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Thursday 28 October 2021
Madison County man sentenced to prison for making online threats to kill individuals connected with abortion services non-profitRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A London, Ohio, man was sentenced in federal court today to 20 months in prison and five years of supervised release for making online threats to individuals connected with a non-profit organization whose mission is to help people access safe abortions.
James David Hampton, 41, was charged by a federal grand jury in April 2021 and pleaded guilty in June 2021.
According to court documents, on Aug. 26, 2020, Hampton searched “Abortion Support Network” on Facebook and commented on the ASN page, in part, “we kill scum like you…we follow you…we stalk you…then we kill you” and “there will be no pity when I myself stand over your cowering body as you beg and weep for your own life…just before I cut your throat.”
Hampton added, “we know where you live..your routines..we kidnap your kind…we torture you for information.”
He went into graphic detail about how he would cause pain and suffering to his victims before their death, telling one victim: “100 beatings with a hot chain ... then ... I will bury you alive in a whole with bleach water to drink (if you choose to) .. oh, and the earth above your body will be set on fire as well .. consider it a trial run for your time in hell ..”
In total, Hampton made more than a dozen threats to at least 10 victims.
In addition to the electronic communications, Hampton posted several public Facebook live videos to his profile on Aug. 26, 2020.
Hampton is clearly identified in the videos and stated, “My name is James David Hampton and I kill baby murderers.” He warned that a “great and ferocious wrath” was coming and spoke about burning down clinics and executing the doctors in the streets, as well as people who fund abortion clinics.
Vipal J. Patel, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; and J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. Assistant Deputy Criminal Chief Jessica W. Knight is representing the United States in this case.
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Louisiana Man Indicted for Fraudulently Obtaining COVID-19 Relief Funds and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Shreveport, Louisiana, returned an indictment yesterday charging a Louisiana man with fraudulently obtaining more than $1.1 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program loans.
According to the indictment, Michael Ansezell Tolliver, 56, of Monroe, submitted nine fraudulent PPP and EIDL Program loan applications on behalf of several purported companies that Tolliver owned, including Tolliver Oil & Gas Corporation of Louisiana Inc. and Tolliver Petroleum Corporation of Louisiana. According to the indictment, Tolliver falsified information in the loan applications and supporting documents, including falsely claiming that some of his businesses had over 100 employees. He also submitted falsified federal tax returns. In total, Tolliver sought more than $7.6 million in PPP and EIDL Program loans and obtained more than $1.1 million. Tolliver then allegedly laundered and misused the loan proceeds, including by transferring the funds to personal bank accounts and purchasing cars and luxury goods.
Tolliver is charged with two counts of wire fraud and three counts of money laundering. A summons will be issued and he will make his initial court appearance at a later date before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kayla D. McClusky of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison per count of wire fraud and 10 years in prison per count of money laundering. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook of the Western District of Louisiana; Special Agent in Charge James E. Dorsey of IRS-Criminal Investigation’s (IRS-CI) Atlanta Field Office; and Inspector General Hannibal “Mike” Ware of the Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG) made the announcement.
IRS-CI and SBA-OIG are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Justin M. Woodard of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth D. Reeg of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the PPP. Since the inception of the CARES Act, the Fraud Section has prosecuted over 100 defendants in more than 70 criminal cases and has seized over $65 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.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Lost Creek Man Charged with Attempted Enticement of A Minor to Engage in Prostitution and Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Frank A. Nork, age 47, of Lost Creek, Pennsylvania, was indicted today by a federal grand jury on an attempted enticement of a minor charge.
According to Acting United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, the indictment alleges that on October 21, 2021 Nork knowingly attempted to persuade, entice, and coerce a minor to engage in prostitution and sexual activity.
The case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney George J. Rocktashel is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is life imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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Lorain Man Sentenced to Six and a Half Years for Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Acting U.S. Attorney Bridget M. Brennan announced that Jarvis Burns, Jr., 23, of Lorain, was sentenced on October 27, 2021, by Judge Solomon Oliver, Jr. to 78 months imprisonment after Burns pleaded guilty in June of 2021 to multiple drug trafficking offenses and being a felon in possession of ammunition.
According to court records, on May 29, 2019, Burns was arrested by the Lorain Police Department and taken to the Lorain City Jail and searched. During the search, officers observed Burns to be in possession of a bag of suspected drugs. When confronted, Burns became violent and ripped open multiple bags of crack cocaine, heroin and fentanyl, and began dispersing the drugs around the room and onto police officers. Following this incident, Burns and the police officers were taken to a local hospital for treatment of exposure to fentanyl. Subsequently, the Lorain City Jail had to be closed to allow for the Lorain Fire Department HazMat team to decontaminate the area.
Later, in November of 2019, the Elyria Police Department began an investigation into Burns’ drug trafficking activities. From November of 2019 through January of 2020, law enforcement officials set up a series of controlled buys and, on four separate occasions, Burns sold what was believed to be drugs to a confidential informant. Burns sold the informant a controlled substance on one instance and non-controlled substances on the other three.
While law enforcement officials were conducting their investigation, Burns was involved in a shooting incident in the city of Elyria. On November 25, 2019, the Elyria Police Department was dispatched to a reported shooting on Lake Avenue in Elyria. Police located six spent shell casings and later identified two vehicles involved in the incident. An investigation revealed that Burns and another individual were involved in an argument when the other individual hit Burns with a car. Burns then fired multiple gunshots at the other individual, who was attempting to flee at the time.
Burns is prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition due to previous convictions for drug trafficking in the Lorain County Common Pleas Court.
This effort was 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.
This case was investigated by the FBI, the Lorain Police Department, the Elyria Police Department, and the Lorain County Drug Task Force, with the assistance of the United States Marshal Service. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Kolansky.
Leesburg Woman Charged with Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Karin Hoppmann announces the return of an indictment charging Elizabeth Carol Wininger (68, Leesburg) with three counts of aggravated identity theft and one count of unauthorized use of access devices. If convicted on all counts, Wininger faces a maximum penalty of 16 years in federal prison.
According to court documents, between July 1, 2020, and February 28, 2021, Wininger engaged in a scheme to collect unemployment benefits using the identities of others without their knowledge or consent. As part of the scheme, Wininger attempted to steal more than $11 million in unemployment benefits in the victims’ names. She ultimately received more than $500,000 in payments.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, and the Leesburg Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William S. Hamilton.
Leader of International Burglary Crew Sentenced to 8 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that DAMIR PEJCINOVIC was sentenced today to eight years in prison in connection with his participation and management of a criminal organization that committed a series of sophisticated burglaries and engaged in the interstate transportation of stolen goods between 2006 and 2017. On November 19, 2020, PEJCINOVIC pled guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin Nathaniel Fox to participating in a racketeering conspiracy. PEJCINOVIC was sentenced today before U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “For over a decade, the defendant supervised a sophisticated burglary crew that carried out multimillion-dollar heists all over the United States and on both sides of the Atlantic. Today’s lengthy sentence sends an important message to members of criminal organizations that they will face justice for their crimes.”
As alleged in the Indictment and statements made in open court:
Between 2006 and April 2017, DAMIR PEJCINOVIC, a/k/a “Damian,” a/k/a “CoCo,” Gzimi Bojkovic, a/k/a Jimmy,” Adrian Fiseku, and Elvis Cirikovic, a/k/a “Gorilla,” participated in a criminal organization whose members and associates engaged in, among other things, the commission of burglaries and the interstate transportation and sale of stolen goods. The criminal organization operated principally in New York City, California, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Florida, Massachusetts, Maine, and Europe. Members and associates of the organization committed, conspired to commit, and attempted to commit numerous burglaries of jewelry stores and banks, as well as the interstate transportation and sale of stolen property from the burglaries. PEJCINOVIC, Bojkovic, Fiseku, Cirikovic, and other members and associates of the criminal organization committed the following burglaries and attempted burglaries:
Between February 2006 and March 2006, PEJCINOVIC participated in a burglary of a restaurant and an attempted burglary of a jewelry store in Portland, Oregon.
On March 29, 2008, PEJCINOVIC, Bojkovic, and Cirikovic participated in a burglary of a jewelry store in New York, New York, that resulted in the theft of jewelry valued at over $2.5 million.
On October 11, 2008, PEJCINOVIC and Cirikovic participated in an attempted burglary of a jewelry store in Germany, attempting to steal gold valued at more than €10 million.
On July 26, 2009, PEJCINOVIC and Bojkovic participated in a burglary of a Manhattan jewelry store that resulted in the theft of jewelry valued at over $850,000.
On August 25, 2010, PEJCINOVIC participated in an attempted burglary of a jewelry store in Manhattan.
On August 28, 2010, PEJCINOVIC and Bojkovic participated in a burglary of a jewelry store in Beverly Hills that resulted in the theft of jewelry valued at over $70,000.
On September 5, 2010, PEJCINOVIC participated in a burglary of a jewelry store in Kansas City that resulted in the theft, interstate transportation, and sale of jewelry valued at over $1 million.
On February 19, 2011, PEJCINOVIC, Cirikovic, and Fiseku participated in a jewelry store in Los Angeles that resulted in the theft, interstate transportation, and sale of jewelry valued at over $3 million.
In the summer of 2011, PEJCINOVIC participated in an attempted burglary of a jewelry store in Brooklyn.
On September 16, 2011, PEJCINOVIC and Cirikovic participated in a burglary of a jewelry store in Los Angeles that resulted in the theft of jewelry valued at over $150,000.
In the fall of 2012, PEJCINOVIC and Bojkovic participated in an attempted burglary of a bank in Philadelphia.
On June 30, 2012, PEJCINOVIC and Cirikovic participated in an attempted burglary of a bank in Scarsdale, New York.
On July 22, 2012, PEJCINOVIC participated in an attempted burglary of a jewelry store in Manhattan.
In the fall of 2013, PEJCINOVIC, Bojkovic, and Cirikovic participated in the burglary of a jewelry store in New Jersey.
On December 31, 2016, PEJCINOVIC, Bojkovic, and Fiseku participated in the burglary of a jewelry store in Manhattan that resulted in the theft, interstate transportation, and sale of jewelry valued at over $3 million.
On March 20, 2017, PEJCINOVIC, Bojkovic, and Fiseku participated in the burglary of a jewelry store in Los Angeles that resulted in the theft of jewelry valued at over $2 million.
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In addition to his prison term, DAMIR PEJCINOVIC, 47, of New York, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release. PEJCINOVIC was also ordered to pay restitution of $13,020,000.
