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Wednesday 3 November 2021
Rapid City Man Sentenced to Five Years on Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime was sentenced on October 28, 2021, by Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court.
Damion Goings, age 30, was sentenced to five years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Goings was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 17, 2020, and pleaded guilty on July 9, 2021. Between June 2010 and August 2020, Goings carried a firearm while distributing methamphetamine to others. Goings also received and possessed firearms as payment for methamphetamine.
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.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Rapid City Police Department, and the Meade County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.
Goings was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Previously Deported Alien Charged with Illegal Re-EntryRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Elmer Nahun Agustin-Arita, age 24, of Honduras, was indicted today by a federal grand jury with illegal re-entry into the United States by a previously deported alien.
According to Acting United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, Agustin-Arita was previously deported from the United States to Honduras in September 2018. He is alleged to have illegally reentered the United States again sometime after September 2018 and was found in the United States in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.
This matter was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). Assistant United States Attorney Joanne M. Sanderson is prosecuting the case.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Agustin-Arita faces a maximum penalty of 10 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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Preston County woman sentenced for role in drug distribution operationRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Tiffany Groves, of Kingwood, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 100 months of incarceration for her role in methamphetamine, crack cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin drug distribution operation, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II announced.
Groves, age 43, pleaded guilty in April 2021 to one count of “Aiding and Abetting Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.” Groves admitted to distributing methamphetamine in April 2020 in Monongalia County.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zelda E. Wesley and Sarah E. Wagner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The FBI's Northern West Virginia Drug Task Force in partnership with the Mon Metro Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated. The Task Forces have members from the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; West Virginia State Police; Monongalia County Sheriff's Office; and, the Morgantown, WVU, Granville and Star City Police Departments. The investigation was also assisted by the following law enforcement partners: the Monongalia County Prosecutor’s Office, the FBI in Houston, Texas; the Houston Police Department's Multi Agency Gang Initiative; the United States Postal Inspection Service in Houston; and, the FBI and DEA in Los Angeles, California.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Preston County residents indicted on charges involving insurance fraudRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Four Preston County residents are facing wire fraud charges, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II announced.
The four are charged in eight-count indictment involving wire fraud. Those charged are:
- Cynthia Miller, 36, of Newburg, West Virginia
- Dustin Miller, 41, of Reedsville, West Virginia
- Markitta Miller, 28, of Reedsville, West Virginia
- Stacey Moreland, 34, of Tunnelton, West Virginia
The four are accused of working together to stage a vehicle accident, fabricate injuries, and file false insurance claims. The crimes allegedly occurred from March to July 2019 in Taylor and Preston Counties.
Each of them faces up to 20 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 for each count. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew R. Cogar is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. ATF and the West Virginia Insurance Commission Fraud Unit investigated.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Preston County man sentenced for firearms chargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG WEST VIRGINIA – Michael C. Meade, Jr., of Masontown, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 40 months of incarceration for a firearms charge, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II announced.
Meade, 27, pleaded guilty in May 2021 to one count of “Possession by a Prohibited Person.” Meade, who had previously been convicted of a domestic battery charge in Marion County, admitted to having a semi-automatic pistol in February 2019 in Marion County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Danae DeMasi-Lemon prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives and the Fairmont Police Department investigated.
Senior U.S. District Judge Irene M. Keeley presided.
Possession of child pornography sends Missoula man to prisonRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Missoula man who admitted to having child pornography on his mobile phone was sentenced today to six years in prison, to be followed by seven years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
Aaron Charles Fritsch, 50, pleaded guilty in July to possession of child pornography.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.
In court documents filed by the government, in June 2020, the Montana Department of Corrections’ Probation and Parole Division was supervising Fritsch when his probation officers conducted a home visit. The probation officers saw evidence indicating that Fritsch was violating his probation conditions. Fritsch consented to a search of his mobile phone. Officers saw several images of nude children and contacted Homeland Security Investigations. Fritsch admitted to investigators that they would find child pornography on his phone. A search of his phone found almost 200 images of child pornography.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyndee L. Peterson prosecuted the case, which was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and Montana’s Probation and Parole Division.
This case was initiated under the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood initiative, which was launched in 2006 to combat the proliferation of technology-facilitated crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children. Through a network of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and advocacy organizations, Project Safe Childhood attempts to protect children by investigating and prosecuting offenders involved in child sexual exploitation. It is implemented through partnerships including the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The ICAC Task Force Program was created to assist state and local law enforcement agencies by enhancing their investigative response to technology facilitated crimes against children.
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Pittsburgh Man Indicted on Murder and Firearms Charges following Killing of Postal CarrierRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of murdering an employee of the United States and using a firearm to do so, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.
The two-count Indictment named Eric Kortz, 53, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on October 7, 2021, Kortz shot and killed a United States Postal employee while he was working as a letter carrier.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of death or a term of life imprisonment, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan D. Lusty is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Postal Inspection Service, the Allegheny County Police Department, the Collier Township Police Department, and the Carnegie Borough Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Phoenix Man Sentenced to over 22 Years for Sexual Abuse of a MinorRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Last week, Maurice Xavier Hollins, 25, of Phoenix, Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Douglas L. Rayes to 270 months in prison. Hollins previously pleaded guilty to Abusive Sexual Contact of a Child. After Hollins finishes serving his term in federal prison, he will be placed on supervised release for the rest of his life.
In early 2020, Hollins sexually abused the victim while staying with the victim’s family on the Navajo Nation. The victim is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Navajo Nation Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation in this case. Jason Crowley, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR 20-08083-DLR
RELEASE NUMBER: 2021- 078_Hollins# # #
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.Pharmacy Owner Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison for Role in Multimillion-Dollar Illegal Kickback Scheme and Evading Taxes on over $33 Million of IncomeRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – The former co-owner of a Union City, New Jersey, pharmacy was sentenced today to 41 months in prison for his role in a scheme to pay bribes to health care professionals and evading taxes on $33.9 million in income, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Igor Fleyshmakher, 59, of Holmdel, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp to an information charging him with conspiring to violate the federal anti-kickback statute and tax evasion. Judge Shipp imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
The Prime Aid Pharmacies – now closed – operated as “specialty pharmacies” out of locations in Union City, New Jersey, and Bronx, New York. They processed expensive medications used to treat various conditions, including Hepatitis C, Crohn’s disease, and rheumatoid arthritis. Igor Fleyshmakher was a co-owner of Prime Aid Union City. Samuel “Sam” Khaimov was the other co-owner of Prime Aid Union City and the lead pharmacist of Prime Aid Bronx. Yana Shtindler was Khaimov’s wife and managing director of Prime Aid Union City. Ruben Sevumyants was Prime Aid Union City’s operations manager, and Alex Fleyshmakher worked at Prime Aid Union City and was an owner of Prime Aid Bronx. Eduard “Eddy” Shtindler (Yana Shtindler’s brother) was a Prime Aid Union City employee.
Starting in 2010, to obtain a higher volume of prescriptions, Igor Fleyshmakher, Khaimov, Sevumyants, Alex Fleyshmakher, Eddy Shtindler, and other Prime Aid employees paid bribes to doctors and doctors’ employees to induce doctors’ offices to steer prescriptions to the Prime Aid Pharmacies. The bribes included expensive meals, designer bags, and payments by cash, check, and wire transfers. The bribes and kickbacks were paid to, among others, doctors and doctors’ employees in New Jersey and New York.
As part of his plea agreement, Igor Fleyshmakher agreed that the improper benefit conferred as part of the conspiracy to violate the federal anti-kickback statute was between $3.5 million and $9.5 million.
In addition, between 2012 and 2014, Igor Fleyshmakher diverted a substantial amount of Prime Aid Union City income into a secret bank account that he opened and controlled. He concealed the account from the pharmacy’s tax preparers and did not report any of the funds he deposited into it on his personal income tax returns. In total, he diverted $33.9 million of income into the secret account, all of which he failed to report to the IRS. As a co-owner of the pharmacy, his conduct resulted in a $5.8 million tax loss to the IRS on his share of that income for tax years 2012 through 2014.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Shipp sentenced Fleyshmakher to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay $5.8 million in restitution and a $100,000 fine.
Khaimov, Yana Shtindler, and Sevumyants have been charged together by superseding indictment with health care fraud offenses and violations of the anti-kickback statute, and that matter is pending. In addition, the following individuals associated with the Prime Aid Pharmacies have pleaded guilty for their respective roles in the kickback and bribery scheme described above: Joel Grimshaw, a former Prime Aid sales representative, Yudelka “Vicky” Ayala, a doctor’s employee who received over $200,000 in bribes and kickbacks as part of the scheme, and Alex Fleyshmakher, who also pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the IRS, resulting in losses to the IRS of over $9,000,000. Eddy Shtindler also pleaded guilty for his role in a related kickback conspiracy. These four defendants have not yet been sentenced.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr. in Newark; special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael Montanez; special agents of the Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Scott J. Lampert; and the N.J. Office of the State Comptroller, under the direction of Acting Comptroller Kevin D. Walsh, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua L. Haber of the Health Care Fraud Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Newark.
The charges against and allegations in the information pertaining to Khaimov, Yana Shtindler, and Sevumyants are merely accusations, and those three defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Perry County Man Charged with Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Todd Franklin Stydinger, age 40, of Elliotsburg, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury and charged with child pornography offenses.
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, the indictment charges Stydinger with attempting to produce child pornography, attempting to distribute child pornography, receiving child pornography, and possessing child pornography in Potter and Perry Counties.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian Haugsby is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The combined maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is up to 80 years’ imprisonment, a term of up to lifetime supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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Penfield Man Going to Prison for Bilking Investors Out of Hundreds of Thousands of DollarsRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Brian L. Schumacher, 57, of Penfield, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, was sentenced to serve eight months in prison and pay restitution totaling $170,000 by Senior U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles M. Kruly, who handled the case, stated that between April and December of 2016, the defendant conspired with others to defraud two investors, located in Massachusetts and California, out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. The investors wired significant amounts of funding to Schumacher’s company, Integra Diamonds, located in Rochester, NY, to enable Integra Diamonds to purchase diamonds in Africa.
