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10 December 2021
Man Sentenced for Smuggling Migrants Across Dangerous Terrain Where Three Sisters DiedRead the Press Release
Assistant U. S. Attorney Charlotte E. Kaiser (619) 546-7282
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – December 10, 2021
SAN DIEGO – Rito Rios-Quinones of Chihuahua, Mexico, was sentenced in federal court today to two years in prison for smuggling five migrants across treacherous terrain along the U.S.-Mexico border. It was the same route used by his brothers, Cecilio and Ricardo Rios-Quinones, who were convicted in connection with an ill-fated smuggling event that resulted in the deaths of three sisters in February 2020.
Rito Rios-Quinones pleaded guilty in March 2021 to Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain and Aiding and Abetting. As part of his plea agreement, Rios admitted that he and his brothers worked for a human smuggling organization. He agreed to learn the smuggling routes, be paid to serve as a foot guide and teach other foot guides the routes.
Rios further admitted that he trained his brother Ricardo on the smuggling route a few days before the February 10, 2020 event that resulted in the deaths of sisters Juana Santos Arce, Margarita Santos Arce and Paula Santos Arce of Oaxaca, Mexico.
On that day, agents from the Border Patrol’s Search, Trauma and Rescue (BORSTAR) unit, along with Border Patrol agents from the Campo-Boulevard area and rescue personnel from the City of San Diego Fire & Rescue Department placed their own lives at risk during a rescue operation of Cecilio and Rito Rios-Quinones and attempted rescue of the sisters, whom Cecilio and Ricardo were guiding along the route. All three women died of hypothermia. Subsequently, Cecilio and Ricardo Rios-Quinones pleaded guilty to Transportation of Aliens Resulting in Death, among other charges, and were each sentenced on April 2, 2020, to 66 months in custody.
In today’s case, Rito Rios-Quinones admitted in his plea agreement that he knew his brothers smuggled these three women along this route and that the three women died during the smuggling event. Despite this knowledge, on or about November 3, 2020, Rito Rios-Quinones was apprehended for smuggling five other migrants along this same route for the same smuggling organization. The migrants were going to pay or have others pay on their behalf $7,000 to $8,000 to the organization to be smuggling into the United States.
“This defendant knew about the tragic deaths along this smuggling route, and yet he still attempted the perilous journey, failing to make sure these victims had the proper clothing, supplies or equipment to make it,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “These are callous acts of greed. Smugglers, we will find a way to identify you and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law. Migrants, don’t put your lives in the hands of people with absolutely no regard for your safety.” Grossman thanked the prosecution team and agents from Border Patrol and Homeland Security Investigations for their excellent work in this case.
“Human smuggling organizations enrich themselves while endangering the lives of those they smuggle,” said Border Patrol’s Chief Patrol Agent Aaron Heitke. “We are grateful for the tenacity, persistence, and hard work that our law enforcement partners have demonstrated in this case. Collaboratively, our efforts have resulted in Rios-Quinones’ arrest, conviction, and just sentencing.”
“The actions of this individual are another example of the complete disregard human smugglers have for the people who pay them,” said HSI San Diego Special Agent in Charge Chad Plantz. “Anyone considering making the perilous journey across the border with smugglers should know that they place their lives in extreme danger because these transnational criminal organizations only value the profits from their illegal enterprise. HSI, along with its law enforcement partners will continue to bring to justice individuals like Rios-Quinones who place greed and profit before human life.”
DEFENDANT Case Number 19cr0868-CAB
Rito Rios-Quinones Age: 33 Chihuahua, Mexico
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain and Aiding and Abetting– Title 8, U.S.C., Section 1324(a)(2)(B)(ii) and Title 8, U.S.C., Section 2
Maximum penalty: Ten years in prison, and $250,000 fine.
AGENCIES
U.S. Border Patrol, Intelligence Unit
Homeland Security Investigations
Leading ISIS Media Figure and Foreign Fighter Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Provide Material Support to a Terrorist Organization, Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Saudi-born Canadian citizen pleaded guilty today to conspiring to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization (ISIS), resulting in death.
According to court documents, Mohammed Khalifa, aka Abu Ridwan Al-Kanadi and Abu Muthanna Al-Muhajir, 38, served in prominent roles within ISIS starting in 2013 and continuing until his capture by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in January 2019, following a firefight between ISIS fighters and the SDF. In addition to serving as a fighter and executing two Syrian soldiers on behalf of ISIS, Khalifa served as a lead translator in ISIS’s propaganda production and the English-speaking narrator on multiple ISIS videos.
Khalifa traveled to Syria in the spring of 2013 with the intent of becoming a foreign fighter and ultimately joining ISIS. He joined ISIS in or around November 2013 and swore allegiance to then-ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. In early 2014, he was recruited to join ISIS’s media department due in part to his language abilities as a fluent English and Arabic speaker. Starting in 2016, Khalifa directed various supporter networks that assisted in the translation, production, and dissemination of propaganda released under various ISIS media brands in order to reach Western audiences. He worked within the ISIS media operation until late 2018.
Khalifa provided the narration and translation for approximately 15 videos created and distributed by ISIS. The productions narrated by Khalifa include two of the most influential and exceedingly violent ISIS propaganda videos: “Flames of War: Fighting Has Just Begun,” distributed on September 19, 2014, and “Flames of War II: Until the Final Hour,” distributed on November 29, 2017. The videos depict glamorized portrayals of ISIS and its fighters as well as scenes of violence, including depictions of unarmed prisoners being executed, footage of ISIS attacks and fighting, and depictions of ISIS attacks in the United States.
The ISIS “Flames of War” videos include scenes of Khalifa executing a different Syrian soldier in each of the two videos. In the final scenes of both videos, a masked Khalifa speaks to the camera and is then seen executing a kneeling Syrian soldier while other masked ISIS members also shoot the prisoners kneeling in front of each of them.
During the time Khalifa was a prominent member of ISIS, the terrorist organization was conducting a hostage-taking and ransom demand campaign involving American, British, and European journalists and aid workers. Between August 19, 2014 and February 6, 2015, ISIS killed eight American, British or Japanese citizens in Syria as part of the hostage scheme.
In January 2019, Khalifa engaged in fighting on behalf of ISIS and attacked an SDF position in Abu Badran, Syria. Khalifa, alone and armed with three grenades and an AK-47, threw a grenade on the roof of a house where SDF soldiers were standing. The grenade detonated and Khalifa ran into the house and attempted to go to the roof, but an SDF soldier was firing from the stairs. Khalifa began firing at the SDF soldier and attempted to use all three of his grenades during the attack. Khalifa fired most of his ammunition during the assault before his AK-47 jammed. Khalifa surrendered to the SDF on or about January 13, 2019 and was detained by the SDF. Earlier this year, he was transferred to the custody of the FBI and brought to the Eastern District of Virginia, where he had his initial appearance on October 4, 2021.
Khalifa pleaded guilty to conspiring to provide material support or resources to a foreign terrorist organization, resulting in death and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 15, 2022. Khalifa faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia; Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; and Assistant Director in Charge Steven M. D’Antuono of the FBI’s Washington Field Office made the announcement after U.S. District Judge T. S. Ellis III accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Dennis M. Fitzpatrick, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Raj Parekh, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Gibbs and Aidan Taft Grano-Mickelson, all from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Trial Attorney Alicia H. Cook of the Justice Department are prosecuting this case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:21-cr-271.
Leading ISIS Media Figure and Foreign Fighter Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Provide Material Support to Terrorist Organization Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
A Saudi-born Canadian citizen pleaded guilty today to conspiring to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization (ISIS), resulting in death.
According to court documents, Mohammed Khalifa, aka Abu Ridwan Al-Kanadi and Abu Muthanna Al-Muhajir, 38, served in prominent roles within ISIS starting in 2013 and continuing until his capture by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in January 2019, following a firefight between ISIS fighters and the SDF. In addition to serving as a fighter and executing two Syrian soldiers on behalf of ISIS, Khalifa served as a lead translator in ISIS’s propaganda production and the English-speaking narrator on multiple ISIS videos.
Khalifa traveled to Syria in the spring of 2013 with the intent of becoming a foreign fighter and ultimately joining ISIS. He joined ISIS in or around November 2013 and swore allegiance to then-ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. In early 2014, he was recruited to join ISIS’s media department due in part to his language abilities as a fluent English and Arabic speaker. Starting in 2016, Khalifa directed various supporter networks that assisted in the translation, production and dissemination of propaganda released under various ISIS media brands in order to reach Western audiences. He worked within the ISIS media operation until late 2018.
Khalifa provided the narration and translation for approximately 15 videos created and distributed by ISIS. The productions narrated by Khalifa include two of the most influential and exceedingly violent ISIS propaganda videos: “Flames of War: Fighting Has Just Begun,” distributed on Sept. 19, 2014, and “Flames of War II: Until the Final Hour,” distributed on Nov. 29, 2017. The videos depict glamorized portrayals of ISIS and its fighters as well as scenes of violence, including depictions of unarmed prisoners being executed, footage of ISIS attacks and fighting, and depictions of ISIS attacks in the United States.
The ISIS “Flames of War” videos include scenes of Khalifa executing a different Syrian soldier in each of the two videos. In the final scenes of both videos, a masked Khalifa speaks to the camera and is then seen executing a kneeling Syrian soldier while other masked ISIS members also shoot the prisoners kneeling in front of each of them.
During the time Khalifa was a prominent member of ISIS, the terrorist organization was conducting a hostage-taking and ransom demand campaign involving American, British, and European journalists and aid workers. Between Aug. 19, 2014 and Feb. 6, 2015, ISIS killed eight American, British or Japanese citizens in Syria as part of the hostage scheme.
In January 2019, Khalifa engaged in fighting on behalf of ISIS and attacked an SDF position in Abu Badran, Syria. Khalifa, alone and armed with three grenades and an AK-47, threw a grenade on the roof of a house where SDF soldiers were standing. The grenade detonated and Khalifa ran into the house and attempted to go to the roof, but an SDF soldier was firing from the stairs. Khalifa began firing at the SDF soldier and attempted to use all three of his grenades during the attack. Khalifa fired most of his ammunition during the assault before his AK-47 jammed. Khalifa surrendered to the SDF on or about Jan. 13, 2019 and was detained by the SDF. Earlier this year, he was transferred to the custody of the FBI and brought to the Eastern District of Virginia, where he had his initial appearance on Oct. 4, 2021.
Khalifa pleaded guilty to conspiring to provide material support or resources to a foreign terrorist organization, resulting in death and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 15, 2022. Khalifa faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia; Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; and Assistant Director in Charge Steven M. D’Antuono of the FBI’s Washington Field Office made the announcement after U.S. District Judge T. S. Ellis III accepted the plea.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Raj Parekh and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dennis M. Fitzpatrick, John T. Gibbs and Aidan Taft Grano-Mickelson for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Trial Attorney Alicia H. Cook of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting this case.
La Crosse Man Sentenced to 90 Months for Trafficking MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Christopher H. McCartney, 36, La Crosse, Wisconsin was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 90 months in federal prison for possessing with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. This term of prison will be followed by 4 years of supervised release. McCartney pleaded guilty to this charge on September 27, 2021.
On April 30, 2021, La Crosse Police Department officers conducted a traffic stop in La Crosse on a Chevrolet Impala being driven by McCartney. After a positive K-9 alert, officers searched the Impala and located multiple bags containing a total of 118 grams of methamphetamine. McCartney had $1,342 in cash on his person.
Based on the drugs found during the traffic stop and because of McCartney’s supervision status, law enforcement officers searched his residence in La Crosse. There they found more bags of methamphetamine which weighed a total of 78 grams, as well as $3,500 in cash.
When interviewed by officers, McCartney admitted to selling methamphetamine for profit.
At the time of these events, McCartney was on state supervision for methamphetamine trafficking and out on state criminal bond for two other methamphetamine related cases. His supervision was revoked and he is currently serving a sentence of 27 months in state prison. Judge Conley ordered this federal sentence to run concurrently with the state prison sentence.
In imposing the sentence, Judge Conley highlighted McCartney’s criminal history that included the prior conviction for methamphetamine trafficking which resulted in a six-year state prison sentence in 2016.
The charge against McCartney was the result of an investigation conducted by the La Crosse Police Department. The La Crosse County District Attorney’s Office also provided assistance in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven P. Anderson prosecuted this case.
Lander Man Pleads Guilty to Traveling with the Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct and Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Bob Murray announced today that GARRETT THOMAS FINDLAY, 24, of Lander, Wyoming, pleaded guilty to one count of traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and four counts of production of child pornography at a change of plea hearing held on November 29, 2021, before Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson.
Findlay was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 20, 2021. The indictment alleged that Findlay produced images and videos of minors and traveled to Florida for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with a minor. Sentencing has been set for February 17, 2022.