Bojkovic, 39, of Staten Island, New York, pled guilty on October 7, 2019, to participating in a racketeering conspiracy. He was sentenced on November 17, 2020, to 36 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution of $9,020,000.00.
Fiseku, 38, of Staten Island, New York, pled guilty on March 13, 2020, to participating in a racketeering conspiracy. He was sentenced on January 22, 2021, to 30 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution of $8,600,000.00.
Cirikovic, 38, of Woodhaven, New York, pled guilty on August 26, 2019, to participating in a racketeering conspiracy. He was sentenced on January 13, 2020, to 27 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution of $2,505,500.00.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York City Police Department. Mr. Williams also thanked the Los Angeles Police Department, Beverly Hills Police Department, Kansas City Police Department, Portland Police Department, German Federal Police, Interpol, Europol, the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office for their assistance in this investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew K. Chan, Margaret Graham, and Jamie Bagliebter are in charge of the prosecution.
Lake County Registered Sex Offender Accused of Using 13-Year-Old Minor to Produce Child Sex Abuse VideoRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Karin Hoppmann announces the filing of a criminal complaint charging Perry Cleothas Gentry (60, Sorrento) with using a minor child to produce a video that depicted sexually explicit conduct. Gentry faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 25 years, and up to 50 years, in federal prison and a potential life term of supervised release. Gentry is a registered sex offender, having been convicted of a prior child sex offense in 1991.
According to court documents, Gentry was arrested on May 5, 2021, by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office for violating the requirements of his sex offender registration. A subsequent search of his cellphone revealed that he had created a video recording using an internal camera security system in his home. This video depicts Gentry exposing the genitalia of a 13-year-old boy in view of a camera located in Gentry’s bedroom that is aimed at his bed. After creating the video, Gentry uploaded a copy to his cellphone. Agents with the Department of Homeland Security were subsequently able to identify the child.
A complaint is merely a charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael P. Felicetta.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Any person who was, or knows of someone who may have been, a possible child victim is urged to contact HSI at 1-866-DHS-2423 or the online tip form.
Kings County Man Indicted for Submitting over $10 Million in Fraudulent Claims for Diagnostic Sleep Tests to MedicareRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a 12-count indictment today against Travis Gober, 42, of Hanford, charging him with health care fraud and aggravated identity theft, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Gober owns and controls VIP Sleep Center, a sleep disorder clinic that operated out of Fresno and Visalia. Sleep disorder clinics perform diagnostic tests to identify ailments like sleep apnea and narcolepsy. Between January 2015 and September 2021, Gober caused VIP Sleep to bill Medicare for sleep tests the company did not actually perform. Each of these claims also listed a provider who had purportedly referred the patient to VIP Sleep even though the provider had not done so. In total, Gober caused VIP Sleep to submit more than $10 million in false and fraudulent Medicare claims.
This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vincente A. Tennerelli and Melanie L. Alsworth are prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Gober faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the health care fraud charges and a mandatory two years in prison on the aggravated identity theft charges. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
gobertravis_christian_indictment.pdfJustice Department Will Award More Than $21 Million to Prevent and Respond to Hate CrimesRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice today announced that the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) will award more than $21 million to investigate and prosecute hate crimes and assist hate crime victims. Funding will help state, local and tribal agencies and community organizations address an alarming rise in violent and property crimes committed on the basis of race, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or disability.
“Hate crimes instill fear across entire communities. They have profoundly negative and unacceptable effects on our society,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “The department is committed to using all tools at our disposal to combat unlawful acts of hate. These awards will provide state, local and tribal agencies additional support and critical resources to address hate crimes and their far-reaching effects.”
Today’s announcement comes on the 12th anniversary of the enactment of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2009. Shepard, a gay 21-year-old Wyoming man, and Byrd, a 49-year-old African-American man from Jasper, Texas, were slain in separate incidents in 1998. Shepard was beaten, tortured and left to die near Laramie, Wyoming. His killers were convicted of murder and are serving two life sentences. Byrd was tied to the back of a pick-up truck by white supremacists and dragged to his death. Two of the murderers were executed for the brutal crime. The Shepard-Byrd Hate Crimes Prevention Act enables the Justice Department to prosecute crimes motivated by race, color, religion and national origin without having to show that the victim was engaged in a federally protected activity. The Act also empowers the department to prosecute hate crimes committed because of a person’s sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or disability.
OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) is administering a new program named in honor of Shepard and Byrd. The Act makes grant funds available to improve the investigation and prosecution of hate crimes. Through the Shepard-Byrd solicitation and the related Collaborative Responses to Hate Crimes program that seeks to address precipitous increases in hate crimes, OJP’s BJA will award $8.4 million in site-based funding and training and technical assistance.
“Acts of violence and destruction motivated by hate and bias cause lasting harm to victims, terrorize entire communities and divide our nation, leaving deep scars and stalling the march toward equal justice,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Amy L. Solomon of OJP. “We must work together to bridge the gaps of empathy, root out intolerance in all its forms and send a clear message that the future belongs to every American, no matter what they look like, how they worship and whom they love.”
BJA will also make $1.5 million in site-based awards under the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crimes Reauthorization Act of 2016 to help solve cold case civil rights murders that occurred before Dec. 31, 1979. Till, an African-American teenager, was visiting his family in Money, Mississippi, during the summer of 1955 when he was abducted, beaten and killed. Two local men were prosecuted for the crime but were acquitted by an all-white jury, though they later confessed to the killing. Till’s case helped galvanize the nascent civil rights movement. BJA will award an additional $1.8 million to offer training and technical assistance to other communities seeking to resolve these cases, including making microgrants to the field.
OJP’s Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) has awarded $2 million to respond to the needs of individuals and communities victimized by hate crime. OVC’s Services to Support Victims of Hate Crime and Strengthen Communities program funds innovative, field-generated projects that promote awareness, healing, reconciliation, service access and resource development. OVC is also providing technical assistance to state, local and tribal service providers to help identify and serve hate crime victims.
OJP’s National Institute of Justice (NIJ) has awarded almost $7.5 million to support research designed to develop a better understanding of the phenomenon known as domestic radicalization and to advance evidence-based strategies for preventing and intervening in acts of domestic terrorism. NIJ recently concluded projects to construct a database of individuals arrested or charged with hate crimes and to develop detailed, nationally representative data on hate crime incidents known to police.
For more information about efforts across the Department of Justice to address hate crime, please visit https://www.justice.gov/hatecrimes.
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 Reaches Agreement with Vermont Department of Corrections to Improve Access for Inmates with DisabilitiesRead the Press Release
The Civil Rights Division and U.S Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont today announced a settlement agreement with the Vermont Department of Corrections (VDOC) to ensure that inmates with disabilities have equal access to Vermont’s correctional facilities, programs, services and activities. The agreement resolves the department’s investigation into complaints that VDOC does not provide accessible facilities for inmates with mobility disabilities, and does not ensure effective communication for inmates with hearing disabilities, as required under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The settlement agreement protects the rights of inmates with disabilities to equal access to educational, counseling and recreational programs, as well as to prison facilities such as visitation areas, libraries, medical facilities, intake processing, accessible cells and routes to and through prison buildings. The agreement also requires VDOC to ensure that inmates with hearing disabilities receive appropriate auxiliary aids and services, such as sign language interpreters, video telephones and hearing aids when necessary to ensure effective communication. Under the settlement agreement, VDOC must also make reasonable modifications to its policies, practices and procedures to accommodate inmates with disabilities.
“The Americans with Disabilities Act mandates that individuals with disabilities have equal access to state-provided programs, services, facilities and activities,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Civil Rights Division is committed to ensuring that correctional institutions eliminate physical and communication barriers that prevent inmates with disabilities from participating fully in prison programs.”
“People with disabilities in Vermont deserve equal access, and that does not change when they are incarcerated,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt for the District of Vermont. “The Vermont Department of Corrections has now committed to removing barriers to participation for inmates with disabilities in VDOC facilities, including inmates who have physical and communication disabilities. Our office remains dedicated to supporting efforts to improve access and inclusion for everyone in Vermont.”
Title II of the ADA requires state government entities like VDOC to provide inmates with disabilities, including inmates with mobility and hearing disabilities, with an equal opportunity to participate in their programs, services, and activities. The ADA also requires public entities to make reasonable modifications to policies for inmates with disabilities when needed.
As a result of the agreement announced today, VDOC will:
- Make structural changes to prison buildings and facilities to comply with the ADA Standards for Accessible Design;
- Implement a process that begins at intake, and continues throughout incarceration, to identify and accommodate inmates with disabilities;
- Develop individualized communication assessments and plans setting out the auxiliary aids and services necessary to ensure effective communication for inmates with hearing disabilities;
- Identify and remediate physical barriers to access for inmates with mobility disabilities to ensure access to accessible prison cells and work assignments;
- Provide training on Title II of the ADA to correctional staff and management responsible for evaluating or making decisions about inmate requests for accommodations;
- Engage in compliance reporting and monitoring with the Justice Department; and
- Pay $80,000 to compensate current and former inmates who were harmed.
This matter was handled jointly by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jules Torti of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont and the Disability Rights Section of the department’s Civil Rights Division.
July 26 marked the 31st Anniversary of the ADA. The Justice Department plays a central role in advancing the nation’s goal of equal opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency for people with disabilities. For more information on the Civil Rights Division, please visit http://www.justice.gov/crt. For more information on the ADA, please call the department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 (TDD 800-514-0383) or visit www.ada.gov. ADA complaints may be filed online at http://www.ada.gov/complaint. Additional information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office Civil Rights Programs is available at http://www.justice.gov/usao-vt.
Justice Department Reaches Agreement with Vermont Department of Corrections to Improve Access for Inmates with DisabilitiesRead the Press Release
The Civil Rights Division and U.S Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont today announced a settlement agreement with the Vermont Department of Corrections (VDOC) to ensure that inmates with disabilities have equal access to Vermont’s correctional facilities, programs, services, and activities. The agreement resolves the Department’s investigation into complaints that VDOC does not provide accessible facilities for inmates with mobility disabilities, and does not ensure effective communication for inmates with hearing disabilities, as required under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The settlement agreement protects the rights of inmates with disabilities to equal access to educational, counseling, and recreational programs, as well as to prison facilities such as visitation areas, libraries, medical facilities, intake processing, accessible cells, and routes to and through prison buildings. The agreement also requires VDOC to ensure that inmates with hearing disabilities receive appropriate auxiliary aids and services, such as sign language interpreters, video telephones, and hearing aids when necessary to ensure effective communication. Under the settlement agreement, VDOC must also make reasonable modifications to its policies, practices, and procedures to accommodate inmates with disabilities.