Victim 1, a resident of Massachusetts, wire transferred $100,000.00 from his bank account to an account in the name of Integra Diamonds. During the course of the conspiracy, $30,000 was returned to Victim 1, but not the remaining $70,000 of his initial investment nor any of the promised return on the investment. Victim 2, a resident of California, invested $100,000.00 in Integra Diamonds after receiving a promise for a significant return on the investment. Schumacher used Victim 2’s money to purchase, among other things, 1,211.85 carats of industrial diamonds for $30,296.25. Schumacher then resold those diamonds to a U.S. diamond broker for $11,514 and failed to return any of the proceeds of the sale to Victim 2 notwithstanding Victim 2’s multiple requests for status updates and a return of his funds. These requests by Victim 2 resulted in Schumacher making a number of excuses for the failure of the investment. Integra Diamonds did not repay Victim 2 any portion of the $100,000 loan principle, or interest.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Boston Division Inspector-in-Charge Ketty Larco-Ward, and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations Division, under the direction of Thomas Fattorusso, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge.
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Pelahatchie Woman Arrested in Murder-for-Hire PlotRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Pelahatchie woman was arrested yesterday in a murder-for-hire plot, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Mississippi.
Jessica Leeann Sledge, 39, of Pelahatchie, is charged in a federal criminal complaint with use of interstate commerce facility in the commission of murder-for-hire.
The complaint alleges that between September 2021, and November 1, 2021, Sledge used facilities of interstate commerce with the intent to hire an assassin to murder an individual in Mississippi. Unknown to Sledge, the “hitman” she hired via the internet to commit a murder was in fact an FBI Special Agent. The intended victim was unharmed.
Sledge will make her initial appearance in federal court in Jackson this afternoon at 3:00 p.m. before United States Magistrate Judge F. Keith Ball. If convicted, she faces up to ten years in federal prison.
This arrest resulted from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Violent Crime Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Criminal Chief Dave Fulcher.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation by a sworn affiant that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to due process, to include a fair trial, during which it is the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Past President of Broward County Democratic Black Caucus Guilty of Defrauding Covid-19 Relief ProgramRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – Today, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, before the Honorable Judge Rodolfo Ruiz, 28-year-old Fort Lauderdale, Florida resident Damara Holness pled guilty to a one-count information charging her with lying on a coronavirus relief loan application and fraudulently obtaining hundreds of thousands of dollars intended to help small businesses financially survive the Covid-19 pandemic.
As part of her guilty plea, Holness admitted that in June 2020, she applied for a $300,000 forgivable, federally-guaranteed Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan on behalf of Holness Consulting, Inc., a Florida company that she owned. To justify the requested loan amount, Holness claimed in the on-line loan application, and through supporting fraudulent payroll tax forms, that her company employed 18 people and spent an average of $120,000 each month on payroll. In fact, Holness Consulting had zero employees and no payroll expenses. A bank endorsed by the Small Business Administration to fund PPP loans approved Holness Consulting’s PPP loan application based on the lies and wired $300,000 to the company’s bank account in Florida.
Once the money hit the bank account in July 2020, Holness spent the next few months creating a paper trail to make it appear as if Holness Consulting had employees and was spending the PPP money on legitimate, approved expenses, it is alleged. Holness issued checks from the company bank account made out to others who agreed, for a fee, to help with the fraud. At Holness’ direction, the people receiving the checks would endorse and return them to Holness. Then, Holness would cash the checks at the company’s bank, give a few hundred dollars to the check endorsers, and keep the rest of the cash for herself – about $1,000 per check.
At or around the time of the alleged fraud, Damara Holness served as President of the Broward County Democratic Black Caucus.
The information to which Holness pled guilty charged her with conspiring to commit wire fraud. The sentencing is scheduled for January 20, 2022 at 1:00 p.m. She faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami, announced the guilty plea.
FBI Miami investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Kaplan is prosecuting it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Stone is handling asset forfeiture.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal law designed to provide emergency financial assistance to millions of Americans who suffered financially from the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of hundreds of billions of dollars in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 21-cr-60229.
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Passaic County Woman Admits Role in Drug Conspiracy and Distribution of FentanylRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Passaic County, New Jersey, woman today admitted participating in a conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Nysifah Deaveareaux, 28, of Paterson, New Jersey, pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Stanley R. Chesler to an information charging her with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 100 grams or more of heroin and one count of distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From May 2020 through Aug. 13, 2020, Deaveareaux conspired to distribute heroin and fentanyl. On June 11, 2020, Deaveareaux transported approximately 12,500 glassines of heroin and fentanyl from New Jersey to Vermont, where she distributed them to another person.
Each count carries a minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 40 years in prison, and a fine of at least $5 million. Sentencing is scheduled for March 16, 2022.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents and task force officers with the DEA in New Jersey and New England, under the direction of Special Agents in Charge Susan A. Gibson and Brian D. Boyle, respectively, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
This investigation was conducted as part of the Paterson Violent Crime Initiative (VCI). The VCI was formed in 2020 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey and the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, for the sole purpose of combatting violent crime in and around Paterson. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate to strategize and prioritize the prosecution of violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) New Jersey Division, the Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations, the Paterson Police Department, the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office, New Jersey State Parole, and the New Jersey State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francesca Liquori, of the Organized Crime and Gangs Unit.
Passaic County Man Admits Illegal Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Passaic County, New Jersey, man today admitted possessing a firearm and ammunition after previously having been convicted of a felony, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Harold Mickens, 56, of Paterson, New Jersey, pleaded guilty to an indictment charging him with one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon before U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Dec. 8, 2019, law enforcement officers received a tip that a male wearing a black coat and black sweatpants was standing next to a blue Cadillac Escalade on Ocean Avenue in Jersey City and holding a gun in a green plastic bag. Law enforcement officers responded to the area and identified Mickens as matching the description provided by the tipster. They searched the green plastic bag Mickens was holding and found it to contain a Rossi .357 revolver loaded with six rounds of ammunition. Mickens had previously been convicted in the Superior Court of Hudson County, New Jersey, of possession of a controlled dangerous substance on school property, a felony punishable by more than one year in prison.
The charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for March 16, 2022.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey L. Matthews in Newark, and the Jersey City Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director James Shea, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sophie E. Reiter of the Cybercrime Unit and Sarah A. Sulkowski of the Violent Crimes Unit in Newark.
Pinedale Man Fined $15,000 for Unlawful Grazing on Federal LandsRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Bob Murray announced today that PHILIP SELBY, 67, of Pinedale, Wyoming pleaded guilty on October 18, 2021 in front of Chief United States Magistrate Judge Kelly H. Rankin for providing false information to a forest officer, allowing unauthorized livestock on national forest land, and violating the terms and conditions of a grazing permit. He was ordered to pay $15,000 in fines.
A multi-state investigation initiated in 2017 involving alleged fraud, embezzlement, and theft of livestock in California, resulted in evidence of grazing violations occurring in the Upper Green River Cattle allotment on the Bridger-Teton National Forest. The investigation revealed a suspect in California had shipped livestock to the Rendezvous Ranch in Pinedale, Wyoming. The case was referred to U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement and Investigations when the state uncovered information indicating a significant number of illegally rebranded cattle had been moved into the national forest.
The Rendezvous Ranch possessed a term grazing permit that required the ranch to graze only cattle that it owned on national forest lands. The investigation revealed that Selby, then manager of the Pinedale based Rendezvous Ranch, acknowledged the terms of the grazing permit in writing and admitted he had been engaged in a business relationship with the suspect in California. Records obtained by U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement revealed multiple payments issued from the California suspect to Selby in connection with the cattle even though the ranch legally owned no cattle.
Evidence obtained during the investigation revealed that numerous head of cattle, shipped to the Rendezvous Ranch, were illegally rebranded, giving the appearance of a legitimate transfer. Rebranded cattle were released onto the Bridger-Teton National Forest in violation of several permit provisions aimed at protection of range resources, and utilization of public land range allotments. The cattle were seized by the state in the fall of 2017, at which time Selby signed an affidavit disavowing ownership of approximately 370 head. The Rendezvous Ranch changed ownership in the months that followed.
“The United States Attorney’s Office, along with our law enforcement partners, remains committed to protection of Rangeland resources and upholding the integrity of the livestock industry in the state of Wyoming,” said Acting United States Attorney, Bob Murray.
This case was investigated by U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement and Investigations with assistance from the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office in California and the Wyoming Livestock Board. Assistant United States Attorney Christyne M. Martens.
Owner and Principal of Investment Fund Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Insider Trading and Investment FraudRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that DONALD BLAKSTAD, the owner and principal of a California-based investment fund, was sentenced today in Manhattan federal court to 36 months in prison for committing insider trading and orchestrating a securities offering fraud scheme. In June 2021, a jury found BLAKSTAD guilty of conspiracy, securities fraud, and wire fraud offenses following a two-week jury trial before U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos, who imposed today’s sentence.
According to the Indictment, evidence presented at trial, and statements made in connection with sentencing:
BLAKSTAD was a stock trader and the owner and principal of an investment fund known as Midcontinental Petroleum Inc. (“Midcontinental Petroleum”), which purported to be in the business of soliciting investments in the energy industry. Martha Bustos was a former certified public accountant who worked in the finance department at Illumina, Inc. (“Illumina”), a San Diego-based biotechnology company whose securities trade on NASDAQ. By virtue of her employment at Illumina, Bustos had access to material nonpublic information about Illumina’s financial condition, including its earnings.
On several occasions, from 2016 through 2018, BLAKSTAD obtained inside information about Illumina’s financial condition from Bustos before Illumina publicly announced its earnings and financial results. As BLAKSTAD knew, Bustos owed a duty to keep inside information about Illumina confidential.
