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2 December 2021
Cedar Grove Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Cedar Grove man pleaded guilty today to federal drug crimes.
According to court documents, between May 29, 2018 and November 7, 2018, Danny Allen Hudson, 62, sold quantities of oxycodone 30mg pills to a person who was working with law enforcement as a confidential informant on five separate occasions. The drug sale occurred at his residence. On November 20, 2018, officers executed a search warrant on Hudson’s residence. Inside the master bedroom, officers found a 30-06 rifle. Hudson admitted to possessing that rifle, despite being a prohibited person because of two prior felony convictions.
Hudson pleaded guilty to two counts of distribution of oxycodone and faces up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on February 24, 2022.
United States Attorney William S. Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant U.S. Attorney L. Alexander Hamner is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:20-cr-00087.
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California Tobacco Executive Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Conspiring to Evade Federal Excise Taxes on Dominican CigarsRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – A California tobacco company executive was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment yesterday for his participation in a fraudulent scheme to avoid the payment of millions of dollars in excise taxes on imported tobacco products.
Akrum Alrahib, 43, of Los Angeles, California, was the President and Owner of Trendsettah USA, Inc. (“Trendsettah”), a California tobacco company authorized to transact business in Florida. Trendsettah sold various tobacco products, such as large cigars, and marijuana paraphernalia, such as “blunt wraps,” most of which were imported from the Dominican Republic through Miami.
Previously, Alrahib admitted that he partnered with Gitano Pierre Bryant, Jr., a tobacco importer authorized by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), to import large cigars. Alrahib and Bryant agreed to lower their costs by underreporting the Federal Tobacco Excise Tax that was due and owing on the imported cigars. They consistently evaded Federal Tobacco Excise Tax by concealing the price Alrahib actually paid for the cigars.
During the course of the scheme, Alrahib paid over $21 million for Dominican tobacco products and received over $700,000 in kickbacks from Bryant.
Alrahib also admitted his participation in a witness tampering scheme, in which he sought to prevent a witness from testifying before a South Florida Grand Jury.
Alrahib previously pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371. In addition to a term of imprisonment, Alrahib was ordered to serve an additional three years on supervised release and pay more than $7 million in restitution. The sentence was handed down by District Judge Rodney Smith in Fort Lauderdale.
Bryant, Alrahib’s partner, was charged a separate case (16-cr-20838). He pled guilty, was sentenced to four years in prison, and ordered to pay over $9 million in restitution.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Carrie May, Acting Assistant Administrator for Field Operations, Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), and Darrell J. Waldon, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Washington, DC Field Office, made the announcement.
TTB and IRS-CI investigated this case with the assistance of Homeland Security Investigations in Miami. Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Browne and Jerrob Duffy of the Justice Department’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Grosnoff is handling the asset forfeiture component of the case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 19-cr-20165.
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Burke County man sentenced to prison for possession of child pornographyRead the Press Release
AUGUSTA, GA: A Burke County man has been sentenced to more than 10 years in federal prison for possessing hundreds of images of child pornography.
William Voss, 38, of Waynesboro, Ga., was sentenced to 121 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of Child Pornography, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall also ordered Voss to register as a sex offender, and to serve 25 years of supervised release after completion of his prison sentence.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“In coordination with our law enforcement partners, our office will continue to relentlessly protect our most vulnerable citizens,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “Predators like Voss will be identified and held accountable for their crimes.”
As described in court documents and testimony, Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) agents were alerted by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in May 2020 to contraband images identified as originating from Voss’ Burke County residence. A subsequent search of devices seized from the home found hundreds of images of child pornography.
Voss previously received a dishonorable discharge from the U.S. Navy after being court-martialed for possessing child pornography.
“The GBI will continue to work tirelessly to protect innocent child victims of online exploitation,” said GBI Director Vic Reynolds. “We are grateful for the relationships we maintain with our local and federal partners to bring these offenders to justice.”
The case was investigated by the GBI and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator Tara M. Lyons.
Anyone with information on suspected child sexual exploitation can contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 800-843-5678, or https://report.cybertip.org/.
Baltimore man admits to drug trafficking chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Dontaz Lavan Brandon, of Baltimore, Maryland, has admitted to a drug a charge, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II announced.
Brandon, 23, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Aiding and Abetting Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl.” Brandon admitted to working with another to distribute fentanyl in January 2020 in Berkeley County.
Brandon faces up to 20 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
This case is the result of investigations supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) under the Attorney General-led Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS)/Special Operations Division (SOD) Project Clean Sweep. This initiative seeks to reduce the supply of synthetic opioids in “hot spot” areas previously identified by the Attorney General of the United States, thereby reducing drug overdoses and drug overdose deaths, and identify wholesale distribution networks and sources of supply operating nationally and internationally. 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.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lara Omps-Botteicher and Timothy D. Helman are prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives investigated. The task force consists of the West Virginia State Police, Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Ranson Police Department, the Charles Town Police Department, and the Martinsburg Police Department.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Baltimore Man Sentenced to Four Years in Federal Prison for Possession of a Stolen FirearmRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Avon Allen, age 36, of Baltimore, Maryland to four years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of a stolen firearm.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Timothy Jones of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.