“The Americans with Disabilities Act mandates that individuals with disabilities have equal access to state-provided programs, services, facilities, and activities,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Civil Rights Division is committed to ensuring that correctional institutions eliminate physical and communication barriers that prevent inmates with disabilities from participating fully in prison programs.”
“People with disabilities in Vermont deserve equal access, and that does not change when they are incarcerated,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt for the District of Vermont. “The Vermont Department of Corrections has now committed to removing barriers to participation for inmates with disabilities in VDOC facilities, including inmates who have physical and communication disabilities. Our office remains dedicated to supporting efforts to improve access and inclusion for everyone in Vermont.”
Title II of the ADA requires state government entities like VDOC to provide inmates with disabilities, including inmates with mobility and hearing disabilities, with an equal opportunity to participate in their programs, services, and activities. The ADA also requires public entities to make reasonable modifications to policies for inmates with disabilities when needed.
As a result of the agreement announced today, VDOC will:
• Make structural changes to prison buildings and facilities to comply with the ADA Standards for Accessible Design;
• Implement a process that begins at intake, and continues throughout incarceration, to identify and accommodate inmates with disabilities;
• Develop individualized communication assessments and plans setting out the auxiliary aids and services necessary to ensure effective communication for inmates with hearing disabilities;
• Identify and remediate physical barriers to access for inmates with mobility disabilities to ensure access to accessible prison cells and work assignments;
• Provide training on Title II of the ADA to correctional staff and management responsible for evaluating or making decisions about inmate requests for accommodations;
• Engage in compliance reporting and monitoring with the DOJ; and
• Pay $80,000 to compensate current and former inmates who were harmed.This matter was handled jointly by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jules Torti of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont and the Disability Rights Section of the department’s Civil Rights Division. July 26, 2021 marked the 31st Anniversary of the ADA. The Justice Department plays a central role in advancing the nation’s goal of equal opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency for people with disabilities. For more information on the Civil Rights Division, please visit http://www.justice.gov/crt. For more information on the ADA, please call the department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 (TDD 800-514-0383) or visit www.ada.gov. ADA complaints may be filed online at http://www.ada.gov/complaint. Additional information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office Civil Rights Program is available at http://www.justice.gov/usao-vt.
Justice Department Announces Multi-Million Dollar Civil Settlement in Principle in Mother Emanuel Charleston Church Mass ShootingRead the Press Release
Today, the Department of Justice announced that it has reached an agreement in principle to settle the civil cases arising out of the June 2015 Mother Emanuel AME Church mass shooting in Charleston, South Carolina.
These settlements will resolve claims by 14 plaintiffs arising out of the shooting. Plaintiffs agreed to settle claims alleging that the FBI was negligent when it failed to prohibit the sale of a gun by a licensed firearms dealer to the shooter, a self-proclaimed white supremacist, who wanted to start a “race war” and specifically targeted the 200-year-old historically African-American congregation. For those killed in the shooting, the settlements range from $6 million to $7.5 million per claimant. For the survivors, the settlements are for $5 million per claimant.
The parties have been in litigation since 2016, including before the district court and the federal court of appeals.
“The mass shooting at Mother Emanuel AME Church was a horrific hate crime that caused immeasurable suffering for the families of the victims and the survivors,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Since the day of the shooting, the Justice Department has sought to bring justice to the community, first by a successful hate crime prosecution and today by settling civil claims.”
“The nation grieved following the mass shooting at Mother Emanuel, and no one was more profoundly affected than the families of the victims and the survivors we have reached a settlement with today,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “The department hopes that these settlements, combined with its prosecution of the shooter will bring some modicum of justice to the victims of this heinous act of hate.”
“The department is pleased to bring closure to this long-running litigation,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “These settlement agreements represent another chapter in the justice system’s efforts to address this horrific event, following the government’s prosecution and conviction of the shooter for federal hate crimes.”
On June 17, 2015, Mother Emanuel congregants welcomed a stranger who had entered their church. They invited him to participate in their Wednesday night bible study. Tragically, at the close of the bible study, the young man they had welcomed killed nine people, including Mother Emanuel’s pastor, Reverend Clementa Pinckney, also a South Carolina State Senator.
The families of the Emanuel Nine, as well as the five survivors who were inside the church at the time of the shooting, sued the government. They sought to recover for wrongful death and physical injuries arising from the shooting. Plaintiffs asserted that the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Checks System (NICS) failed to timely discover that the shooter was a person prohibited by federal law from possessing a firearm. Plaintiffs alleged that because of this delay, the shooter was able to purchase the handgun that he used to commit the atrocity.
The FBI and NICS play a crucial role in combating gun violence. Since this tragic shooting, the FBI has worked to strengthen and improve the background check process. The department and FBI are also actively working to combat gun violence, which is a significant aspect of the department’s comprehensive violent crime reduction strategy. After the shooting, the department prosecuted the shooter for federal hate crimes and obtained a conviction.
Under applicable law, the court must approve the settlements for many of the plaintiffs. All parties expect that the court will agree that these settlements are fair and reasonable. This case was handled by the Justice Department’s Civil Division.
Jury Finds District Man Guilty of Child Exploitation and Child Sexual Abuse OffensesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A 62-year-old man, of Southeast Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a jury of federal child exploitation offenses, including production of child pornography, enticement of a minor, and possession of child pornography, as well as multiple counts of first- degree child sexual abuse and first-degree sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances.
The verdict took place on Oct. 27, 2021, following a six-day trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The announcement was made today by Acting U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips, Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division, and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The defendant, who is not identified here to protect the privacy of the victim, remains held pending his sentencing by the Honorable Chief Judge Beryl A. Howell. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 25, 2022. The defendant faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.
According to the government’s evidence, the defendant repeatedly sexually abused his stepdaughter from May 2016 until April 2017. The victim was 12 and 13 years old at the time and living with her mother, younger sister, and the defendant at the defendant’s apartment. The defendant also directed the victim to take photographs of herself constituting child sexual abuse material and to transfer those photographs to the defendant’s cell phones. Additionally, he stored these sexually explicit photographs on his cell phones and computer. These photographs, as well as dozens of text messages to the victim corroborating the sexual abuse, were recovered from the defendant’s electronic devices by law enforcement.
The defendant was arrested in May 2019 and was subsequently detained pending trial.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
In announcing the verdict, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillips, Special Agent in Charge Jacobs, and Chief Contee acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the FBI-Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, the Metropolitan Police Department’s Youth and Family Services Division, and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section. The FBI task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and human trafficking.
They also expressed appreciation for those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Specialist Lezlie Richardson, Paralegal Specialist Alexis Spencer-Anderson, Assistant U.S. Attorney Elana Suttenberg, former Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Loeb, and Sex Offense and Domestic Violence Section Intern David Offit.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Burrell and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Mona Sedky, who prosecuted the case.
Iowa Man Pleads Guilty to Participating in Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CONCORD - Shawn Helstein, 45, of Iowa, pleaded guilty in federal court on Wednesday to conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 8, 2018, Helstein was observed by law enforcement agents in the presence of a large-scale methamphetamine trafficker, Jacob MacQuarrie, at a hotel in Bow, New Hampshire. MacQuarrie was arrested on an outstanding warrant. Helstein was found in possession of $2,080 in cash, which was seized. In later statements to investigators, Helstein admitted that he knew that MacQuarrie was trafficking methamphetamine. He said the money belonged to MacQuarrie and that they were planning to deposit the money into a cryptocurrency ATM. Helstein said MacQuarrie had given him the money earlier in the day and had him download a bitcoin app. MacQuarrie gave Helstein his password and said he would show him how to convert the money into crypto currency at a location in Concord. Helstein stated that he believed MacQuarrie was ordering drugs and moving money on the dark web.
Helstein is scheduled to be sentenced on February 7, 2022. MacQuarrie is serving a ten-year sentence for participating in a drug trafficking conspiracy and possessing a firearm during a drug crime.
“Money laundering crimes help drug dealers and other criminals disguise the illegal source of their funds,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley. “Because money laundering activities provide important financial support to drug traffickers, we will not hesitate to bring criminal charges against those who aid criminals by laundering their drug proceeds.”
This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Bow Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John S. Davis.
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Husband and Wife Real Estate Team Indicted on Federal Fraud, Identify Theft ChargesRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va.– A federal grand jury returned an indictment this week charging a Wise, Virginia couple, who owned and operated a local real estate agency, with defrauding multiple advance commission companies and committing aggravated identity theft.
According to court documents, Jessee Allen Deloach, 40, and Natasha Ashley Miller Deloach, 38, owned and operated Koltown Properties, a real estate agency with locations in both Wise and Abingdon, Virginia.
As alleged in the indictment, from March 1, 2016 through November 30, 2019, Jessee and Natasha Ashley Miller Deloach created at least nineteen fraudulent residential sales contracts and submitted them to multiple advance commission companies in order to fraudulently obtain money.
Advance commission companies provide a financial service to real estate agents by assisting them with cash flow. Specifically, real estate agents sell portions of their pending commissions on legitimate residential sales contracts in exchange for access to cash before the closing date.
Both defendants are charged with wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and will make their initial court appearance November 9, 2021 in Abingdon, Virginia.
U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh and Special Agent in Charge Stanley M. Meador of the FBI’s Richmond Division made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Virginia State Police are investigating the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lena L. Busscher is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Houma Man Pleads Guilty to Production of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that STEVE C. MERGEY (“MERGEY”), age 52, of Houma, Louisiana, pled guilty today to Production of Child Pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2251(a) and (e).
According to documents filed in federal court, the case against MERGEY developed as a result of a complaint to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (“HSI”) Tip Line. On June 4, 2020, HSI Agents executed a federal search warrant at MERGEY’S residence located on W. Main Street, Houma, LA. HSI’s investigation revealed that MERGEY groomed and coerced young male victims, as young as ten years old, in Pennsylvania, New York, and Michigan to create and send sexually explicit images of themselves to MERGEY.
MERGEY faces a mandatory minimum sentence of fifteen (15) years and a maximum sentence of thirty (30) years imprisonment, and/or a fine of $250,000.00, or the greater of twice the gross gain to the defendant or twice the gross loss to any person of the offense under Title 18, United States Code, Section 3571, and a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee. Sentencing in this matter is scheduled for January 25, 2021, before United States District Judge Wendy B. Vitter.