As to the four counts of production of child pornography, Findlay faces minimum and maximum penalties for each count which include: 15 to 30 years’ imprisonment; five years to life of supervised release; up to a $250,000 fine; a $100 special assessment; up to a $5,000 special assessment fee pursuant to the Victims of Sex Trafficking Act of 2015; and up to a $50,000 special assessment and mandatory restitution of not less than $3,000 per requesting victim pursuant to the Amy, Vicky and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act of 2018.
As to the single count of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, Findlay faces the possibility of up to 30 years imprisonment, five years to life of supervised release; a $100 special assessment; up to a $5,000 special assessment fee pursuant to the Victims of Sex Trafficking Act of 2015; and up to a $50,000 special assessment pursuant to the Amy, Vicky and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act of 2018.
The investigation was conducted by the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, Port Charlotte, Florida; Colorado Springs Police Department Internet Crimes Against Children unit (ICAC) Colorado Springs, Colorado; Hawaii Department of Attorney General ICAC Task Force, Kentucky State Police, Electronic Crimes Branch; Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Lee County, Florida; Louisiana Bureau of Investigation-Cyber Crime Unit; Maui Police Department, Maui Hawaii; Montana Department of Justice ICAC unit; Oregon Department of Justice; United States Immigration and Custom Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations; Washington State ICAC Task Force; and the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation ICAC team. Assistant United States Attorney Christyne M. Martens prosecuted the case.
Kent, Washington, man sentenced to 12 years in prison for sex trafficking of a minorRead the Press Release
Seattle– A 27-year-old Kent, Washington man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 12 years in prison for sex trafficking of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. Al-Penyo Brooks, was charged federally in November 2020, in coordination with the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. Brooks was identified as a suspect in May 2020, when Pierce County Sheriff’s deputies and Seattle Police Department officers worked urgently to recover a 17-year-old girl who had run away from her Pierce County, Washington home. Brooks recruited the girl online, and then encouraged her to leave home and groomed her to work as a prostitute. Brooks pleaded guilty to sex trafficking of a minor in June 2021.
At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge James L. Robart said “Outside of murder, this is the most despicable thing you can do…particularly given the age of the victims. The conduct is simply not acceptable… it is someone who does not belong in society.”
“Mr. Brooks has spent most of his adult life exploiting the most vulnerable, living off the prostitution profits of juveniles and young women,” said U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. “This lengthy prison sentence, with 10 years of supervised release to follow prison, are necessary to protect the public.”
According to records in the case, the girl has developmental delays, and unbeknownst to her guardian, had set up a Facebook account. Using Facebook Messenger, Brooks communicated with the girl about her interest in music and writing songs. Brooks’ communications led the girl to believe he could promote her in the music business. Even after the girl told Brooks she was seventeen, Brooks made arrangements to pick her up near her home and told her how to evade her guardian. He picked her up and had an associate change her hair and clothing. He provided her with drugs and alcohol and sexually assaulted her while she was impaired. Brooks then instructed the girl to walk the “track” on Aurora Avenue North, telling her to perform sex acts for money. The girl was ultimately taken to an apartment in north Seattle were police located her when she signed into Facebook on the IP address listed for the apartment.
In his plea agreement, Brooks also acknowledged previously recruiting a teenage runaway to work for him as a prostitute when she was fifteen years old. Brooks also acknowledged threatening to kill the girl if she did not work for him as a prostitute and to assaulting and controlling her. Brooks also acknowledged assaulting an adult female who was working for him in prostitution. In that case Brooks pushed the woman from a moving car when she told him she no longer wanted to work for him as a prostitute. A neighborhood doorbell camera captured images of the woman being pushed from the moving car and dragged under its wheels. She was treated at Harborview for significant lower body injuries.
The case was investigated by the Seattle Police Department. The King County Prosecutors Office worked closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office on this case. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kate Crisham.
Kinnear Woman Arraigned for False Statement of Sexual AssaultRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Bob Murray announced today that BENITA LOUISE SMITH, 56, of Kinnear, Wyoming was charged by indictment for making a false statement. Smith appeared for an arraignment hearing before United States Magistrate Teresa M. McKee on November 30, 2021, and pleaded not guilty to the charges. A trial has been set for January 31, 2022, before United States District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal.
The indictment alleges that on or about October 26, 2020, Smith did knowingly make a materially false, fictitious, and fraudulent statement and representation in a matter within the jurisdiction of the executive branch of the Government of the United States, that is, by stating and representing to a Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent that a Bureau of Indian Affairs police officer had sexually assaulted her after he took her into custody, when the defendant knew the officer had not sexually assaulted her.
If convicted, Smith faces up to eight years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment.
This crime is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Elmore will be prosecuting the case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Case No. 21-cr-00091-NDF
Kinnear Woman Arraigned for False Statement of Sexual AssaultRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Bob Murray announced today that BENITA LOUISE SMITH, 56, of Kinnear, Wyoming was charged by indictment for making a false statement. Smith appeared for an arraignment hearing before United States Magistrate Teresa M. McKee on November 30, 2021, and pleaded not guilty to the charges. A trial has been set for January 31, 2022, before United States District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal.
The indictment alleges that on or about October 26, 2020, Smith did knowingly make a materially false, fictitious, and fraudulent statement and representation in a matter within the jurisdiction of the executive branch of the Government of the United States, that is, by stating and representing to a Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent that a Bureau of Indian Affairs police officer had sexually assaulted her after he took her into custody, when the defendant knew the officer had not sexually assaulted her.
If convicted, Smith faces up to eight years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment.
This crime is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Elmore will be prosecuting the case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Case No. 21-cr-00091-NDF
Justice Department Statement on Supreme Court Decision Regarding Texas SB8Read the Press Release
The Department of Justice today released the following statement from spokesman Anthony Coley following the Supreme Court’s decision in Whole Woman’s Health et al. v. Jackson:
“The Department of Justice brought suit against Texas Senate Bill 8 because the law was specifically designed to deprive Americans of their constitutional rights while evading judicial review. The department will continue our efforts in the lower courts to protect the rights of women and uphold the Constitution.”
Justice Department Awards More Than $17.5 Million to Support Project Safe NeighborhoodsRead the Press Release
Senior Litigation Counsel and Community Outreach Director Cindy Cipriani (619) 546-9608
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – December 10, 2021
SAN DIEGO – The Department of Justice announced today that it has awarded more than $17.5 million in grants to support the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program. Funding will support efforts across the country to address violent crime, including the gun violence that is often at its core. The Southern District of California was awarded $185,384.
The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), part of the department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), will administer the 88 grant awards, which are being made to designated fiscal agents to support local PSN projects that work in partnership with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices. The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) is the fiscal agent for the Southern District of California.
“This latest Project Safe Neighborhoods grant is critical to addressing the violent crime threatening cities and towns all across our country,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “Ensuring the safety of all Americans is the highest priority for the Department of Justice, but when it comes to violent crime, there is not a one-size-fits-all solution. We have to work closely with local public safety agencies as well as community organizations to craft individual strategies unique to each community’s needs. Programs like Project Safe Neighborhoods and the funding it provides allow us to do just that.”
“Through Project Safe Neighborhoods, a broad spectrum of stakeholders works together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develops comprehensive prosecution and community outreach solutions to address them,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “Our grants have been distributed to local law enforcement and community organizations to prevent gun violence, facilitate reentry, reduce gang membership and other important programs. This money is an investment in public safety.”
In the current round of funding, the Southern District of California PSN Task Force plans to fund violent crime law enforcement efforts and nonprofit agencies that focus on gang prevention, violence intervention, and facilitating successful reentry into the community from custody. The District’s PSN awards over the past two years have funded enforcement of red flag laws, youth mentoring, credible messenger programs, and research into ways to measure the success and bolster the capacity of lived experience mentoring.
“Investing in our communities, supporting victims and building a justice system that both keeps people safe and earns their trust – these are mutually reinforcing goals that stand at the heart of Project Safe Neighborhoods,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Amy L. Solomon for OJP. “The Office of Justice Programs is pleased to join with our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, and with jurisdictions across the country, as we work together to meet the challenges of crime and violence and achieve our shared aspirations of public safety and community trust.”
In May 2021, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced a new effort to reduce violent crime, including the gun violence that is often at its core. Integral to that effort was the reinvigoration of PSN, a two-decade old evidence-based and community-oriented program focused on reducing violent crime. The updated PSN approach, outlined in the department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime issued by Deputy Attorney General Monaco, is guided by four key principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results of our efforts. The fundamental goal is to reduce violent crime, not simply to increase the number of arrests or prosecutions.
This fall, U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country have enhanced their violent crime reduction efforts to ensure alignment with the department’s comprehensive violent crime reduction strategy. U.S. Attorneys’ Offices have engaged in outreach to law enforcement and other agencies and organizations serving communities to identify the most significant drivers of violence in their districts. Working together with a broad coalition of stakeholders, the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices are addressing the most pressing violent crime issues in their district to make our neighborhoods safer for all.
PSN programs are led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in collaboration with local public safety agencies, community stakeholders and other agencies and organizations that work to reduce violent crime.
For a list of all grantees, please visit: https://www.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh241/files/media/document/FY21-Project-Safe-Neighborhoods-Awards.pdf.
Information about these and other FY 2021 grant awards from the Office of Justice Programs can be found online at the OJP Grant Awards Page.
The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, advance racial equity in the administration of justice, assist victims and enhance the rule of law. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov
Justice Department Awards More Than $17.5 Million to Support Project Safe NeighborhoodsRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice announced yesterday that it has awarded more than $17.5 million in grants to support the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program. Funding will support efforts across the country to address violent crime, including the gun violence that is often at its core. The Justice Education Center, Inc., based in West Hartford, was awarded $161,479 to administer PSN grant funds in the District of Connecticut.
The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), part of the department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), will administer the 88 grant awards, which are being made to designated fiscal agents to support local PSN projects that work in partnership with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices.
“This latest Project Safe Neighborhoods grant is critical to addressing the violent crime threatening cities and towns all across our country,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “Ensuring the safety of all Americans is the highest priority for the Department of Justice, but when it comes to violent crime, there is not a one-size-fits-all solution. We have to work closely with local public safety agencies as well as community organizations to craft individual strategies unique to each community’s needs. Programs like Project Safe Neighborhoods and the funding it provides allow us to do just that.”
District of Connecticut grant funds will help to maintain gang task forces in PSN cities, including Hartford, New Haven, Bridgeport and Waterbury, and allow the U.S. Attorney’s Office to continue to coordinate with federal, state and local partners to investigate gun crimes and determine if federal prosecution is appropriate. Funds will also be used to promote and
encourage active community involvement, and enhance emotional wellness, education and technology training opportunities as a prevention to gang and gun violence.
With approval from BJA, the Fiscal Agent will begin the process of making subawards for PSN grant projects.
“Our office has had a long-running partnership with The Justice Education Center, which, for years, has worked to improve public safety and help young people turn away from gun crime by promoting positive alternatives, including educational and career opportunities,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Leonard C Boyle. “We are pleased that these grant funds will allow this relationship to continue, and look forward to working with The Justice Education Center to reduce gun violence in Connecticut’s cities.”
“Investing in our communities, supporting victims and building a justice system that both keeps people safe and earns their trust – these are mutually reinforcing goals that stand at the heart of Project Safe Neighborhoods,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Amy L. Solomon for OJP. “The Office of Justice Programs is pleased to join with our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, and with jurisdictions across the country, as we work together to meet the challenges of crime and violence and achieve our shared aspirations of public safety and community trust.”
In May 2021, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced a new effort to reduce violent crime, including the gun violence that is often at its core. Integral to that effort was the reinvigoration of PSN, a two-decade old evidence-based and community-oriented program focused on reducing violent crime. The updated PSN approach, outlined in the department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime issued by Deputy Attorney General Monaco, is guided by four key principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results of our efforts. The fundamental goal is to reduce violent crime, not simply to increase the number of arrests or prosecutions.
This fall, U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country have enhanced their violent crime reduction efforts to ensure alignment with the department’s comprehensive violent crime reduction strategy. U.S. Attorneys’ Offices have engaged in outreach to law enforcement and other agencies and organizations serving communities to identify the most significant drivers of violence in their districts. Working together with a broad coalition of stakeholders, the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices are addressing the most pressing violent crime issues in their district to make our neighborhoods safer for all.
PSN programs are led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in collaboration with local public safety agencies, community stakeholders and other agencies and organizations that work to reduce violent crime.
For a list of all grantees, please visit: FY21-Project-Safe-Neighborhoods-Awards.pdf (ojp.gov)
The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, advance racial equity in the administration of justice, assist victims and enhance the rule of law. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
Justice Department Awards More Than $17.5 Million to Support Project Safe NeighborhoodsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice announced that it has awarded more than $17.5 million in grants to support the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program. Funding will support efforts across the country to address violent crime, including the gun violence that is often at its core. The Puerto Rico Public Housing Authority was awarded $151,223 to administer PSN grant funds in the District of Puerto Rico.