BLAKSTAD, aware of Bustos’s breach of duty to Illumina, used this inside information to make profitable trades in Illumina securities shortly before Illumina’s earnings announcements. At times, BLAKSTAD tipped his associates so that they could trade Illumina stock and options based on the inside information. At other times, in order to avoid detection, BLAKSTAD arranged for his associates to purchase Illumina securities for BLAKSTAD’s benefit in accounts controlled by his associates.
Following the public announcement of Illumina’s earnings, BLAKSTAD and his associates sold the Illumina securities at a significant profit, sometimes exceeding more than 2,000 percent. In total, BLAKSTAD and his associates made more than $6 million in profits from purchasing and selling Illumina securities.
In addition, from at least in or about 2015 through at least in or about 2019, BLAKSTAD devised and operated a securities offering fraud to fraudulently obtain more than a $1 million from a number of investors. BLAKSTAD fraudulently induced victim investors to make up-front, lump-sum investments for securities issued by Midcontinental Petroleum, which funds BLAKSTAD then misappropriated, in substantial part.
To facilitate the scheme, BLAKSTAD made false and misleading representations to investor victims regarding how their investment funds would be utilized. During the scheme, at BLAKSTAD’s direction, victims transmitted their funds, including by wire transfer, into bank accounts that were controlled by BLAKSTAD. Once he obtained these investor funds, BLAKSTAD did not use them for the purposes he had represented to investors. Instead, BLAKSTAD diverted a substantial portion of victims’ funds to himself and to co-conspirators. For example, BLAKSTAD used the funds to pay for a variety of personal expenses and for purposes that were unrelated to the business of Midcontinental Petroleum.
BLAKSTAD also made a series of false and misleading statements to victims designed to avoid detection, perpetuate the scheme, and keep the victim funds he received as a result of the fraud.
In total, BLAKSTAD’s schemes yielded more than $7 million in criminal profits.
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In addition to his prison term, BLAKSTAD, 62, of San Diego, California, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution to victims in the amount of $669,000.
Mr. Williams praised the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and thanked the Securities and Exchange Commission, which brought a separate civil action.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward A. Imperatore and Jared Lenow are in charge of the prosecution.
Ohio men indicted on drug chargesRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – A Grand Jury in Clarksburg, West Virginia, indicted two Ohio men on drug charges, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II announced.
Reuben Jahmell Dauntez Donald, of Akron, Ohio, and Darion Davon Isimemen Ojezua, of Dayton, Ohio, were each indictment on methamphetamine charges in separate cases.
Donald, 35, was indicted on one count of “Distribution of Methamphetamine within 1,000 Feet of a Protected Location.” Donald is accused of selling methamphetamine near Jensen Playground on Wheeling Island in October 2021.
Ojezua, also known as “Dee,” 25, was indicted on one count of “Distribution of Methamphetamine” and one count of “Possession with intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.” Ojezua is accused of having and selling methamphetamine in October 2021 in Wetzel County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Clayton J. Reid is prosecuting the Ojezua case on behalf of the government. The Marshall County Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn M. Adkins is prosecuting the case Donald case on behalf of the government. The Ohio Valley Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
New Orleans Resident Pleads Guilty to Possessing a Loaded Ak-47 Found During Traffic Stop and to Possessing with Intent to Distribute Crack CocaineRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that BLAKE MONROE, age 31, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, pled guilty on November 2, 2021 to being a felon in possession of a loaded AK-47 seized during a New Orleans Police Department traffic stop and to possessing with intent to distribute a quantity of crack cocaine that was hidden on his body during this stop and found by an Orleans Parish Sheriff deputy during MONROE’s booking at jail.
MONROE is facing a sentence of up to twenty years of imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000,000, at least three years of supervised release upon leaving prison, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee for the crack cocaine offense, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C). MONROE is facing up to ten years of imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to three years of supervised release upon leaving prison, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee for being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1). MONROE has felony convictions for domestic abuse by strangulation and battery, among other criminal offenses.
According to court records, during a December 11, 2019 traffic stop, NOPD officers observed in plain sight a loaded AK-47, with the selector switch in the fire position, on the back floor of a white Mercedes driven by MONROE. NOPD officers had pulled MONROE over after two NOPD officers who had been conducting undercover surveillance on Chef Menteur Highway in New Orleans East observed MONROE conduct a suspected hand-to-hand crack sale.
During his booking at jail that same afternoon, an Orleans Parish Sheriff Office deputy found approximately 24 grams of crack cocaine that MONROE had hidden on his body. U.S. District Judge Wendy B. Vitter will sentence MONROE on February 15, 2022.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, Hammond Police Department, New Orleans Police Department, and Slidell Police Department in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney David Howard Sinkman is in charge of the prosecution.
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New Britain Man Admits Stealing U.S. Postal Service PropertyRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that STEVEN KNOX, 45, of New Britain, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to theft government property.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in the early morning hours of May 19, 2021, the tire shed at a U.S. Postal Service (USPS) vehicle maintenance facility in Hartford was burglarized and approximately 43 tires were stolen. The facility’s surveillance video showed a pickup truck pulling up to the tire shed at approximately 1:30 a.m. Knox and another individual then broke into the shed, loaded tires into the bed of pickup, and then drove off. Knox was formerly employed by a USPS towing contractor and possessed a key card to access the vehicle maintenance facility’s gate. Knox then sold the stolen tires, which had a value of approximately $3,836, to a tire shop in New Britain for $1,500.
Knox was arrested on June 8, 2021.
Judge Dooley scheduled sentencing for January 27, 2022, at which time Knox faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. Knox is released on a $100,000 bond pending sentencing.
This investigation has been conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service with the assistance of the New Britain Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Gresham.
Middleton Woman Pleads Guilty to Fraudulently Accessing Social Security BenefitsRead the Press Release
CONCORD - Michelle Marone, 52, of Middleton, pleaded guilty in federal court to access device fraud, Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Marone’s boyfriend went missing in April 2019. Her boyfriend was receiving Social Security Disability Insurance payments that were deposited onto a debit card. The Social Security Administration was unaware of the boyfriend’s disappearance and continued to deposit funds onto the card each month. In June of 2020, Marone entered her boyfriend’s personal identifying information into an automated dialing system and obtained a replacement debit card, which she used over the next year to access the stored funds. She withdrew most of the funds from ATMs in Farmington and Rochester. Overall, Marone obtained $23,591.50 in benefits that she was not entitled to receive.
Marone is scheduled to be sentenced on February 24, 2022.
“This defendant fraudulently obtained thousands of dollars in Social Security Disability benefits that she was not entitled to receive,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley. “By accessing benefits that she was not entitled to, she committed a serious federal crime. We work closely with the Social Security Administration’s Inspector General to identify and prosecute those who steal Social Security benefits that are intended for individuals with disabilities.”
“After her boyfriend went missing, Ms. Marone intentionally took steps to redirect his Social Security benefits for her own personal gain,” said Gail S. Ennis, Inspector General for the Social Security Administration. “We will continue to pursue and hold those accountable who defraud SSA. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen for prosecuting this case.”
This matter was investigated by the Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen.
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Mexican National Sentenced to 70 Months in Federal Prison for Heroin Trafficking OffenseRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that CONSTANTINO ACOSTA-BANDA, 43, a citizen of Mexico last residing in Chula Vista, California, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to 70 months of imprisonment for trafficking heroin and fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2019, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force began investigating an organization that was distributing heroin, fentanyl and crack cocaine in an around Bridgeport. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps, revealed that the organization had a connection to Mexican drug cartel traffickers, and that members of the organization were eager to receive a steady supply of narcotics from the west coast of the U.S.
In December 2019, members of the organization traveled to a parking lot in San Diego and purchased from their suppliers 1.1 kilograms of fentanyl in exchange for $27,000. After this successful transaction, they arranged to purchase five kilograms of heroin from their suppliers. On February 10, 2020, Acosta-Banda and three other individuals were arrested after they arrived at the same parking lot to conduct the transaction and investigators seized from them a box containing approximately 4.9 kilograms of heroin. A related search of a storage locker in San Diego revealed approximately six kilograms of cocaine.
Acosta-Banda has been detained since his arrest. On March 4, 2021, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl.
Acosta-Banda, who has been deported to Mexico at least 17 times since 2002, faces immigration proceedings when he completes his prison term. In 2017, while driving under the influence in California, Acosta-Banda was involved in a hit-and-run crash that seriously injured a six-year-old boy.
This matter has been investigated by the DEA’s Bridgeport HIDTA Task Force with the assistance of the DEA San Diego Field Division. The DEA’s Bridgeport HIDTA Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Bridgeport Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bridgeport, Norwalk, Stamford, Stratford, Milford and Danbury Police Departments.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen L. Peck and Lauren C. Clark through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Mercer County Man Sentenced to 188 Months in Prison for Distributing Fentanyl that Caused Death of Monmouth County WomanRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Mercer County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 188 months in prison for distributing fentanyl that caused the death of a Monmouth County, New Jersey, woman, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Quasaan Bethea, 35, of Trenton, previously pleaded guilty before Chief District Court Judge Freda L. Wolfson to one count of conspiring to distribute fentanyl, which Bethea admitted caused the death of a Monmouth County woman. Chief Judge Wolfson imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court.
According to the documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On May 15, 2018, a woman from Englishtown, New Jersey, referred to in court as Victim-1, sought out Bethea and his conspirator, Tarashanna Blake, to purchase a particular “brand” or “stamp” of heroin the pair sold known as “CAMEL.” Bethea and Blake agreed. The packages Victim-1 purchased from Bethea and Blake, however, contained fentanyl, and not heroin. Shortly after Bethea and Blake distributed the CAMEL-stamped fentanyl to Victim-1, Victim-1 died of a fentanyl overdose.