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 United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office would also like to acknowledge the assistance of the U. S. Department of Homeland Security, Houma RAC and Pittsburg Office; Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office; Houma Police Department; Louisiana State Police, Criminal Investigative Division; and Oswego County Sheriff’s Office, NY 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.
Houlton Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Houlton man was sentenced today in federal court for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Hayden Fogg, 35, to 12 months and one day in prison and three years of supervised release. Fogg pleaded guilty on June 28, 2021.
According to court records, between approximately May 2018 and July 2018, Fogg was part of a drug distribution operation based out of Florida and operating in northern Maine. A co-conspirator obtained large quantities of methamphetamine from Florida and had it transported to Maine. Fogg sold the drug in the Houlton area while other members of the conspiracy sold it in Bangor and Howland.
“The community of Houlton and the surrounding area have seen a troubling increase in methamphetamine use, which law enforcement officials are taking seriously,” said U.S. Attorney McElwee. “If you, or someone you love, is struggling with such an addiction, please visit www.powerofprevention.org for the Aroostook County Substance Abuse Directory.”
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated the case.
Honduran National Charged with Transnational Cocaine Trafficking and Money Laundering Extradited to the United StatesRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – Fredy Donaldo Marmol Vallejo (Marmol), 40, will make his initial appearance in federal court in Miami, Florida today after being extradited from Honduras, his country of origin. An indictment returned by a federal grand jury in the Southern District of Florida charges Marmol with conspiring to traffic narcotics internationally, distributing narcotics internationally with the intent to import it into the United States, and laundering the proceeds of the narcotics trafficking.
Specifically, the indictment returned on May 4, charges Marmol and co-defendant Michael Adolf Dixon Rivers, 53, also a Honduran national, with participating in an international drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed cocaine in Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, and Mexico, with the goal of getting the drug into the United States. The indictment further charges Marmol with laundering the proceeds of this drug trafficking activity.
Marmol will make his initial court appearance today at 1:30 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Chris M. McAliley, who sits in Miami.
U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro of FBI Miami, and Acting Special Agent in Charge La Verne J. Hibbert of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Miami Field Office made the announcement.
On August 18, Honduran authorities arrested Marmol based upon a provisional arrest request by the United States. The Honduran Supreme Court ordered him extradited on September 24, based upon an extradition request by the United States. U.S. Attorney Gonzalez extends his gratitude to the government of Honduras for its assistance, as well as the Agencia Técnica de Investigación Criminal (ATIC). The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in securing Marmol’s arrest and extradition. FBI’s International Operations Division transported Marmol from Honduras to the United States.
FBI Miami and DEA Miami investigated this case, with assistance from Customs and Border Protection, Miami. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine Hernandez and Walter Norkin are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Paster is handling asset forfeiture.
This prosecution is a result of the ongoing efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, and other priority transnational criminal organizations that threaten the citizens of the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence driven, multi-agency approach to combat transnational organized crime. The OCDETF program facilitates complex, joint operations by focusing its partner agencies on priority targets, by managing and coordinating multi-agency efforts, and by leveraging intelligence across multiple investigative platforms.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 21-cr-20277.
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Hogansburg Man Sentenced to 30 Months for Marijuana ConvictionsRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Tevin Terrance, age 28, of Hogansburg, New York, was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for conspiring to distribute, and possessing with intent to distribute, 100 kilograms or more of marijuana.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Ray Donovan, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division.
As part of his guilty plea, Terrance admitted that on August 20, 2020, he and a co-conspirator used two pickup trucks to transport 10 hockey bags containing approximately 200 kilograms of marijuana through the Northern District of New York with the intent to distribute the drugs in the New York City area.
Chief United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby also ordered Terrance to serve 3 years of post-imprisonment supervised release.
This case was investigated by the DEA and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua R. Rosenthal.
Hardin woman who burned down house on Crow Indian Reservation sentenced to prisonRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Hardin woman who admitted to burning down a house on the Crow Indian Reservation in 2020 was sentenced on Oct. 27 to 30 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
Vanessa Faith Prettyontop, also known as Vanessa Faith Gunshows, 34, pleaded guilty in April to arson.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
In court documents filed in the case, the government alleged that on Oct. 3, 2020, Prettyontop started a fire in a house owned by the victim, identified as John Doe. The victim had nearly finished a renovation and was planning to move in. Prettyontop entered the house through an open back door and intentionally lit a mattress on fire with a lighter. The fire spread to the rest of the house and Prettyontop walked out the front door. Prettyontop called 911 to turn herself in, confessed and said she was tired of people fighting over the house.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeanne Torske prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI and Bureau of Indian Affairs.
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Great Falls woman admits methamphetamine conspiracyRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Great Falls woman accused of working with others to bring methamphetamine from Las Vegas, Nevada, back to Montana for distribution admitted to a drug trafficking crime on Oct. 27, Acting U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
Ashley Nicole Rico, 34, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine as charged in a superseding information. Rico faces a mandatory minimum five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and at least four years of supervised release.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. Chief Judge Morris set sentencing for Feb. 23, 2022. Rico was detained pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that in May, Russell Country Drug Task Force officers executed a search warrant on a Great Falls residence, recovered meth and learned that the source of supply was co-defendant Lillian Lapier, who was traveling to Great Falls with meth. The investigation led to the Helena residence of another co-defendant, Rhonda Jeanette Lapier, where she and Lillian Lapier were suspected of trafficking meth together. Officers ultimately stopped a vehicle being driven by Lillian Lapier and found about 3.6 pounds of meth in the trunk. Officers obtained a warrant to search Rhonda Lapier’s residence and located three, one-pound bags of meth and $6,132 in a bedroom.. Officers stopped another suspect vehicle, driven by Rico, who was arrested on a state warrant. Rico admitted to distributing meth in Great Falls and that she and others had traveled to Las Vegas, picked up meth there and had contributed $1,000 to the deal. The six pounds of meth seized is the equivalent of 21,744 doses. Rhonda Lapier pleaded guilty to charges and is pending sentencing, while Lillian Lapier has pleaded not guilty to charges and is pending trial.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan R. Plaut is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the Russell Country Drug Task Force, the Missouri River Drug Task Force, FBI, Great Falls Police Department, Cascade County Sheriff’s Office and Lewis & Clark County Sheriff’s Office.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime. Through PSN, federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement partners in Montana focus on violent crime driven by methamphetamine trafficking, armed robbers, firearms offenses and violent offenders with outstanding warrants.
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Great Falls man admits distributing meth, fentanyl that resulted in deathRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Great Falls man accused of distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl that led to the death of another person in 2020 admitted charges on Oct. 27, Acting U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
Kent Fox, 48, pleaded guilty to distribution of controlled substances resulting in death. Fox faces a mandatory minimum 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine and three years of supervised release.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. Sentencing was set for Feb. 24, 2022. Fox was detained pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that on Aug. 23, 2020, Great Falls police officers were dispatched to a camper trailer and found a male, identified as John Doe, deceased. Fox was on the scene, was friends with Doe and had last seen him two days earlier. He went to check on Doe and found him deceased. The investigation determined that Fox, Doe and co-defendant, Brandie Rae Fulbright, had discussed the use and distribution of various drugs. In an interview with law enforcement officers, Fox admitted to picking up Doe on Aug. 21, 2020 and taking him to his home so that Doe could buy meth from Fulbright. Doe traded an AR-15 rifle to Fulbright in exchange for some meth and two blue pills. Fulbright then gave the rifle to Fox, and Fox returned Doe to his camper. Investigators learned that Doe had the meth and two blue pills when he returned home and gave some of the meth to an individual. The individual saw Doe inject himself with meth obtained from Fox and then slump over on his bed. An autopsy determined that Doe died from an overdose of a combination of meth and fentanyl. Fulbright has pleaded not guilty to charges and is pending trial.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey K. Starnes is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI and Great Falls Police Department.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime. Through PSN, federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement partners in Montana focus on violent crime driven by methamphetamine trafficking, armed robbers, firearms offenses and violent offenders with outstanding warrants.
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Grant County man sentenced for drug chargeRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Trampas Quint Wolford, of Cabins, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 20 months of incarceration for a drug charge, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II announced.
Wolford, 57, pleaded guilty in April 2021 to one count of “Distribution of Methamphetamine.” Wolford admitted to selling methamphetamine in March 2019 in Grant County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Potomac Highlands Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated. The task force consists of the FBI, West Virginia State Police, Mineral County Sheriff’s Office, Hampshire County Sheriff’s Office, Grant County Sheriff’s Office, and the Keyser Police Department.
U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Grand Jury indicts local man and woman on numerous firearms chargesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – On March 3, 2021, a federal grand jury indicted Tishonda Turner for knowingly making a false and fictitious statement to a firearms dealer, which statement was intended and likely to deceive the licensed dealer, and Freddie Tilmon for knowingly possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
According to the indictment, on or about July 16, 2020, in St. Louis County, within the Eastern District of Missouri, and again on or about August 8, 2020, Turner in connection with the acquisition of one or more firearms from The Range STL West, a licensed dealer, did knowingly make a false and fictitious written statement to the dealer, which statement was intended and likely to deceive said licensed dealer. Turner represented that she was the actual buyer of one or more firearms, when, in fact, she was acquiring the firearms on behalf of Freddie Tilmon.
On November 21, 2020, Mr. Tilmon was pulled over and arrested while driving in Sandy Springs, Georgia. Officers later discovered a firearm on the driver’s seat floorboard. The firearm was loaded and had an extended magazine. A records check revealed that the firearm was purchased at the Range STL West on August 08, 2020. Tilmon was also subsequently indicted in the Northern District of Georgia for knowingly possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
On October 14, 2021, the United States Marshals Service arrested Tilmon in St. Louis County pursuant to the indictment. At the time of his arrest, Tilmon was discovered to be in possession of a loaded 9mm, with an extended magazine. Tilmon was additionally charged for illegally possessing the firearm when arrested by the Marshals Service. Tilmon is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a previous criminal conviction.
Charges set forth in the indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the United States Marshals Service.
Grand Jury Indicts Six in Ongoing Investigations into COVID Unemployment Insurance Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A federal grand jury has returned four indictments charging six individuals with allegedly executing schemes to defraud unemployment agencies in multiple states by fraudulently applying for and receiving tens of thousands of dollars in regular and expanded pandemic related unemployment insurance benefits, at times using the stolen identities of unsuspecting individuals, announced Acting United States Attorney Richard B. Myrus and Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Neronha.