The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), part of the department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), will administer the 88 grant awards, which are being made to designated fiscal agents to support local PSN projects that work in partnership with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices.
“This latest Project Safe Neighborhoods grant is critical to addressing the violent crime threatening cities and towns all across our country,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “Ensuring the safety of all Americans is the highest priority for the Department of Justice, but when it comes to violent crime, there is not a one-size-fits-all solution. We have to work closely with local public safety agencies as well as community organizations to craft individual strategies unique to each community’s needs. Programs like Project Safe Neighborhoods and the funding it provides allow us to do just that.”
“In the District of Puerto Rico, we continue to increase the collaboration between law enforcement, state agencies, community organizations and our communities to be able to prevent and reduce violent crime,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “Protecting our communities from violence is a top priority and we remain fully committed and engaged with our partners to make Puerto Rico safer.”
Grant funds will support law enforcement operations with the goal of reducing drug trafficking and violent crimes in Puerto Rico’s most vulnerable and underserved communities. Grant funds will also support community engagement initiatives to build stronger relationships of trust between those communities and law enforcement. With approval from BJA, the Fiscal Agent will begin the process of making subawards for PSN grant projects.
“Investing in our communities, supporting victims and building a justice system that both keeps people safe and earns their trust – these are mutually reinforcing goals that stand at the heart of Project Safe Neighborhoods,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Amy L. Solomon for OJP. “The Office of Justice Programs is pleased to join with our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, and with jurisdictions across the country, as we work together to meet the challenges of crime and violence and achieve our shared aspirations of public safety and community trust.”
In May 2021, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced a new effort to reduce violent crime, including the gun violence that is often at its core. Integral to that effort was the reinvigoration of PSN, a two-decade old evidence-based and community-oriented program focused on reducing violent crime. The updated PSN approach, outlined in the department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime issued by Deputy Attorney General Monaco, is guided by four key principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results of our efforts. The fundamental goal is to reduce violent crime, not simply to increase the number of arrests or prosecutions.
This fall, U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country have enhanced their violent crime reduction efforts to ensure alignment with the department’s comprehensive violent crime reduction strategy. U.S. Attorneys’ Offices have engaged in outreach to law enforcement and other agencies and organizations serving communities to identify the most significant drivers of violence in their districts. Working together with a broad coalition of stakeholders, the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices are addressing the most pressing violent crime issues in their district to make our neighborhoods safer for all.
PSN programs are led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in collaboration with local public safety agencies, community stakeholders and other agencies and organizations that work to reduce violent crime.
For a list of all grantees, please visit: https://www.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh241/files/media/document/FY21-Project-Safe-Neighborhoods-Awards.pdf
In addition to the grant listed above and other grants previously announced, in recent weeks the Department of Justice has awarded the following additional grants to entities and organizations in Puerto Rico:
1. Puerto Rico Police Bureau: $150,000 for the PRPB Crisis Response Training Program
2. Puerto Rico Forensic Science Institute: $296,966 for the Puerto Rico 2021 Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grant Program
3. Guara Bi, Inc. in partnership with the Puerto Rico Department of Corrections (PRDC): $899,264 for the Second Chance Act Puerto Rico Treatment and Recovery
4. Puerto Rico Institute of Forensic Sciences: $635,846 for the DNA Capacity Enhancement for Backlog Reduction (CEBR) Program
5. Puerto Rico Department of Justice: $37,015 for the JRJ Student Loan Repayment Program
6. Puerto Rico Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation: $221,382 for the PR Department of Correction and Rehabilitation Residential Substance Abuse Program
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The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, advance racial equity in the administration of justice, assist victims and enhance the rule of law. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
Justice Department Awards More Than $17.5 Million to Support Project Safe NeighborhoodsRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice announced today that it has awarded more than $17.5 million in grants – including more than $378,000 in the Northern District of Texas – to support the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program. Funding will support efforts across the country to address violent crime, including the gun violence that is often at its core.
Fort Worth’s Safe City Commission, also known as One Safe Place, will handle the Northern District of Texas PSN funds, which will be distributed to police departments and nonprofits that support the PSN mission through enforcement and crime prevention programs.
The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), part of the department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), will administer the 88 grant awards, which are being made to designated fiscal agents to support local PSN projects that work in partnership with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices. With approval from BJA, the Safe City Commission, the Northern District of Texas’s fiscal agent, will begin the process of making subawards for PSN grant projects.
“I am immensely proud of the Northern District of Texas’ award-winning PSN program, which relies on collaboration between federal, state, and local law enforcement and area nonprofits to reduce violent crime,” said U.S. Attorney Chad E. Meacham. “Our data-driven, compassionate approach ensures that our residents feel safe in their communities. We’re focused not just on locking up criminals, but at getting to the root cause of violence and stopping it. We’re determined to make Dallas, Fort Worth, Lubbock and Amarillo better places to live and work, and we’re hopeful this grant money will help us achieve that goal.”
“This latest Project Safe Neighborhoods grant is critical to addressing the violent crime threatening cities and towns all across our country,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “Ensuring the safety of all Americans is the highest priority for the Department of Justice, but when it comes to violent crime, there is not a one-size-fits-all solution. We have to work closely with local public safety agencies as well as community organizations to craft individual strategies unique to each community’s needs. Programs like Project Safe Neighborhoods and the funding it provides allow us to do just that.”
In May 2021, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced a new effort to reduce violent crime, including the gun violence that is often at its core. Integral to that effort was the reinvigoration of PSN, a two-decade old evidence-based and community-oriented program focused on reducing violent crime. The updated PSN approach, outlined in the department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime issued by Deputy Attorney General Monaco, is guided by four key principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results of our efforts. The fundamental goal is to reduce violent crime, not simply to increase the number of arrests or prosecutions.
This fall, U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country have enhanced their violent crime reduction efforts to ensure alignment with the department’s comprehensive violent crime reduction strategy. U.S. Attorneys’ Offices have engaged in outreach to law enforcement and other agencies and organizations serving communities to identify the most significant drivers of violence in their districts. Working together with a broad coalition of stakeholders, the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices are addressing the most pressing violent crime issues in their district to make our neighborhoods safer for all.
PSN programs are led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in collaboration with local public safety agencies, community stakeholders and other agencies and organizations that work to reduce violent crime. You can read more about the Northern District of Texas’ PSN program here. For a list of all PSN grantees nationwide, click here.
Justice Department Awards $481,285 Grant to Support Crime-Fighting Efforts in Suffolk and Nassau CountiesRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice announced that it has awarded over $480,000 to the Suffolk County Police Department as part of more than $17 million in grant funding to support the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program. The funding will support a collaborative effort between Suffolk and Nassau Counties to identify and reduce violent crime and strengthen community partnerships and outreach. The funding will go to the Suffolk County Police Department, the Nassau County Police Department and the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office. Suffolk County has been receiving PSN grants since 2017 and has split the funding with Nassau County since 2018.
The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), part of the department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), will administer the 88 grant awards to support local PSN projects that work in partnership with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices.
“The Project Safe Neighborhoods grant will support our efforts to collaborate with the Suffolk and Nassau County Police Departments in developing strategies to reduce gang and gun violence on Long Island. The grant will also help to strengthen our partnerships with community organizations and expand our community outreach programs. Together, we will work hard to make our communities safer,” stated United States Attorney Breon Peace.
“This latest Project Safe Neighborhoods grant is critical to addressing the violent crime threatening cities and towns all across our country,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “Ensuring the safety of all Americans is the highest priority for the Department of Justice, but when it comes to violent crime, there is not a one-size-fits-all solution. We have to work closely with local public safety agencies as well as community organizations to craft individual strategies unique to each community’s needs. Programs like Project Safe Neighborhoods and the funding it provides allow us to do just that.”
“Investing in our communities, supporting victims and building a justice system that both keeps people safe and earns their trust – these are mutually reinforcing goals that stand at the heart of Project Safe Neighborhoods,” stated Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Amy L. Solomon for OJP. “The Office of Justice Programs is pleased to join with our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, and with jurisdictions across the country, as we work together to meet the challenges of crime and violence and achieve our shared aspirations of public safety and community trust.”
In May 2021, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced a new effort to reduce violent crime, including the gun violence that is often at its core. Integral to that effort was the reinvigoration of PSN, a two-decade old evidence-based and community-oriented program focused on reducing violent crime. The updated PSN approach, outlined in the department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime issued by Deputy Attorney General Monaco, is guided by four key principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results of our efforts. The fundamental goal is to reduce violent crime, not simply to increase the number of arrests or prosecutions.
This fall, U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country have enhanced their violent crime reduction efforts to ensure alignment with the department’s comprehensive violent crime reduction strategy. U.S. Attorneys’ Offices have engaged in outreach to law enforcement and other agencies and organizations serving communities to identify the most significant drivers of violence in their districts. Working together with a broad coalition of stakeholders, the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices are addressing the most pressing violent crime issues in their district to make our neighborhoods safer for all.
PSN programs are led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in collaboration with local public safety agencies, community stakeholders and other agencies and organizations that work to reduce violent crime.
The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, advance racial equity in the administration of justice, assist victims and enhance the rule of law. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
Jury Convicts Former AT&T Employee of Conspiracy, Fraud, and Identity TheftRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – A federal jury today convicted Alejandro Garlynn Williams, 40, of conspiracy, access device fraud, and aggravated identity theft, finding him guilty of all counts in the indictment against him.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Williams began working as a retail sales consultant at an AT&T store location in Fayetteville, North Carolina in March 2016. In that capacity, Williams’ responsibilities included activating AT&T customer accounts and selling cell phones for those accounts.
In October 2017, Williams was introduced to Anthony Jamison, a resident of Hamlet, North Carolina. Jamison was named as a co-conspirator in the indictment and previously pleaded guilty in this matter. Between October 2017 and January 2018, Williams and Jamison conspired to establish AT&T cellular accounts with the stolen personal identifying information (PII) of unwitting victims in North Carolina and South Carolina for the purpose of obtaining thousands of dollars’ worth of high-end cell phones for resale on the black market.
The evidence at trial established that Jamison would provide Williams with the victim PII, to include Social Security numbers and dates of birth, through text messages and other means. Jamison would then send various recruits into the AT&T store to meet with Williams to act as the “customer” for the surveillance cameras. Thereafter, among other things, Williams would use the stolen victim PII to run hard credit checks, activate lines of service in the victims’ names, and, ultimately, issue cell phones to the “customer” for resale by Jamison. To facilitate the conspiracy, Williams ensured the phones were activated and sold under financing plans that required little or no payment from the “customer” at the point of sale, but which made the victims personally liable for the devices without their knowledge. Many victims only learned of the scheme when they discovered AT&T bills addressed to them in the mail. During one particular transaction, for example, Williams used the stolen personal identifiers of a North Carolina victim to issue nine iPhone devices, valued at over $8,500, on installment plans created using that victim’s name and credit history. In total, the associated losses to AT&T as a result of the scheme, including phones and accessories, was in excess of $85,000.00.
Michael F. Easley, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after United States District Judge Louise W. Flanagan accepted the verdict. Assistant United States Attorney Adam F. Hulbig prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The United States Secret Service was assigned to the investigation of the matter and received valuable assistance from AT&T’s asset protection unit.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:20-cr-00547-FL-2.
Irvington Man Sentenced for Possessing Firearm in High Speed ChaseRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – An Irvington man was sentenced today to 41 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, on April 14, 2020, Mobile police officers spoke with a woman who reported that her boyfriend, Michael Bates, 28, had taken her car without her permission and that there was a firearm in the vehicle. At around the same time, employees of the La Quinta Inn in Tillman’s Corner called for police assistance because Bates was there, acting erratically, and flashing a firearm. An officer from the Mobile Police Department responded to the La Quinta Inn. When Bates saw the officer, he started the car and sped away. Police officers and deputies from the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office gave chase. Bates led police on a high-speed chase for over six-and-a-half minutes. The chase began in Tillman’s Corner, a heavily populated area with many pedestrians. At one intersection, his reckless driving caused a crash. He then continued to flee, driving through a shopping center parking lot and a Winn Dixie parking lot at speeds of 70 to 80 miles per hour. At one point, when driving down Old Pascagoula Road toward Theodore Dawes Road, he was driving on the wrong side of the road. Speeds reached up to 130 miles per hour. The pursuit ended when Bates lost control of the vehicle and struck a tree. Bates had to be physically removed from the car and he fought officers the entire time. As the officers were attempting to handcuff Bates on the ground, they discovered the firearm in his waistband.
Bates had previously convicted of possession of a controlled substance, theft of property of the first degree, burglary of the third degree, and theft of property of the first degree. Each of these prior felony convictions disqualified Bates from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
United States District Judge Kristi DuBose imposed a forty-one month sentence of incarceration, with credit for the time Bates has spent in custody prior to sentencing. The judge also ordered Bates to serve a three-year term of supervised release upon his discharge from prison. Judge DuBose ordered that Bates pay $100 in special assessments.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Mobile Police Department, and the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kacey Chappelear prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Iowa Man Pleads Guilty to Selling Misbranded Vitamin B12 InjectablesRead the Press Release
An Iowa man pleaded guilty today to a felony charge related to the sale of misbranded vitamin B12 injectable drugs, the Department of Justice announced.