Later that same day, law enforcement officers, in an undercover capacity, used Victim-1’s cell phone to purchase more heroin from Bethea and Blake. Blake spoke with an undercover law enforcement officer and agreed to the sale. At the agreed upon time and location, the undercover officer advised Blake that he/she had arrived. Blake responded “park” and “my [boyfriend] gonna walk to you.” Bethea parked his vehicle behind the undercover vehicle and exited. As the officer approached Bethea, Bethea discarded objects packaged like heroin and stamped “CAMEL,” which were later determined to be fentanyl.
In addition to the prison term, Chief Judge Wolfson sentenced Bethea to three years of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Susan A. Gibson; detectives from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Lori Linskey; the Englishtown Police Department under the direction of Peter S. Cooke Jr.; and Trenton Police Department’s Narcotics Task Force, under the direction of Acting Police Director Steve Wilson, for their assistance with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan L. O’Neill of the Office’s Health Care Fraud Unit.
Mechanicville Man Pleads Guilty to Aggravated Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Gary Ryan, age 50, of Mechanicville, New York, pled guilty today to aggravated sexual abuse and transportation of minors to engage in sexual activity. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and Colonie Police Department Chief Michael Woods.
As part of his guilty plea, Ryan admitted that in April or May 2003, he took Victim 1, a then 5-year-old child, with him to Florida. While in Florida, Ryan masturbated Victim 1’s penis, performed oral sex on Victim 1, and anally raped Victim 1. In 2004, Ryan took then 6-year-old Victim 1 to Massachusetts and Nevada. During both trips, Ryan anally penetrated Victim 1. Ryan also admitted to providing Victim 1 with drugs and alcohol.
Ryan admitted that in 2007, he took Victim 2, then 14 years old, to Florida. There, Ryan rubbed Victim 2’s penis. That same year, Ryan also took Victim 2 to Massachusetts where he showed Victim 2 pornography and rubbed Victim 2’s penis.
Between 1998 and 1999, Ryan took Victim 3, then 14 or 15 years old, to Massachusetts with other teenagers. Ryan provided Victim 3 with alcohol. While Victim 3 was asleep, Ryan rubbed Victim 3’s penis to try to arouse him and shaved Victim 3’s genitals. Ryan instructed another teenager to videotape it.
In his plea agreement, Ryan agreed to be sentenced to 30 years in prison. United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino will sentence him on March 1, 2022.
This case was investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, the Colonie Police Department, the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Department, and the New York State Police. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Katherine Kopita as part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Massachusetts Man Convicted on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Massachusetts man was convicted today by a federal jury of five child pornography offenses, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
William H. Noble, 56, of Lowell, Massachusetts, was convicted of conspiring to receive and distribute child pornography, receiving child pornography, distributing child pornography, possessing child pornography, and accessing with intent o view child pornography on federal property following a three-day trial before U.S. District Judge Joseph H. Rodriguez.
According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial:
Between Nov. 1, 2016, and April 26, 2017, while an inmate at FCI-Fort Dix, Noble participated in a conspiracy with other inmates to receive and distribute images of child sexual abuse. Noble was serving an 81-month sentence following his guilty plea in the District of Massachusetts to transportation and possession of child pornography. He was scheduled to be released on March 8, 2018.
While in prison, Noble and his conspirators accessed images of child sexual abuse on the “dark web” using cell phones that had been smuggled into the prison. They then stored the images on micro SD cards, which they shared amongst the conspirators.
On April 19, 2017, Noble transferred a micro SD card containing over 2,400 images and nearly 100 videos of child sexual abuse to a government informant. Many of the images and videos depicted the sexual abuse of prepubescent children, including infants and toddlers. At the time of the transfer, Noble was recorded describing the child sexual abuse images and videos to the informant. Noble’s conspirators were also recorded describing Noble’s role and conduct in furtherance of the conspiracy. When Noble was arrested on Feb. 5, 2018, he confessed to the FBI.
Due to the defendant’s prior convictions, the counts of receiving and distributing child pornography and conspiring to receive and distribute child pornography are each punishable by a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 40 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. The counts of possessing and accessing child pornography on federal property each carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 3, 2022, before Judge Rodriguez.
The charges against Noble stem from a long-term investigation by the FBI, which led to similar charges against seven other FCI-Fort Dix inmates. All of the other defendants have already pleaded guilty for their roles in the scheme.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr, with the investigation leading to today’s verdict. She also thanked officials of the Bureau of Prisons and FCI-Fort Dix for their assistance with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew B. Johns and David E. Malagold of the Criminal Division.
Martinsburg man admits to role in drug trafficking and firearms conspiracyRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Antoine Paul Brown, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, has admitted to a firearms charge, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II announced.
Brown, 38, pleaded guilty today to one count of “False Statement During Purchase of Firearm.” Brown admitted to falsifying a form to purchase a firearm for someone else in April 2019 in Berkeley County.
Brown faces up to 20 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The FBI; U.S. Marshals Service; Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives; the West Virginia Air National Guard; the Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the West Virginia State Police; the Harpers Ferry Police Department, and the Metropolitan Police Department of Washington, D.C. investigated. The EPDTF consists of the West Virginia State Police, Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Ranson Police Department, the Charles Town Police Department, and the Martinsburg Police Department.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Marstons Mills Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Marstons Mills man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to charges of distributing, receiving and possessing child pornography.
Steven Carme, 32, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography, one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor and a minor who had not attained 12 years of age. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for March 8, 2022. Carme was indicted in February 2019 and released by the Court on conditions.
Between Feb. 2, 2017 and Feb. 5, 2019, Carme downloaded and distributed numerous image and video files depicting child pornography via peer-to-peer file sharing software. During a search of Carme’s residence, a laptop and an external hard drive were seized. Forensic review of the external hard drive revealed approximately 7,881 images and 616 videos of child pornography. During an onsite interview, Carme admitted that the laptop and hard drive were his and that he downloaded, stored and distributed child pornography.
The charges of distribution and receipt of child pornography each provide for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 20 years in prison. The charge of possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison. Each charge also provides for a mandatory minimum of five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Barnstable Police Chief Matthew Sonnabend made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elianna J. Nuzum of Mendell’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Marshall County man admits to drug chargeRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Alex R. Lee, of Moundsville, West Virginia, has admitted to a methamphetamine charge, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II announced.
Lee, 35, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Distribution of Methamphetamine.” Lee admitted to selling methamphetamine in February 2021 in Marshall County.
Lee faces up to 20 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Clayton J. Reid is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Marshall County Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.
Man who ran from police heads to federal prisonRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 28-year-old Corpus Christi resident has been ordered to prison for possession with intent to deliver cocaine, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Don Neal Devon Cobb pleaded guilty Aug. 2.
Today, U.S. District Judge David S. Morales ordered him to serve 88 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, Cobb admitted he had a drug problem.
Cobb first caught the attention of law enforcement when they pulled him over for a traffic violation. He soon fled the scene and led officers on a high speed pursuit before wrecking his vehicle. At the scene of the crash, authorities located a substantial amount of meth.
The investigation led to the discovery that he was dealing narcotics. On May 28, 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Cobb’s residence. Inside, they found cocaine, heroin, illegal mushrooms, marijuana, THC wax, a loaded firearm and items associated with drug trafficking.
Cobb has been in custody since the time of his arrest where he will remain pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of Homeland Security Investigations, Texas Department of Public Safety and Corpus Christi Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Barbara J. De Peña prosecuted the case.
Man Sentenced to a Year in Federal Prison for Straw Purchasing Handguns in Chicago SuburbsRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A man has been sentenced to a year in federal prison for straw purchasing handguns in the Chicago suburbs.
On four occasions in 2019 and 2020, ISMAEL SENE purchased a total of seven handguns from licensed firearms dealers in the Chicago suburbs of Oak Lawn and Merrionette Park. In one of the transactions, Sene falsely certified on federal forms that he was the actual buyer. In reality, Sene purchased at least one of those guns on behalf of an individual whom Sene had reason to believe was a convicted felon who was prohibited by federal law from purchasing or possessing a firearm. In addition, Sene in each transaction falsely told the firearms dealer that he was not an unlawful drug user, when, in fact, Sene regularly used marijuana, which was a violation of federal law.
Sene, 25, of Chicago, pleaded guilty in June to making false statements in connection with the acquisition of a firearm. U.S. District Judge Robert W. Gettleman on Oct. 29, 2021, sentenced Sene to a year and a day in federal prison.
The sentence was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Kristen de Tineo, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The Chicago Police Department provided valuable assistance.
“Straw purchasers, like the defendant, perpetuate the cycle of violence that is terrorizing this city,” Assistant U.S. Attorney James P. Durkin argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “The tools that drive that mayhem are firearms in the hands of dangerous people who are often legally prohibited from purchasing and possessing them.”
Man Charged with Threatening to Assault and Kill Federal JudgeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man was arrested today for threatening to injure a federal judge, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Jonathan D. Williams, 46, of Newark, New Jersey, is charged by criminal complaint with making a threat to assault and murder a United States judge. Williams is scheduled to have his initial appearance Nov. 4, 2021, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Edward S. Kiel.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Nov. 1, 2021, Williams called a U.S. District Court judge in the District of New Jersey at least two times at the judge’s chambers phone number. The first call was answered by the courtroom deputy for the judge in the judge’s chambers. Williams spoke to the courtroom deputy concerning a civil suit that Williams filed and that is presently before the judge. Williams stated that he needed to get the case in front of a jury immediately in order “to get my settlement.” Williams called the judge’s chambers a second time and spoke to one of the judge’s law clerks. While discussing issues related to his case, he stated: “Before the snow starts falling on my head, I’m gonna put a bullet in the Judge’s brain . . . he’s a scumbag.”
On Nov. 1, 2021, Williams again contacted the judge’s chambers phone number. Members of the U.S. Marshals Service were present when this call was made and overheard Williams’s conversation with an employee who works in the judge’s chambers. Williams directed sexually-explicit, profane, and racially-disparaging remarks at that employee. Williams then stated: “You’ll see! You’ll lose your job when I kill your boss.” Williams then repeated the threat a second time before the call ended.
