying a firearm in relation to a crime of violence.
Watson wore a scarf over his face when he walked into Pride Auto Sales, a car lot at 12800 S. US 78 Highway in Grandview, on Feb. 19, 2015. Watson asked an employee, identified in court documents as “M.M.,” about a car for sale. After the owner came to the front of the business, Watson pulled out a firearm, pointed the gun at the owner, and said, “Don’t move.”
The owner, already armed with a firearm, ran back to his office as Watson shot at him. The two engaged in a firefight. As Watson ran out of the business, he shot M.M. in the back as M.M. was trying to escape himself. M.M. was seriously wounded and nearly died, but survived the shooting.
On Feb. 27, 2015, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Wallace’s residence and found a Hi-Point 9mm rifle, a plastic bag that contained 98 rounds of 9mm ammunition, and a .380-caliber Winchester round that matched the shell casings recovered from the auto dealership.
Watson said he carried out the attempted robbery at the behest of a friend formerly employed at Pride Auto Sales, who claimed to be owed money by the owner of the car lot. According to court documents, Watson was on probation in four different cases at the time he committed this crime. His criminal history includes felony drug possession, eluding police, assault, felony domestic assault, stealing a motor vehicle, and numerous instances of resisting arrest.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Q. McCarther. It was investigated by the Grandview, Mo., Police Department, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Justice Department and CFPB Put Landlords and Mortgage Servicers on Notice About Servicemembers’ and Veterans’ RightsRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued two joint letters today regarding important legal housing protections for military families. One letter was sent to landlords and other housing providers regarding protections for military tenants. A second letter was sent to mortgage servicers regarding military borrowers who have already exited or will be exiting COVID-19 mortgage forbearance programs in the coming weeks and months.
The letter to landlords and other housing providers reminds property owners of the important housing protections for military tenants, some of whom may have had to relocate or make other changes to their housing arrangements in response to the crisis. While military families enjoy the same legal protections and privileges afforded to all other homeowners and tenants, they also have additional housing protections under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA), which is enforceable by the Justice Department and servicemembers themselves.
The letter to mortgage servicers comes in response to complaints from military families and veterans on a range of potential mortgage servicing violations, including inaccurate credit reporting, misleading communications to borrowers and required lump sum payments for reinstating their mortgage loans. These complaints are being reviewed for compliance by the CFPB with the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act and other applicable requirements.
“The Department of Justice takes seriously its responsibility to safeguard the rights of servicemembers and veterans,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “While servicemembers carry the great burdens of this nation, they should not have to worry that their sacrifices will result in economic harm to their families. Mortgage servicers and landlords must ensure that they are in full compliance with federal laws intended to protect servicemembers and their families during military service.”
“The illegal foreclosures of military families in the last crisis was one of the financial industry’s worst failures,” said Director Rohit Chopra of CFPB. “The CFPB will be closely watching mortgage servicers and will hold them accountable for illegal tactics perpetrated against military families.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, roughly 7.6 million homeowners entered forbearance. While the majority have resumed their regular mortgage payments, approximately 1.25 million borrowers – many of whom are military borrowers – remain in forbearance programs that will expire at the end of the year. Ensuring that mortgage servicers comply with their legal obligations is crucial, especially since a decade ago some large financial institutions illegally seized the homes of military families, sending their lives into a tailspin. These violations were a result of breakdowns in the mortgage servicing industry that were severe and widespread. The result was numerous settlements with regulators, including a $186 million settlement between the Justice Department and some of the country’s largest mortgage servicers.
Servicemembers have several legal protections under the SCRA that are designed to enable them to devote their entire energy to the national defense. These include, for example, a prohibition on foreclosing on certain servicemembers’ mortgages without court orders, the ability for military families to terminate residential leases early, and without penalty, upon receipt of military orders, and a prohibition on evicting military families from their homes without court orders. In addition, under the CARES Act and Regulation X, servicemembers and veterans have the same protections available to all mortgage borrowers. These include, for example, streamlined COVID hardship forbearance options, requirements that mortgages receiving a COVID-19 hardship forbearance be reported as “current” to credit reporting agencies if the loan was current before entering forbearance under the CARES Act and requirements in the Bureau’s Regulations X and Z for treatment of delinquent borrowers and borrowers who have applied for loss mitigation.
The Justice Department and CFPB are calling on mortgage servicers and landlords to ensure that military homeowners and tenants are safeguarded during the pandemic and benefit equally from the nation’s economic recovery.
Justice Department Will Award $1.6 Billion to Reduce Violent Crime and Strengthen CommunitiesRead the Press Release
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland today announced the Department of Justice will award $1.6 billion in grant awards to support a wide range of programs designed to reduce violent crime and strengthen communities. The grants, which are being distributed to communities and organizations throughout the nation, are administered by the department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP).
“The Department of Justice is committed to supporting our state and local partners to combat crime across the country,” said Attorney General Garland. “This latest round of funding will deliver critical public safety resources, helping public safety professionals, victim service providers, local agencies and nonprofit organizations confront these serious challenges.”
As law enforcement agencies address a range of public safety challenges – from violent crime to human trafficking to retail thefts – these awards will provide additional tools to advance violence intervention activities and evidence-based police and prosecution strategies. Funds are also intended to reduce recidivism, help people coming out of prisons and jails make the transition back into their communities and support responses to crises like drug overdoses and episodes involving mental illness. These grants build on earlier OJP investments, including more than $1.2 billion to support victim assistance and compensation programs, $187 million under the state formula Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grants Program, more than $175 million in funding for victim services and public safety in American Indian and Alaska Native communities, over $21 million in grants to address hate crimes and $17.5 million in Project Safe Neighborhoods grants. The COPS office also funded the hiring of over 1,000 officers in 183 police departments this year.
Some of the awards address the rise in gun violence and other violent crime in communities across America, in alignment with the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment in April. These grants help support the department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime, announced in May, and will advance President Biden’s Comprehensive Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gun Crime and Ensure Public Safety, released in June.
“These investments reflect a commitment that extends across this administration to invest in our neighborhoods, building bonds of civic trust and ending the cycle of trauma and violence that destroys too many lives and keeps far too many Americans from realizing their potential,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Amy L. Solomon of OJP.
A full list of awards, as they are made, will be available on the OJP Grant Awards page.
The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, advance racial equity in the administration of justice, assist victims and enhance the rule of law. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
Justice Department Sues Ophthalmology Practice with 24 Facilities for Discriminating Against Individuals with Disabilities who Use WheelchairsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today filed a lawsuit against Barnet Dulaney Perkins Eye Center PC (BDP), an optometry and ophthalmology medical provider, for discriminating against patients who, because of their disabilities, need assistance in transferring from their wheelchairs to the surgical table for outpatient eye surgery. BDP operates 24 facilities in Arizona.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for Arizona, alleges that BDP violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by refusing to provide patients with disabilities the transfer assistance they need — assistance that is routinely provided by healthcare providers across the country. Instead, BDP requires these patients to hire third-party medical support personnel to transport them to and from BDP facilities and to provide transfer assistance at the facilities. Patients who are transported by third-party medical support personnel are brought into the facilities on gurneys or stretchers and are required to remain on them until surgery. This practice denies patients with disabilities full and equal access to BDP’s health care services and impermissibly imposes a disability-based surcharge on such patients by forcing them to pay extra for treatment.
“Discrimination on the basis of disability is unacceptable anywhere, and especially in the critically important area of health care,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Discriminatory healthcare practices deny individuals with disabilities access to essential services and can delay needed treatment. Through this lawsuit, the department continues to vigorously enforce the ADA, which has prohibited discriminatory treatment by medical providers for more than 30 years.”
Through the lawsuit, the department asks the court to stop BDP from discriminating against individuals with disabilities, including by training its staff to provide patients with assistance in transferring to and from their wheelchairs. The department also seeks money damages for those people who were harmed by BDP’s discriminatory policy, including those who were forced to pay for third-party transfer assistance in order to receive services.
If you believe that you or someone you know was required to pay for third-party medical support personnel to provide transfer assistance at or transportation to and from a BDP Eye Center, please contact 1-866-380-2003 (toll-free), or send an email to [email protected]. For more information on the ADA, please call the Department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 1-800-514-0301 (TDD 800-514-0383) or visit www.ada.gov. For more information on the Civil Rights Division, please visit www.justice.gov/crt. The complaint can be viewed here.
Jury Convicts Albany Man of Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Tyler Purvis-Mitchell, age 27, of Albany, was convicted on Friday of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine following a four-day jury trial.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; John B. DeVito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); and Chief Eric Hawkins, Albany Police Department.
The evidence at trial established that on May 7, 2020, Purvis-Mitchell possessed with the intent to distribute more than 125 pills containing methamphetamine, in his residence and his vehicle. The pills weighed more than 50 grams in total.
Purvis-Mitchell faces a minimum of 5 years and a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 4 years and up to life when United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino sentences him on April 20, 2022. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
The jury voted to acquit Purvis-Mitchell of two felony charges for possession of a firearm as a felon and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
This case was investigated by the Albany Police Department and ATF, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Emmet J. O’Hanlon and Alexander Wentworth-Ping.
Independence Man Pleads Guilty to Three Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Missouri, man pleaded guilty in federal court today to robbing three banks within a period of about a month in Lee’s Summit, Mo., Kansas City, Mo., and Odessa, Mo.
Hubert J. Holmes, 61, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to one count of armed bank robbery and two counts of bank robbery.
Holmes admitted that he robbed three banks in 2019.
Holmes used a firearm to rob Summit Ridge Credit Union, 3485 N.E. Ralph Powell Road in Lee’s Summit on May 21, 2019. Holmes entered the credit union and demanded money from the teller. When the teller hesitated, Holmes displayed a silver handgun and slammed it on the counter. Two bank tellers gave him $13,243 and he left the bank on foot. Surveillance video footage showed that he fled to a blue van, consistent in appearance to a Chrysler Town and Country minivan, which was located in a nearby parking lot. While fleeing the scene of the robbery, Holmes dropped over $7,000 that was later recovered and returned to the credit union. A few days later, investigators received a tip that identified Holmes as the bank robber and provided the license plate number of his minivan.
Holmes robbed Central Bank of the Midwest, 9740 Wornall in Kansas City on June 7, 2019. Holmes, wearing a ski mask, approached a teller and demanded she give him $50 and $100 bills. The teller told Holmes she didn’t have larger bills and he responded, “give me all of them.” She removed $1,094 from her drawer and gave it to Holmes, who fled from the bank of foot. Investigators later matched a fingerprint from the scene of the robbery to Holmes.