According to his plea agreement, on January 20, 2020, Allen had an argument with a store owner in Baltimore, Maryland and threw a beverage at the store owner in the process. Soon after, Baltimore City Police Department officers responded to the reported assault. Officers reviewed the store’s surveillance footage, which showed that the individual involved in the altercation was wearing a black skull cap, a blue, black, and gray puffy jacket, a gray hoodie, blue jeans, and blue sneakers.
Later that day, an officer found Allen wearing the same clothes as the individual in the video surveillance footage on the corner of W. Saratoga Street and N. Paca Street. Allen briefly got into a vehicle before seeing an officer and fleeing on foot. During his apprehension, Allen resisted arrest and threw a stolen 9 mm pistol loaded with six rounds of ammunition. On his person, Allen also possessed a pocket-knife, oxycodone, and small amounts of eutylone or “MDMA”. Allen agrees that he knowingly possessed a stolen firearm.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron praised the ATF and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Moore and Special Assistant United States Attorney Annie McGuire, who prosecuted the case.
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Baltimore Felon Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Julian Gray, age 49, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty yesterday to federal charges of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The guilty plea 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 (DEA), Baltimore District Office; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.
According to Gray’s guilty plea, in 2020 the DEA began surveilling street-level drug activities and making undercover purchases of fentanyl. During the surveillance, Gray was identified as a potential co-conspirator when he was seen meeting with drug dealers who sold narcotics to the undercover officers.
On September 15, 2020, DEA agents saw Gray carry a black bag from his residence to his car and drive away. Gray’s car was stopped for a traffic violation later that day in a parking lot in the 2400 block of Belair Road in Baltimore. A K-9 unit was nearby to scan the car and the dog alerted to the driver’s door. Law enforcement searched the car and found a black bag (different bag from the first observation) in the trunk containing: a .9mm semi-automatic handgun, loaded with 12 .9mm hollow-point bullets; and two large plastic bags containing 1,090 gel caps of what was determined to be more than 40 grams of a mixture of fentanyl, 4-ANPP, and tramadol. A search of Gray recovered $1,640 in cash.
Gray admitted that he possessed the fentanyl mixture with the intent to distribute it and that the cash constituted drug proceeds. Further, Gray was on parole at the time for a 1991 felony conviction for murder in the second degree, for which he was sentenced to 30 years in prison and was in custody until 2013. Gray knew that as a result of that conviction, he was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
Gray and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Gray will be sentenced to no more than eight years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher has scheduled sentencing for February 10, 2022 at 10:00 a.m.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the DEA and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Joan C. Mathias, who is prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Armed robbers of DeKalb County cell phone stores sentenced to federal prisonRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Dontavious Matthews and Quentin Truley have been sentenced for committing an armed robbery of a cell phone store in Brookhaven, Georgia. Truley was also sentenced for committing an armed robbery of a cell phone store in Lithonia, Georgia, 11 days later.
“These defendants showed no regard for the lives of the customers and employees they held at gunpoint while committing these armed robberies,” said U.S. Attorney Kurt R. Erskine. “Due to the strong partnership of federal and local agencies through the Project Safe Neighborhood Program, these defendants were convicted of these violent crimes and will now serve significant sentences in federal prison.”
“Violent conduct like the armed robberies in this case will not be tolerated in our community,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI is proud to work with our local law enforcement partners in helping to convict these offenders at the federal level, where they face stiffer penalties and no opportunity for parole.”
“The successful prosecution of this case is a direct reflection of the hard work and dedication of the Peace Officers and Public Servants involved during the investigation,” stated Brookhaven Police Chief Gary Yandura. “We are very happy with the outcome of the court proceedings and hope that the victims in these cases find some peace knowing the offenders are off the streets.”
“The arrests and sentencing on this case is a great example of how collaboration between federal and local partners help solve cases and bring them to successful conclusions,” said Chief Mirtha V. Ramos, DeKalb County Police Department. “By working together, we can continue to make our communities safer one arrest at a time.”
According to U.S. Attorney Erskine, the charges and other information presented in court: On December 17, 2017, Matthews and Truley entered a cellular phone store in Brookhaven. A few minutes later, Truley pointed a gun at store employees while Matthews ordered everyone to the ground. Matthews then forced the store manager to go to the back room and open the safe. Truley held the employees and customers at gunpoint while Matthews emptied the safe of cell phones, and both defendants fled the scene. The robbery was captured on surveillance cameras and Truley and Matthews left their fingerprints at the store.