On Nov. 2, 2021, Williams arrived at the entrance of a law firm office in Newark. When he entered the lobby, two security guards who were present denied Williams entry into the law office. Williams pulled down a protective mask he was wearing over his mouth and nose and identified himself by name as “Jonathan Williams.” Williams told the security guards that he was “going to blow the judge’s brains out.” Williams then repeated the threat before leaving the law office lobby.
The charge of making threats to assault and murder a federal judge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited the U.S. Marshals Service for the District of New Jersey, under the direction of U.S. Marshal Juan Mattos Jr., with the investigation leading to the arrest.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dean Sovolos of the Office’s National Security Unit in Newark.
The charge and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Man Charged with Federal Offenses Stemming from Alleged Robbery SpreeRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and David Sundberg, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced the unsealing of a federal criminal complaint charging CHRISTIAN VELEZ, 23, with federal robbery and firearm offenses.
Velez is currently being sought by law enforcement for his alleged involvement in a series of robberies throughout Connecticut beginning in September 2021. In addition to a federal arrest warrant, multiple state arrest warrants have been issued for Velez.
The FBI is offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Velez. Individuals with information concerning this case are encouraged to contact the FBI’s New Haven Field Office at (203) 503-5580, or by submitting a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.
The complaint charges Velez with Hobbs Act robbery and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. The complaint affidavit remains sealed.
Acting U.S. Attorney Boyle stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Burau of Investigation, Connecticut State Police and several local police departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ruff.
Lycoming County Man Sentenced to One Year Imprisonment for Fraudulent Tax Return SchemeRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jeremy Baney, age 50, formerly of Lycoming County and currently an inmate at SCI Smithfield, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on November 3, 2021, to 12 months’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Sylvia H. Rambo for his participation in a scheme to file fraudulent federal income tax returns from state prison. Judge Rambo also ordered the 12-month sentence to run concurrent to Baney’s current state sentence.
According to Acting United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, Baney pled guilty to obtaining personal identification information from other SCI Smithfield state inmates and using that information to file federal income tax returns. The federal tax refunds were then deposited into local bank accounts set up by either Baney or a now deceased confederate. The false claims made to the United States amounted to $69,510 which resulted in the United States suffering a tax loss in terms of refunds amounting to $32,343. Judge Rambo ordered Baney to make restitution to the United States in the amount of $32,343.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Criminal Investigation Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney William A. Behe prosecuted the case.
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Long Island Man Sentenced to Life in Prison Plus 84 Years for Murder, Multiple Home Invasion Robberies and Unlawful Use of FirearmsRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, New York, Tyrone L. Robinson was sentenced by United States District Judge Joan M. Azrack to life imprisonment plus 84 years to run consecutive to the life sentence for murder, seven counts of robbery and attempted robbery of drugs and drug proceeds, seven counts of unlawful use, brandishing and discharge of firearms, and four counts of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. Robinson was convicted by a jury in February 2020 following a four-week trial.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and John B. DeVito, Special Agent-in-Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, New York Field Division (ATF), announced the sentence.“Robinson’s violent crime spree extended not only to possessing illegal drugs and weapons, and committing home invasions, robberies and murder, but also to threatening to take the life of an innocent 8-year-old child,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Today’s lengthy sentence serves to protect our communities, including our children, while sending a strong message to violent offenders like the defendant that they will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
Mr. Peace expressed his appreciation to the Nassau and Suffolk County Police Departments and the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision for their assistance with the investigation and prosecution.
“Today’s sentence ensures that a serial predator will never be set free to inflict violence within our communities. The reign of terror of Tyrone Robinson is over. Convicted of murder with a firearm, armed robbery, armed assaults, Robinson preyed upon his victims and showed no mercy. We commend the work of the ATF’s Long Island Firearms Task Force and our partners from the Nassau and Suffolk County Police Departments and United States Attorney’s Office for their steadfast commitment to investigating these crimes and to ensuring justice was served,” stated ATF Special Agent-in-Charge DeVito.
Between August 2015 and May 2016, Robinson and his co-conspirators committed multiple armed home invasion robberies of drug dealers in Nassau and Suffolk counties. The victims were pistol-whipped, often times zip-tied, threatened with death and shot. On March 25, 2016, Robinson committed an armed home invasion in Lake Grove and threatened to kill an eight-year-old girl if she did not find money for him. The following night, when Robinson returned to the scene of the Lake Grove home invasion, he dropped his cellphone and it was recovered by police responding to a call from neighbors. The cellphone was logged into Robinson’s online account which he had used to Google search for directions to his targeted locations and for news reports about the crimes he had committed. For example, after a violent robbery attack in Hempstead, Robinson Google searched “man beaten in Hempstead.” During a home invasion robbery by Robinson on May 3, 2016 in Freeport, the victim, Johnathan Isaac, was fatally shot in the back. Shortly after Isaac’s murder and the shooting of another victim in Freeport, Robinson Google searched “two shot Freeport” and watched news reports about the crimes.
This case was brought as 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. As part of the program, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement and their local communities to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Allen Bode and Anthony Bagnuola are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
TYRONE L. ROBINSON
Age: 35
Bay Shore, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Criminal Docket No. 16-545 (S-4)(JMA)
Little Eagle Man Sentenced to Three Years on Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Little Eagle, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Stolen Firearm was sentenced on October 28, 2021, by Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court.
Keith Looking Back, age 39, was sentenced to three years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Looking Back was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 11, 2020, and pleaded guilty on May 26, 2021. In April 2020, Looking Back knowingly possessed a stolen SIG Sauer, model SIG MCX, 5.56 caliber semi-automatic rifle. The rifle had been stolen by other individuals from Pawn With Us in Rapid City in April 2020.
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.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.
Looking Back was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Lincoln Woman Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that Kelly J. Jablonski, 42, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced today for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine mixture. United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Jablonski to eight years and one month in prison. Following her release from prison, Jablonski will serve three years on supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system
In January of 2021, a confidential informant working with the Lincoln Police Department bought 58 grams, (approximately two ounces), of methamphetamine mixture from Jablonski through a third person. In late January and early February of 2021, a tracker on Jablonski’s Jeep showed she made several trips to the Omaha/Council Bluffs area, stopping in South Omaha and at casinos in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
On February 11, 2021, investigators followed Jablonski to a casino in Council Bluffs where her Jeep was seen on casino security video. The video showed a male take a duffel bag from a car with Colorado plates which was parked near Jablonski’s Jeep. The male then got into Jablonski’s Jeep. Both vehicles then left the casino garage. Jablonski was later seen leaving Omaha on westbound I-80 in her Jeep followed by the same male who was driving a van with Colorado plates. Both vehicles were stopped for traffic violations by the Nebraska State Patrol. Jablonski admitted she had three pounds of methamphetamine in her Jeep, resulting in a search. In her Jeep, a total of 1.3 kilograms, (approximately 2.8 pounds), of methamphetamine mixture was found. The van was also searched, and an additional 209 grams, (approximately seven ounces), of methamphetamine mixture was found. The car with Colorado plates was stopped in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The driver was arrested for traffic violations and an outstanding warrant. That car was also searched, and an additional ¼ ounce methamphetamine and more than $34,000 in cash were found.
Jablonski told officers she had obtained methamphetamine from the male in the van since June of 2020, estimating that between June and December of 2020, she obtained up to two pounds per week. She also estimated she obtained at least 25 pounds from the male during the month prior to her arrest. She said the methamphetamine found in her Jeep came from the male in the van. Jablonski said she sold methamphetamine to people in Lincoln, Omaha, and Council Bluffs.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force with assistance from the Nebraska State Patrol and the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office.
Lincoln County Man Sentenced to More Than 15 Years in Federal Prison for Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Lincoln County man was sentenced today to 15 years and eight months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and five grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to court documents, the South Charleston Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in which Bert Tackett, 56, of Alkol, was a passenger on February 8, 2021. Tackett possessed approximately 117 grams of a mixture/substance containing fentanyl and approximately 41.989 grams of methamphetamine and admitted that he intended to distribute the controlled substances. Law enforcement officers also recovered a Bersa Thunder 9mm handgun from inside the vehicle. When officers arrested Tackett at his Alkol residence on June 15, 2021, they found two bags of fentanyl weighing approximately 31.123 grams and 1.244 grams, a bag of methamphetamine weighing approximately 27.238 grams, and two loaded firearms inside his residence.
United States Attorney William S. Thompson made the announcement and commended the excellent investigative work of the South Charleston Police Department, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the U.S. Marshals Service.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Nick Miller handled 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. 2:21-cr-00097.
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Leader of MS-13 in Honduras and Drug Supplier for MS-13 Charged in Manhattan Federal Court with Racketeering, Narcotics Trafficking, and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, John J. Durham, Director of Joint Task Force Vulcan (“JTFV”), Anne Milgram, Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), Jay Greenberg, Acting Assistant Director of the Criminal Investigative Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and Steve Francis, Acting Executive Associate Director, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), announced the unsealing of a Superseding Indictment in Manhattan federal court charging YULAN ANDONY ARCHAGA CARÍAS, a/k/a “Alexander Mendoza,” a/k/a “Porky,” and DAVID CAMPBELL, a/k/a “Viejo Dan,” a/k/a “Don David,” with committing racketeering, narcotics trafficking, and firearms offenses. ARCHAGA Carías, a Honduran national, remains at large and has been added to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List, the DEA’s Most Wanted Fugitives List, and HSI’s Most Wanted Fugitives List. CAMPBELL, a Honduran national, is currently in custody in Nicaragua. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Gregory H. Woods.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, Yulan Andony Archaga Carías is MS-13’s highest-ranking member in Honduras, responsible for trafficking multi-ton shipments of cocaine into the U.S. and ordering and overseeing the multiple violent acts carried out to make those shipments happen. These allegedly included numerous murders of rivals. David Campbell was, until his capture, allegedly one of Archaga Carías’s major suppliers of drugs and guns, and he planned and coordinated violent acts with Archaga Carías. Campbell is in custody, and now a reward is offered for information leading to the arrest of Archaga Carías.”