Holmes robbed the Bank of Odessa, 201 S. 2nd Street in Odessa on June 20, 2019. Holmes put on a ski mask when he approached a teller’s window and demanded she open her drawer. Holmes reached over the counter and seized $3,099 from the teller’s cash drawer. Holmes then fled from the bank on foot and met an accomplice who was driving his van, which was parked nearby. Holmes, attempting to hurry, dropped money in the alley as he approached the van. Holmes picked up the money he dropped and got into the rear driver’s side of the van, which was being driven by another person.
Holmes was arrested on June 20, 2019, following the robbery of the Bank of Odessa. Shortly after the robbery, law enforcement officers began surveillance of Holmes’s residence. Officers saw Holmes driving a Chrysler Town and Country van, pulled him over, and arrested both Holmes and a passenger. Holmes had a large sum of money in his right front jeans pocket, including bait bills taken during the bank robbery. Bait bills are currency bills with known serial numbers that banks use to assist law enforcement officials in their efforts to trace currency to a bank robbery. The passenger, who matched the description of the get-away driver in the Bank of Odessa robbery, had $404 in his pockets. When officers searched the van, they found a Smith & Wesson 9mm semi-automatic handgun under the front passenger seat.
Today’s plea agreement also refers to the robbery of Country Club Bank, 401 Armour Rd. in North Kansas City, Mo., on Dec. 26, 2018. Two men wore facial coverings and hooded sweatshirts when they walked into the bank. One of them walked directly to the teller counter, went behind the counter, and removed $16,000 from the teller drawers. He attempted to carry the cash in his sweatshirt, however, he dropped some of the cash as he walked out of the bank. The other thief remained at the door of the bank and gave verbal commands to all of the occupants of the bank. When they left the bank, they got into Holmes’s Chrysler Town and Country van and drove away. Holmes, who did not plead guilty to the indictment’s charge for this bank robbery, denies being involved. However, the surveillance video of the Chrysler Town and Country van, which belongs to Holmes, became an investigative lead later in this case.
Holmes was on federal supervised release at the time of these offenses following a prior felony conviction for bank robbery.
Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Holmes will be sentenced to at least 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Alford. It was investigated by the FBI and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
Harrison County Man Pleads Guilty to Medicare FraudRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – A Biloxi man pled guilty to providing false statements in connection with the delivery of payments for health care benefits of Medicare beneficiaries, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Tamala Miles, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General.
According to court documents, Douglas Christopher Gorman, 41, conspired with others between January 2016 and March 2019, to provide fraudulent statements to Medicare for reimbursements of claims for patient treatment and prescriptions. Gorman held himself out as a licensed physician and treated patients, ordered diagnostic testing, ordered laboratory work, and prescribed medications while employed at Coast Neurology in Biloxi, Mississippi. Gorman was not licensed to practice medicine in Mississippi or any other state in the United States. Gorman, through his co-conspirators, submitted documents seeking reimbursement for the provided services under another co-conspirator’s Medicare identification number. Medicare reimbursed for the services and prescriptions believing the services were provided by a licensed physician.
Gorman is scheduled to be sentenced on April 13, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and HHS OIG are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathlyn R. Van Buskirk is prosecuting the case.
Harrisburg Man Sentenced to 151 Months’ Imprisonment for Drug Trafficking and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG -The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Terrance Harden, age 30, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania was sentenced on December 8, 2021 to 151 months’ imprisonment by U.S. District Court Judge Sylvia H. Rambo for possession with intent to distribute cocaine base and fentanyl and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Harden possessed with the intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine on May 31, 2018, in Harrisburg, and possessed a loaded 9mm handgun in furtherance of drug trafficking as a convicted felon. Harrisburg City Police arrested Harden following a search of his car outside of the Pennsylvania State Parole office.
The case was investigated by the Harrisburg Bureau of Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Johnny Baer prosecuted the case.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent
crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case was also brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
# # #
Government Contractor Indicted for Bribing Public OfficialRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia returned an indictment charging a North Carolina man with engaging in a bribery and fraud scheme with a former contracting officer for the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) (now known as the U.S. Agency for Global Media).
According to court documents, William F. Snow, 70, of Jamestown, worked for a government contracting firm that previously provided professional staffing services to BBG. Between late 2014 and late 2016, Snow, in addition to a BBG contracting officer and others, allegedly agreed to hire and pay the contracting officer’s relative for a job involving minimal work and which resulted in payments to the relative that totaled more than $68,000. In exchange, the BBG contracting officer took official actions that benefitted Snow, the contracting firm, and another executive, Rita Starliper, who previously pleaded guilty for her involvement in the scheme. In particular, the contracting officer took official action and provided preferential treatment that included the awarding of a professional staffing contract to the contracting firm that was worth millions of dollars and the steering of the procurement process to benefit Snow, Starliper, and the contracting firm.
Snow is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bribery and honest services mail fraud, one count of bribery, and three counts of honest services mail fraud. The defendant will make his initial court appearance on Dec. 28. If convicted, Snow faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for conspiracy to commit bribery and honest services mail fraud, fifteen years in prison for bribery, and twenty years in prison for each count of honest services mail fraud. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber of the Eastern District of Virginia; Special Agent in Charge Elisabeth Kaminsky of the Office of Inspector General for the Department of State; and Assistant Director in Charge Steven M. D'Antuono of the FBI’s Washington Field Office made the announcement.
The Office of Inspector General for the Department of State and the FBI are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Heidi Boutros Gesch of the Eastern District of Virginia and Senior Litigation Counsel Edward P. Sullivan, and Trial Attorney Jordan Dickson of the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Ghanaian Citizens Sentenced to Prison for Fraud Conspiracy Related to A Romance ScamRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Ibrahim Adam, age 33, and Kelvin Aggrey-Arthur, age 28, both Ghanaian citizens, were sentenced to prison for conspiring to commit wire fraud. Adam was sentenced today to 33 months’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner. On December 17, 2021, Aggrey-Arthur was sentenced to 40 months’ imprisonment by Judge Conner. Both sentences also include a two-year term of supervised release, which will follow the term of imprisonment.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, both men previously admitted to perpetrating a romance scam in 2019 and 2020 in which they and other co-conspirators developed online relationships with victims and then requested that those victims send them money for various fraudulent reasons, including travel, medical treatment, housing, and schooling. Both men were also ordered to pay restitution to victims, $94,100 for Adam and $25,100 for Aggrey-Arthur.
The case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Susquehanna Township Police Department, and the Dauphin County Criminal Investigation Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlo D. Marchioli prosecuted the case.
# # #
Former USPS Employee Admits Stealing FundsRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, announced that LINDIM ASIPI, 44, of Waterbury, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to one count of wire fraud related to his theft of U.S. Postal Service (USPS) funds.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Asipi was a motor vehicle service driver for the USPS based in Waterbury, and the USPS provided Asipi with a fleet credit card that enabled him to purchase fuel. Between approximately January 2019 and June 2020, Asipi conducted several hundred fraudulent transactions with his fleet credit card to obtain cash from gas stations without purchasing fuel. To execute these fraudulent transactions, Asipi used his assigned personal identification number (PIN), as well as the PIN of another USPS driver who was unaware of Asipi’s scheme.
On April 11, 2020, Asipi was recorded on store video surveillance driving his USPS vehicle and parking next to the gas pumps at a gas station in Prospect. After Asipi exited the vehicle and entered the store, Asipi’s credit card was used to charge $160 at 11:50 a.m. and $140 at 11:51 a.m. Surveillance video footage then shows Asipi driving away from the gas station without pumping any fuel.
At sentencing, which is not scheduled, Asipi faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Chen.
Former Tucson Insurance Agent Sentenced to Prison for Million Dollar Elder Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – On Friday, Koreasa M. Williams, 46, of Tucson, Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps to 51 months in prison. Williams previously pleaded guilty to wire fraud.
In her guilty plea, Williams, a licensed insurance agent, admitted that she devised a scheme to defraud nine annuity clients out of $1,064,522. In furtherance of her scheme, Williams sent request forms to various life insurance companies seeking to withdraw funds from her clients’ annuities without their knowledge and consent. Williams also directed the life insurance companies to wire the fraudulently obtained funds directly to her personal bank account. Williams then used the mostly elderly victims’ money for her personal benefit.
“It is essential that individuals who use their position and skill to harm others be held accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino. “We are grateful to our partners at the FBI for bringing this case forward and are hopeful that its resolution will bring some closure for the victims.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-19-1276-TUC-JGZ (BGM)
RELEASE NUMBER: 2021- 095_Williams# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Former Greenfield Township Sewer Authority Manager Found Guilty of Clean Water Act Violations and Wire FraudRead the Press Release
SCRANTON—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Bruce Evans, Sr., age 68, and Bruce Evans, Jr., age 40, both of Greenfield Township, were found guilty on December 17, 2021, after trial of multiple counts of Clean Water Act violations that occurred at the Greenfield Township wastewater treatment plant beginning in 2013 through 2017. Evans, Sr. was also found guilty of multiple counts of wire fraud and obstruction of correspondence. The trial took place before United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Evans, Sr. and Evans, Jr. knowingly failed to operate and maintain the municipality’s wastewater treatment plant in accordance with regulations and limitations specified in a permit issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) and the United States Environmental Protections Agency (EPA). The permit requires that the permittee at all times maintain in good working order, and properly operate and maintain all facilities and systems, which were installed and used by the permittee to achieve compliance with the terms and conditions of the permits. As a result of the defendants’ failures, pollutants were discharged in violation of the permit on multiple occasions.
Prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the EPA presented testimony from 34 witnesses over the course of a trial that began on November 15, 2021 and ended on December 17, 2021. Witnesses included Greenfield Township Sewer Authority (GTSA) board members, Greenfield Township Supervisors, FBI and EPA Special Agents, and multiple PADEP inspectors and supervisors.
Throughout the time covered by the charges, Evans, Sr. was a Greenfield Township Supervisor, a Greenfield Township employee, a GTSA Board Member, and Manager of the GTSA. Evans, Jr. was an employee of Greenfield Township and the GTSA. Evans, Sr. was convicted of twenty (20) counts of Clean Water Act violations; four (4) counts of wire fraud involving the misappropriation of GTSA funds for his personal benefit and the benefit of his family; and four (4) counts of obstruction of PADEP certified mail addressed to his fellow GTSA board members but intercepted by Evans, Sr. Evans, Jr. was convicted of four (4) counts of Clean Water Act violations, and one (1) count of submitting a false statement to the PADEP related to representations and certifications made by Evans, Jr. regarding his professional work experience.