Brady Tomlinson, 46, of Des Moines, pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa to one count of introducing a misbranded drug into interstate commerce with the intent to defraud or mislead. According to court documents, Tomlinson sold injectable vitamin B12 solutions online beginning in May 2015. Tomlinson marketed the injections as weight loss drugs. According to court documents, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) informed Tomlinson during a December 2016 inspection that dispensing the drugs without valid prescriptions violated the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA). Tomlinson closed his business for a week following the inspection, but then created a new website and continued selling the same kinds of misbranded B12 injections from December 2016 until April 2019.
“Dispensing drugs such as these without a prescription or the involvement of a medical professional endangers consumers and violates the law,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department will continue to work hand-in-hand with the FDA to investigate and prosecute the illegal dispensing of prescription drugs.”
“Selling prescription drugs online – with no medical supervision – can cause serious harm and put consumers’ health at risk,” said Special Agent in Charge Charles L. Grinstead of the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Kansas City Field Office. “We will continue to pursue and bring to justice those who jeopardize U.S. consumers’ health and safety.”
U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephen H. Locher set sentencing for Tomlinson for April 15, 2022.
The FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam J. Kerndt of the Southern District of Iowa and Trial Attorneys Ross Goldstein and Marcus P. Smith of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch prosecuted the case.
Informational: Federal Court arraignmentsRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned or appeared this week before U.S. Magistrate judges on indictments handed down by the Grand Jury or on criminal complaints. The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty:
Appearing in Billings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan and pleading not guilty on Dec. 9 was:
Kalled Sam Hassen Jaha, 39, of Chinook, on charges of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. If convicted of the most serious crime, Jaha faces a mandatory minimum five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and at least four years of supervised release. Jaha was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI investigated the case. PACER case reference. 21-76.
Appearing on Dec. 7 was:
Nicole Jo Brent, 44, of Billings, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth and possession with intent to distribute meth. If convicted of the most serious crime, Brent faces a mandatory minimum 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. Brent was released pending further proceedings. The U.S. Postal Service and FBI’s Western Transnational Organized Crime Task Force investigated the case. PACER case reference. 21-94.
Appearing in Great Falls before U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston and pleading not guilty on Dec. 7 was:
Ronald Joseph Champange, 62, of Great Falls, on charges of prohibited person in possession of firearms and ammunition. If convicted of the most serious crime, Champange faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Champange was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Great Falls Police Department investigated the case. PACER case reference. 21-75.
Appearing on a criminal complaint was:
Nathaniel Jameco Brown, 44, of Spokane, Washington, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. If convicted of the most serious crime, Brown faces a mandatory minimum five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and at least three years of supervised release. Brown was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI investigated the case. PACER case reference. 21-85.
The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
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Heroin Trafficker Who Fled Controlled Delivery Sentenced to 14 YearsRead the Press Release
A heroin trafficker who fled the scene of a controlled delivery has been sentenced to 14 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Frank Alex Juarez, 22, of Terrell, Texas, pleaded guilty in July to possession with intent to distribute heroin. He was sentenced Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Ada Brown.
According to plea papers, Mr. Juarez admitted that he received more than 100 grams of heroin during an controlled delivery managed by the DEA on Sept. 10, 2020.
During the delivery, the defendant became nervous and fled from law enforcement at a high rate of speed.
Later, he delivered the heroin to another person. (This is an ongoing investigation.)
The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division conducted the investigation with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Mesquite Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney George Leal prosecuted the case.
The case stems from an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.
Hattiesburg Woman Sentenced to 72 Months for Wire Fraud Related to Employee TheftRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that CHRISTY BARTHOLOMEW, age 39, of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, was sentenced on December 8, 2021 to 72 months of incarceration by U.S. District Court Judge Lance M. Africk today after she pleaded guilty to a two-count Bill of Information for wire fraud.
According to court records, BARTHOLOMEW was employed as a financial controller for a business located in Slidell, Louisiana, and later worked as an office manager for a company located in Kenner, Louisiana. From 2016 to October of 2019, she embezzled approximately $357,000 from her Slidell employer by several schemes, including unauthorized use of a company credit card. She later did the same thing with her Kenner employer, embezzling approximately $300,000 from November 2019 to February 2020.
BARTHOLOMEW is scheduled to self-surrender in February 2022. After incarceration with the Bureau of Prisons, BARTHOLOMEW will be placed on three years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay a $200 mandatory special assessment fee and full restitution to the victims.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations, along with assistance from the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office, in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward J. Rivera was in charge of the prosecution.
Hartley Man to Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
A man who was prohibited from possessing firearms was sentenced on December 8, 2021, in federal court in Sioux City.
Jeremy Walters, 40, from Hartley, Iowa, pled guilty on July 15, 2021, to being a prohibited person in possession of firearms.
At the hearings, evidence was presented to show that Walters possessed two assault-style rifles, one with an extra capacity magazine, on January 28, 2021. Walters was previously convicted of conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine, in the Iowa District Court for Clay County, on or about August 23, 2004. Walters further admitted to being an unlawful user of methamphetamine which prohibited him from possessing guns, and to possession of five ounces of marijuana along with the guns.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Walters was released to self-report to a federal prison once designated. Walters was sentenced to one year and one day imprisonment and must also serve a term of two years of supervised release following the imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, & Firearms, Iowa State Patrol, Iowa DCI, and Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21-4022. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Gillette Felon Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Bob Murray announced today that PRESTON RAY WISENBAKER, age 31, of Gillette, Wyoming pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crime, and felon in possession of a firearm, during a plea hearing held on December 6, 2021, in front of Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson. Sentencing has been set for February 24, 2022.
Wisenbaker was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 20, 2021. For his conviction of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, he faces 5 to 40 years’ imprisonment. For his conviction of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking, he faces no less than 5 years to life consecutive imprisonment, and for his conviction of felon in possession of a firearm, he faces up to 10 years imprisonment.
This crime was investigated by the Gillette Police Department, the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy J. Forwood.
Case Number 0:21-cr-00085-ABJ
Gillette Felon Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Bob Murray announced today that PRESTON RAY WISENBAKER, age 31, of Gillette, Wyoming pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crime, and felon in possession of a firearm, during a plea hearing held on December 6, 2021, in front of Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson. Sentencing has been set for February 24, 2022.
Wisenbaker was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 20, 2021. For his conviction of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, he faces 5 to 40 years’ imprisonment. For his conviction of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking, he faces no less than 5 years to life consecutive imprisonment, and for his conviction of felon in possession of a firearm, he faces up to 10 years imprisonment.
This crime was investigated by the Gillette Police Department, the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy J. Forwood.
Case Number 0:21-cr-00085-ABJ
Frederick County Man Pleads Guilty to Sexually Abusing Two Minor Girls to Produce Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – William Brown IV, age 41, of New Market, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to two counts of production of child pornography involving two minor female victims.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Frederick County Sheriff Charles A. “Chuck” Jenkins; and Frederick County State’s Attorney J. Charles Smith III.
According to his guilty plea, beginning in August 2019 and continuing until January 2020, Brown repeatedly documented his sexual abuse of Jane Doe 1 by taking photographs and videos of the sexual abuse. Brown also posed as GG, an adult film actor, and as a teenage boy to repeatedly coerce Jane Doe 1 to send him photographs of herself engaging in sexually explicit conduct through an Internet application, which she did. Brown also admitted producing sexually explicit images of Jane Doe 2 over a two-year period, again posing as GG, and by installing a covert camera in a bathroom used by Jane Doe 2.
Specifically, as detailed in the plea agreement, in the summer of 2019, while posing as a teenage boy, Brown met Jane Doe 1 online, and began a relationship with her that included the exchange of sexually explicit photographs. Brown sent Jane Doe 1 photographs of a teenage boy engaged in sexually explicit conduct that he had acquired online and coerced Jane Doe 1 to send sexually explicit photographs of herself. Brown again contacted Jane Doe 1 online posing as GG—an adult film actor and musician who resides in Miami, Florida. Brown repeatedly sent Jane Doe 1 sexually explicit photographs of GG that he had previously obtained on the Internet and coerced Jane Doe 1 to send him sexually explicit photographs of herself via the Internet application.
Jane Doe 1 eventually discovered that Brown was posing as a teenage boy and Brown disclosed his age and true identity to her. Brown and Jane Doe 1 eventually met in person. Beginning in September 2019 Brown met Jane Doe 1 approximately four times per week to engage in illegal sexual conduct at locations in Frederick County, Maryland, including, Brown’s home, Brown’s van, and Jane Doe 1’s home. Brown would frequently use his cellular phone to take photographs and videos of his abuse of Jane Doe 1.
Brown admitted that he coerced Jane Doe 1 to send him sexually explicit photographs and videos of herself and would send her depictions of himself masturbating. Brown also used an online video-teleconference system to view live-stream video of Jane Doe 1 engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Brown provided Jane Doe 1 with sex toys, lingerie, and a phone to use to communicate with him without her parents’ knowledge. Without Jane Doe 1’s knowledge or consent, Brown used online monitoring tools to track Jane Doe 1’s activity online and capture screenshots and videos of her activity, including any communications she had with others concerning him or GG.
According to his plea agreement, Brown, again posing as GG, met Jane Doe 2 online when she was approximately 12-13 years old. Over a period of years, Brown, posing as GG, coerced Jane Doe 2 to send him sexually explicit photographs of herself. On several occasions, Brown, posing as GG, provided Jane Doe 2 with cash in exchange for sending him sexually explicit photographs, which he hid at his residence. Posing as GG, Brown also sent Jane Doe 2 various sex-related items in the mail, including lingerie, sex toys, and a DVD containing adult pornography. Between June 2018 and September 2019, Brown installed a covert camera in a bathroom used by Jane Doe 2 without her knowledge, which captured images of Jane Doe 2 nude. Brown eventually downloaded these images to his smartphone. As he had with Jane Doe 1, Brown also used an online monitoring tool, without Jane Doe 2’s knowledge or consent, to track her activity online and capture screenshots and videos of her activity, including any communications she had with GG or others.
On February 3, 2020, law enforcement arrested Brown and executed a search and seizure warrant at his residence. On February 4, 2020, law enforcement executed a second search and seizure warrant at the residence. During the execution of the warrants, law enforcement seized, among other things, a personal computer, Brown’s work computer, a smartphone, and a hard drive which was hidden within a hollowed-out book.
The seized items were forensically examined. The phone, personal and work computers were found to contain depictions of Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2 engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The personal computer and phone also contained screenshots of conversations between Brown, posing as GG, and Jane Doe 1 and numerous artifacts from the communication and tracking applications. Brown’s phone also reflected that Brown had repeatedly accessed GG’s webpage to obtain nude photos of GG, as well as other sites referring to GG, and sites regarding catfishing—i.e., creating a fictitious online persona on social media to target a specific victim. Finally, the hard drive, which was hidden within a hollowed-out book at Brown’s residence, contained approximately 100 images of minors, including prepubescent minors, engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Brown also admitted that he attempted to obstruct justice by writing a letter to one of the victims, after his arrest, in an effort to influence her potential testimony in connection with this matter.Brown and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Brown will be sentenced to between 18 years and 27 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake has scheduled sentencing for March 4, 2022 at 2:00 p.m.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "Resources" tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the HSI, Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, and the Frederick County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation and prosecution. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul A. Riley and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Joyce King, who are prosecuting the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Four People Indicted in International Telemedicine Health Care Fraud Kickback SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Four people, including a licensed physician, have been charged for their roles in an international telemedicine health care fraud and kickback scheme involving compound medications and durable medical equipment, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced today.
David Woroboff, 59, of Del Rey, California; George Willard, 53, of Brooklyn, Michigan; Randall Mills, 61, of Plano, Texas; and Dr. Le Thu, 66, of South Bridge, Massachusetts, are each charged by indictment with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and one count of conspiracy to violate the federal Anti-Kickback Statute.
According to the indictment:
Woroboff, Willard, and Mills were high-level employees of a telemedicine company. Beginning in May 2014, the defendants and their conspirators began to use the telemedicine company to generate a high volume of prescriptions for compounded medications and, later, durable medical equipment (DME), without regard to medical necessity and through the payment of kickbacks. The defendants agreed and arranged for health care providers associated with the telemedicine company to write prescriptions for compounded medications and DME without the establishment of any provider-patient relationship, in exchange for kickbacks, and in violation of certain state telemedicine laws. Woroboff, Willard, and Mills agreed to pay Thu approximately $35 per prescription. Thu wrote prescriptions without speaking to patients in exchange for those payments.