It is alleged that the defendants filed unemployment insurance claims online, seeking benefits from the Federal Pandemic Assistance Program and the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation Program, both of which are designed to aid persons impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic. The indictments allege that when filing for benefits, the defendants fraudulently claimed to have been previously employed in each state, but were, at the time, unemployed. In some instances, investigations by the FBI and Rhode Island State Police into the alleged unemployed fraud schemes discovered unrelated criminal conduct.
On Wednesday a federal grand jury returned indictments charging:
Francois Parker, 35, of Providence, with two counts of wire fraud, one count of theft of government money, and two counts of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. The indictment alleges that between April 2020 and October 2020, Parker submitted fraudulent claims for unemployment insurance benefits in Rhode Island, California, Arizona, Louisiana, Colorado, Texas, New York, Virginia, Wisconsin, Nevada, and Massachusetts. When filing claims in Rhode Island, Parker allegedly claimed, falsely, that he had been employed in Rhode Island from May 20, 2019 to March 17, 2020, as a babysitter. Six states allegedly paid Parker a total of approximately $77,254. Four states denied Parker’s claims.
During the investigation into Parker’s alleged fraudulent filing for unemployment benefits, law enforcement found Parker, who was previously convicted of a felony crime punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding one year, to be in possession of two loaded firearms and more than 200 rounds of live ammunition.
Derrick Gadson, 35, of North Providence, with two counts of wire fraud and one count each of theft of government property and aggravated identity theft. His indictment alleges that beginning in June 2020, Gadson fraudulently submitted online applications for unemployment insurance benefits and other federal pandemic benefits in Arizona, and Massachusetts. It is alleged that Gadson collected a total of approximately $17,325 dollars in benefits that he was not entitled to receive.
Additionally, it was alleged that as part of his scheme to allegedly defraud one or more unemployment insurance programs, Gadson allegedly used the stolen identity of another individual without that person’s permission.
Rashaad Smith Muskelly, 30, of Lincoln, with two counts of wire fraud and one count each of theft of government money and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. The indictment alleges that beginning in April 2020, Muskelly fraudulently submitted online applications for unemployment insurance benefits and other federal Pandemic unemployment insurance benefits in Rhode Island, California, Arizona, New York, Texas, Virginia, Nevada, and Massachusetts. In a filing with the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training (RIDLT), Muskelly fraudulently claimed to have been employed as a “travel barber.” He was paid approximately $14,658 by RIDLT. An FBI and Rhode Island State Police investigation determined that Muskelly allegedly collected a total of $82,991in fraudulent unemployment insurance benefits.
During the investigation into Muskelly’s alleged fraudulent benefit filings, law enforcement found Muskelly, who was previously convicted of a felony crime punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding one year, to be in possession of loaded semi-automatic pistol.
Jamel Newman, 23, of Pawtucket, Darren Robinson, 21, of Providence, and Rashaad Hill, 21, of Providence are named in a sixteen-count indictment charging each with conspiracy, wire fraud, theft of government funds, and aggravated identity theft. The indictment alleges that beginning in at least April 2020, the defendants conspired with one another to defraud employment insurance benefits programs, including pandemic unemployment assistance programs in California, Arizona, Nevada, and Massachusetts. The indictment alleges some applications submitted by one or more members of the conspiracy used the names and stolen personal information of others.
During the investigation into Newman’s alleged participation in the conspiracy, it is alleged in the indictment that he was found to be in possession of a loaded semi-automatic pistol. Newman is prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his September 2017 and August 2019 convictions in Rhode Island state court on charges of domestic violence – simple assault and/or battery.
These matters and other cases of alleged criminal activity related to fraudulent applications for unemployment insurance benefits due to the pandemic are being investigated jointly by the FBI and Rhode Island State Police, with the assistance of the U.S. Department of Labor. Cases are jointly reviewed, charged and prosecuted by a team including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Denise M. Barton, Stacey P. Veroni, G. Michael Seaman, and Rhode Island Assistant Attorney General John M. Moreira, chief of the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Public Integrity Unit.
Rhode Islanders who believe their personal identification has been stolen and used to fraudulently obtain unemployment benefits are urged to contact the Rhode Island State Police at [email protected] or the FBI Providence office at (401) 272-8310.
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.
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Golden Valley Man Indicted for Downloading and Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Golden Valley man has been arrested and charged with receiving and distributing child pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk.
According to court documents, in January 2021, John Scott Enderlein, 59, knowingly downloaded and distributed multiple video files depicting graphic child sexual abuse. Prior to these alleged offenses, in December 1995, Enderlein was convicted in Hennepin County of second degree criminal sexual conduct and was required to register as a sex offender.
Enderlein, who was arrested this morning by the FBI, made his initial appearance today in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge Becky R. Thorson. Enderlein is charged with five counts of receipt of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan B. Gilead is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Georgia Man Agrees to Plead Guilty to Extorting Sexual Images and CyberstalkingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Georgia man has agreed to plead guilty to charges that he extorted a Boston-area woman for videos, photographs and communications of a sexual nature as well as cyberstalked other women over social media.
Gary E. Leach, 24, of Athens, Ga., has agreed to plead guilty to two counts of cyberstalking and one count of extortion through interstate threats. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled by the court. Leach was arrested and charged on April 23, 2021 and has been on home detention since he was released from custody on May 18, 2021.
According to court documents, from October 2019 until his arrest in April 2021, Leach, then a graduate student at the University of Georgia, targeted a Boston-area woman in an online cyberstalking and extortion campaign. Leach used anonymous Instagram accounts to obtain private video calls and photographs of a sexual nature from the victim through false promises of payment and surreptitiously recorded the victim during these calls. Leach threatened to share the recordings with the victim’s family if she did not continue to send him content of a sexual nature over Instagram and repeatedly harassed and extorted the victim for additional interactions of a sexually explicit and degrading nature.
Leach also allegedly cyberstalked other women on social media, including a woman residing in Canada. Leach recorded a video call of a sexual nature with this victim and sent the recording to her roommate. He repeatedly contacted the victim and used the recording to attempt to solicit additional interactions with her. Throughout 2019 and 2020, Leach allegedly attempted to solicit video performances of a sexual nature from at least a dozen Instagram users and initiated interactions with numerous other Instagram users for the purpose of exposing himself masturbating.
The charge of stalking by electronic means provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of extortion by interstate threat of injury to reputation provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Holcomb of Mendell’s Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
Gadsden Man Pleads Guilty to Preparing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A tax preparer pleaded guilty today to preparing false tax returns on behalf of himself and his clients resulting in a tax loss to the U.S. taxpayer of more than $140,000, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and IRS Criminal Investigations Atlanta Field Office Special Agent in Charge James Dorsey. .
Jamichael D. Whiteside, 37, of Gadsden, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge R. David Proctor to one count of aiding or assisting in the preparation of a false tax return and one count of making and subscribing a false tax return.
According to the plea agreement, between tax years 2016 and 2019, Whiteside prepared materially false tax returns for several clients at ZJ Tax Service in Gadsden. To generate larger income tax returns for his clients, Whiteside falsified dependent care expenses, education expenses, charitable deductions, and included fabricated losses for businesses that did not exist. In addition to preparing and filing false tax returns on behalf of his clients, Whiteside willfully underreported his own income in tax years 2016 and 2017. In total, Whiteside’s actions resulted in more than $140,000 in tax loss.
The Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations Atlanta Field Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan “Jack” Harrington is prosecuting the case.
Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 27 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – Jeffrey J. Moriarity, 42, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced before United States District Judge Holly A. Brady, upon his plea of guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and armed drug trafficking, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Moriarity was sentenced to 324 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.
According to documents in this case, Moriarity sold methamphetamine, heroin, and a sawed-off shotgun in May of 2018 to law enforcement officials. In June of 2018, agents and officers executed a search warrant at Moriarity’s residence in Fort Wayne. During the search of his residence, agents seized methamphetamine and other controlled substances, a loaded pistol and ammunition, and additional evidence of drug trafficking. Moriarity was not home but when located by police, he fled and led officers on a high-speed vehicle pursuit. Officers arrested Moriarity and recovered methamphetamine that had been tossed from the vehicle during the pursuit.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); the Fort Wayne Police Department; the Indiana State Police; the Allen County Drug Task Force; and the Allen County Sheriff’s Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Anthony W. Geller and Brent A. Ecenbarger.
This case was being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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Fort Branch Mother and Daughter Sentenced in COVID-19 Fraud CaseRead the Press Release
EVANSVILLE – Two Fort Branch, Indiana women have been sentenced in connection with a well-organized Nigerian fraud ring exploiting the COVID-19 crisis to commit large-scale fraud against state unemployment insurance programs.
Andrea Renee Pytlinski, 40, and Rose Ann Azzarello, 61, both of Fort Branch were arrested and charged with wire fraud in July 2020. Azzarello is the mother of Pytlinski. Pytlinski was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment, must serve 3 years of supervised release following her incarceration, and ordered to pay $27,522 in restitution. Azzarello was sentenced to 4 years of supervised release and ordered to pay $27,522 in restitution.
Part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act included a provision of temporary benefits for individuals who had exhausted their entitlement to regular unemployment compensation, individuals who were not eligible for regular unemployment compensation, were self-employed, or had limited recent work history. Shortly after the CARES Act was signed, the U.S. Secret Service started receiving reports about a well-organized Nigerian fraud ring exploiting the COVID-19 crisis through a large-scale fraud against state unemployment insurance programs. A major state targeted was Washington.
According to evidence presented at the sentencing hearings, in May 2020, the Fort Branch Police Department received a complaint from Field and Main Bank in Evansville, regarding account transactions in which Washington State Unemployment benefits were being ACH transferred into Indiana bank accounts held by Azzarello and Pytlinski. Agents from the U.S. Secret Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Internal Revenue Criminal Investigation discovered those accounts were being funded with Washington State unemployment benefits and the proceeds of a check forgery scheme.
For more than a year, Azzarello and Pytlinski participated in a wire fraud scheme by receiving and sending funds via wire and common courier. After the illicit funds were deposited into their accounts, Azzarello and Pytlinski would withdraw the funds prior to the detection of any fraud and then transmit a portion of the ill-gotten funds to a third party while retaining their share. In total, the fraud schemes the women participated in involved more than $95,000.
“The investigative work of our federal and local law enforcement partners is to be commended,” said Acting U.S. Attorney John E. Childress. “They prevented funds designed to help struggling Americans during a very difficult time from being used by greedy, money hungry thieves, and assured these fraudsters would be held accountable.”