The evidence presented at trial established that after many years of permit non-compliance at the GTSA, the EPA and FBI initiated a criminal investigation in late 2013, which involved the use of covert cameras positioned to surveil activity at the actual GTSA facility and a pump station located on Route 106 in Greenfield Township. The investigation uncovered repeated warnings about deficient facility inspections, permit non-compliance, community complaints about foul odors and visible raw sewage routinely overflowing from the Route 106 pump station, and false statements reported to the PADEP by both Evans Sr. and Evans, Jr. It was also learned that information concerning deficient plant operations and clean water act violations was routinely conveyed directly to Evans, Sr. as the GTSA’s responsible corporate officer from the PADEP, but Evans, Sr. concealed that information from his fellow GTSA board members over a period of many years.
The investigation was jointly conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Criminal Investigations Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Scranton Field Office, and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection - Northeast Region. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Olshefski and EPA Attorneys W. Martin Harrell and Patricia C. Miller prosecuted the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for wire fraud is 20 years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. The Obstruction of Correspondence violations carry a maximum of 5 years’ imprisonment. The Clean Water Act violations carry a maximum of 3 years’ imprisonment. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant’s educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
# # #
Former Child Protective Officer Sentenced to over Seven Years in Federal Prison for Receipt and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher sentenced Haitian national Jean Buteau Remarque, age 40, of Greenbelt, Maryland, today to 90 months in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for two counts of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. The jury convicted Remarque late on March 25, 2021 after a four-day trial. Judge Gallagher also ordered that, upon his release from prison, Remarque must register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; and Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police.
According to testimony presented at his four-day trial, Remarque previously held positions at the International Bureau of Children’s Rights in Montreal, Canada, and as a Child Protective Officer for the United Nations in Africa. In May 2018, law enforcement received information that Remarque was engaging in sexually explicit conversations with a 15-year-old female. In addition, Remarque was believed to have sexually explicit images of prepubescent minors on his cell phone. On July 17, 2018, a federal search warrant was executed at Remarque’s residence in Greenbelt. Investigators recovered an external hard drive that contained files that had been copied from one of Remarque’s phones. The evidence presented at trial proved that on November 16 and November 22, 2017, Remarque received sexually explicit images of minors. Further, the evidence showed that the files included a collection of approximately 311 images and two videos of child pornography, including sexually explicit images depicting prepubescent minors.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "Resources" tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended HSI and the Maryland State Police for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Hagan, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
# # #
Federal Jury Convicts Charlotte Man of Armed Robbery and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A federal jury handed down a guilty verdict today against Valentino Cabral Darosa, 29, of Charlotte, for the armed robbery of a local business and related firearms offenses, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Robert R. Wells, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to filed court documents, evidence introduced at trial and witness testimony, on October 23, 2020, CMPD officers responded to a robbery service call at Atlantic Metals Xchange, located at 11318 N. Community House Road, in Charlotte. The store owner, identified in court documents as M.S., told officers at the scene that prior to opening for business an individual later identified as Darosa approached the store and knocked on the door. When M.S. did not immediately answer, Darosa walked away. M.S. went outside and approached Darosa. Following a short exchange, Darosa produced a firearm and forced M.S. into the business and into a back room. As trial evidence established, Darosa ordered M.S. to unplug the surveillance system’s recorder, then handcuffed M.S. and opened the safes. Darosa began stealing items from the safes and proceeded to duct-tape M.S.’s hands and ankles together. Darosa took approximately $133,980 in property and cash and the surveillance system hard drive. Darosa also took M.S.’s backpack, which contained a firearm, cash, and the victim’s wallet. After Darosa fled the scene, M.S. managed to free himself and call 911 for assistance. On November 5, 2020, CMPD officers arrested Darosa at his apartment in Charlotte. During a search of Darosa’s apartment and vehicle, law enforcement recovered several items Darosa had stolen from the business.
Court records show that Darosa was on post-release supervision when he committed the armed robbery. He also has multiple felony convictions in Mecklenburg and Cabarrus Counties and he is prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Darosa was convicted of robbery of a business affecting interstate commerce, or Hobbs Act Robbery, using or carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and possession of a firearm by a felon. He is currently in federal custody. A sentencing date has not been set.
In making today’s announcement U.S. Attorney King thanked the FBI and CMPD for their investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Hess and Dana Washington are in charge of the prosecution.
Essex County Man Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Unlawfully Possessing Firearm and Conspiring to Defraud Banks of over $250,000 Using Stolen Credit Cards and Blank ChecksRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 36 months in prison for illegally possessing a firearm and conspiring to defraud two banks of $250,000 using stolen credit cards and blank checks, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Tamir Duval, 23, of Newark, previously pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton to an indictment charging him with one count of illegal possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon, and to an information charging him with conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Judge Wigenton imposed the sentence today by videoconference.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On July 27, 2020, Duval unlawfully possessed a Taurus PT740 semi-automatic handgun loaded with seven hollow nose rounds of ammunition. The firearm had been reported stolen from Gastonia, Georgia. Duval was previously convicted in Essex County Superior Court of receiving stolen property, a felony under state law.
From August 2018 through January 2020, Duval and others engaged in a scheme to use stolen credit cards and checks to fraudulently make purchases and withdraw money from two banks, leaving the banks to bear the losses of the scheme.
The credit cards and blank checks were stolen from various New Jersey-based postal facilities and never reached their intended recipients. Duval and his conspirators used the credit cards and checks to make unauthorized purchases at various retail stores and withdraw cash from automated teller machines (ATMs) in New Jersey and elsewhere. Duval and his conspirators altered the date, payee, and amount of the stolen checks prior to deposit and then fraudulently withdrew money at various ATMs from third-party account holders’ accounts.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Wigenton sentenced Duval to five years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II; the East Orange Police Department, under the direction of Chief Phyllis Bindi; inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Acting Inspector in Charge Raimundo Marrero in Newark; and special agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Thomas Mahoney, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Blake Coppotelli of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
Eastern District of Wisconsin U.S. Attorney’s Office Collects over $10 Million in Civil and Criminal Actions in Fiscal Year 2021Read the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard G. Frohling announced on December 20, 2021, that the Eastern District of Wisconsin collected $10,974, 686.11 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2021. Of this amount, $4,795,841.29 was collected in criminal actions and $6,178,844.82 was collected in civil actions.
Additionally, the Eastern District of Wisconsin worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $385,794.19 in cases pursued jointly by these offices. Of this amount, $15,007.92 was collected in criminal actions and $370,786.27 was collected in civil actions.
“Everyone in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in this district works diligently to protect the taxpayers and make crime victims whole,” said U.S. Attorney Frohling. “We are committed to recovering any funds owed to the United States, collecting restitution for victims, and ensuring that wrongdoers do not profit from their criminal activities.”
The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
# # #
For further information contact:
(414) 297-1700
Follow us on Twitter
EDVA Takes Action Against COVID-19 Fraud in 2021Read the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Today Jessica D. Aber, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, announced an update on the Eastern District of Virginia’s criminal and civil enforcement efforts to combat COVID-19 related fraud, including schemes targeting the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program and Unemployment Insurance (UI) programs.
“In the past year, Virginians have endured the physical, mental, and economic hardship brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Aber. “Within the last year, we have stood firm in our commitment to protect the programs implemented by Congress to assist community members suffering from the economic effects of this pandemic and, going forward, will continue to aggressively prosecute those who steal taxpayers’ funds.”
Since the start of 2021, EDVA has charged over 30 defendants with criminal offenses based on fraud schemes connected to the COVID-19 pandemic. These cases involve attempts to defraud over $105 million from the U.S. government and unsuspecting private individuals. The success of these cases reflects a degree of reach, coordination, and expertise emblematic of EDVA’s and the Justice Department’s response to COVID-19-related fraud.
In March 2020, Congress passed a $2.2 trillion economic relief bill known as the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Anticipating the need to protect the integrity of these taxpayer funds and to otherwise protect Americans from fraud related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Justice immediately stood up multiple efforts dedicated to identifying, investigating, and prosecuting such fraud.
On criminal matters, EDVA’s efforts to combat COVID-19-related fraud schemes in 2021 have proceeded on numerous fronts, including:
- Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) fraud: The PPP fraud cases charged in EDVA this year involve a range of conduct, from individual business owners who inflated their payroll expenses to obtain larger loans than they otherwise would have qualified for, to a serial fraudster applying for multiple loans using false claims about business entities and income. Most charged defendants misappropriated loan proceeds for prohibited purposes, such as the purchase of houses, cars, Cessna aircraft, jewelry, and other luxury items. In one case, U.S. v. Andrew Tezna, a Senior Executive Service (SES) employee of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was sentenced for submitting fraudulent applications for over $357,000 in PPP relief loans and COVID-19 benefits.
- Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) fraud: EDVA has also focused on fraud against the EIDL program, which was designed to provide loans to small businesses, agricultural and non-profit entities. Nationally, fraudsters have targeted the program by applying for EIDL advances and loans on behalf of ineligible, newly created, shell, or non-existent businesses, and diverting the funds for illegal purposes. In U.S. v. Joseph Cherry, a repeat fraudster was sentenced in EDVA for engaging in an EIDL and PPP loan fraud scheme while under federal supervision, with an intended loss to the government of nearly $232,000.
- Unemployment Insurance (UI) fraud: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, more than $860 billion in federal funds were appropriated for UI benefits through September 2021. Early investigation and analysis indicate that international organized criminal groups have targeted these funds by using stolen identities to file for UI benefits. Domestic fraudsters, ranging from identity thieves to prison inmates, have also committed UI fraud. In U.S. v. Mary Benton et al, the defendant operated a fraudulent scheme to obtain nearly $437,000 in pandemic-related unemployment benefits by using the personal identifying information of over 30 Virginia prison inmates.
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) fraud: EDVA charged and prosecuted criminals who exploited the nation’s need for personal protective equipment (PPE) required to protect medical professionals and the public from contracting and spreading COVID-19. These schemes often offered to sell scarce PPE, such as N95 respirator masks, to various medical supply companies, government entities, and consumers. For example, in U.S. v. Robert Stewart, the defendant falsely stated to multiple Federal Government agencies that he was in possession of large quantities of PPE, thus putting him in the position to obtain contracts with the Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency valued at $35.1 million and $3.5 million, respectively.
- Economic Impact Payments (Stimulus Checks) Fraud: EDVA has also worked to investigate and prosecute fraudsters who attempted financial scams, counterfeiting of checks, and mail, and identity theft targeting COVID-19 stimulus checks. In U.S. v. Jonathan Drew, the defendant stole U.S. mail addressed to more than 150 individuals in EDVA, stealing more than $700,000 in checks, including $1,200 in COVID-19 stimulus payments and checks which the defendant further used to create counterfeit stimulus checks.