In order to encourage providers to write prescriptions without establishing a provider-patient relationship, Woroboff and Mills falsely informed providers that “nurses” had already consulted with the patients, taken their medical histories, and determined that compounded medication or DME was medically appropriate. In reality, the “nurses” were located in the Philippines, were not registered to practice medicine in the United States, and generally had not spoken with the patients. Rather, representatives of marketing companies provided patient information to the telemedicine company and paid the telemedicine company to generate prescriptions for compounded medications and DME. Woroboff and Willard also took additional steps to conceal their scheme, including the use of fake phone numbers and addresses for the health care providers.
The defendants caused losses to TRICARE, Medicare, and private health insurance companies of approximately $37 million.
The charge of conspiracy to commit health care fraud is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison. The charge of conspiracy to violate the federal Anti-Kickback Statute is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison. The maximum fine for each count is $250,000, or twice the gross profit or loss caused by the offense, whichever is greatest.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Middle District of Tennessee, under the direction of Acting U.S. Attorney Mark H. Wildasin; special agents of the Office of the Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Hegarty; special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp, in Birmingham, Alabama; special agents of the U.S Office of Personnel Management, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Amy Parker; special agents of the U.S Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Rafiq Ahmad; investigators of the U.S. Department of Labor-Employee Benefits Security Administration, under the direction of Regional Director Isabel Culver; and special agents of the Tennessee Valley Authority, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Meagan Sands, with the investigation leading to the indictment.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean M. Sherman and Emma Spiro of the Opioid Abuse Prevention & Enforcement Unit.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Former employee at Sandia National Laboratories sentenced to 21 months in prison for mail fraud and theftRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Joshua Cordova, 39, of Albuquerque, was sentenced in federal court on Dec. 9 to a year and nine months in prison for mail fraud and theft of federal funds. Cordova was indicted on Dec. 17, 2019, and pleaded guilty on May 5.
From approximately 2010 to December 2018, Cordova was employed by Sandia Corporation and later National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia, which were contracted by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to operate Sandia National Laboratories (SNL). Cordova’s duties included providing training to military, law enforcement and emergency response personnel in the use of equipment developed at SNL. Beginning in late 2012, Cordova applied for and was issued a purchasing card funded by DOE for the limited purpose of procuring equipment and materials necessary for Cordova to perform his duties at SNL.
In his plea agreement, Cordova admitted that during the period from September 2014 through September 2018 he fraudulently used the government-funded procurement cards that had been entrusted to him to purchase items for the personal use of himself, his family, and his associates. These items included: jewelry; watches, clothing; shoes; golf clubs and golf accessories; exercise equipment; toys; barber equipment, furnishings and supplies; building materials; and home appliances.
To conceal the fraudulent use of his purchasing card, Cordova made misrepresentations and false statements, claiming in his monthly reconciliation reports the purchases were legitimate items. For example, in August 2017, Cordova purchased a diamond ring for $944 from Amazon.com that was shipped to his home. In his monthly report, he represented the purchase as “2 carbon fiber Manfredo 510 tripods.”
As part of his sentence, Cordova must forfeit several items that were recovered by investigators and make restitution to the United States in the sum of $136,107. Upon his release from prison, Cordova will be subject to a term of three years of supervised release.
The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Inspector General investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy S. Vasquez prosecuted the case.
Former Vermont Resident Charged with Production of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Wayne Miller, 34, formerly of Hartland, Vermont, was charged by criminal complaint in United States District Court in Burlington, Vermont, with one count of production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), formerly called child pornography. Miller made his initial appearance to answer the complaint in federal court on December 10, 2021. At that hearing, U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle ordered Miller detained and set a probable cause hearing for December 22, 2021.
According to court records and proceedings, in November 2020, Google sent a Cybertip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) after it discovered a user had attempted to send CSAM by email to another account. NCMEC forwarded the Cybertip to the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC). The ICAC obtained search warrants for the two Google accounts involved in the attempted transfer. Through that investigation, the ICAC discovered additional CSAM images, some of which appeared to have been produced by Miller, and learned that Miller likely controlled both accounts. Investigators with Homeland Security Investigations obtained a federal search warrant to search Miller’s new residence in Claremont, New Hampshire. During execution of this search warrant, Miller spoke with law enforcement and confirmed that he produced CSAM that depicted him and a toddler-aged child known to him.
U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest emphasized that the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. If convicted, Miller’s sentence will be determined by the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the impact, if any, of any mandatory minimum prison terms applicable to any count of conviction.
U.S. Attorney Kerest commended the efforts of Homeland Security Investigations and the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Barbara A. Masterson is handling the prosecution of Miller. Miller is represented by the Federal Public Defender’s Office.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and Child Exploitation Obscenity Section, Criminal Division (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.Former Program Coordinator for the Kentucky Administrative Office of the Courts Sentenced for Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
LOUISVILLE, KY – A Louisville man was sentenced yesterday to 30 months in prison, payment of a $10,000 fine, and an order of restitution in the amount of $71,407, for his solicitation and receipt of bribes and kickbacks in the course of his service as a public official.
According to court documents, Jean-Joseph Saulnerond, 54, engaged in a long-running scheme to defraud the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) for the Commonwealth of Kentucky and others through his position as their Languages Other than Spanish (LOTS) Program Coordinator. As the LOTS Program Coordinator, Saulnerond was responsible for scheduling foreign language interpreters for court hearings within the Commonwealth of Kentucky and had the authority to award contracts and assign jobs for interpretation services. As part of his scheme, Saulnerond solicited and received bribes and kickbacks in exchange for awarding interpretation contacts and assigning jobs to provide interpretation services for the AOC to individual interpreters and a language services company. At times, he refused to award interpretation contracts and assign jobs to individuals and companies if they did not agree to pay him a bribe or kickback. As part of the scheme, interpreters inflated the hours worked on contracts with the AOC in order to be paid additional money to kickback to Saulnerond out of the contracts’ proceeds. Between 2011 and 2018, Saulnerond solicited and received over $70,000 in bribes and kickbacks from contractors.
“We will continue to prioritize the prosecution of government employees who manufacture schemes intended to defraud public agencies of taxpayer money,” stated Michael A. Bennett, United States Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky. I am grateful for the outstanding work of the prosecutors, investigators, and agents assigned to the case as well as the partnership of Kentucky Attorney General Cameron’s office and the FBI’s Louisville Field Office.”
“Public workers are entrusted by Kentuckians to be good stewards of state resources, and when that trust is violated through bribe and kickback schemes, those individuals must be held accountable for their crimes,” said Attorney General Cameron. “Our Department of Criminal Investigations worked closely with our partner agencies to investigate this scheme, and I appreciate the work of the FBI and U.S. Attorney Bennett’s office in this case.”
“While the vast majority of public officials serve their communities honorably, Mr. Saulnerond chose to betray the trust of taxpayers by lining his own pockets,” said Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI’s Louisville Field Office. “Unfortunately, when one government employee chooses to abuse their position, the public’s trust in government erodes. The FBI will continue to aggressively investigate any corrupt public official who willfully and maliciously chooses to violate that trust.”
The Office of the Kentucky Attorney General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie M. Zimdahl and Christopher Tieke prosecuted the case.
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Former Postal Worker Sentenced for Mail TheftRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former U.S. Postal Service mail carrier was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for stealing mail containing gift cards and cash.
Brian Thibodeau, 49, of Danvers, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf to one year of probation. Thibodeau was also ordered to pay a fine of $7,500 and restitution in the amount of $175. On Aug. 5, 2021, Thibodeau pleaded guilty to one count of theft of mail by an employee of the U.S. Postal Service.
Beginning in 2001, Thibodeau worked as a letter carrier in the Saugus Post Office. In 2020, Thibodeau stole cash and gift cards sent in the mail he was responsible for delivering to postal customers and spent the funds for his personal use. Thibodeau stole approximately $2,000 worth of gift cards from postal customers on his route.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell and Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Northeast Area Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugenia M. Carris, Deputy Chief of Mendell’s Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit, prosecuted the case.
Former NFL Player Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Prison for COVID-19 Relief FraudRead the Press Release
A former National Football League (NFL) player was sentenced today to 37 months in federal prison for fraudulently obtaining over $1.2 million through a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
According to court documents, Joshua J. Bellamy, 32, of St. Petersburg, Florida, a former NFL player, pleaded guilty on June 9 in the Southern District of Florida to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. As part of the fraud scheme, Bellamy obtained a PPP loan of $1,246,565 for his company, Drip Entertainment LLC, using falsified documents and false information. Bellamy admitted to using the PPP loan proceeds on personal items, such as jewelry, and a stay at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. Bellamy also sought PPP loans on behalf of his family members and close associates. Bellamy further admitted that he paid more than $311,000 to an alleged co-conspirator, James Stote, as a kickback for his assistance in preparing and submitting the fraudulent loan application. In addition to his prison sentence, Bellamy was ordered to serve three years of supervised released and pay $1,246,565 in restitution and $1,246,565 in forfeiture.
In addition, a Florida woman was sentenced on Dec. 9 to two years in federal prison for fraudulently obtaining a PPP loan as part of this criminal scheme. According to court documents, Yashica Bain, 38, of Miramar, Florida, pleaded guilty on Sept. 30 in the Southern District of Florida to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. As part of the fraud scheme, Bain obtained a PPP loan of $415,232 for her company, Microblading Brow Studio LLC, using falsified documents and false information. Bain used the PPP loan proceeds to enrich herself and others who never worked for her company. She falsely described those payments as “payroll” and “wages” to perpetrate this fraud. Bain admitted that she paid more than $28,000 to Stote as a kickback for his assistance in preparing and submitting the fraudulent loan application. In addition to her prison sentence, Bain was ordered to serve three years of supervised released and pay $415,232 in restitution and $415,232 in forfeiture.
Stote was charged by complaint on June 24, 2020, with wire fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud. His case remains pending.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez of the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Michael J. De Palma of the IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Miami Field Office; Acting Assistant Director Jay Greenberg of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro of the FBI’s Miami Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite of the SBA’s Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG) Eastern Region made the announcement.
IRS-CI, the FBI, and SBA-OIG investigated the cases.
Trial Attorney Philip Trout of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Turken and Yisel Valdes of the Southern District of Florida prosecuted the cases.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the PPP. Since the inception of the CARES Act, the Fraud Section has prosecuted over 150 defendants in more than 95 criminal cases and has seized over $75 million in cash proceeds derived from fraudulently obtained PPP funds, as well as numerous real estate properties and luxury items purchased with such proceeds. More information can be found at https://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/ppp-fraud.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
A complaint is merely an allegation, and Stote is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former KC Man Pleads Guilty to Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former Kansas City, Missouri, man pleaded guilty in federal court today to robbing Arvest Bank.
Jamarious K. Braxton, 32, of Memphis, Tennessee, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to one count of bank robbery.
By pleading guilty today, Braxton admitted that he walked into Arvest Bank, 8959 E. 40 Hwy., on Oct. 21, 2017, and handed a teller a demand note. Braxton verbally demanded $4,000 and threatened to shoot the teller in the face. The teller handed Braxton $2,100, and Braxton left the bank.
On Jan. 12, 2018, a report was made to the FBI Public Access Line by a former co-worker of Braxton’s in Kansas City, Mo., and Independence, Mo., who recognized Braxton and identified him as the bank robber. Federal agents learned that Braxton had an active arrest warrant for robbery in Memphis. On Jan. 19, 2018, the FBI was contacted by a law enforcement officer in Tennessee who reported that Braxton had been arrested for robbing a bank in Memphis shortly after the Arvest Bank robbery.
Investigators compared Braxton’s DNA and fingerprint with evidence collected after the Arvest Bank robbery.
Braxton pleaded guilty to the Memphis bank robbery and has been sentenced in that case. Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Braxton will be sentenced to five years in federal prison without parole and must pay $2,100 in restitution to Arvest Bank. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the FBI.
Former Albany Physician Pays $125,000 for Overprescribing OpioidsRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Dr. James J. Cole, formerly a physician in Albany, is paying the United States $125,000 for overprescribing opioids and other controlled substances to patients, including one patient who died. Cole also forfeited his prescribing privileges and his medical license.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Scott J. Lampert, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General’s New York Region (DHHS-OIG); and Acting Special Agent in Charge Keith Kruskall, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division.
“Sadly, many addictions begin and continue in a doctor’s office,” said Carla Freedman, United States Attorney for the Northern District of New York. “We know that opioids present significant risk to patients, especially when prescribed at high levels, for extended periods of time. We will continue using federal legal remedies to hold doctors accountable when they facilitate abuse.”
“DEA Registrants hold great responsibility and trust,” said Keith Kruskall, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA New York Division. “This particular registrant violated that trust, and the settlement in place demonstrates how DEA and our law enforcement partners will continue to hold all sources of diversion accountable.”
“Opioid abuse has devastated many communities around this country," said Special Agent in Charge Scott J. Lampert, of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations' New York Region. "We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure that physicians that overprescribe are thoroughly investigated and held accountable for their actions."