“Today’s sentencing illustrates the Secret Service’s commitment to protect the nation’s financial service infrastructure by vigorously investigating COVID-19 unemployment fraud,” said Eric K. Reed, Special Agent in Charge, Secret Service Indianapolis Field Office. “The Secret Service is proud to partner with the Fort Branch Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Criminal Investigation, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to successfully arrest and prosecute those who attempt to defraud critical COVID-19 relief programs and the American taxpayer.”
“IRS Criminal Investigation is sworn to protect the tax system and bring to justice those who would steal from the Treasury,” said Justin Campbell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of IRS-Criminal Investigation Chicago Field Office. “Would-be criminals should know we’ve made CARES Act fraud a priority. We understand that in these types of cases, the government is not the only victim. Those in need of these rescue funds during an unprecedented world-wide pandemic also suffer, as well as every hard-working American. Our agents are determined to keep up the fight to eradicate CARES Act fraud and protect the honest taxpayers who would otherwise personally shoulder the burden of this crime.”
"This sentence clearly demonstrates that those who engage in illegal activity and attempt to profit off of the COVID-19 crisis through fraud will be identified, investigated and held accountable for their actions,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Paul Keenan. “To target money meant to help those who are at their most vulnerable during these unprecedented times is reprehensible and will not be tolerated.”
The case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Criminal Investigation, and the Fort Branch Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorneys Todd Shellenbarger prosecuted the case.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Former Postal Worker Pleads Guilty to Issuing Money Orders Without Receiving Full PaymentRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that SHANNEL SMITH, age 41, of Orleans Parish, Louisiana, pled guilty to issuing money orders without receiving full payment in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 500.
According to court documents, beginning in May 2019 and continuing until August 2019, SMITH, being an employee of the United States Postal Service, for the purpose of fraudulently enabling herself to obtain and receive, directly and indirectly, a sum of money from the United States, issued eight (8) postal money orders with face amounts of $150.00, $110.71, $100.00, $125.00, $80.00, $140.00, $100.00, and $150.00 without having previously received the full amount payable to the United States for these money orders.
SMITH faces up to five (5) years imprisonment, followed by up to three (3) years of supervised release, up to a $250,000.00 fine, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee based on the charge outlined in the bill of information. United States District Judge Africk set sentencing for February 16, 2022 at 2pm.
This case was investigated by special agents from the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General (“USPS-OIG”). The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachal Cassagne.
Former Operations and Marketing Director at Lifeway Credit Union Charged with FraudRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – A criminal Information was filed today, charging Monica Jackson, 42, of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, with embezzling over $242,000 from Lifeway Credit Union, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Mary Jane Stewart for the Middle District of Tennessee.
According to the charging document, Jackson was formerly the Operations and Marketing Director at Lifeway Credit Union in Nashville. In that role, she was part of the management team, and she oversaw the credit union’s operating activities, including lending decisions and the decision to order cash. She also had access to Lifeway’s cash vault.
The Information alleges that between October 2016 and February 2021, Jackson embezzled approximately $242,156 from the credit union using a variety of methods, including by stealing cash out of the vault. Jackson concealed these cash thefts from the vault, totaling more than $47,000, by placing small bills, such as one-dollar bills, in “bands” of larger bills, such as $20 or $50 bills, to make it appear as though each “band” of larger bills was full. Another method employed by Jackson was to open lines of credit in the names of family members and then transfer the funds to accounts she controlled. Jackson took approximately $167,312 by this method.
Finally, the charging document alleges that Jackson made fraudulent transfers totaling $27,435 to herself from the account of a deceased credit union member. Jackson used her administrative authority to lock access to the accounts she was using to commit the fraud so that other bank employees could not see those accounts.
The United States also seeks a forfeiture judgement of $242,156.00 which represents the proceeds of the crime.
If convicted, Jackson faces up to 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn W. Booth is prosecuting the case.
The charges contained in the Information are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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Former Monroe Police Officer Indicted for Assaulting an Arrestee and Attempting to Cover it UpRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and FBI New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams announced that a federal grand jury in Shreveport, Louisiana, has returned an indictment charging Jared Desadier, 43, with assaulting an arrestee in Ouachita Parish. The two-count indictment charges Desadier with willfully depriving an individual of his right to be free from unreasonable seizure in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 242, and with witness tampering in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1512(b)(3).
The indictment alleges that on April 21, 2020, Desadier, while acting in his official capacity as an officer of the Monroe Police Department, used unjustified force against an arrestee by kicking him in the area of his face and head, and that the assault caused bodily injury and involved the use of a dangerous weapon (a shod foot). The indictment further alleges that Desadier attempted to cover up his misconduct by engaging in misleading conduct towards his supervisors. Specifically, the indictment alleges that after the arrestee complained in the presence of supervising officers that he had been assaulted, Desadier claimed that he had not touched or harmed the arrestee and blamed the arrestee’s injuries on a fall.
If convicted, Desadier faces a maximum sentence of 10 years of imprisonment for the deprivation-of-rights offense and 20 years of imprisonment for the witness tampering offense.
An indictment is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The FBI is investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian C. Flanagan and Civil Rights Division Trial Attorney Thomas Johnson are prosecuting the case.
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Former Member of Boston Latin Kings Chapter Pleads Guilty to Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A member of the Massachusetts Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (Latin Kings) pleaded guilty on Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2021 to racketeering charges.
Robert Lara, a/k/a “King Rizz,” 29, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel scheduled sentencing for Jan. 25, 2022.
The Latin Kings are a violent criminal enterprise comprised of thousands of members across the United States. The Latin Kings adhere to a national manifesto, employ an internal judiciary and use a sophisticated system of communication to maintain the hierarchy of the organization. As alleged in court documents, the gang uses drug distribution to generate revenue, and engages in violence against witnesses and rival gangs to further its influence and to protect its turf.
Named for its origin on Devon Street in Boston, the Devon Street Kings, or D5K, Chapter of the Latin Kings, included approximately a dozen members. The Devon Street Kings, in turn, reported to the Massachusetts State Leadership of the Latin Kings, providing information, structure, funds and other resources to further the Latin Kings goals and directives in the state. Lara admitted to attending numerous meetings of the gang, contributing to its joint account known as the “fundo” and participating in a violent assault of another member at a hotel in the Boston area, which was imposed as punishment for violating the rules of the gang.
In December 2019, a federal grand jury returned an indictment alleging racketeering conspiracy, drug conspiracy and firearms charges against 62 leaders, members and associates of the Latin Kings. Lara is the 54th defendant to plead guilty in the case.
The RICO conspiracy charge provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Correction; and New Bedford Police Chief Joseph C. Cordeiro made the announcement. Valuable assistance was also provided by the FBI North Shore Gang Task Force and the Bristol County and Suffolk County District Attorney’s Offices. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of Mendell’s Organized Crime and Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Louisiana Police Officer Indicted for Assaulting an Arrestee and Attempting to Cover It UpRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Shreveport, Louisiana, returned an indictment charging Jared Desadier, 43, with assaulting an arrestee in Ouachita Parish. The two-count indictment charges Desadier with willfully depriving an individual of his right to be free from unreasonable seizure and with witness tampering.
The indictment alleges that, on April 21, 2020, Desadier, while acting in his official capacity as an officer of the Monroe Police Department, used unjustified force against an arrestee by kicking him in the area of his face and head, and that the assault caused bodily injury and involved the use of a dangerous weapon (a shod foot). The indictment further alleges that Desadier attempted to cover up his misconduct by engaging in misleading conduct towards his supervisors. Specifically, the indictment alleges that after the arrestee complained in the presence of supervising officers that he had been assaulted, Desadier claimed that he had not touched or harmed the arrestee and blamed the arrestee’s injuries on a fall.
If convicted, Desadier faces a maximum sentence of 10 years of imprisonment for the deprivation-of-rights offense and 20 years of imprisonment for the witness tampering offense.
Wednesday’s indictment was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook for the Western District of Louisiana, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams FBI New Orleans.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s New Orleans Field Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Flanagan of the Western District of Louisiana and Trial Attorney Thomas Johnson of the Civil Rights Division.
An indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Former California Resident Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Crystal MethRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that JASON WILLIAMS, 36, a citizen of Belize last residing in Los Angeles, California, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for trafficking crystal methamphetamine to Connecticut.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 22, 2020, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force arrested an individual who possessed more than 400 grams of crystal methamphetamine. Investigators learned that the individual had received the meth from a tractor trailer driver who regularly transported kilogram quantities of meth and other drugs from California to locations in the eastern U.S. In October 2020, the individual traveled to California and was introduced to Williams, who was identified as a supplier of large quantities of meth and marijuana. Williams then traveled to Connecticut and, on October 27, 2020, he and Alejandro Castillo provided the individual with a crate containing approximately 2.2 kilograms (nearly five pounds) of meth. Williams told the individual to use the crate to ship them $60,000 in proceeds from the sale of the drugs.
On November 11, 2020, law enforcement seized an additional five pounds of crystal meth that Williams shipped from California to Connecticut.
Williams has been detained since his arrest on November 17, 2020. On July 28, 2021, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Williams faces immigration proceedings when he completes his prison term.
Castillo, 42 and a citizen of Belize, has pleaded guilty, awaits sentencing and is detained.
The DEA’s Hartford Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Enfield, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, Windsor Locks and Willimantic Police Departments. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey M. Stone.
Former Bath Iron Works Employee Sentenced for Workers’ Compensation FraudRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Scarborough man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for filing a false document in relation to a workers’ compensation claim, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge D. Brock Hornby sentenced Michael Collins, 63, to three years of probation. In addition, Judge Hornby ordered Collins to pay $12,682.74 in restitution to Bath Iron Works (BIW). Collins pleaded guilty on June 21, 2021.
According to court records, Collins was employed as an electrician at BIW. He filed a claim under the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act in approximately May 2018, claiming he suffered a work-related injury that left him totally disabled. BIW did not contest the claim and Collins began receiving benefit payments and medical treatment payments. In September 2018, the adjuster handling the claim became suspicious that Collins may have been working while continuing to claim he was totally disabled. The adjuster hired a private investigator, who conducted surveillance on numerous dates throughout the next several months. The surveillance revealed that Collins was working as a self-employed electrician.
On January 7, 2019, Collins falsely claimed on a required form that he did not have any earnings from employment or self-employment. His conduct caused BIW to suffer a loss of $12,682.74.
The U.S. Department of Labor - Office of Inspector General investigated the case.