EDVA has also worked to shut down fraudulent websites that were facilitating consumer scams related to COVID-19 and has taken scores of actions to disrupt financial networks supporting such scams. For example, EDVA announced the seizure of seven websites used to collect personal information and that sought to exploit the increased interest in vaccines, treatments, and employment opportunities associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
EDVA has also used numerous civil tools to address fraud in connection with CARES Act programs. For example, EDVA obtained a civil settlement of $230,414.65 with KC Investments Group, Inc. and its owner for fraud involving Paycheck Protection Program loans.
"We are dedicated to preserving the integrity of these programs that were designed and implemented to assist citizens during a time of uncertainty and strain related to the COVID pandemic; and will continue to work with our partners to investigate and hold accountable those who manipulate these government resources for personal gain,” said Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Richmond Field Office.
“The NASA Office of Inspector General is committed to working with the EDVA in aggressively investigating allegations of wrongdoing targeting PPP, EIDL, and UI programs,” said Robert Steinau, Assistant Inspector General for Investigations for NASA. “We will continue to pursue and hold those accountable that defraud these crucial programs.”
“Through the dedicated efforts of Special Agents around the world, HSI conducted investigations into the sale of counterfeit personal protective equipment, disrupted financial fraud schemes that exploited COVID-19 relief programs, shut down websites that defrauded consumers, and interdicted shipments of dangerous prohibited pharmaceuticals and medical supplies through Operation Stolen Promise,” said Ray Villanueva, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Washington, D.C. “These efforts help protect American citizens from the transnational criminal organizations who seek to exploit the COVID-19 pandemic for financial gain.”
“Those who commit Covid fraud are robbing taxpayers while hurting the people who truly needed the financial support,” said Darrell Waldon, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Special Agent in Charge, Washington DC Field Office. “We will continue to prioritize COVID-19 fraud investigations and ensure those who commit it are brought to justice.”
“Each day, the OIG stands beside the nation’s robust diverse small business community by safeguarding the unique SBA programs established to support their development and growth,” said the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Office of Inspector General’s Eastern Region Special Agent in Charge, Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite. “OIG remains committed to rooting out bad actors and protecting the integrity of SBA programs every day. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and pursuit of justice.”
“Initiatives like our Newport News Financial Crimes Task Force were created to crack down on various white-collar crimes, to include COVID-19 related fraud schemes. Our continued partnerships with area law enforcement, prosecutors and financial institutions will assist us in identifying and prosecuting those who commit pandemic-related fraud offenses involving the U.S. Mail,” said Daniel Adame, Postal Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division.
“So long as criminals continue to exploit pandemic relief programs, the U.S. Secret Service will continue to investigate and identify them for prosecution,” said U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Jerald Page. “The protection of our national economy and financial infrastructure has remained a critical part of our mission for more than 150 years, and our dedicated investigators will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that protection from any and all threats.”
“COVID-19 demands have created a climate for bad actors to pursue unique and considerable opportunities for fraud," said VA Inspector General Michael J. Missal. “This office is actively engaging with our law enforcement partners to identify those who would capitalize on this pandemic to steal from veterans and taxpayers.”
“An important mission of the Office of Inspector General is to investigate allegations of fraud related to Unemployment Insurance programs,” stated Troy W. Springer, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge, Washington Region, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General. “We will continue to work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, our law enforcement partners, and the Virginia Employment Commission, to protect the integrity of programs intended for unemployed American workers, including those who continue to be affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.”
Some of the major COVID-19-related cases prosecuted by EDVA in 2021 are as follows:
Case Name
Case #
Program Targeted
Intended Loss to Taxpayer
U.S. v. Punelli*
1:21-cr-224
PPP, EIDL
$55,606,000
U.S. v. Stewart
1:21-cr-5
PPP, EIDL, PPE
$39,576,500
U.S. v. Mitchums*
4:21-cr-85
PPP, EIDL
$5,100,000
U.S. v. Kindambu
1:20-cr-260
PPP
$2,501,753
U.S. v. Noel*
4:21-cr-72
UI
$469,635
U.S. v. Benton et al.
2:21-cr-33
UI
$436,834
U.S. v. Tezna
1:21-cr-77
PPP, EIDL, UI
$357,734
U.S. v. Suber
2:20-cr-110
PPP
$350,000
U.S. v. Cherry
4:20-cr-27
PPP, EIDL
$231,900
KC Investments
Civil Settlement
PPP
$230,414
U.S. v. Smith
3:21-cr-60
UI
$223,984
U.S. v. Khan*
1:21-cr-207
EIDL
$110,000
U.S. v. Tierney et al
3:21-cr-32
UI
$74,805
U.S. v. Jefferson
4:20-cr-64
EIDL
$25,000
U.S. v. Drew
1:21-cr-71
Stimulus
$1,200
*pending sentencing
In addition to these efforts, the Newport News Financial Crimes Task Force, led by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and in partnership with EDVA, the FBI Norfolk Field office through its Resident Agency in Newport News, and the Washington Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), have launched a joint pandemic counter-fraud operation focused on the Virginia Peninsula region. This collaborative initiative targets the trend of criminal organizations and networks incorporating pandemic-related fraud into their other illegal activities. As of December 13, 2021, this operation has successfully initiated 21 investigations, resulting in 14 individuals charged in 7 criminal cases, with identified losses of over $800,000 related to the charged cases. An additional 14 cases remain ongoing and active.
All these efforts have been made possible through the diligent work of a wide range of law enforcement partners from the FBI (Washington, Norfolk and Richmond Field Offices), DOL-OIG, U.S. Secret Service, IRS-CI, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, HSI, USPIS, the Offices of Inspectors General from SBA, Department of Homeland Security, Social Security Administration, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, NASA, Department of Health and Human Services, and the VA.
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 the government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Virginia Coronavirus Fraud Task Force is a federal and state partnership led by the Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia along with fraud investigators from the FBI and Virginia State Police. The task force’s mission is to identify, investigate, and prosecute fraud related to the ongoing pandemic. The task force reviews and investigates all credible leads of fraud associated with COVID-19, focusing on schemes to exploit vulnerable populations, including the elderly and concerned citizens.
EDVA continues its fight against COVID-19 related fraud. To report a COVID-19-related fraud scheme or suspicious activity, contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) by calling the NCDF Hotline at 1-866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Des Moines Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Fentanyl Overdose DeathRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, IA – On Thursday, December 16, 2021, Tonia Sue White, age 41, of Des Moines, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger to 188 months in prison for distributing a controlled substance which resulted in death. White previously pleaded guilty to the charge.
On June 17, 2020, members of the Des Moines Police Department were dispatched to a Walgreens in Des Moines for a drug overdose. The victim was rushed to the hospital and was later pronounced dead. Members of the Des Moines Police Department Vice-Narcotics Unit made contact with the victim’s associate, who was with the victim at the time of the overdose, who provided information that led detectives to White. In a post-Miranda interview, White admitted to distributing a quantity of heroin to the victim’s associate, which was shared with the victim. Lab results indicated the substance White distributed was a heroin and fentanyl mixture.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The investigation was conducted by the Des Moines Police Department. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
Des Moines Man Sentenced to over 12 Years in Prison for His Role in Importing Methamphetamine from Mexico to IowaRead the Press Release
A Des Moines man who was involved in the importation and distribution of multiple kilograms of methamphetamine was sentenced on December 17, 2021, to over twelve years in federal prison.
Jack Mazariegos-Galicia, age 20, from Des Moines, Iowa, received the prison sentence after a May 24, 2021 guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that, beginning in 2017, law enforcement was investigating a large-scale methamphetamine organization operating out of Mexico. The head of the organization, Mario Hernandez, was in Mexico and worked with others, including Mazariegos-Galicia, to transport kilogram quantities of methamphetamine from Mexico to Iowa. In June 2020, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle occupied by Mazariegos-Galicia and an associate. The stop took place outside of Des Moines and the vehicle had travelled from Texas. Inside the vehicle, officers located nearly 5,000 grams of pure “ice” methamphetamine. Mazariegos-Galicia and his associated had picked up the methamphetamine in Texas and drove it back to Iowa for it to be distributed in Iowa. In total, Mazariegos-Galicia’s role in the group involved over 43,000 grams of methamphetamine.
Mazariegos-Galicia was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Mazariegos-Galicia was sentenced to 151 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ashley Corkery and Emily Nydle. This case was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Mid-Iowa Task Force (Marshall County Sheriff’s Office, Tama County Sheriff’s Office, Marshalltown Police Department), Iowa National Guard and Counter Drug Program, Tri-County Task Force (Cedar Falls Police Department, Waterloo Police Department, Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office), the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-CR-2034.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Delray Beach Man Sentenced to 17 Years in Prison for Bank Fraud, False Statements, and Aggravated Identity Theft Involving COVID-19 Relief ProgramsRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Jason R. Coody, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the sentencing of Jeremie Saintvil, 46, of Delray Beach, Florida. Saintvil was sentenced to a total of 17 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Further, Saintvil was ordered to pay $1,560,628.38 in restitution to several banks, credit unions, and credit card companies, and to the United States Small Business Administration (SBA).
Saintvil’s sentence was the result of an eight-day jury trial that resulted in guilty verdicts on September 24, 2021. Saintvil was found guilty of bank fraud, making false statements to a federally insured financial institution, aggravated identity theft, and making false statements to a federal agency.
“The theft of vital taxpayer relief funds and victimization of our elderly is reprehensible,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Coody. “The deceptive and sophisticated acts of this defendant not only diverted emergency financial assistance from small businesses necessary for job retention, but also victimized our elderly citizens, many of whom due to advanced age or illness, were more vulnerable and unable to readily discern their identities had been stolen and used for illegal acts. With the assistance of our dedicated law enforcement partners, we are committed to investigating and prosecuting those who engage in acts of elder abuse and covid-related fraud.”
Between February 2018 and June 2020, Saintvil submitted fraudulent applications seeking more than $1.5 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster (EIDL) loans offered by the SBA. As part of his scheme, Saintvil fraudulently obtained the identities of elderly individuals who were residents of senior living facilities, whom he then represented were principles in the fictitious businesses seeking the forgivable loans. The fraudulent applications, which were directed to nine different federally insured credit unions, banks, and the SBA, misrepresented the number of employees and payroll expenses of the alleged companies, and made numerous other inaccurate statements in support of the PPP and EIDL loan applications, including submitting falsified tax documents and bank account information.