This settlement resolves allegations that:
- Dr. Cole prescribed controlled substances outside of the usual course of a professional practice by prescribing several patients the “Holy Trinity,” which is a cocktail of drugs including an opioid, a benzodiazepine, and the muscle relaxer carisoprodol (commonly known as “Soma”). This combination is disfavored in the medical community because it presents an elevated risk of abuse and overdose with little, if any, medical benefit.
- One of Dr. Cole’s patients died after taking a combination of fentanyl and oxycodone prescribed by Dr. Cole. Six months before the fatal overdose, the patient overdosed using fentanyl strips, and an emergency room doctor took the strips from the patient. The next day, Dr. Cole prescribed fentanyl strips for the patient along with oxycodone and morphine.
- Dr. Cole wrote prescriptions that lacked a legitimate medical purpose. For example, he prescribed opioids and benzodiazepines when he knew, through either urinalysis or the patient’s admission, that the patient was not routinely taking the medicine.
The $125,000 payment constitutes civil penalties under the Controlled Substances Act, and damages sustained by Medicare when it reimbursed for Dr. Cole’s illegitimate prescriptions. Dr. Cole has surrendered his DEA registration, and, as part of the civil settlement, agreed not to seek a renewal for at least 15 years. In a separate agreement with New York State, Dr. Cole also agreed to permanently forfeit his New York State medical license.
This case was investigated by DEA Albany District Office’s Diversion Group and Tactical Diversion Squad; the DHHS Office of Inspector General’s New York Region, with assistance from the New York State Department of Health, Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Moran represented the United States in this matter.
Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Promoting Nationwide Tax Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Florida man pleaded guilty today to conspiring to defraud the United States by promoting a tax fraud scheme to more than 200 individuals in at least 19 states. He also pleaded guilty to attempting to obstruct the IRS.
According to court documents, Aaron Aqueron of Clermont recruited clients to a nationwide tax fraud scheme by convincing them that their mortgages and other debts entitled them to tax refunds. Aqueron collected tax and financial information from these clients to send to co-conspirators, who prepared tax returns and other tax documents to submit to the IRS. These tax returns falsely claimed that banks and other financial institutions had withheld large amounts of income taxes from the clients, and that the clients were entitled to a refund. In reality, the financial institutions had not paid any income to or withheld any taxes from the clients. In total, the tax returns filed by the clients sought more than $14.6 million in tax refunds and caused the IRS to actually pay out more than $7.6 million in refunds.
As part of his plea, Aqueron admitted he and his co-conspirators received fees from his clients ranging from $10,000 to $15,000 each. Aqueron further admitted he did not report on his 2015 individual income tax return the income he received from the scheme. Aqueron also personally filed false tax returns on which he fraudulently claimed that he was entitled to tax refunds. In response to one of these false tax returns, the IRS issued Aqueron a refund of $193,347.97.
Aqueron further admitted that he attempted to obstruct the IRS’s efforts to collect the tax refunds it issued to his clients, pursuant to the fraud scheme. Aqueron and his conspirators coached clients on ways to obstruct IRS collection efforts. For example, after learning one client had begun to receive letters from the IRS about collections, Aqueron instructed the client: “Make sure you move money out of your name and out of the banking institutions and be smart.” Aqueron also attempted to obstruct IRS efforts to collect his own fraudulently-obtained refund, including by transferring money into a trust.
Aqueron is scheduled to be sentenced at a later date. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for conspiring to defraud the United States and three years in prison for corruptly endeavoring to obstruct or impede the IRS. Aqueron also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Aqueron’s conspirators are scheduled to go to trial in January 2022.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Karin Hoppmann for the Middle District of Florida made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Melissa S. Siskind, Kavitha Bondada, and Isaiah Boyd, III of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Chauncey A. Bratt of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Promoting Nationwide Tax Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL - A Florida man pleaded guilty today to conspiring to defraud the United States by promoting a tax fraud scheme to more than 200 individuals in at least 19 states. He also pleaded guilty to attempting to obstruct the IRS.
According to court documents, Aaron Aqueron of Clermont recruited clients to a nationwide tax fraud scheme by convincing them that their mortgages and other debts entitled them to tax refunds. Aqueron collected tax and financial information from these clients to send to co-conspirators, who prepared tax returns and other tax documents to submit to the IRS. These tax returns falsely claimed that banks and other financial institutions had withheld large amounts of income taxes from the clients, and that the clients were entitled to a refund. In reality, the financial institutions had not paid any income to or withheld any taxes from the clients. In total, the tax returns filed by the clients sought more than $14.6 million in tax refunds and caused the IRS to actually pay out more than $7.6 million in refunds.
As part of his plea, Aqueron admitted he and his co-conspirators received fees from his clients ranging from $10,000 to $15,000 each. Aqueron further admitted he did not report on his 2015 individual income tax return the income he received from the scheme. Aqueron also personally filed false tax returns on which he fraudulently claimed that he was entitled to tax refunds. In response to one of these false tax returns, the IRS issued Aqueron a refund of $193,347.97.
Aqueron further admitted that he attempted to obstruct the IRS’s efforts to collect the tax refunds it issued to his clients, pursuant to the fraud scheme. Aqueron and his conspirators coached clients on ways to obstruct IRS collection efforts. For example, after learning one client had begun to receive letters from the IRS about collections, Aqueron instructed the client: “Make sure you move money out of your name and out of the banking institutions and be smart.” Aqueron also attempted to obstruct IRS efforts to collect his own fraudulently-obtained refund, including by transferring money into a trust.
Aqueron is scheduled to be sentenced at a later date. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for conspiring to defraud the United States and three years in prison for corruptly endeavoring to obstruct or impede the IRS. Aqueron also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Aqueron’s conspirators are scheduled to go to trial in January 2022.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Karin Hoppmann for the Middle District of Florida made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Melissa S. Siskind, Kavitha Bondada, and Isaiah Boyd, III of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Chauncey A. Bratt of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
Federal Jury Convicts Florida Man for Role in Defrauding FDA and Distributing Designer Anabolic Steroids Labeled as Dietary SupplementsRead the Press Release
On Dec. 9, a federal jury in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, convicted James Boccuzzi, 37, of Boca Raton, Florida, of one count of conspiracy to defraud the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
Boccuzzi is the 11th defendant convicted in connection with Blackstone Labs LLC, a Boca Raton company that sold millions of dollars of products labeled as dietary supplements. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Boccuzzi who was Blackstone’s director of sales, and his co-conspirators, including Phillip “PJ” Braun, Aaron Singerman, Blackstone Labs LLC and others, conspired to defraud the FDA and to manufacture and illegally distribute anabolic steroids that were controlled substances. Evidence presented at trial established that the steroid products sold by Blackstone Labs and affiliated companies became illegal controlled substances in December 2014 under a new federal law, the Designer Anabolic Steroid Control Act, which amended the Controlled Substances Act. Evidence at trial established that despite knowing about the law and its impact on the legality of Blackstone’s steroid products, Boccuzzi and his co-conspirators continued selling the products for more than 18 months.
The evidence also showed that Boccuzzi and his co-conspirators quickly sold off other Blackstone products containing certain stimulants after they received an FDA warning letter notifying them that the products were unlawful to sell as dietary supplements. Further, the evidence showed that the conspirators concealed the sales of other products containing research chemicals despite knowing that the products could not legally be sold as dietary supplements.
Braun and Singerman each pleaded guilty on Nov. 17 to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and to selling unapproved new drugs. Blackstone Labs pleaded guilty on Nov. 19 to the same charges as Braun and Singerman, as well as to conspiracy to defraud the FDA and to commit mail and wire fraud. Five other individual defendants and two corporate entities involved in the sale of Blackstone Labs products previously pleaded guilty to related charges.
“It is illegal to sell drugs and controlled substances as dietary supplements,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department will work with its law enforcement partners to prosecute individuals and companies that market potentially dangerous products, such as designer steroids, in violation of the Controlled Substances Act and the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.”
“Products mislabeled as dietary supplements can pose a serious risk to the health of U.S. consumers,” said Special Agent in Charge Justin C. Fielder of the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI) Miami Field Office. “We will continue to investigate and bring to justice those who jeopardize the public health by selling violative products.”
Boccuzzi was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals following trial, and he is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 17, 2022, in Fort Lauderdale before U.S. District Judge William P. Dimitrouleas of the Southern District of Florida. Boccuzzi faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. Braun, Singerman, and Blackstone are scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 27, 2022. The court will determine any sentences after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The trial and plea agreements resulted from a multi-year investigation conducted by the FDA-OCI Miami Field Office.
Trial Attorneys Alistair Reader and Stephen Gripkey, Senior Litigation Counsel David Frank, and Assistant Director John W. Burke of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting the cases with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Daren Grove of the Southern District of Florida.
Federal Indictment Charges Man with Illegally Possessing Machine Gun in ChicagoRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A man has been arrested on a federal firearm charge for allegedly illegally possessing a loaded machine gun in Chicago.
An indictment unsealed today in U.S. District Court in Chicago charges KEYZOE WILLIAMS, 21, of Chicago, with one count of illegal possession of a machine gun. The indictment accuses Williams of possessing a handgun equipped with a conversion device, also known as an “auto sear” or “Glock switch.” The device transformed the firearm into a machine gun capable of automatically shooting more than one shot with a single pull of the trigger, the indictment alleges. Williams allegedly possessed the machine gun in Chicago from February to August of this year.
Williams was arrested this morning and made an initial appearance in federal court this afternoon. U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan E. Cox scheduled a detention hearing for Dec. 14, 2021, at 3:30 p.m.
The indictment and arrest were 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. Valuable assistance was provided by the Willowbrook, Ill., Police Department, Illinois State Police, Chicago Police Department, DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office, and the DuPage Metropolitan Emergency Response and Investigations Team. The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Madriñan.
Holding illegal firearm possessors accountable through federal prosecution is a centerpiece of Project Safe Neighborhoods, the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction strategy. In the Northern District of Illinois, U.S. Attorney Lausch and law enforcement partners have deployed the PSN program to attack a broad range of violent crime issues facing the district, particularly firearm offenses.
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The charge in the indictment is punishable by up to ten years in federal prison. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
Escondido Resident Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Selling $1.1 Million of Forged ArtRead the Press Release
Assistant U. S. Attorney Andrew J. Galvin (619) 546-9721
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – December 10, 2021
SAN DIEGO – Jason Harrington was sentenced in federal court today to 36 months in prison for selling $1.1 million of forged art he claimed was created by Richard Hambleton, a New York City artist who rose to fame in the 1980s.
When he pleaded guilty in August 2021, Harrington admitted selling forged art to at least 15 galleries and individuals between 2018 and 2020. The forged art included paintings of a black-silhouetted figure known as the Shadowman, which was a recurring motif in Hambleton's works.
To make the forged art appear authentic, Harrington lied to prospective buyers regarding the provenance of the art. To support these false statements, Harrington provided prospective buyers with a fake letter purportedly signed by the individual who obtained the art and, on one occasion, instructed an individual to speak with a prospective buyer and falsely claim to have obtained the art from Hambleton. According to court records, Harrington altered images, using publicly available photographs of Hambleton, to make it appear that the individual who purportedly obtained the art knew Hambleton.
Harrington also admitted to attempting to sell at least one forged painting purporting to be from the noted portraitist Barkley Hendricks. According to court records, Harrington falsely claimed to the owner of an art gallery that he inherited the painting from his uncle. The art gallery, however, refused to purchase the painting after Hendricks’ widow viewed the painting and determined it was a forgery.
“This is a fitting sentence for a defendant who harmed investors, corrupted the integrity of the art market, and damaged the historical-cultural record,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. Grossman thanked the prosecution team and the FBI for their excellent work on this case.
“Today’s sentence demonstrates the FBI’s commitment in pursuing those who make a living victimizing others,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Suzanne Turner. “Mr. Harrington knowingly and willfully operated in the world of forged art and today found out the cost for those criminal acts. These types of crimes not only hurt the victims who purchased the artwork, they cast a shadow over the art community as a whole - particularly those forged artists’ names he used to further his scheme.”
Harrington will appear for a restitution hearing on February 11, 2022 before U.S. District Judge Janis L. Sammartino.
DEFENDANT Case Number 21-CR-1184-JLS
Jason Harrington Age: 38 Escondido, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Wire Fraud – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1343
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $250,000 fine
AGENCY
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Eleven men indicted for illegal firearms possession, drugsRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: Eleven defendants face federal charges including illegal possession of firearms and drug possession after separate indictments by a grand jury in the Southern District of Georgia, while recent actions in U.S. District Court include guilty pleas and criminal sentences related to illegal gun possession.
The indicted cases are being investigated as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods in collaboration with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the FBI, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, in an ongoing effort to reduce violent crime with measures that included targeting those who illegally possess firearms.
“These indictments and prosecutions continue to send the unmistakable message: convicted felons are not legally allowed to possess firearms,” said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “Getting guns out of the hands of criminals is essential to making our streets safer.”