JTFV Director John J. Durham said: “MS-13 violence, fueled by drug trafficking and firearms, has a devastating impact across the United States and Central America. The indictment unsealed today, which charges the highest ranking leader of MS-13 in Honduras and one of MS-13’s alleged main drug suppliers in Honduras, shows that no leader of MS-13 is beyond the reach of the Department of Justice and United States law enforcement. JTFV gratefully appreciates its partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, and will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to dismantle MS-13’s command and control structure throughout the Western Hemisphere.”
DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said: “For decades, MS-13 has been synonymous with extreme violence and brutality. The only way to weaken and disrupt criminal organizations that wreak havoc on our communities is to attack them at their core – their leadership and suppliers. DEA’s successful investigation leading to today’s charges, along with the addition of Archaga Carías to the DEA and FBI most wanted lists, represent a significant stride in our efforts to stop the devastating effects of MS-13’s violent drug trafficking activities that endanger the safety and health of Americans.”
Acting Assistant Director Jay Greenberg of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division said: “This indictment demonstrates the resolve of the FBI to aggressively pursue transnational criminal gangs like MS-13. We will work with our law enforcement partners to find wanted fugitives wherever they seek refuge and hold them accountable for their crimes."
HSI Acting Executive Associate Director Steve Francis said: “Today’s announcement highlights our commitment to working with domestic and international law enforcement partners to dismantle gangs like MS-13. By contributing our unique capabilities to this joint effort, Homeland Security Investigations is helping to make our nation safer.”
As alleged in the Superseding Indictment unsealed in Manhattan federal court[1]:
Mara Salvatrucha, commonly known as MS-13, is a transnational criminal organization that engages in acts of violence, including murders, kidnapping, assaults, extortion, and large-scale drug importation and distribution throughout Central America and the United States. ARCHAGA CARÍAS is the highest-ranking member of MS-13 in Honduras. As the leader and highest-ranking member of MS-13 in Honduras, ARCHAGA CARÍAS is in charge of, among other things, the gang’s drug trafficking operations, ordering and coordinating acts of violence, including numerous murders, and the laundering of drug proceeds. MS-13’s drug trafficking operations led by ARCHAGA CARÍAS include the processing, receiving, transporting, and distributing of multi-ton loads of cocaine shipped through Honduras and into the United States.
ARCHAGA CARÍAS and other MS-13 members and associates acting at his direction also provided protection for other drug trafficking organizations (“DTOs”) engaged in transporting multi-ton loads of cocaine through Honduras and destined for the United States. ARCHAGA CARÍAS contracted out members of MS-13 as “Sicarios,” or hit men, to other DTOs for payment. In that role, members of MS-13 committed numerous murders for hire for DTOs trafficking cocaine through Honduras to the United States. ARCHAGA CARÍAS and MS-13 also supplied other DTOs with firearms, including machineguns, that were received from El Salvador, Nicaragua, and elsewhere. ARCHAGA CARÍAS also ordered multiple murders of rival gang members and drug trafficking competitors in Honduras, as well as other members of MS-13 who ARCHAGA CARÍAS believed had been disloyal to the gang.
CAMPBELL was one of the principal suppliers of cocaine and weapons, including machineguns, to MS-13. As an associate of MS-13 and close confidant of ARCHAGA CARÍAS, CAMPBELL planned and coordinated retaliatory acts of violence with ARCHAGA CARÍAS, and assisted MS-13 and ARCHAGA CARÍAS in establishing businesses to launder the gang’s drug proceeds. CAMPBELL and MS-13 used businesses they owned or controlled to launder drug proceeds, including through banks in the United States.
* * *
ARCHAGA CARÍAS, 39, of Honduras, remains at large, and has now been named to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List (https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/topten), the DEA’s Most Wanted Fugitives List (https://www.dea.gov/fugitives), and HSI’s Most Wanted Fugitives List. The FBI is offering up to $100,000 for information leading to the arrest of ARCHAGA CARÍAS. Anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of ARCHAGA CARÍAS can contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI. CAMPBELL, 54, of Honduras, is currently in custody in Nicaragua on local charges.
If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 40 years in prison. A chart containing the charges and statutory minimum and maximum penalties for the defendants is set forth below. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI, DEA, and HSI.
The case is being handled by JTFV and the Office’s Terrorism and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Jacob Warren and Special Assistant United States Attorney Christopher A. Eason are in charge of the prosecution.
Since its creation in August 2019, JTFV has successfully implemented a whole-of-government approach to combatting MS-13, including increasing coordination and collaboration with domestic and foreign law enforcement partners; designating priority MS-13 programs, cliques and leaders, who have the most impact on the United States, for targeted prosecutions; and coordinating significant MS-13 indictments, including the first use of national security charges against MS-13 leaders. JTFV has comprised members from U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country, including this Office, the Eastern District of New York, the Eastern District of Texas, the District of New Jersey, the Northern District of Ohio, the District of Utah, the Eastern District of Virginia, the District of Massachusetts, the District of Alaska, the Southern District of Florida, the Southern District of California, the District of Nevada, and the District of Columbia, as well as the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section and the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section. All Department of Justice law enforcement agencies are involved in the effort, including the FBI, DEA, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. In addition, HSI plays a critical role in JTFV. The Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (“OCDETF”) also supports JTFV in its mission. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The charges contained in the Superseding Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
COUNT
CHARGE
DEFENDANTS
MIN./MAX. PENALTIES
1
Racketeering conspiracy
18 U.S.C. § 1962(d)
YULAN ANDONY ARCHAGA CARÍAS, a/k/a “Alexander Mendoza,” a/k/a “Porky,” and
DAVID CAMPBELL,
a/k/a “Viejo Dan,” a/k/a “Don David”
Life in prison
2
Narcotics importation conspiracy
21 U.S.C. § 963
YULAN ANDONY ARCHAGA CARÍAS, a/k/a “Alexander Mendoza,” a/k/a “Porky,” and
DAVID CAMPBELL,
a/k/a “Viejo Dan,” a/k/a “Don David”
Life in prison
Mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison
3
Using or carrying a machinegun during and in relation to, or possessing a machinegun in furtherance of, a narcotics trafficking crime
§§ 924(c)(1)(A) and 924(c)(1)(B)(ii)
YULAN ANDONY ARCHAGA CARÍAS, a/k/a “Alexander Mendoza,” a/k/a “Porky,” and
DAVID CAMPBELL,
a/k/a “Viejo Dan,” a/k/a “Don David”
Life in prison
Mandatory minimum of 30 years in prison
4
Machinegun conspiracy
18 U.S.C. § 924(o)
YULAN ANDONY ARCHAGA CARÍAS, a/k/a “Alexander Mendoza,” a/k/a “Porky,” and
DAVID CAMPBELL,
a/k/a “Viejo Dan,” a/k/a “Don David”
Life in prison
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Superseding Indictment constitutes only allegations, and every fact described herein should be treated as an allegation.
Lavaca Man Charged in $100 Million COVID-19 Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
FORT SMITH, Ark. – A federal grand jury in the Western District of Arkansas returned an indictment this week charging a Lavaca man who owned or managed numerous diagnostic testing laboratories with health care fraud in connection with over $100 million dollars in false billings for urine drug testing, COVID-19 testing, and other clinical laboratory services.
According to court documents, Billy Joe Taylor, 42, engaged in a scheme between February 2017 and May 2021 in connection with diagnostic laboratory testing, including urine drug testing and tests for respiratory illnesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, that were medically unnecessary, not ordered by medical providers, and/or not provided as represented. According to the indictment, Taylor controlled and directed multiple diagnostic laboratories, and used those labs to submit more than $100 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare. The indictment alleges that Taylor obtained medical information and private personal information for Medicare beneficiaries, and then misused that confidential information to repeatedly submit claims to Medicare for diagnostic tests that were not ordered by medical providers and were not actually performed by the laboratories. Taylor allegedly then used the proceeds of the fraud to live a lavish lifestyle, including purchasing numerous luxury automobiles, including a Rolls Royce Wraith, as well as real estate, jewelry, guitars, and other luxury clothing and items.
Taylor is charged with 16 counts of health care fraud, and one count of engaging in a monetary transaction in criminally derived property. Taylor was previously charged by criminal complaint in May 2021. The defendant is scheduled for his arraignment on November 23, 2021, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark E. Ford of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas. Each of the counts is punishable by a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes for the Western District of Arkansas; Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge James A. Dawson, of the FBI’s Little Rock division; Special Agent in Charge Miranda Bennett of the Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Dallas Regional Office; and Special Agent in Charge Christopher Altemus of the IRS-Criminal Investigation, Dallas Field Office, made the announcement.
The FBI, HHS-OIG, and IRS-Criminal Investigation are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Elser of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Arkansas and Senior Litigation Counsel Jim Hayes and Trial Attorney D. Keith Clouser of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section’s National Rapid Response Strike Force 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.
Lansing Man Convicted on 5 Counts Relating to the Production and Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A federal jury today convicted a Lansing, Michigan man on multiple charges relating to the production and receipt of child pornography, announced Acting United States Attorney Saima Mohsin.
Mohsin was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Vance Callendar, Homeland Security Investigations.
Convicted was Michael McShan, 28. The 5-day trial, which began on Thursday, October 28, was conducted before United States District Judge David M. Lawson in Detroit. The jury deliberated approximately an hour before returning the guilty verdicts.