“Today’s sentencing is the final chapter in this investigation and can hopefully begin the healing process for all of those impacted by the defendant’s nefarious actions,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Brian Payne. “We will continue to investigate criminals like Saintvil who steal identities, rob vital taxpayer relief funds, and victimize the elderly.”
The Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal law enacted March 29, 2020. It is designed to provide emergency financial assistance to millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act is the authorization of forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the PPP. The Small Business Administration (SBA) guarantees PPP loans which are funded by participating financial institutions. The PPP allows qualifying small businesses and other organizations to receive loans with a maturity of two years and an interest rate of one percent. Businesses must use PPP loan proceeds for payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent and utilities. The PPP then allows the interest and principal to be forgiven if businesses spent the loan proceeds on qualifying expenses within a set time-period and used at least a certain percentage of the loan proceeds for payroll expenses.
“In a time of national turmoil and uncertainty, this defendant flagrantly defrauded programs intended to assist Americans and their businesses,” said Sean T. Ryan, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jacksonville Division. “His total disregard for his fellow citizens during the pandemic – especially vulnerable elders – revealed his true colors as a fraudster. The FBI will continue to allocate resources to investigate COVID-19 and elder fraud, and work alongside our partners to hold accountable those who use illegal means and criminal behavior to take advantage of others.”
“Lying to gain access to SBA’s pandemic response programs is not without consequence,” said SBA OIG’s Eastern Region Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite. “Our office will aggressively pursue evidence of wrongdoing and bring those responsible to justice. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and pursuit of justice.”
This conviction was the result of a joint investigation by Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the SBA-Office of Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorneys Justin M. Keen and David Byron prosecuted the case.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Since President Trump signed the bipartisan Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act (EAPPA) into law, the Department of Justice has participated in hundreds of enforcement actions in criminal and civil cases that targeted or disproportionately affected seniors. In particular, this past March the Department announced the largest elder fraud enforcement action in American history, charging more than 400 defendants in a nationwide elder fraud sweep. The Department has likewise conducted hundreds of trainings and outreach sessions across the country since the passage of the Act. Learn more about the Justice Department’s Elder Justice and National Nursing Home Initiatives at http://www.justice.gov/elderjustice/.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Danville Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges from Virginia, North CarolinaRead the Press Release
DANVILLE, VA - A Danville, Virginia man, who spent two years as a fugitive after embezzling $600,000 from a Danville credit union before being arrested in Durham, North Carolina, pleaded guilty today to federal charges stemming from his conduct in both Virginia and North Carolina.
Jorge Omar Navarro, 30, pleaded guilty today in federal court in the Middle District of North Carolina to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime for his conduct in Durham. Navarro also pleaded guilty to federal charges arising out of the Western District of Virginia: one count of embezzlement and one count of using counterfeit currency with the intent to commit fraud for his conduct in Danville.
“A unique course of criminality culminated in today’s guilty plea, which ensures that the defendant will be sentenced for the entire range of his misconduct,” said Sandra J. Hairston, United States Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina. “Credit for putting an end to the spree goes to officers of the Durham Police Department, whose thoroughness revealed that the defendant was in fact a drug trafficker and a fugitive from justice.”
“This defendant used his position of trust within the credit union to gain access to large sums of money only to abuse that trust in the name of greed,” United States Attorney Chris Kavanaugh of the Western District of Virginia said today. “Fortunately, the men and women of the Danville Police Department acted swiftly and were able to keep all of the counterfeit bills in this case from making their way into circulation.”
Navarro was the head teller at a branch of URW Federal Credit Union in Danville. As head teller, Navarro had access to the vault and authority to order money for the branch. In September 2018, Navarro fled after taking $600,000 in cash from the credit union’s vaults and replacing it with counterfeit bills. Navarro spent two years as a fugitive.
Navarro remined a fugitive until March 2021, when the Durham Police Department in North Carolina responded to a report of shots fired and found a man (later identified as Navarro) covered in blood who claimed to have been robbed at gunpoint. After obtaining a search warrant for the premises, they located multiple firearms, kilograms of cocaine and marijuana, drug paraphernalia, and $74,000 in cash. Navarro later admitted to investigators that he obtained the cash by selling drugs and confirmed his true identity, admitting that he had been using an alias after an incident with a bank in Virginia.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 21, 2022, and faces a minimum of ten years in prison and a maximum penalty of life. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Danville Police Department, the United States Secret Service, the Durham Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric L. Iverson for the Middle District of North Carolina and Rachel Barish Swartz for the Western District of Virginia.
###
Danville Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges from Virginia, North CarolinaRead the Press Release
DANVILLE, Va. – A Danville, Virginia man, who spent two years as a fugitive after embezzling $600,000 from a Danville credit union before being arrested in Durham, North Carolina, pleaded guilty today to federal charges stemming from his conduct in both Virginia and North Carolina.
Jorge Omar Navarro, 30, pleaded guilty today in federal court in the Middle District of North Carolina to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime for his conduct in Durham. Navarro also pleaded guilty to federal charges arising out of the Western District of Virginia: one count of embezzlement and one count of using counterfeit currency with the intent to commit fraud for his conduct in Danville.
“A unique course of criminality culminated in today’s guilty plea, which ensures that the defendant will be sentenced for the entire range of his misconduct,” said Sandra J. Hairston, United States Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina. “Credit for putting an end to the spree goes to officers of the Durham Police Department, whose thoroughness revealed that the defendant was in fact a drug trafficker and a fugitive from justice.
“This defendant used his position of trust within the credit union to gain access to large sums of money only to abuse that trust in the name of greed,” United States Attorney Chris Kavanaugh of the Western District of Virginia said today. “Fortunately, the men and women of the Danville Police Department acted swiftly and were able to keep all of the counterfeit bills in this case from making their way into circulation.”
Navarro was the head teller at a branch of URW Federal Credit Union in Danville. As head teller, Navarro had access to the vault and authority to order money for the branch. In September 2018, Navarro fled after taking $600,000 in cash from the credit union’s vaults and replacing it with counterfeit bills. Navarro spent two years as a fugitive.
Navarro remined a fugitive until March 2021, when the Durham Police Department in North Carolina responded to a report of shots fired and found a man (later identified as Navarro) covered in blood who claimed to have been robbed at gunpoint. After obtaining a search warrant for the premises, they located multiple firearms, kilograms of cocaine and marijuana, drug paraphernalia, and $74,000 in cash. Navarro later admitted to investigators that he obtained the cash by selling drugs and confirmed his true identity, admitting that he had been using an alias after an incident with a bank in Virginia.
At sentencing, he faces a minimum of ten years in prison and a maximum penalty of life. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Danville Police Department, the United States Secret Service, the Durham Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric L. Iverson for the Middle District of North Carolina and Rachel Barish Swartz for the Western District of Virginia.
Council Bluffs Man Sentenced to Prison for Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – A Council Bluffs man, Jaime Antonio Hernandez, Jr., age 28, was sentenced on December 14, 2021, by United States District Court Chief Judge John A. Jarvey to 84 months in prison for Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm. His term of imprisonment is to be followed by three years of supervised release.
In June of 2020 law enforcement located Hernandez in an apartment in Council Bluffs. Hernandez was found to be in possession of a firearm, methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. Hernandez pleaded guilty to Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm in February of 2021.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office, Council Bluffs Police Department, and Omaha Police Department investigated the case.
Council Bluffs Man Sentenced for Human Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – Hershel James Ratliff, age 71, of Council Bluffs, was sentenced Thursday December 16, 2021, by United States District Court Chief Judge John A. Jarvey to 360 months in prison for six counts of Human Trafficking and one count of Distribution of a Controlled Substance to a Minor. His prison term will be followed by ten years of supervised release. A jury found Ratliff guilty of the offenses on July 23, 2021.
The Council Bluffs Police Department began investigating Ratliff in August 2019 after a mandatory reporter made a report to the Iowa Department of Human Services about information reported by a fourteen-year-old child that involved inappropriate sexual conversations and advances by Ratliff. As the investigation continued, numerous other young adults were identified as being victimized by Ratliff while they were in high school. Ratliff provided drugs, alcohol, and a place to party for teenagers. Ratliff groomed teenagers and after cultivating a trusting relationship with them, convinced them to engage in various sex acts with him and his friends for money, alcohol, or drugs. Ratliff also used his business, Jimmy’s All-American Diner and his rental properties to groom and recruit victims. This illegal activity spanned from 2012-2019.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Council Bluffs Police Department, Southwest Iowa Narcotics Task Force, and Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
Colorado Woman and South Florida “Master” Guilty of Producing Child Pornography of Six-Year-Old Boy; Woman Sentenced to 20 YearsRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – On Friday, a Lake Worth man and registered sex offender who produced child pornography together with a Colorado woman with whom he shared a dominant-submissive relationship pled guilty to child exploitation crimes in Miami federal court. The Colorado woman pled guilty last year and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
In November 2019, Robert Dunn and Tonya Bagley began chatting on social media and developed an online relationship. Bagley and Dunn, both in their early forties, agreed in writing for Bagley to photograph herself performing oral sex on a six-year-old boy. Bagley, who was in Colorado, did so and sent the child sexual abuse images to Dunn in Lake Worth, Florida through a social media messenger application. Law enforcement officers arrested Dunn at his home on March 10, 2020. After later learning about Bagley, the FBI arrested Bagley at her Colorado home.
Dunn pleaded guilty to conspiring to produce, producing, receiving, and possessing child pornography. U.S. District Judge Roy K. Altman will sentence Dunn in federal court in Miami on February 25, 2022. Dunn faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years imprisonment and a maximum sentence of 120 years’ imprisonment.
On December 10, 2020, Bagley pled guilty in West Palm Beach federal court to conspiring to produce child pornography and transmitting information about a minor. On May 19, 2021, U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks sentenced Bagley to 20 years in a federal prison. In addition, the judge ordered Bagley to pay restitution to the abused boy.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami, made the announcement.
FBI Miami investigated the matter. Grand County Colorado Sheriff’s Office assisted.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Schiller prosecuted the cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney William T. Zloch handled asset forfeiture.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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 numbers 20-cr-80069 and 20-cr-80085.
###
College Football Player Arrested on Federal Charges of Orchestrating Fraudulent Scheme to Obtain COVID-Related Jobless BenefitsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A college football player was taken into custody this morning on federal charges alleging he orchestrated a scheme that fraudulently sought hundreds of thousands of dollars in COVID-related unemployment benefits.
Abdul-Malik McClain, 22, who currently attends school in Jackson, Mississippi, surrendered to federal law enforcement this morning in Los Angeles before being arraigned this afternoon in United States District Court.