In the past three years, more than 710 defendants have been federally charged in the Southern District of Georgia for illegal firearms offenses – most often for possessing a firearm after conviction for a previous felony.
Defendants named in federal indictments from the December 2021 term of the U.S. District Court grand jury include:
- Larry Bennett Jr., 25, of Savannah, charged with Possession of Alprazolam, Oxycodone, Codeine, and Marijuana with Intent to Distribute; Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug-Trafficking Crime;
- Dillon Cole Gay, 28, of Pembroke, Ga., charged with Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute; Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug-Trafficking Crime;
- Brandon Lamar Williams, 29, of Savannah, charged with Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Distribute; Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; Possession of a Firearm by an Illegal Drug User; and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime;
- Jamie Lee Cogan, 37, of Thomson, Ga., charged with Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute; Possession of Firearms by a Convicted Felon; and Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime;
- David Kreiss, 46, of Swainsboro, Ga, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; Possession of an Unregistered Sawed-Off Shotgun; and Possession of a Firearm with an Obliterated Serial Number;
- Raheem Dasheen Jackson, 29, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
- Keyon Quinton Adams, 28, of Augusta, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
- Asim Simmons Jr., 22, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
- De’Montre Murray, 22, of Columbia, S.C., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
- Fredrick Connell Blount, 37, of Augusta, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and,
- Dontray Lewis, 42, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Additional defendants recently have been adjudicated on federal charges that include illegal firearms possession:
- John Calvin Young Jr., 35, of Sylvania, Ga., was sentenced to 120 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Possession of a Stolen Firearm. During a traffic stop on Oct. 24, 2020, Port Wentworth Police officers found Young in possession of a pistol that later was determined to have been stolen. Young’s criminal history includes a prior conviction for armed robbery.
- Telly Green, 33, of Savannah, was sentenced to 120 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Possession of a Stolen Firearm. Savannah Police officers found him in possession of a pistol in August 2020 while investigating reports of shots fired at a vehicle in a Savannah neighborhood.
- Darius Edwards, 33, of Pembroke, Ga., was sentenced to 51 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and fined $3,000 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. ATF agents found Edwards in possession of an assault-style Mini Draco pistol during an investigation of a suspicious gun purchase in June 2020. Edwards was on state probation for a felony conviction at the time.
- Kenneth Mitchell, 30, of Ridgeland, S.C., was sentenced to 60 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. Mitchell was arrested Aug. 17, 2020, after Savannah Police officers found a loaded pistol and a large amount of drugs in a stolen vehicle Mitchell was driving. Mitchell has a violent criminal history that includes a previous murder-related state conviction, and also faces pending state charges related to his arrest.
- Bryant Young, 25, of Savannah, was sentenced to 30 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. He was arrested July 16, 2019, after a pistol fell from his waistband when he ran from Savannah Police officers who were investigating a report of a man with a gun.
- Marquise Grant, 31, of Savannah, was sentenced to 21 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah Police found a pistol in Grant’s possession during a February 2020 traffic stop. Grant has a prior conviction on state charges of armed robbery.
- Matthew James Gordon, 27, of Savannah, was sentenced to 42 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Possession of a Stolen Firearm. Savannah Police officers found Gordon, who was on probation after a previous felony conviction for state charges, in possession of a stolen pistol during a search in January 2020 for a wanted suspect.
- Dameon Duncan, 21, of Savannah, was sentenced to 65 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah Police officers in May 2020 found Duncan in possession of a pistol during a traffic stop.
- Dennis Okeefe Harris, 37, of Savannah, was sentenced to 84 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Harris was charged after a Savannah Police officer found a pistol in Harris’ waistband during a January 2020 traffic stop. Harris’ previous criminal convictions include a state conviction for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
- Brandon Beasley, 23, of Ellabell, Ga., was sentenced to 34 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm with an Altered and Obliterated Serial Number. Beasley was one of five defendants charged following an investigation into an April 2020 burglary at a Bryan County gun store. The other defendants previously were sentenced to prison terms of up to 86 months.
- Charles Walker, 54, of Savannah, was sentenced to 37 months in prison and three years of supervised release after pleading guilty Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah Police officers found Walker carrying a pistol in October 2020 while investigating reports of a shooting.
- Devonta Armon Stallings, 28, of Augusta, was sentenced to 30 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies spotted Stallings March 28, 2020, when he ran from a group loitering in a known drug area and tossed a pistol before being captured. Stallings was on state probation at the time of his arrest.
- Timothy Lee Cheeks, 33, of Augusta, was sentenced to 16 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of Ammunition by a Convicted Felon. Cheeks was arrested on an outstanding warrant for a state methamphetamine possession charge in January 2021 when Richmond County deputies who were investigating a disturbance at a motel found a loaded pistol in Cheeks’ possession.
- Chavar Alec Harrison, 46, of Augusta, was sentenced to 21 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Harrison was charged after an April 2020 traffic stop when Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies found a pistol in his vehicle.
- Blake McDuffie, 26, of Winder, Ga., was sentenced to 78 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Officers from the Pooler Police Department charged McDuffie in May 2020 when he was found in possession of a pistol after he sped away from a traffic stop and subsequently crashed his vehicle.
- Jamel Albert, 30, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah Police officers found Albert in possession of a pistol during an April 2021 traffic stop.
- Charles Aimee Fields Jr., a/k/a “Slim,” 33, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Distribution of Crack Cocaine, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Fields is among 14 defendants charged in September for their roles in operating an open-air drug market in an area of Savannah called “The Dips.”
- James Ricardo Harris, 29, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Harris was arrested in May 2019 when Columbia County Sheriff’s deputies found him in possession of a pistol during a traffic stop.
- Demont Latrell Gresham, 33, of Washington, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Gresham ran from Wilkes County Sheriff’s Deputies and Georgia State Patrol troopers in July 2020 when they attempted to arrest him on an outstanding warrant, and officers found a rifle in his vehicle. He was arrested in August 2020 when located by Wilkes County deputies.
Agencies investigating these cases include the ATF, the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Georgia State Patrol, the Savannah Police Department, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, the Pooler Police Department, the Burke County Sheriff’s Office, the Wrightsville Police Department, the Wilkes County Sheriff’s Office, and the McDuffie County Sheriff’s Office.
The cases are being prosecuted for the United States by Southern District U.S. Attorney’s Office Assistant U.S. Attorneys, including Henry W. Syms Jr., Patricia G. Rhodes, Tara M. Lyons, Jennifer A. Stanley, Marcela C. Mateo, Steven H. Lee, Joshua S. Bearden, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Darron J. Hubbard.
Under federal law, it is illegal for an individual to possess a firearm if he or she falls into one of nine prohibited categories including being a felon; illegal alien; or unlawful user of a controlled substance. Further, it is unlawful to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense or violent crime. It is also illegal to purchase – or even to attempt to purchase – firearms if the buyer is a prohibited person or illegally purchasing a firearm on behalf of others. Lying on ATF Form 4473, which is used to lawfully purchase a firearm, also is a federal offense.
For more information on the lawful purchasing of firearms, please see: https://www.atf.gov/qa-category/atf-form-4473.
East Chicago Man SentencedRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Denear Scott, 32, of East Chicago, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to making false statements in connection with the acquisition of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Scott was sentenced to 12 months in prison followed by 1 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, between May and December 2020, Scott purchased a total of 13 handguns from licensed firearms dealers in Lake County, Indiana. In each of the transactions, Scott falsely certified on federal forms that he was not an unlawful drug user, when, in fact, Scott regularly used marijuana. Two of the firearms purchased by Scott were recovered by the Chicago Police Department during traffic stops of other individual within six months of the date of purchase.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Chicago Police Department, the East Chicago Police Department, and the New Chicago Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Padilla.
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.
Ethete Man Arraigned for Assault by StrangulationRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Bob Murray announced today that CALVIN ANDERSON WHITE, 32, of Ethete, Wyoming was charged by indictment for assault by strangulation. White appeared for an arraignment hearing before United States Magistrate Judge Teresa M. McKee on
December 3, 2021 and pleaded not guilty to the charges. A trial has been set for January 31, 2022 and the defendant was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshals Service.
According to the indictment, on or about October 25, 2020, White did knowingly assault the victim by strangling and attempting to strangle her. If convicted, White faces up to 10 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment.
This crime is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy W. Gist is prosecuting the case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Case No. 21-cr-00123-SWS
District Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Killing Store Employee in Robbery of Northeast Washington Food MartRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Demetrius Pierce, also known as Orlando Little, was sentenced today to 18 years in prison for fatally shooting an employee of a Northeast Washington food mart during an early-morning robbery in November 2018, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Pierce, 35, of Washington, D.C., also was sentenced to an additional 180 days of incarceration for stabbing another inmate last year at the District of Columbia Jail.
Pierce pleaded guilty in September 2021, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to second-degree murder while armed. He also pleaded guilty to simple assault and attempted possession of a prohibited weapon, both misdemeanors, for the attack at the jail. He was sentenced by the Honorable Milton C. Lee. Following his prison term, Pierce will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on Nov. 3, 2018, shortly after 6 a.m., Pierce entered the food mart in the 900 block of Brentwood Road NE. At the time, store employee Nazir Ahmad was in a rear area of the store, away from the cash register. Pierce went behind the counter to the cashier area and unplugged and removed the cash register. As Mr. Ahmad returned to the cashier area, he saw Pierce, raised his hands, and began to back up. Mr. Ahmad retreated to the employee area, which has a door that shuts. However, Pierce shot through the door. Pierce then fired another shot at the front door of the mart as he left with the cash register.
Mr. Ahmad, 68, was taken to a hospital but died a short time later. The D.C. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined he died from gunshot wounds to the left shoulder and leg.
Pierce was arrested on Nov. 26, 2018 and has been in custody ever since.
While incarcerated at the D.C. Jail, on Dec. 5, 2020, Pierce approached another inmate, who was seated in a television room, and stabbed him multiple times in the torso.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Conte. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Prava Palacharla and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Puja Bhatia, who prosecuted the murder case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Bartz, who prosecuted the jail attack.
Decatur Man Convicted of Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a FelonRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – A federal jury returned a guilty verdict on Thursday, December 9, 2021, against DeAngelo Banks, 31, of Decatur, Illinois, for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. Sentencing for Banks has been set for May 9, 2022, at 10:00 A.M. at the U.S. Courthouse in Urbana, Illinois.
During two days of testimony, the government presented evidence regarding Decatur Police Department officers’ traffic stop of Banks’s car in May 2020. Banks was the sole occupant and driver at that time. During the stop, officers located a loaded Glock Model 43 handgun in a hidden compartment where Banks had been sitting. As a previously convicted felon, Banks was prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Banks remains in the custody of the United States Marshals Service. At sentencing, Banks faces statutory penalties of up to ten years in the Bureau of Prisons.
The case investigation was conducted by the Decatur Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys William J. Lynch and Ronald L. Hanna represented the government at trial.
Connecticut Man Indicted for Attempting to Induce Minors to Engage in Unlawful Sexual Activity at Ludlow ResidenceRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced today that John Griffin, 44, of Stamford, Connecticut was arrested today by the Federal Bureau of Investigation after a federal grand jury in Vermont charged Griffin with three counts of using a facility of interstate commerce to attempt to entice minors to engage in unlawful sexual activity. Griffin will have his initial appearance later today in federal court in New Haven, Connecticut.
According to the indictment, from April to July of 2020, Griffin utilized the messaging applications Kik and Google Hangouts to communicate with people purporting to be parents of minor daughters, conveying to them, among other ideas, that a “woman is a woman regardless of her age,” and that women should be sexually subservient and inferior to men. On these communication platforms, Griffin sought to persuade parents to allow him to train their daughters to be sexually submissive. In June of 2020, Griffin advised a mother of 9- and 13-year-old daughters that the mother’s responsibility was to see that her older daughter was “trained properly.” Griffin later transferred over $3,000 to the mother for plane tickets so the mother and her 9-year-old daughter could fly from Nevada to Boston’s Logan airport. The mother and child flew to Boston in July of 2020, where Griffin picked them up in his Tesla and drove them to his Ludlow house. At the house, the daughter was directed to engage in, and did engage in, unlawful sexual activity.
The indictment also includes specific allegations that Griffin attempted to entice two other children over the internet to engage in sexual activity. In April of 2020, Griffin proposed to engage in a “virtual training session” over a video chat that would include him instructing the mother and her 14-year-old daughter to remove their clothing and touch each other at his direction. In June of 2020, Griffin proposed to a purported mother of a 16-year-old daughter that she take a “little mother-daughter trip” to Griffin’s Ludlow ski house for sexual training involving the child.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that Griffin remains presumed innocent until and unless he is convicted of a crime. On each count, Griffin faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years of imprisonment and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. The indictment includes a notice that states the federal government intends to seek the forfeiture of Griffin’s Ludlow house, his Tesla, a Mercedes, and other property that was used in the commission of the charged offenses.