Former Baltimore City Music Teacher Facing Federal Indictment for Sexual Exploitation and Coercion of a Minor, and Other Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland - A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Lewis Ismael Blandon, a/k/a “LordLewy”, age 35, of Edgewood, Maryland, for the charges of sexual exploitation of a child, coercion and enticement, distribution/receipt of child pornography, possession of child pornography, and transfer of obscene matter to a minor. Blandon is a former Baltimore City Public Schools music teacher.
The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.
According to his 18-count indictment, beginning in December 2020, Blandon operated several different social media accounts and a variety of aliases on these platforms to meet and/or communicate with minor males. Blandon allegedly used these aliases and social media platforms to persuade, induce, entice and coerce three minor victims to engage in sexually explicit conduct and to send Blandon images and video of that conduct during the victims’ online communications with Blandon.
The indictment alleges that Blandon, using an alias of “JaggRock,” also used an online messaging account to send images of what Blandon represented was his penis to one of the minor victims on three separate occasions. Under the same username, Blandon also allegedly distributed and possessed other sexually explicit images and videos of minors, including a video depicting the sexual abuse of a toddler.
If convicted, Blandon faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 and a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for each of two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor; a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in federal prison for each of two counts of coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct; a maximum of 40 years in federal prison for four counts each of receipt of child pornography and distribution of child pornography; a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for each of three counts of possession of child pornography; and a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for each of three counts of transfer of obscene matter to a minor. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Blandon has been detained since he was arrested on related charges on October 13, 2021.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
The case was investigated by the FBI-led Maryland Child Exploitation Task Force, created in 2010 to combat child prostitution, with members from10 state and federal law enforcement agencies. The Task Force coordinates with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the Maryland State Police Child Recovery Unit to identify missing children being advertised online for prostitution.
MCETF partners with the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force, formed in 2007 to discover and rescue victims of human trafficking while identifying and prosecuting offenders. Members include federal, state and local law enforcement, as well as victim service providers and local community members. For more information about the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force, please visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/md/priorities_human.html.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "Resources" tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI and the Maryland Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen E. McGuinn, who is 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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Florida Nurse Pleads Guilty to Tampering with Intensive Care Unit Patient’s MedicationRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Jerome W. Clampitt II (42, Saint Johns) has pleaded guilty to tampering with a consumer product, specifically, injectable fentanyl. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the
plea agreement , on January 30, 2020, Clampitt, a registered nurse, was working a night shift in the intensive care unit of a hospital in Jacksonville. A patient under Clampitt’s care was prescribed and receiving an intravenous dose of fentanyl, along with other medications for anesthesia. Two fellow employees saw Clampitt using a syringe to inject a substance into the device that dispensed fentanyl into the patient, when there was no medically valid reason for Clampitt to do so. Laboratory testing eventually determined that the patient’s dose of fentanyl had been diluted with saline.When interviewed by law enforcement officers, Clampitt eventually admitted that he had diverted drugs from patients at the hospital for personal use. During that interview, however, he denied diluting patient drugs with saline.
An audit of hospital records showed multiple discrepancies in Clampitt’s handling of controlled substances during the time he worked for the hospital. Investigators later learned that in 2019, a separate hospital had employed Clampitt and discovered discrepancies in its records that suggested he might have been diverting drugs for his own use. That hospital fired Clampitt after he refused to submit to a drug test.
As part of his guilty plea, Clampitt admitted that he knew that his activities resulted in one or more critically ill patients receiving diluted fentanyl, which lacked prescribed quantities of active medication necessary to control pain. Having been deprived of medically-necessary medication, such patients would endure pain and suffering and were exposed to increased risks of illness and death, stemming from, among other things, possible infection and respiratory, cardiovascular, and musculoskeletal complications.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican.
Federal Indictment Returned Charging Ruston Man with Making Threats Against Member of CongressRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Chase Levi Thibodeaux, 38, of Ruston, Louisiana, with threatening a federal official and transmitting threats in interstate commerce.
The indictment alleges that on or about October 12, 2021, Thibodeaux threatened to murder a Member of Congress while she was engaged in the performance of her official duties, and to retaliate against her on account of her official duties.
It is further alleged in the indictment that Thibodeaux placed a telephone call to the Member of Congress stating that he would murder her, thereby knowingly transmitting a communication in interstate commerce with the intent to threaten to injure people with knowledge that they would view the communication as a threat.
An indictment is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, Thibodeaux faces not more than 10 years in prison on the charge of threatening a federal official, not more than 5 years on the transmitting threats in interstate commerce charge, 2 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
The United States Capitol Police and FBI are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth D. Reeg is prosecuting the case.
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Federal Employee Pleads Guilty to Unauthorized Representation of Claims Against the GovernmentRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Megan Mariah Patrick, 36, of Terry, Mississippi, has pleaded guilty to a six-count federal indictment charging her with unauthorized representation of claims against the government and false statements to a federal agency, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca, Special Agent in Charge Dax Roberson with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Inspector General, and Special Agent in Charge Rodregas Owens with the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General – Atlanta Field Division.
The indictment, handed up by the federal grand jury on March 16, 2021, charges Megan Mariah Patrick, Rural Development Loan Specialist with the United States Department of Agriculture in Jackson, Mississippi, with three counts of unauthorized representation of claims against the United States, and three counts of false statements to a federal agency.
According to the Indictment, from August 2017 through March 2019, Patrick acted as an attorney, outside her official duties as Rural Development Loan Specialist, to represent claimants before the Social Security Administration seeking increased federal benefits. In each case where she entered her appearance as an attorney representing the claimant before the Social Security Administrative Law Judge, Patrick filed an official form with the Social Security Administration, stating that she was not disqualified or otherwise prohibited as a federal employee from representing the claimant. In fact, as Patrick knew, such statement was false, because, as an employee of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, she was prohibited by law and regulation from representing claimants against the United States in the Social Security Administration.
Patrick appeared for a change of plea hearing on October 27, 2021, before United States District Judge Kristi H. Johnson in Jackson. Patrick was released on conditions of bond pending sentencing.
Patrick will be sentenced on February 1, 2022, and faces maximum penalties of 5 years in prison for each count of unauthorized representation, as well as for each count of false statements, for a possible grand total of 30 years, and 3 years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. Each count also can merit a fine of up to $250,000.
The case was investigated by the Office of the Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Office of Inspector General for the Social Security Administration. The Byram Police Department assisted with the arrest.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Theodore Cooperstein and Kevin Payne.
Fall River Man Agrees to Plead Guilty to Child Exploitation ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Fall River man entered a plea of guilty on Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2021 in federal court in Boston in connection with travelling to New Hampshire to attempt to have sex with a teenage girl.
Charles Eugene Schnitzlein III, 34, entered a plea of guilty to traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a person under 18 years of age. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani deferred acceptance of the plea until sentencing, which is scheduled for March 3, 2022. Schnitzlein was charged by criminal complaint on April 9, 2021.
It is alleged that Schnitzlein used a messaging application to communicate with an undercover officer posing as a 13-year-old girl and devised a plan to meet the purported teenager to have sex. On April 9, 2021, Schnitzlein drove from Fall River to a mall in Nashua, N.H., to meet with the undercover officer posing as a teenage girl. On his way to the meetup location, Schnitzlein stopped to purchase condoms, flowers, soda and candy. Officers arrested Schnitzlein when he arrived.
According to court documents, during an interview with law enforcement, Schnitzlein admitted that he traveled from Fall River to meet the purported 13-year-old girl and booked a hotel room in Nashua, N.H. to have sex with the purported teenager.
The charge of traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Nashua (N.H.) Police Commissioner Matthew E. Plante made the announcement. Assistance was provided by Massachusetts State Police and the Arlington, Revere and Boston Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mackenzie Duane of Mendell’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
Essex Man Sentenced to Six Years in Federal Prison for Crack Cocaine Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Joel William Hammond, age 35, Essex of Maryland, to six years in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute crack cocaine.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department; Harford County State’s Attorney Albert Peisinger; Sheriff Jeff Gahler of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office; and the Harford County Narcotics Task Force comprised of members of the Harford County Sheriff's Office, Aberdeen Police Department, Bel Air Police Department, Havre de Grace Police Department; and the Harford County States Attorney’s Office.
According to his guilty plea, the Harford County Narcotics Task Force undertook an investigation into a drug trafficking organization (DTO) distributing powder and crack cocaine in Harford County, Maryland. Over the course of the investigation, detectives intercepted numerous drug-related communications over social media and phone calls, which identified Hammond as a drug supply source.
On March 7, 2020, task force detectives followed one of the DTO members who met with Hammond at Hammond’s residence in Essex, returned to Harford County. Detectives then observed a member of the DTO meet with several known drug users. Detectives believe that the DTO member obtained two to three ounces of crack cocaine from Hammond, which were then sold to the DTO’s customers.
Hammond met with members and customers of the DTO on at least 10 occasions between March and April 2020. Specifically, on March 31 detectives intercepted a series of communications indicating that a member of the DTO planned to meet Hammond to obtain crack cocaine. Investigators learned that Hammond sold approximately one ounce of crack cocaine to the individual during the meeting.
On April 21, 2020, investigators learned that Hammond and a DTO member were to meet later that day. Detectives observed Hammond and the DTO member make contact at Hammond’s residence. Soon after, the DTO member drove back to Harford County. A traffic stop by the Harford County Sheriff’s office led to a search of the vehicle by the Harford County Sheriff’s Office Special Response Team and Harford Narcotics Task Force, after first obtaining a search warrant for the vehicle.
As a result of the search, law enforcement discovered two plastic bags, both containing a white substance, as well as $660 in cash. One of the bags contained 16 grams of a white rock like substance that was similar to powder cocaine that had been directly cut off a kilogram of pressed cocaine. The second bag contained an off-white rock-like substance that law enforcement determined to be 41 grams of crack cocaine. The combined weight of the two bags was 57.9 grams.
On April 22, 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Hammond’s residence and seized a small quantity of crack cocaine.
Hammond agrees it is reasonably foreseeable that the conspiracy involved at least 112 grams but less than 196 grams of crack cocaine.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the DEA, the Harford State’s Attorney’s Office, the Harford County Narcotics Task Force, and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Romano who prosecuted the case.
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Duncannon Man Charged with Attempted Enticement of A Minor to Engage in Prostitution and Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Patrick Joel Taylor, age 34, of Duncannon, Pennsylvania, was indicted today by a federal grand jury on an attempted enticement of a minor charge.
According to Acting United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, the indictment alleges that on October 23, 2021, Taylor knowingly attempted to persuade, entice, and coerce a minor to engage in prostitution and sexual activity.
The case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney George J. Rocktashel is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is life imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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Dominican National Sentenced for Two Fentanyl ConspiraciesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national previously residing in Lawrence was sentenced yesterday in connection with two fentanyl distribution conspiracies.