A federal grand jury indictment returned on December 16 and unsealed this afternoon charges McClain with 10 counts of mail fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft. McClain, who was residing in Los Angeles in 2020 during the alleged scheme, pleaded not guilty to the charges against him and was ordered released on a $20,000 bond.
According to the indictment, while a member of his university’s football team, McClain organized and assisted a group of other football players in filing fraudulent claims for unemployment benefits, including under the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program established by Congress in response to the pandemic’s economic fallout. The indictment alleges that the claims – which were filed with the California Employment Development Department (EDD), the administrator of the state’s unemployment insurance (UI) benefit program – contained false information about the football players’ supposed prior employment, pandemic-related job loss, and job-seeking efforts in California.
The indictment alleges that the false statements in the UI applications led EDD to authorize Bank of America to mail debit cards to the football players. Those debit cards were loaded with at least hundreds of dollars, and sometimes thousands of dollars, in unemployment benefits, which the recipients used to make cash withdrawals at ATMs and to fund personal expenses. In some cases, McClain sought and obtained a cut for helping others file fraudulent UI applications.
McClain and his co-schemers also allegedly filed applications in their own names, in the names of other friends and associates, and in the names of identity theft victims. According to the indictment, these claims also falsely stated that the claimants were self-employed workers, including athletic trainers and tutors, who had lost work in California as a result of the pandemic. These allegedly false claims also induced EDD to authorize Bank of America to issue debit cards in the names of the claimants. The indictment alleges that McClain and his co-schemers caused those cards to be mailed to addresses where they could collect the mail.
McClain allegedly caused at least three dozen fraudulent applications to be filed with EDD during the summer of 2020. According to the indictment, those fraudulent applications sought at least $903,688 in PUA benefits and led the EDD to pay out at least $227,736.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
During today’s arraignment, McClain was ordered to stand trial on February 15.
Each mail fraud count carries a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. The aggravated identity theft counts carry a two-year mandatory prison sentence consecutive to any sentence imposed on the mail fraud counts.
The FBI; the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Inspector General; the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration; and the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General investigated this matter. The university, called “University 1” in the indictment, cooperated in this investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Kerry L. Quinn of the Major Frauds Section is prosecuting this 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. More information on the Justice Department’s response to the pandemic may be found here.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it to the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF online Complaint Form.
Child Sex Trafficker and Armed Robber Sentenced to Decades in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – A federal district judge in Miami last week sentenced 35-year-old Christopher Grant Proby to 30 years in prison for sex trafficking a minor and for participating in the armed robbery of a Riviera Beach plumber.
In December 2017, Proby initiated a social media conversation with a 14-year-old girl. Proby asked about the minor’s sexual experience and said that he wanted to have sex with her. In late January 2018, the girl ran away from her foster home to meet with Proby in Riviera Beach. They engaged in sexual activity.
In June 2018, Proby used on-line social media to advertise the girl for commercial sex. When men responded to the advertisement requesting to have sex with the minor, Proby communicated with them by text message to arrange a price, meeting location, and specify the sex acts that the minor would perform. Proby drove the minor to meet with these men to engage in commercial sex acts, and took any money that she earned.
On July 11, 2018, Proby and his codefendants, Jamal Lamar Head and Keon Travy Glanton, worked together to rob a Roto-Rooter plumber of valuable plumbing equipment in Riviera Beach, Florida. Head, Proby, and Glanton directed the minor to place a service all to Roto-Rooter. At their direction, the minor lured the Roto-Rooter plumber to an abandoned residence in Riviera Beach, where Head assaulted him with a firearm. Proby and Glanton took valuable plumbing equipment from the vehicle while Head held the victim at gunpoint.
Head and Glanton were previously sentenced to 60 and 33 years in prison, respectively, for the armed robbery of the Riviera Beach plumber, as well as for other crimes, including the murder of a different plumber from Miami.
U.S. District Judge Roy K. Altman imposed the sentences.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Christopher Robinson, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Office; and George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami made the announcement.
This case was investigated by ATF Miami, the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, and Miami Dade Police Department. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and Riviera Beach Police Department assisted. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel J. Marcet and Jessica Kahn Obenauf. AUSA Richard Brown is handling asset forfeiture.
To report suspected human trafficking or to obtain resources for victims, please call 1-888-373-7888; text “BeFree” (233733), or live chat at HumanTraffickingHotline.org. The toll-free phone, SMS text lines, and online chat function are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Help is available in English, Spanish, Creole, or in more than 200 additional languages. The National Hotline is not managed by law enforcement, immigration or an investigative agency. Correspondence with the National Hotline is confidential and you may request assistance or report a tip anonymously.
To learn more about the National Resource Hotline visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. To learn more about the U.S. Department of Justice’s efforts to combat human trafficking visit www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 19-cr-20063.
###
Chicago Physician Charged with Insider TradingRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A Chicago physician used insider information to purchase shares of a California-based biotechnology company before it publicly announced positive results from a clinical trial of an experimental cancer drug, according to a federal criminal charge filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago.
DANIEL V.T. CATENACCI, a gastrointestinal medical oncologist in Chicago, served as one of the lead physicians and primary field investigators on the biotechnology company’s clinical trial. Dr. Catenacci through this position allegedly received confidential information about the company and its clinical trial results.
In November 2020, Dr. Catenacci used material, non-public information about the trial results to make more than $134,000 in illegal profits from the purchase and sale of securities in the company, according to a criminal information filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Dr. Catenacci purchased more than 8,000 shares before the company announced positive results from the trial, and then sold those shares shortly after the announcement, the information states. In the interim, the shares held by Dr. Catenacci tripled or quadrupled in value, the information states.
The information charges Dr. Catenacci, 45, of Chicago, with one count of securities fraud. The charge is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison. Arraignment in federal court in Chicago has not yet been scheduled.
The charge was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Havey represents the government.
The public is reminded that an information is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Calvert County Felon Convicted After Four Day Trial for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal jury convicted Earl Leroy Griffin, Jr., age 45, of Sunderland, Maryland, late on December 17, 2021, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The conviction was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Division; Calvert County Sheriff Mike Evans; and Calvert County State’s Attorney Robert Harvey.
According to the evidence presented at his four-day trial, on September 5, 2019, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Griffin’s residence and on his vehicle as part of a drug investigation. In Griffin’s locked vehicle, law enforcement recovered a stolen .40 caliber handgun, loaded with 14 rounds of ammunition; powder cocaine, crack cocaine and marijuana; and three Maryland driver’s licenses bearing Griffin’s name and photo. The vehicle was registered to Griffin. When he was searched incident to his arrest, Griffin had the keys to his vehicle and $1,870 in cash in his pockets.
Griffin had four previous felony drug convictions and knew that as a result, he was prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition. This conviction qualifies Griffin for armed career criminal status.
The jury acquitted Griffin on charges of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
As an armed career criminal, Griffin faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison and a maximum of life in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel has scheduled sentencing for April 19, 2022 at 10:00 a.m.
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. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the DEA, the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office, and the Calvert County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation and prosecution. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Morgan and Timothy F. Hagan, Jr., who are prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
# # #
California Man Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison for Making Threats Against Political Officials and Journalists Relating to the Outcome of the 2020 Presidential ElectionRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that ROBERT LEMKE, a California man who threatened members of Congress and journalists in connection with the outcome of the 2020 presidential election, was sentenced to 36 months in prison after previously having pled guilty to making threatening interstate communications. U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein imposed today’s sentence.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Robert Lemke, refusing to accept the result of the 2020 presidential election, sent messages threatening dozens of victims, including journalists, elected officials, and their families, for the perceived offense of stating the facts. Rather than attempting to effect change through the lawful forms of expression that all of us Americans still enjoy, Lemke sought to quell freedom of expression, to intimidate and instill fear in others by threats of violence. Today, Robert Lemke was rightly sentenced to prison for his conduct.”
According to the allegations in the Complaint, Superseding Indictment, and other documents in the public record, as well as statements made in public court proceedings:
From November 2020 through early January 2021, LEMKE sent threatening electronic and audio messages to approximately 50 victims, including journalists and politicians, targeting those individuals because of their statements expressing that then-President Trump had lost the 2020 presidential election. On January 6, 2021, the same day that individuals purporting to protest the 2020 presidential election gathered in Washington, D.C., and stormed the Capitol Building, LEMKE sent a series of these threatening text messages to journalists, members of Congress, other politicians, and their families.
As the attack on the Capitol Building was ongoing, LEMKE sent threatening text messages to a New York City-based family member of a journalist (the “Journalist”), stating: “[The Journalist’s] words are putting you and your family at risk. We are nearby, armed and ready. Thousands of us are active/retired law enforcement, military, etc. That’s how we do it.”
At approximately the same time that LEMKE was sending threats directed at the Journalist, LEMKE also sent threats to the brother of a New York City-based U.S. Congressman (the “Congressman”), citing the Congressman’s statements about the result of the 2020 presidential election. LEMKE’s text messages, which included a picture of a home in the same neighborhood as the home of the Congressman’s brother, stated:
Your brother is putting your entire family at risk with his lies and other words. We are armed and nearby your house. You had better have a word with him. We are not far from his either. Already spoke to [the Congressman’s son] and know where his kids are.
. . . your words have consequences. Stop telling lies; Biden did not win, he will not be president. We are not[] white supremacists. Most of us are active/retired law enforcement or military. You are putting your family at risk. We have armed members near your home. . . . Don’t risk their safety with your words and lies.
LEMKE acquired and used at least three different phone numbers and various electronic accounts to mask his identity when sending threats to his victims. LEMKE was not in fact affiliated with law enforcement or the U.S. military as he claimed in some of his threats. On or about November 7, 2020, LEMKE posted to Facebook: “Folks. Be ready for war. Trump has refused to cede. Evidence shows fraud occurred and the Supreme Court cases will be successful. We blockchained and watermarked ballots in 16 states. Trump will prevail.[] Spread this message. . . . FAITH my fellow Republicans. Do not give up.”
* * *
In addition to the prison sentence, LEMKE, 36, was sentenced to three years of supervised release.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which consists of investigators and analysts from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), the New York City Police Department, and over 50 other federal, state, and local agencies. Mr. Williams also thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California and the FBI’s San Francisco Field Office for their assistance.
The case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Kimberly J. Ravener and Kyle A. Wirshba are in charge of the prosecution.
California Employment Development Department Contract Employee Sentenced to 25 Months for Pandemic-Related FraudRead the Press Release
Assistant U. S. Attorney Stephen H. Wong (619) 546-9464
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – December 20, 2021
SAN DIEGO – Nyika Gomez, a San Diego resident and former contract employee with the California Employment Development Department (EDD), was sentenced in federal court to 25 months in prison and ordered to pay $93,248 dollars in restitution in connection with a scheme to submit fraudulent pandemic unemployment insurance claims for California state prisoners.