According to evidence presented during the trial, in December 2018, McShan met a minor female (MV-1) on a social media site called “MeetMe,” and then began communicating with MV-1 via Snapchat, cellphone calls and text messages. McShan quickly began an abusive and sexual relationship with MV-1. McShan enticed and persuaded MV-1 to produce images and videos of herself and another minor female victim (MV-2) engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Over the course of a few months, McShan, became increasingly controlling over MV-1. McShan coerced and enticed MV-1 through flattery, threats, and guilt to manipulate MV-1 into continuing to send him sexually explicit photos and videos as well as money.
Evidence further showed that in an attempt to get released on bond pending his trial, McShan directed his then-girlfriend, Madison, (AV-1) to write a false confession to the child exploitation crimes.
McShan was convicted of production of child pornography; attempted production of child pornography; receipt of child pornography; coercion and enticement of a minor, and obstruction of justice. McShan faces a maximum sentence of life in federal prison. A sentencing date has been set for March 1, 2022.
“Protecting children from dangerous child predators is a top priority for our office,” said Acting United States Attorney Mohsin. “I commend our law enforcement partners for their hard work and dedication to investigating and prosecuting crimes against children.”
“Even though schools do a great job educating our children about online safety, this case serves as an example of how manipulative child predators can be; please mind your child’s online activities,” said HSI Detroit Special Agent in Charge Vance Callender. “My special agents did an outstanding job investigating and preparing for trial on this case. I commend their efforts for the sake of the victims here.”
The case was investigated by special agents of Homeland Security Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Maggie Smith and Sara Woodward.
Kory Lee George Sentenced to over Seven Years in Prison for Federal Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Kory Lee George, 33, of Bristol, Vermont, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Christina Reiss after his conviction for possessing a firearm after having previously been convicted of a felony. Judge Reiss imposed a sentence of 89 months of imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release.
According to court records and proceedings, George possessed a stolen shotgun at his home in Monkton, Vermont, on or about August 2, 2019. The shotgun was stolen from a camp in upstate New York around April of 2019, along with several other firearms. George had previously been convicted of felony offenses, and was prohibited under federal law from possessing any firearms.
The United States was represented in this matter by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Spencer Willig and Paul Van de Graaf. Federal Public Defender Michael L. Desautels represented the defendant.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ophardt commended the investigatory efforts of the Vermont State Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and thanked the Chittenden County State’s Attorney’s Office for its efforts in coordinating with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in this matter.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. https://www.justice.gov/psn
Knoxville Woman Sentenced to 3 Years Imprisonment for Defrauding Local Non-ProfitRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On November 3, 2021, Angelia Renae Brown, 50, and a resident of Knoxville, was sentenced by the Honorable Thomas Varlan, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, to 36 months’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release. Brown was convicted of wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343, and filing a false tax return, in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 7206(1). Brown pleaded guilty to both offenses on May 26, 2021, pursuant to a plea agreement.
According to the filed plea agreement, from as early as 2012 and continuing through June 2020, Brown embezzled more than $2 million from her former employer—a non-profit organization in Knoxville that focuses on the welfare of abused children. During the criminal conduct, Brown worked as a staff accountant for the nonprofit organization. In furtherance of the fraud scheme, Brown forged company checks and deposited them into her personal bank account. Brown also concealed the fraud scheme from her former employer by altering the checks after they had been deposited into her bank account. In all, Brown forged 885 checks that were drawn on her former employer’s bank accounts, causing a total loss amount to her former employer of $2,064,464.99. Brown also failed to report the embezzled funds as income on her tax returns for tax years 2012 to 2019, resulting in an additional $552,224 loss to the Internal Revenue Service.
During sentencing, Brown was ordered to pay total restitution of $2,616,688.99, including $2,064,464.99 to her former employer and $552,224 to the Internal Revenue Service.
This case is the result of a joint investigation by the FBI and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney William A. Roach, Jr., represented the United States.
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Kirkwood resident pleads guilty for identity theftRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – United States District Court Judge Stephen R. Clark accepted a plea of guilty from Glenda Seim, 81 years old of Kirkwood, Missouri on November 2, 2021 for two counts of identity theft related to her participation as a “money mule” in various fraudulent schemes on behalf of her online romantic interest. A grand jury in the Eastern District of Missouri previously indicted Seim for the charges. A “money mule” is a person who receives fraudulently obtained money and merchandise on behalf of a scammer, and then forwards the proceeds to the scammer.
Sometime during 2014, Seim began an online relationship with an individual who claimed to be a United States citizen with business interests in Nigeria. Throughout the years, Seim’s purported romantic interest would ask for her assistance in paying fees, taxes, and penalties to the Nigerian government or his business associates. He claimed that he could not leave Nigeria unless he paid those funds. Despite having never met her romantic interest in person or communicated with him in any form other than texting, Seim began sending him money from her Social Security retirement benefits and pension. He later asked her to pawn electronic equipment that he had others send to her in the mail and forward the funds to him.
Because the return was not as high as he wanted, Seim began participating in other fraudulent schemes including: receiving MoneyGram wire transfers from senders she did not know; depositing counterfeit and fraudulently obtained checks into financial accounts she opened; allowing her romantic interest to fraudulently transfer funds from the financial accounts of various businesses into her financial accounts; and accepting unemployment insurance benefit payments on behalf of individuals she did not know. A check drawn on the retirement account of a romance fraud victim in the amount of $100,000 was among Seim’s fraudulent deposits. Seim kept a portion of the funds fraudulently obtained before providing the balance to her online romantic partner.
Despite warnings by wire transfer agencies, local police officers, federal law enforcement representatives, and bank representatives and the forced closing of her financial accounts, Seim continued to facilitate the transfer of funds on behalf of her online romantic interest. Between June 2014 and February 2021, Seim attempted to conduct fraudulent transactions between $550,000 and $1,500,000.
Seim is scheduled to be sentenced on February 10, 2022.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Secret Service.
Justice Department Settles Retaliation Suit Against Wilson County, North Carolina, on Behalf of Employee who Complained of Sexual HarassmentRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice announced today that it has entered into a consent decree with Wilson County, North Carolina, that, if approved by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, will resolve the department’s complaint alleging retaliation in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended. The complaint alleges that Wilson County Emergency Communications (WCEC) engaged in unlawful retaliation when it fired an employee, Jennifer Riddle, after she disclosed to supervisors that she had been sexually harassed while on the job.
Riddle was hired as a telecommunicator trainee for WCEC in 2017. Soon after she began working there, Riddle was sexually harassed by the agency’s assistant director. Riddle reported the harassment to multiple supervisors, and WCEC investigated. After concluding that Riddle’s complaints were valid, the County began the process of firing the assistant director, though he resigned before he was formally fired. Soon after the assistant director’s departure, Riddle began experiencing hostility from her supervisor and co-workers, culminating in a transfer. When she disclosed to the supervisors on her new shift that she had previously been sexually harassed by the assistant director and that WCEC failed to effectively deal with her harasser, the agency fired her.
“This lawsuit and settlement send a clear message that the department stands with the brave employees who oppose unlawful discrimination in the workplace, and that we will vigorously oppose any employer that attempts to use retaliation as a means to suppress an employee’s civil rights,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “With this consent decree, Wilson County has committed to improving the workplace for all of its employees by implementing enhanced anti-discrimination training, policies and investigative procedures.”
Under the terms of the consent decree, Wilson County will develop and submit to the United States for approval revised discrimination and retaliation policies, investigation procedures for complaints of discrimination, and trainings that will apply county-wide. The consent decree further requires Wilson County to pay Riddle $100,000 in compensatory damages and back pay.
The enforcement of Title VII and other federal employment discrimination laws is a top priority of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division and its work is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt.
The case was brought by Trial Attorneys Christopher Woolley and Vendarryl Jenkins of the Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section.
Jury Convicts Winchester Man of Distribution of Heroin Resulting in an OverdoseRead the Press Release
HARRISONBURG, Va.– A federal jury convicted a Winchester, Virginia man yesterday for conspiring with others to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin as well as distributing heroin that resulted in serious bodily injury.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Robert Bradley Lockhart, 33, was a heroin dealer connected to a drug pipeline between Baltimore, Maryland and Front Royal, Virginia. During the course of the investigation, the Northwest Virginia Drug and Gang Task Force (NWDGTF) Front Royal Team identified more than 30 overdose injuries connected to that heroin pipeline, and conducted dozens of controlled heroin buys, traffic stops, search warrants and interviews with Virginia-based heroin sub-distributors. This investigation led to the arrest of many individuals, including the defendant, Robert Bradley Lockhart.
“Stopping the flow of heroin and other powerful drugs from out-of-state is a top priority of the Justice Department,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said today. “Lockhart, and others, brought hundreds of grams of deadly drugs into Virginia and caused multiple overdoses. I am grateful to the work of the Front Royal Police Department, the DEA, and the Assistant United States Attorneys who prosecuted this conspiracy for closing this deadly pipeline.”
According to cooperating witnesses, Lockhart obtained quantities of heroin ranging from 10 to 30 grams each time he traveled to Baltimore between the summer of 2016 and December 2017, sometimes going to Baltimore several times a week. His heroin sales led to three different overdoses, one of which was the basis for the second count. Law enforcement conducted six controlled purchases of heroin from Lockhart and recovered 24 grams of heroin concealed in his anal cavity on the date of his arrest.
The Front Royal Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and Northwest Virginia Drug and Gang Task Force investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathryn Rumsey and Heather L. Carlton prosecuted the case.
Jackson Man Sentenced to over 7 Years in Prison for Possession of Firearms by a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Jackson man was sentenced today to 87 months in federal prison for possession of firearms by a convicted felon, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
According to court records, Jarvis Demarcus Harper, 27, of Jackson, admitted to ATF agents that he had possessed multiple firearms recovered from his residence in Jackson. Harper has a previous state court felony conviction for shooting into an occupied dwelling.