Guillermo Aybar-Guerrero, 29, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to 52 months in prison.
Guillermo previously pleaded guilty to his role in two separate fentanyl conspiracies; for the purpose of sentencing, the two cases were consolidated. On June 9, 2021, Guillermo pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and two counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. On July 15, 2021, Guillermo pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and one count of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
Guillermo Aybar-Guerrero was indicted in August 2020 along with his brother, Luis Aybar-Guerrero, after investigators conducted controlled purchases of fentanyl from Guillermo on June 10 and 17, 2020. On June 25, 2020, investigators set up another controlled purchase, at which time Guillermo was arrested in possession of approximately 30 grams of suspected fentanyl. Guillermo retrieved the fentanyl for each of these transactions from Luis. A search of Luis’ residence resulted in the seizure of an additional 223 grams of acetyl fentanyl (a fentanyl analogue) as well as a scale, baggies and other drug distribution paraphernalia.
Luis Aybar-Guerrero pleaded guilty on July 15, 2021 and is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 18, 2021 before U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns.
In the second conspiracy, investigators conducted controlled purchases of fentanyl pills from Guillermo on April 24 and May 5, 2019. The transactions were coordinated by co-conspirator Francis Jimenez Minyetty. Minyetty pleaded guilty to his involvement in the conspiracy and was sentenced in May 2021 to eight years in prison.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Graber of Mendell’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the cases.
Dominican National Pleads Guilty to Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national pleaded guilty today to illegally reentering the United States after deportation.
Melvin Baez Peguero, 46, a Dominican national residing in Boston, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for March 4, 2022. Baez was arrested on June 29, 2021.
In 2010, Baez pleaded guilty to various federal drug trafficking offenses, and was sentenced to five years in prison. After completing his sentence, Baez was ordered removed from the United States.
In November 2020, law enforcement identified a parcel containing an industrial pill press shipped to an address in Allston. During a controlled delivery of that parcel Baez was observed taking the parcel back to his residence in Boston where his identity was confirmed. At the time, Baez had not obtained consent to re-apply for admission to the United States.
The charge of illegal reentry provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Baez will be subject to deportation upon completion of his sentence. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Nathanial R. Mendell and Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of the Homeland Security Investigations made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Estes of Mendell’s Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
District Man Indicted for Murder in Investigation of Woman Who Has Been Missing Since 2010Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Isaac Moye, 44, of Washington D.C., was indicted today on one count of second-degree murder, stemming from the October 2010 disappearance of Unique Harris, a 24-year-old woman who disappeared from her home in October 2010 and whose body has never been found, Acting U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Robert J. Contee, III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced.
The indictment was returned by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Moye, who is detained, is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 16, 2021.
Ms. Harris was reported missing on Oct. 10, 2010, disappearing from her apartment in the 2400 block of Hartford Street SE, with three children still inside. According to the indictment and related court documents, Moye was an acquaintance of the victim, and his GPS device placed him in her home overnight on the night she went missing, contrary to his assertions that he had never spent the night at the residence. Although he has vacillated between admitting and denying any sexual contact between them, according to the government’s evidence, the defendant’s semen was identified on furniture, which had been mutilated, arguably in an attempt to remove evidence of his presence in Ms. Harris’s apartment. Moye was arrested and charged with the murder on Dec. 19, 2020. He has been in custody ever since.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. If convicted, Moye faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and five years of supervised release.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being investigated and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney S. Vinét Bryant.
County Councilman Sentenced to a year and a half in Federal Prison for False Statements While Trying to Buy a FirearmRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina --- Acting United States Attorney M. Rhett DeHart, announced today that Kerry Trent Kinard, 50, of Bamberg, was sentenced to a year and a half in federal prison after pleading guilty to making false statements while trying to illegally acquire a firearm.
According to evidence presented in court, while on state bond on seven felony indictments, and while subject to a protective order imposed by a South Carolina Family Court judge, Kinard went into a federally licensed firearms dealer in Columbia and attempted to purchase a Taurus Model G3 9 mm pistol and ammunition.
In the process, Kinard made two false statements to the firearms dealer. First, in filling out a standard form, he was asked, “Are you under indictment … in any court for a felony, or any other crime for which the judge could imprison you for more than one year?” Kinard falsely answered, “No.” Second, he was asked, “Are you subject to a court order … restraining you from harassing, stalking, or threatening your child or an intimate partner or child of such partner?” Again, Kinard falsely answered, “No.” The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) recovered GPS ankle monitor coordinates and surveillance of the attempted purchase.
Kinard knew his statements were false, having participated in hearings on both the state felony charges and the protective order, as well as having been suspended from service on the Bamberg County Council by virtue of the felony indictments.
Kinard had also failed to comply with conditions of bond set by the state court judge, and assurances were made in state court that Kinard would surrender firearms if he were released on bond.
The South Carolina Family Court also had made a finding that Kinard “represents a credible threat to the physical safety” of the petitioner in that case, and that he “used, attempted to use, or threatened to use physical force … that is reasonably expected to cause bodily injury.” That court also wrote in its order that Kinard was prohibited under federal law from possessing a firearm under federal law.
On December 4, 2020, Kinard was charged via criminal complaint, and has remained in federal custody since that time. After his arrest, Kinard obstructed the federal investigation by providing ATF leads he knew were false. After a grand jury indicted Kinard on two counts related to false statements, Kinard pled guilty to one count of making a false written statement to a licensed firearms dealer.
United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Kinard to 18 months in federal prison, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. This was the high-end of the recommended sentence and supervised release term. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was investigated by the ATF and the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division (SLED). Assistant United States Attorney Elliott B. Daniels prosecuted the case.
The case was prosecuted as part of the as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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Chinese National Sentenced to 14 Months in Federal Prison for Attempting to Bribe an Immigration Case WorkerRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm sentenced Zhiyang Yang, age 61, formerly of Silver Spring, Maryland, to 14 months in federal prison, which is time served, for making illegal payments to an immigration official. The sentence was imposed on October 26, 2021.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Jim Valenzuela of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR); and Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore.
According to his plea agreement, Yang entered into the United States on a tourist visa in May 2018 and never departed, contrary to the terms and duration of that visa. Later, Yang was identified by immigration authorities and ordered to report regularly to an ICE, Enforcement and Removal contractor. The contractor managed the supervision of certain individuals during the pendency of immigration proceedings.
On at least four occasions, Yang provided cash to a case manager (Public Official 1) in relation to immigration matters.
First, on September 27, 2019, Yang met with Public Official 1 for a scheduled appointment as part of Yang’s monitoring agreement with ICE, pending Yang’s immigration proceedings. An interpreter was participating in the meeting by telephone while both Public Official 1 and Yang were physically present in a room. In the meeting with Public Official 1, Yang stated that he “wanted his freedom back.” Public Official 1 informed Yang that he was on the lowest form of monitoring, but Public Official 1 could potentially reduce the frequency of Yang’s required office visits. Public Official 1 also informed Yang that there was a process for the reduction of required meetings. Immediately after Public Official 1 ended the call with the interpreter, Yang looked over his shoulders before offering Public Official 1 several folded bills of cash. Public Official 1 refused the money twice and left the office to make copies of documents for Yang. Yang then concealed $100 under Public Official 1’s keyboard. Public Official 1 reported the conduct to the appropriate authorities.
On October 11, 2019, Yang met with Public Official 1 for an immigration monitoring meeting. At that time, Public Official 1 was acting in an undercover capacity at the direction of law enforcement. Upon entering Public Official 1’s office, Yang placed $200 in cash in Public Official 1’s pocket and asked for reduced monitoring. During their conversation, Public Official 1 stated that if he were to help Yang with less reporting, as Yang requested, Public Official 1 would need “more money”. Yang subsequently asked if $1,000 would suffice and said that he could provide it before the next scheduled appointment.
During an in-office meeting with Public Official 1 on October 25, 2019, Yang gave Public Official 1 $700 in cash, in exchange for Public Official 1 reducing the frequency of Yang’s in-office visits. Yang then inquired about obtaining additional immigration benefits, asking if he could obtain legal status earlier, as he wanted “as much freedom as possible.”
On December 20, 2019, Public Official 1 stated there could be another way to help Yang obtain a Green Card (officially known as a “Permanent Resident Card” which allows an immigrant to live and work permanently in the United States), but that it would be illegal. In response, Yang stated that he would very much appreciate that and would compensate those involved. Public Official 1 then estimated a price of $15,000 for Yang to obtain the Green Card. At the end of the conversation, Yang asked if he could pay upon the next visit. At the next office visit, Yang made a $5,000 down payment towards the illegal Green Card.
From December 2019 to August 28, 2020, Yang continued to speak with Public Official 1 and other immigration officials, who were also acting in an undercover capacity, to arrange installment payments in the effort to illegally obtain a Green Card. In several instances, the officials reiterated that this was illegal activity. Yang’s response was “not to worry.”
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron praised ICE OPR and HSI Baltimore for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Wright, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Chicago Man Convicted of Financial Institution Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – A federal jury returned guilty verdicts against Christopher Simmons, 40, of Chicago, Illinois, on October 26, 2021, for three counts of financial institution fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. Sentencing for Simmons has been scheduled for February 24, 2022, at the U.S. Courthouse in Peoria, Illinois.
Over two days of testimony, the government presented evidence to establish that Adreen Canterberry obtained a $49,900 loan from Citizens Equity First Credit Union for the purchase of a 2016 Audi from Simmons. The evidence showed that Simmons did not own the car and that the information provided about the car came from an eBay listing. After Simmons got the $49,900, he used a stolen social security number, false address, and false earnings statements to seek car loans and credit cards from CEFCU. CEFCU alerted the Peoria County Sheriff’s Department about the fraud and when Simmons went into one of the CEFCU offices to obtain a car loan, he was arrested.
Canterberry previously pleaded guilty to financial institution fraud and was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment, five years supervised release, $10,000 fine, and $49,900 in restitution.
Simmons remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. At sentencing, Simmons faces statutory penalties of up to 30 years imprisonment, a maximum $1,000,000 fine, and maximum supervised release terms of five years for each of the financial institution fraud counts. He also faces a mandatory consecutive two-year sentence of imprisonment for the aggravated identity theft count, as well as a maximum one-year term of supervised release and a maximum $250,000 fine.
The investigation was conducted by the Peoria County Sheriff’s Department and the United States Secret Service. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Darilynn Knauss and Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas F. McMeyer represented the government at trial.