As part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act of 2020, Congress provided new unemployment benefits for those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic who would not otherwise qualify for unemployment insurance. In California, the EDD administers unemployment insurance benefits. In Arizona, benefits are administered by the Arizona Department for Economic Security (AZDES).
Gomez was sentenced on December 15. According to her plea agreement, in July 2020, Gomez devised a scheme to defraud the EDD and AZDES by submitting Pandemic Unemployment Assistance claims for prisoners and other persons who were not eligible for such assistance, including making up false claims about their employment. Gomez submitted more than $214,344 in fraudulent claims and collected $93,248 on those claims. Gomez arranged for the stolen benefits – paid out in the form of a debit card – to be mailed directly to her residence, or to the residence of someone working with her. Gomez returned some of the proceeds to the prison inmates by transferring money to their prison accounts and kept some of the proceeds for herself.
The charges are the product of an investigation jointly undertaken by the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General (DOL-OIG), the California Employment Development Department Office of Investigations (EDD OI), United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
“Pandemic unemployment insurance programs are designed to support workers who are suffering financial hardship during this unprecedented time,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “This defendant was supposed to help unemployed workers. Instead, she cut a hole in their safety net, and she has been be held to account for her greedy actions.” Grossman thanked the prosecution team and the state and federal investigators for their excellent work on this case.
If you think you are a victim of COVID-19 fraud, immediately report it the FBI (visit ic3.gov, tips.fbi.gov, or call 1-800-CALL-FBI or the San Diego FBI at 858-320-1800.
In addition, the public is urged to report suspected fraud schemes related to COVID-19 by calling the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) hotline (1-866-720-5721) or by e-mailing the NCDF at [email protected].
DEFENDANTS Case Number 20-CR-729-CAB
Nyika Gomez Age: 31 San Diego, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Count 5: Title 18, United States Code, section 1343 (wire fraud)
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison; fine; penalty assessment
Count 12: Title 18, United States Code, section 1028A; (aggravated identity theft)
Maximum penalty: Two-year mandatory minimum term of imprisonment, consecutive to any term of imprisonment imposed for Counts 1 through 9.
AGENCIES
U.S. Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General
California Employment Development Department Office of Investigations
California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation-Investigative Services Unit
United States Postal Inspection Service
Homeland Security Investigations
Butler, PA Drug Dealer Gets Federal Prison Sentence that Begins After His Pending State Cases are ResolvedRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – On Thursday, December 16, 2021, a former resident of Butler, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Charles Perkins, age 27, was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. This sentenced was imposed by Judge Joy Flowers Conti on one count of possession with intent to distribute a quantity of fentanyl and a quantity of cocaine base, in the form commonly known as crack.
In connection with a change of plea hearing, the government informed the Court that on August 6, 2020, the Pennsylvania State Police conducted a traffic stop on a silver Ford sedan due to non-functioning brake lights at South Duffy Road and New Castle Road in Butler, Pennsylvania. Law enforcement identified Charles Perkins as the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle. While speaking with Mr. Perkins, the trooper observed, in plain view, marijuana on the front passenger seat and several stamp bags in a plastic bag on the floor behind the driver’s seat. Mr. Perkins admitted that the plastic bag behind the front passenger seat was his. Subsequently, the trooper detained Mr. Perkins and conducted a search of the vehicle. The searched resulted in the seizure of cocaine base, fentanyl packaged within 300 stamp bags, and $965.00. Law enforcement advised Mr. Perkins of his rights, which he waived. Mr. Perkins admitted to being on his way to Butler City to sell the seized substances. Mr. Perkins also stated that he knew he would be going to prison and that he would immediately begin distributing again upon release because there was too much money to stop.
The defendant was remanded into the custody of the U.S. Marshals to be returned to the Butler County Prison. The defendant is pending five cases in the Butler County Court of Common Pleas. He will begin his federal sentence upon resolution of the pending cases.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney, Cindy K. Chung commended the Pennsylvania State Police and the Drug Enforcement Administration for conducting the investigation leading to the prosecution of this case.
Bridgeton man pleads guilty for armed carjacking that resulted in the death of the victimRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – United States District Court Judge Stephen R. Clark accepted a plea of guilty from Anthony D. Jones, 28, of Bridgeton, Missouri for his role in the May 4, 2019 carjacking and death of Jessica Vinson. Jones was previously indicted by a grand jury in July 2020. Judge Clark set sentencing for April 20, 2022.
According to the plea agreement, on the morning of May 4, 2019, Jessica Vinson was found deceased, her body abandoned in an alley behind the 5300 block of Vernon Avenue, Saint Louis, Missouri, within the Eastern District of Missouri. Vinson was shot twice in the side of the head and once in the back. Her car, a 2015 Dodge Charger, was missing and her home in the 4300 block of Maffitt Avenue had been burglarized.
The investigation into Vinson's murder revealed that in the early morning hours of May 4, 2019, Jones and Vinson met outside of a club in Saint Louis, Missouri. Jones and Vinson did not know each other prior to May 4, 2019. Befriending the victim, Jones drove Vinson's vehicle into the alley behind the 5300 block of Vernon Avenue, Saint Louis, Missouri and shot Vinson in the head and back. Jones then pulled Vinson's body out of the vehicle, fired another shot at Vinson's head, then returned to Vinson's vehicle, entered the driver's side door, and drove away.
On May 6, 2019, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department (SLMPD) officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop of Ms. Vinson’s vehicle, which fled at a high rate of speed and eventually crashed near an exit ramp at I-70 and Grand Avenue. Jones fled from the driver’s seat of the vehicle. Police located Jones, who was hiding, and arrested him. Officers also recovered a pistol from the vehicle.
The SLMPD Laboratory identified the fingerprints of Jones on the front driver's window and gas cap. Forensic analysis of clothing located in the vehicle, a bag containing fentanyl, and the airbag (which deployed when Jones crashed the vehicle), identified his DNA as being present on these items. Forensic analysis of the suspected blood in the vehicle identified it as being the victim’s DNA.
Jones admitted that he possessed, brandished, and discharged a handgun during the carjacking as a show of force and violence to take Vinson's vehicle. The handgun Jones discharged during the robbery is a firearm as defined under federal law. Jones possessed, brandished, and discharged the firearm to use deadly force to overcome resistance to the carjacking. Jones, in fact, used deadly force, which caused the death of Vinson.
The investigation also revealed that Jones sent electronic communications threatening to harm individuals who were aware of his violent conduct related to Ms. Vinson. In sending these electronic messages, Jones intended to hinder, delay, and prevent the communication of information to a law enforcement officer relating to his commission of Vinson's carjacking and discharging a firearm in furtherance of Vinson's carjacking.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Jen Szczucinski is prosecuting the case.
Bowling Green Man Arrested on Multiple Terrorism ChargesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A federal court in Kentucky unsealed an indictment today charging a dual U.S.-Bosnian citizen with providing material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) a designated foreign terrorist organization. The defendant is also charged with conspiring to provide material support to ISIS and receiving military type training from ISIS.
According to court documents, on June 3, 2014, Mirsad Hariz Adem Ramic, 31, of Bowling Green, Kentucky and two co-conspirators each departed the United States for Istanbul, Turkey in order to support ISIS. All three then purchased tickets with cash to fly to Gaziantep, Turkey, a city located near the border with Syria. From there, Ramic and the two co-conspirators crossed the Syrian border to join ISIS.
As alleged, after joining ISIS, Ramic attended an ISIS training camp where he received weapons and physical training and fired an AK-47. The FBI obtained photographs of Ramic in ISIS territory which depict him wearing camouflage clothing and standing in front of a pickup truck outfitted with an anti-aircraft gun and the ISIS flag. A second photograph of Ramic depicts him holding a rifle.
After joining ISIS, Ramic and his co-conspirators remained in contact with each other and discussed, among other things, Ramic’s presence in Raqqa, Syria, and his use of an anti-aircraft weapon to shoot at planes. Ramic and his co-conspirators also discussed jihad, martyrdom and fighting for ISIS. After joining ISIS, one of Ramic’s co-conspirators sent two e-mails to Western Kentucky University, stating that he had traveled to Syria to join ISIS and expressing his desire that ISIS conquer the United States.
Ramic had been incarcerated in Turkey and was deported to the United States. He arrived in the United States Thursday evening and made his initial appearance in court this afternoon.
If convicted of the charged offenses, Ramic faces a maximum penalty of 50 years in prison, a fine of $750,000, and term of supervised release up to life. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett for the Western District of Kentucky; Assistant Director Timothy Langan of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division and Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the Louisville Field Office made the announcement..
The FBI is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Judd and Christopher Tieke of the Western District of Kentucky and Trial Attorney Danielle Rosborough of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Bowling Green Man Arrested on Multiple Terrorism ChargesRead the Press Release
A federal court in Kentucky unsealed an indictment today charging a dual U.S.-Bosnian citizen with providing material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization. The defendant is also charged with conspiring to provide material support to ISIS and receiving military type training from ISIS.
According to court documents, on June 3, 2014, Mirsad Hariz Adem Ramic, 31, of Bowling Green, Kentucky and two co-conspirators each departed the United States for Istanbul, Turkey in order to support ISIS. All three then purchased tickets with cash to fly to Gaziantep, Turkey, a city located near the border with Syria. From there, Ramic and the two co-conspirators crossed the Syrian border to join ISIS.
As alleged, after joining ISIS, Ramic attended an ISIS training camp where he received weapons and physical training and fired an AK-47. The FBI obtained photographs of Ramic in ISIS territory which depict him wearing camouflage clothing and standing in front of a pickup truck outfitted with an anti-aircraft gun and the ISIS flag. A second photograph of Ramic depicts him holding a rifle.
After joining ISIS, Ramic and his co-conspirators remained in contact with each other and discussed, among other things, Ramic’s presence in Raqqa, Syria, and his use of an anti-aircraft weapon to shoot at planes. Ramic and his co-conspirators also discussed jihad, martyrdom and fighting for ISIS. After joining ISIS, one of Ramic’s co-conspirators sent two e-mails to Western Kentucky University, stating that he had traveled to Syria to join ISIS and expressing his desire that ISIS conquer the United States.
Ramic had been incarcerated in Turkey and was deported to the United States. He arrived in the United States Thursday evening and made his initial appearance in court this afternoon.