Harper pled guilty on June 10, 2021 to possession of firearms by a convicted felon.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lynn Murray prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of the federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program. The centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s crime reduction efforts, PSN is an evidence-based program proven effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together and develop comprehensive solutions. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Jackson Man Sentenced for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Jackson man was sentenced to 56 months in federal prison for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
According to court documents, Cervante Lashum Thomas, 44, admitted to ATF agents that he had possessed the firearm recovered by Jackson Police Department officers from a crime scene in Jackson. Thomas has previous state court felony convictions for vehicle burglary, possessing stolen property, armed robbery, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Thomas pled guilty on July 8, 2021 to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lynn Murray prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of the federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program. The centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s crime reduction efforts, PSN is an evidence-based program proven effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together and develop comprehensive solutions. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Irvin Mayfield and Ronald Markham Sentenced to 18 Months Imprisonment for Defrauding the New Orleans Public Library FoundationRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that IRVIN MAYFIELD, age 44, a resident of New Orleans, and RONALD MARKHAM, age 43, also a resident of New Orleans, were sentenced today for defrauding the New Orleans Public Library Foundation out of approximately $1,316,232. The Honorable Jay Zainey sentenced the defendants to eighteen (18) months imprisonment followed by three (3) years of supervised release. MAYFIELD and MARKHAM were also sentenced to payment of restitution in the amount of $1,123,032 to the N.O, Public Library Foundation, payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee and 500 hours of community service.
According to court documents, MAYFIELD founded the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra (NOJO) in 2002. MAYFIELD also acted as Artistic Director and featured performer. MARKHAM was a long-time friend of MAYFIELD and served as NOJO’s President and Chief Executive Officer. MAYFIELD and MARKHAM both received salaries of $100,000 from NOJO as well as compensation for compositions and performances through Mayfield Publishing Company. Throughout its existence, NOJO relied on donations to fund its operations and pay its expenses. Between December 16, 2008, until May 31, 2010, NOJO relied on grants from the Edward Wisner Donation, a charitable trust administered by the City of New Orleans. In February 2011, support for NOJO through the Edward Wisner Donation was terminated by the City of New Orleans, causing great financial distress to NOJO and its ability to pay expenses.
In October 1990, the New Orleans Public Library Foundation (NOPLF) was established to receive donations generated through private fund-raising efforts; to oversee the prudent investment of said donations at an acceptable level of risk; and to authorize expenditures judiciously for the purpose of purchasing books, other information materials, and sponsoring New Orleans Public Library (NOPL) related programs. For these purposes, NOPLF maintained an investment account. Until approximately August 2011, the NOPLF used interest earned from its investment account to fund its mission at the direction of the board of directors. All board members were uncompensated volunteers.
In August 2006, MAYFIELD became a board member of NOPLF. He later became Chairman of the board in November 2010. During his time on the NOPLF board, MAYFIELD also maintained his position with NOJO. In December 2009, MARKHAM became a board member of NOPLF. He later became Chairman of the board in September 2013 upon MAYFIELD’s resignation as Chairman of NOPLF. During his time on the NOPLF board, MARKHAM also maintained his position with NOJO. Between August 23, 2011, and November 30, 2013, MAYFIELD and MARKHAM caused approximately $1,316,232 to be unlawfully transferred and paid directly from the NOPLF to NOJO and elsewhere.
Beginning in February 2011, and continuing until November 2017, the defendants committed mail and wire fraud by transferring $1,316,232 from the NOPLF investment account to NOJO and elsewhere without approval and while misleading the NOPLF and others with regard to the purpose of the transfers. The defendants sent materially false and misleading correspondence to NOPLF board members, investment account managers, and auditors regarding the purpose of the money transfers. They also prepared materially false and misleading records to make money transfers from NOPLF to NOJO appear legitimate when they were not. Examples of the unlawful money transfers include:
- The defendants used NOPLF money to support NOJO operating expenses and pay their NOJO salaries.
- The defendants caused tens of thousands of dollars to be transferred directly into the personal accounts of MAYFIELD and Mayfield Productions.
- The defendants used NOPLF money to pay for NOJO’s performance at Carnegie Hall and performance fees to MAYFIELD.
- The defendants used NOPLF money to pay for MAYFIELD’s stays at the Ritz Carlton and Park Central Hotel as well as the travel expenses of NOJO musicians for NOJO performances.
- MAYFIELD used NOPLF money to purchase a 24k gold-plated trumpet and spend money at Saks Fifth Avenue and Harrah’s Casino.
After receiving federal grand jury subpoenas in November 2013, MAYFIELD and MARKHAM gathered and fraudulently edited NOPLF board minutes by changing line items and dollar amounts with the intent to impede, obstruct, and influence the investigation by the FBI. They also used the fraudulently altered board minutes to convince the NOPLF board that the transfers were authorized.
Finally, MARKHAM falsely informed NOPLF board members, employees of NOPLF and NOPLF legal counsel that NOJO did not use NOPLF money to pay the NOJO salaries of MAYFIELD and MARKHAM and that NOJO was not dependent on NOPLF funding.
"Today’s sentencing sends a clear message that individuals like Grammy Award winning musician Irvin Mayfield and his business partner Ronald Markham who steal from non-profit organizations will be held accountable. Mr. Mayfield and Mr. Markham were driven by their own personal greed, committing financial crimes to enrich themselves at the expense of the citizens of New Orleans who utilize resources offered by New Orleans Public Library,” said FBI New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Douglas A. Williams, Jr. "We thank our partners at United States Attorney's Office Eastern District of Louisiana, Metropolitan Crime Commission and the City of New Orleans Office of Inspector General for their strong partnership and unrelenting pursuit of justice."
“The Office of Inspector General will continue to combine our resources with our federal partners to prevent fraud, waste and abuse. It is vital that we ensure the integrity of New Orleans City Government while we hold public officials accountable for their actions”.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Office of the Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys G. Dall Kammer, Theodore Carter, and Brandon Long are in charge of the prosecution.
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Investigation into a Broken Arrow Man Who Allegedly Ran a Child Exploitation Enterprise Leads to Rescue of Child Victims and Arrests Across U.S. and NorwayRead the Press Release
An investigation into a Broken Arrow man alleged to have been an administrator for a transnational child exploitation chat group has led to five additional arrests and the rescue of multiple child victims in the United States and Europe.
Thus far, the FBI and task force partners have arrested six individuals and rescued child victims in Oklahoma, Texas, Florida, Arkansas, Missouri, and Norway.
In August, Cameron Kelly McAbee, 31, of Broken Arrow, was charged in a federal indictment with child exploitation enterprise; sexual exploitation of a child by a parent; receipt and distribution of child pornography, and possession of child pornography in Indian Country.
“Cameron McAbee is alleged to have been an online administrator for a social media group whose criteria for entry was to have a child available to sexually abuse and photograph,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “My office and our law enforcement partners will continue to expose individuals involved in this covert group and identify and rescue child victims.”
"FBI Agents in both Tulsa and Atlanta, along with task force partners discovered, investigated, and ultimately neutralized an international cabal of alleged child predators," said Alvin M. Winston, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Oklahoma City. "The threat Mr. McAbee and his partners posed to children worldwide was thwarted by the relentless dedication of FBI investigators joining forces with detectives from Tulsa and Broken Arrow police departments. Only through strong police partnerships can law enforcement remain unified and effective in the global fight to bring child predators to justice."
According to court documents, on July 13, 2021, the FBI discovered an online chat group that shared child sexual abuse material and determined that McAbee was an administrator. The FBI observed that gaining membership in the group required showing photographic proof of having access to a child for the suspected purpose of sharing child sexual abuse material. Continued access to the group required members to produce and share images and videos of the members sexually abusing children. On July 24, 2021, McAbee is alleged to have posted a “live photo” to the group depicting the sexual abuse of a child.
On July 26, 2021, the FBI linked the administrator account to McAbee and his Broken Arrow address and executed a search warrant at the residence that same day.
McAbee agreed to an interview with FBI agents and allegedly confirmed that he held an administrative role in multiple groups, to include one specifically designed for sharing of explicit images and videos of children the members had physical access to. He allegedly stated that he had traded images of child sexual abuse that would be considered child pornography, to include the sexually explicit “live” image he sent of a child to the online chat group on July 24, 2021.
Defendants arrested as part of the investigation include:
FBI arrest - Cameron McAbee of Broken Arrow
FBI arrest - Eric McCants of San Antonio, Texas
FBI arrest - Michael McClure of DeFuniak Springs, Florida
FBI arrest - Jeffrey Prowant of Stone County, Missouri
Arkansas arrest - James Ray Bickerstaff of Siloam Springs, Arkansas
Law enforcement authorities in Norway arrested an unnamed subject
Additional child victims have been brought to safety, and the FBI continues to investigate leads in at least four other states.
An indictment is merely an accusation. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The FBI Oklahoma City Field Office (Tulsa Resident Agency), FBI Atlanta Field Office, Broken Arrow Police Department, and Tulsa Police Department are conducting the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Nassar is prosecuting defendants residing within the Northern District of Oklahoma.
Indiana Township Woman Indicted on Immigration ChargesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A suburban Pittsburgh woman has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of conspiring to commit offenses against the United States, making false statements in a matter relating to naturalization or citizenship, and attempting to procure naturalization or citizenship contrary to law, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.
The four-count Second Superseding Indictment named Man Ho, 32, of the 3300 block of Lenox Drive in Pittsburgh, as the sole defendant.
According to the Second Superseding Indictment, Ho is charged at Count One with conspiring to commit offenses against the United States – namely, attempting to procure U.S. naturalization or citizenship contrary to law. At Count Two, Ho is charged with attempting to procure U.S. naturalization or citizenship contrary to law. At Counts Three and Four, Ho is charged with making false statements in a matter relating to naturalization or citizenship.
As to Counts One, Three, and Four, the law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than five years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both. As to Count Two, the law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorneys Cindy K. Chung and Yvonne M. Saadi are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services conducted the investigation leading to the Second Superseding Indictment in this case.
A superseding indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.