Acting United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt commended the investigatory efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the vital assistance of both the Ludlow, Vermont Police Department and the Henderson, Nevada Police Department.
Chalmette Woman Sentenced for Theft of Government FundsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that JAMIE MARIE KILLIAN (“KILLIAN”), age 41, of Chalmette, Louisiana, was sentenced on December 8, 2021 for theft of government funds, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 641.
According to documents filed in federal court, beginning in or about August 2013, and continuing until in or about June 2020, in the Eastern District of Louisiana and elsewhere, the defendant, JAMIE MARIE KILLIAN, did knowingly embezzle, steal, purloin, and convert to her use, money belonging to the United States and a department and agency thereof, namely, money of the Social Security Administration, to which she knew she was not entitled, when she utilized approximately $99,940.00 in Social Security Administration funds.
U.S. District Judge Lance M. Africk sentenced KILLIAN to a three-year term of probation, restitution in the amount of $99,940, and a $100 special assessment fee.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office would also like to acknowledge the assistance of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General with this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Chief of the Financial Crimes Unit.
Cartel Associate Convicted of Massive Meth Trafficking OperationRead the Press Release
A major Dallas drug trafficker was convicted at trial of dealing methamphetamine out of his car dealership, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
After four days of trial, a federal jury convicted Marco Antonio Gonzalez, 42, of one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, two counts of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
"Today’s conviction is an affirmation of DEA resolve to keep methamphetamines out of our communities, said Eduardo A. Chávez, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Dallas Field Division. “Methamphetamine continues to be a significant threat in North Texas. DEA and all our law enforcement partners will continue to hold those like Mr. Gonzalez accountable for their actions.”
According to evidence presented at trial, Mr. Gonzalez, an associate of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) who called himself “Speedy,” dealt methamphetamine out of Hampton Motors, a car dealership he owned. He and several coconspirators stored large quantities of narcotics at the dealership and used proceeds of drug sales to purchase vehicles in order to disguise the source of the funds.
The defendants used homes in Dallas and DeSoto to serve as laboratories for the recrystallization of methamphetamine, and often carried firearms on those premises. Agents testified at trial that members of the cartel trafficked thousands of kilograms of methamphetamine this way.
During trial, prosecutors discovered that Mr. Gonzalez threatened to kill one of his co-conspirators, who was slated to testify against him. The threatened man went on to testify anyway, saying that Mr. Gonzalez used his dealership as a front for large-scale drug deals.
Marco Gonzalez now faces up to life federal prison. Ten of his co-conspirators entered guilty pleas prior to trial.
The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division and the Dallas Police Department conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Garland Police Department and the Ellis County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys P.J. Meitl and John Kull prosecuted the case. U.S. District Judge Brantley Starr presided over trial.
Carson Colony Man Sentenced to Prison for Killing His Son on Tribal LandRead the Press Release
RENO, Nev. – A Carson Colony tribe member was sentenced yesterday to 70 months in prison for killing his son on tribal land in December 2019.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on December 13, 2019, Steven Bryan (52) shot his son in the head with an AR-15 style rifle on the Carson Colony of the Washoe Tribe Reservation. Bryan and his son had been in a quarrel over money owed.
On June 16, 2021, following a seven-day trial, a jury convicted Bryan of one count of voluntary manslaughter. In addition to the prison term, Chief U.S. District Judge Miranda M. Du sentenced Bryan to three years of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Christopher Chiou for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Aaron C. Rouse for the FBI made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the FBI, the Carson City Sheriff’s Office, and the Washoe Tribe Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Penelope Brady and Andolyn Johnson prosecuted the case.
If you have information concerning a missing or murdered person in Indian Country, you are urged to contact your local FBI office or submit a tip online – tips can remain anonymous – at TIPS.FBI.GOV.
The Department of Justice is committed to addressing violent crime in native communities and to improving the federal response to reports of missing or murdered American Indians or Alaska Natives. For more information about the Department’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons initiative, visit: www.justice.gov/tribal.
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Carroll County Man to Federal Prison for Meth and Gun ConvictionsRead the Press Release
A man who conspired to distribute meth while possessing guns was sentenced on December 7, 2021, to more than 11 years in federal prison.
Christopher O’Tool, 43, from Arcadia, Iowa, pled guilty on June 15, 2021, to two counts of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
At the hearings, evidence showed that O’Tool was involved in two conspiracies, one from about January 2016 through June 2016 and another from March 2019 through July 2019, in which he and others distributed more than 4 pounds of methamphetamine. In May and June 2016, O’Tool distributed over 50 grams of methamphetamine to individuals cooperating with law enforcement. On June 2, 2016, law enforcement stopped O’Tool, searched his vehicle and seized one pound of methamphetamine and a .45 caliber handgun, with ammunition. O’Tool admitted to his involvement in the distribution of methamphetamine in and around the Carroll, Iowa area, which he acquired from a source in Omaha, Nebraska. On July 11, 2019, law enforcement agents met with O’Tool and seized two 9mm pistols from O’Tool’s truck. O’Tool again admitted distributing meth in the Carroll, Iowa area.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. O’Tool was sentenced to 136 months’ imprisonment and must serve a 4-year term of supervised release following any imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. O’Tool remains in custody pending transport to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa State Patrol, Southwest Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force, Crawford County Sheriff’s Office, Denison Police Department, Carroll Police Department, and Iowa DCI.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21-3017. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Camden Woman Sentenced to 51 Months in Prison for Role in Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. B A Camden woman was sentenced today to 51 months in prison for conspiring to distribute heroin in the City of Camden.
Elisa Rivera, 31, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Renée Marie Bumb in Camden federal court to an information charging her with one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin within 1,000 feet of a school. During her sentencing hearing, Rivera agreed that the amount of heroin jointly attributable to her, as a member of the conspiracy, was three to 10 kilograms. She also acknowledged her role, as a member of the conspiracy, with respect to the distribution of cocaine and cocaine base.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
A total of 19 defendants were arrested in late 2018 on drug-trafficking charges based on the FBI’s investigation of a drug-trafficking organization that ran the open-air narcotics trade on the 400-500 block of Pine Street in Camden for several months in 2018. The investigation used video surveillance, confidential informants, consensual recordings, controlled drug purchases, and several court-authorized wiretaps to uncover the inner workings of the drug-trafficking organization. The organization included street-level sellers like Rivera, who worked various shifts selling drugs to customers and collecting drug proceeds. These sellers were supervised by different layers of managers who, in turn, supplied them with pre-packaged heroin, some of which was mixed with fentanyl, as well as cocaine and crack cocaine. The FBI and other law enforcement officers recovered multiple firearms from different locations connected to the drug organization at the time of the 2018 arrests.
Seventeen already have entered guilty pleas on drug conspiracy charges. Three defendants are awaiting trial; the charges against them are merely accusations, and they are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Bumb sentenced Rivera to six years of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the FBI’s South Jersey Violent Offender and Gang Task Force, South Jersey Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jacqueline Maguire; the Camden County Police Department, under the direction of Chief Gabriel Rodriguez; the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Grace C. MacAulay; the Camden County Sherriff’s Department, under the direction of Sheriff Gilbert L. Wilson; the Cherry Hill Police Department, under the direction of Chief William P. Monaghan; and the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. She also thanked the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Department of Homeland Security for their assistance.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara Aliabadi and Patrick C. Askin of the U. S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.
Camden County Woman Convicted in Stolen Identity Refund Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Camden County, New Jersey, woman was found guilty for her role in an extensive scheme to obtain money through fraudulently obtained refund checks issued by the U.S. Treasury, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced today.
Awilda Henriquez, 35, of Clementon, New Jersey, was convicted on Dec. 9, 2021, of one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States government and steal United States mail, 13 counts of theft of government money, and 13 counts of aggravated identity theft, following a 10-day trial before Senior U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler.
According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial:
Stolen Identity Refund Fraud (SIRF) is a common type of fraud committed against the United States government that involves the use of stolen identities to commit tax refund fraud. SIRF schemes generally share a number of hallmarks. Perpetrators obtain personal identifying information, including Social Security numbers and dates of birth, from unwitting individuals, who often reside in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. They then complete Form 1040 tax returns using the fraudulently obtained information, and they falsify wages earned, taxes withheld, and other data, to always ensure that the fraudulent tax returns generate a refund. They direct the U.S. Treasury Department to mail refund checks to locations that the perpetrators control or can access. With the fraudulently obtained refund checks in hand, SIRF perpetrators generate cash proceeds by depositing the checks into bank accounts that they control or cashing the checks at check cashing businesses.
The investigation revealed that for the 2013 tax year more than 3,300 SIRF tax returns were filed using the names and Social Security numbers of residents of Puerto Rico and the refunds were directed to be mailed to a small section of Pennsauken, New Jersey. Of the 3,300 returns filed, several of the refund checks were issued and ultimately cashed at check cashing agencies in New Jersey, Philadelphia, and New York using fraudulent identifications, including fake New Jersey driver's licenses, fake Social Security cards, and fake Department of Homeland Security Permanent Resident Identification cards.
On March 28, 2018, a Camden grand jury returned an indictment against Henriquez and her conspirators, Alberto Sanchez, Jorge Gutierrez, and Roque Bisono. Henriquez, Sanchez, Gutierrez and Bisono, and their conspirators, obtained stolen identities of residents of Puerto Rico and used them to file fraudulent income tax returns seeking federal tax refunds to which they were not entitled. The conspirators recruited mail carriers from the U.S. Postal Service as part of the scheme to steal the tax refund checks from the mail. The mail carriers were paid for every U.S Treasury check that was stolen. Henriquez and her conspirators recruited and paid “check couriers” to cash the tax refund checks in a variety of ways, including at check cashing businesses in New Jersey, where Henriquez paid the tellers to also participate in the scheme. The check couriers presented fraudulent identifications at the check cashing businesses matching the names on the tax refund checks in order to cash the checks, which the tellers cashed because they were paid by Henriquez to do so. In total, the scheme caused $565,091 in losses to the U.S. Treasury.
Sanchez pleaded guilty on Aug. 28, 2019, to two counts of theft of government funds, two counts of aggravated identity theft, and one count of witness tampering and was sentenced by Judge Kugler on Dec. 13, 2019, to 45 months in prison. Gutierrez pleaded guilty on Oct. 27, 2021, to conspiracy to defraud the United States, and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 1, 2022. Bisono pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States, theft of government funds, aggravated identity theft, and false statements on November 7, 2018, and sentencing is set for March 21, 2022. The sentencing of other conspirators remains pending.
The conspiracy to defraud the United States government count carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison. The counts of theft of government funds are punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison. The counts of aggravated identity theft are punishable by a statutory mandatory prison sentence of two years that must be served consecutively to any term of imprisonment imposed for the violation of any other count. All the counts are also punishable by a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the gain or loss caused by the offense, whichever is greatest. Henriquez’s sentencing is scheduled for April 12, 2022.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael Montanez in Newark and Acting Special Agent in Charge Yury Kruty in Philadelphia; and special agents of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Northeast Area Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Matthew Modafferi. She also thanked the U.S. Postal Inspection Service for its assistance with the investigation leading to today’s conviction.
The government is represented by Senior Trial Counsel Jason M. Richardson and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina O. Hud of the Criminal Division.
Camden County Man Sentenced to 27 Months in Prison for Trafficking in Oxycodone PillsRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Camden County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 27 months in prison for conspiring to distribute oxycodone pills in connection with his role in a drug trafficking ring, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Anwar Abdulah, 33, of Pennsauken, previously pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Renée Marie Bumb to an information charging him with conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute oxycodone and distributing and possessing with intent to distribute quantities of oxycodone. Judge Bumb imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Abdullah admitted that on multiple occasions from January 2020 to March 10, 2020, he obtained oxycodone from Erick Bell in and around Camden and resold that oxycodone. For example, Abdullah admitted that, on Feb. 21, 2020, he provided $1,440 to Bell so that Bell could purchase 120 15 mg oxycodone pills from another individual. Bell then provided Abdullah with the oxycodone pills that Bell bought using Abdullah’s money, and Abdullah resold the pills to others. Oxycodone is a Schedule II controlled substance, meaning that it has a high potential for abuse, a currently accepted medical use with severe restrictions, and abuse of the drug may lead to severe psychological or physical dependence.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Bumb sentenced Abdullah to three years of supervised release.
Bell previously pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 4, 2022.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the FBI Philadelphia Division, South Jersey Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jacqueline Maguire; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Scott J. Lampert; the Camden County Sheriff's Office, under the direction of Sheriff Gilbert L. Wilson; the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, under the direction of Acting Director Laurie R. Doran; the Camden County Police Department, under the direction of Chief Gabriel Rodriguez; and the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Bethanne M. Dinkins, with the investigation leading to the charges. She also thanked the FBI Newark Division, New Jersey State Police, Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara F. Merin of the Newark Office.