If convicted of the charged offenses, Ramic faces a maximum penalty of 50 years in prison, a fine of $750,000 and term of supervised release up to life. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett for the Western District of Kentucky; Assistant Director Timothy Langan of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division and Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the Louisville Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI is investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Judd and Christopher Tieke of the Western District of Kentucky and Trial Attorney Danielle Rosborough of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Beckley Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – A Beckley man pleaded guilty today to a federal gun crime.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 4, 2021, law enforcement officers utilized a confidential informant to conduct a controlled purchase of fentanyl from Curtis Harris, 34, at his residence in Beckley. Harris sold approximately 2.5 grams of fentanyl and a Cobra .380 handgun to the informant in the same transaction for $550. On March 11, 2021, law enforcement officers utilized a confidential informant to conduct a second controlled purchase of fentanyl from Harris. Harris sold approximately 14 grams of fentanyl to the informant for $1400.
Harris pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to life in prison when he is sentenced on April 8, 2022.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Alex Hamner is handling the prosecution.
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. 5:21-cr-00148.
###
Akron, OH Man Pleads Guilty in Meth Trafficking RingRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Akron, Ohio, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal drug laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Charles John Vanderhoff, 38, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that from in and around June 2018, to on or about February 28, 2020, the defendants conspired to possess with intent to distribute and distributed five hundred grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine as they participated in a methamphetamine distribution network that trafficked methamphetamine from Akron, Ohio and Erie, Pennsylvania into Crawford, Venango and Warren Counties.
Judge Baxter scheduled sentencing for April 14, 2022 at 1:30 p.m. The law provides for a total sentence of life in prison, a fine of $10,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court continued Vanderhoff on bond.
Assistant United States Attorney Paul S. Sellers is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Pennsylvania State Police, Troop E, Vice Unit, the Titusville Police Department, the Warren County Drug Task Force, the
Warren County Sherriff’s Office and the Crawford County Sherriff’s Office conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Vanderhoff.
"Long Time Coming" Update: Three Defendants Plead Guilty in Connection with Their Roles in Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Ambera Roberts, 34, Matthew Edward Depew, 31, and Era Dawn Corder, 46, all of Parkersburg, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Roberts, Depew and Corder admitted to acquiring and re-distributing large quantities of methamphetamine in furtherance of the conspiracy. This methamphetamine was acquired and re-distributed in the Parkersburg area between June and September 2021. Roberts and Corder separately obtained several ounces of methamphetamine directly from Carlo Ramsey and distributed it to third party customers. Depew acquired several pounds of methamphetamine directly from Robert Sanders, Jr., and distributed it to third party customers.
Roberts faces up to 20 years in prison when she is sentenced on March 30, 2022. Depew faces up to life in prison when he is sentenced on March 24, 2022. Corder faces up to 20 years in prison when she is sentenced on March 23, 2022.
Carlo Ramsey, Robert Sanders, Jr., and Floyd Dermonta Ramsey are awaiting trial.
The nearly year-long investigation also resulted in more than a dozen arrests on state criminal complaints in Wood County.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the excellent investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Parkersburg Narcotics Task Force (PNTF), the Parkersburg Police Department, the West Virginia State Police, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Vienna Police Department, the Williamstown Police Department, the Wood County Sheriff’s Office, the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Boyd County (KY) Sheriff’s Department, the Russell (KY) Police Department and the Raceland (KY) Police Department.
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe is handling the prosecution.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-00163.
###
18 December 2021
Holiday Travelers Assured that Aircraft Violations Are a Prosecution PriorityRead the Press Release
DENVER – The U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado and the Special Agent in Charge of the Denver FBI reminded air travelers that criminal conduct on commercial aircraft is a prosecution priority for their Denver based offices.
United States Attorney Cole Finegan noted, “As travel season begins, passengers should know that the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Colorado and our law enforcement partners are prioritizing the prosecution of criminal conduct on aircraft. We are all highly concerned about an increase in criminal conduct on commercial aircraft which endangers the safety of every person on a plane: passengers, pilots, and flight attendants. Please be assured that our office will investigate and prosecute crimes on aircraft.”
"The FBI is committed to investigating criminal acts aboard commercial aircraft that endanger the safety of passengers, flight crews, and flight attendants,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael Schneider of the Denver Division. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure the safety of all individuals during their air travel this holiday season and throughout the year.”
Working with the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Denver Police, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado prosecutes offenses that originate on commercial aircraft. Among these offenses, federal law prohibits the interference with flight crews and the commission of certain enumerated crimes while aboard commercial aircraft, such as sexual abuse (18 U.S.C. §§ 2241-43) and assault (18 U.S.C. § 113).
Colorado is home to several commercial airports, including Denver International Airport (DIA), which claims to be the third-busiest airport in the world by passengers. (https://www.flydenver.com/about/media_center/ranking) In the last year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI handled several incidents on board commercial aircraft that landed at DIA.
- A California man was charged with assault and interference with an American Airlines flight crew. U.S. v. Brian Hsu, Case No. 21-cr-0367
- A Canon City man was charged after failing to wear a mask and urinating in his seat aboard an Alaska Airlines flight. U.S. v. Landon Grier, Case No. 21-cr-0095
- A passenger on a Spirit Airlines flight was sentenced to prison for trying to open the rear exit door while in flight. U.S. v. Jahmir Williams, Case No. 21-cr-110
- A passenger on a Frontier Airlines flight was charged with engaging in unwanted sexual contact with another passenger. U.S. v. Robert Earl Glasper III, Case No. 21-cr-365
- A Pennsylvania man was prosecuted for starting a fire on a Delta Flight. U.S. v. Robert Allen, Case No. 20-cr-147
If you are aware of a crime on board a commercial aircraft that has landed in Colorado, you can report that crime to the Denver FBI at (303) 629-7171.
###
Visit our website http://www.justice.gov/usao/co | Follow us on Twitter @DCoNews
17 December 2021
“Glizzy Gang” Members Sentenced to Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin, Distribution of Heroin, and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Four individuals engaged in a conspiracy to distribute heroin in the Quad Cities were sentenced on December 16, 2021, to multi-year terms in federal prison.
Adell Moore, 31, of the 1400 block of 38th Street, in Rock Island, Illinois, was sentenced to 240 months’ imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute heroin and possession of a firearm by a felon.
Mandell Moore, 25, of the 600 block of West 61st Street in Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced to 135 months’ imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute heroin, possession with intent to distribute heroin, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
Diontae Brown, 33, of the 3000 block of 26th Street in Rock Island was sentenced to 84 months’ imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute heroin and possession with intent to distribute heroin.
Kendrick Prince, 31, of the 1800 block of West Vienna Avenue in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was sentenced to 81 months’ imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute heroin and distribution of heroin.
Each of the defendants previously pleaded guilty to the offenses. At the sentencing hearing, the government presented evidence that Moore, Moore, Brown, Prince, and others, who referred to themselves as the “Glizzy Gang,” conspired together to sell heroin in the Quad Cities between 2016 and 2019 and regularly and illegally carried firearms.
At the hearing, Chief U.S. District Court Judge Sara Darrow found that Adell Moore was the leader of the conspiracy and stated that the defendants created a “path of destruction in this community,” referencing their involvement with guns and drugs and other violent acts. Chief Judge Darrow stated that the defendants found a “lucrative market” in the Quad Cities and profited from “others’ pain, misery, and addiction.”
Chief Judge Darrow previously sentenced co-defendant Anthony McGhee, 23, of the 6200 block of Brown Street in Bettendorf, Iowa, to 180 months’ imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute heroin and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
“This case is another example of the collaborative efforts of federal and local law enforcement agencies to target major drug organizations,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Harris. “These organizations poison our communities with illegal drugs and increase the likelihood of violent crime in our neighborhoods. The sentences imposed reflect the serious nature of the defendants’ offenses.”
“The opioid epidemic is a public crisis fueled by criminals like these four individuals who spread toxins into our communities to feed addictions,” said David Nanz, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Springfield Office. “Additionally, drug activity is a gateway to other crimes like gun violence, homicide, and robbery. The FBI, along with our law enforcement partners, takes an all-encompassing approach to investigating drug trafficking, targeting and dismantling the most significant source of drug operations. These combined sentence of 540 months will significantly impact the quantity of drugs flowing through our neighborhoods and keep dangerous criminals off our streets for quite some time.”
The statutory penalty for conspiracy to distribute at least one kilogram of heroin is a mandatory minimum of ten years and up to life in prison. The statutory penalty for distribution of heroin and possession with intent to distribute heroin is not more than twenty years’ imprisonment. The statutory penalty for possession of a firearm as a felon is up to ten years’ imprisonment. The statutory penalty for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime is a mandatory minimum five years imprisonment, to be served consecutively to any other term of imprisonment.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation's Quad Cities Federal Gang Task Force investigated the case with the assistance of the East Moline Police Department, the Rock Island County Sheriff’s Office, the Rock Island Police Department, and the Silvis Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alyssa Raya represented the government in the prosecution.
Worcester Physician Agrees to Pay $115,000 Settlement to Resolve Allegations of Illegal Prescribing of Opioid Controlled SubstancesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Worcester physician has agreed to resolve allegations that he improperly prescribed opioid controlled substances outside the usual course of professional practice.
Edward Driscoll, M.D., a physician who practiced at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, has agreed to pay $115,000 to resolve allegations that he violated the civil remedies provisions of the Controlled Substances Act.
According to the settlement agreement, Dr. Driscoll admitted that he prescribed Schedule II controlled substances that were outside the usual course of professional practice for nine patients. Dr. Driscoll prescribed opioids for chronic pain without conducting functional pain assessments or opioid risk assessments. He rarely ordered urine drug screens and did not have consistent monthly office visits, despite prescribing opioids to patients monthly.
“We entrust physicians to appropriately care for their patients and comply with DEA prescribing regulations, especially in the midst of a destructive opioid epidemic,” said Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell. “These medications are controlled for a reason and failure to abide by the rules puts patients’ safety at risk. We are committed to working with our law enforcement and regulatory partners to enforce compliance and ensure public safety against the dangers of improper prescribing.”
“The DEA is committed to ensuring that all registrants are in compliance with the required regulations, which are enforceable through the Controlled Substances Act,” said Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Division. “Failure to do so increases the potential for diversion and jeopardizes public health and safety. DEA pledges to work with our law enforcement and regulatory partners to ensure these rules and regulations are followed.”
During the investigation, Dr. Driscoll surrendered his Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration number and, as part of the settlement, agreed that he would not seek a new DEA registration number.
Acting United States Attorney Mendell and DEA SAC Boyle made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra Brazier of Mendell’s Affirmative Civil Enforcement unit handled the case.