On December 28, 2017, Truley and an unknown accomplice entered a cellular phone store in Lithonia, brandished firearms, and ordered employees and customers to the ground. Truley then forced an employee to the back of the store to obtain cell phones from the safe. Unbeknownst to Truley, the store manager placed a tracker phone with the other stolen phones, which later led police to Truley hiding in some bushes at a nearby apartment complex.
Dontavious Matthews, 31, of Decatur, Georgia, has been sentenced to nine years, four months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $19,321. Matthews was found guilty by a jury of one count of Hobbs Act armed robbery on August 27, 2021.
Quentin Truley, 27, of Decatur, Georgia, was sentenced to 19 years and three months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $40,400.91. Truley pleaded guilty on August 3, 2021, to two counts of Hobbs Act armed robbery and two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). In keeping with the Attorney General’s mission to reduce violent crime, the Northern District of Georgia’s PSN program focuses on prosecuting those individuals who most significantly drive violence in our communities, and supports and fosters partnerships between law enforcement and schools, the faith community, and local community leaders to prevent and deter future criminal conduct.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with valuable assistance provided by the City of Brookhaven Police Department and the DeKalb County Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leanne Marek and Michael Herskowitz prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Anchorage Couple Sentenced to Prison for Distributing Drugs and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE – Two people were sentenced yesterday by Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy M. Burgess to federal prison for distributing drugs and money laundering.
May Saelee, aka “The First Lady,” 47, was sentenced to 40 months in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release. She pleaded guilty in August 2019 to drug conspiracy and money laundering charges. Saelee’s husband, Cher Vang, aka “The President,” 47, was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release. Vang pleaded guilty in July 2019 to drug conspiracy and money laundering charges. The couple was arrested in August 2018 as part of a months-long federal investigation into a drug ring operating out of Mountain View.
According to court documents, between August 2011 and 2018, Saelee and Vang distributed methamphetamine from their home and other locations in Anchorage. Through multiple drug sales during this seven-year period, they sold more than 306 grams of actual methamphetamine. The couple then used the proceeds of their drug sales to purchase various items including jewelry and personal property. Additionally, between March 2015 and August 2018, Saelee and Vang structured bank deposits totaling more than $150,000 into their accounts to avoid federal banking requirements and to conceal that the source of the money was from drug proceeds.
As part of the plea agreement, Saelee and Vang will forfeit to the United States any property derived from their illegal activities including but not limited to: jewelry, money, guns and personal property.
“With today’s sentencing, we have put an end to another drug trafficking ring responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine in Anchorage and the surrounding area,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Bryan Wilson, District of Alaska. “These dangerous drugs are destructive poisons that threaten the health and safety of our communities. We will continue to work together with our law enforcement partners to ensure that drug traffickers are held responsible for the harm they cause.”
“Drug trafficking and money laundering cause immense harm to our communities,” said Bret Kressin, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Seattle Field Office. “IRS-CI will continue to use our expertise to investigate those who knowingly traffic these damaging substances and will continue to bring these individuals to justice.”
The Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Alaska State Troopers (AST) investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephan Collins prosecuted the case.
This case is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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Ammunition Smugglers Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Mauricio Robles, 26, of Phoenix, Arizona, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Rosemary Marquez to 37 months in prison for attempting to smuggle ammunition from the United States into Mexico. The court previously sentenced Robles’ co-defendant, Arlando Torres, 36, of Texas, to 70 months in prison on September 30, 2021.
On May 4, 2020, Arizona Department of Public Safety troopers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle Torres was driving. Robles was the sole passenger and the owner of the vehicle. Inside the vehicle, DPS troopers found almost 6,000 rounds of ammunition and thirty ammunition magazines. Torres and Robles intended to provide the ammunition to other individuals who would then smuggle the ammunition from the United States into Mexico on behalf of a criminal organization, in exchange for payment.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation in this case, with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Arizona Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Angela W. Woolridge, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: 20-2122-TUC-RM
RELEASE NUMBER: 2021-091_Torres# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Alton Man Convicted at Trial of Drug and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – Qwanell S. Jones, 27, of the 3000 block of Alby Street in Alton, Illinois, was convicted on November 30, 2021, following a two-day trial in Peoria of possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. A sentencing hearing has been scheduled on April 11, 2022, in Urbana, Illinois.
Evidence presented at trial established that on March 12, 2020, the Raymond, Illinois Police Department conducted a traffic stop of Jones in Raymond (approximately 60 miles from Alton) while he was driving a Cadillac car with no valid registration and with a suspended driver’s license. During a search of the car following the stop and a later search of Jones at the county jail, officers located a total of approximately 858 methamphetamine pills in the car and on Jones’ person and a Smith and Wesson, Governor model, .45 Long Colt caliber/.410 gauge revolver that was fully loaded with six rounds of .410 shotgun ammunition and located in the glove compartment of the car along with most of the methamphetamine. Evidence further established that Jones had previously been convicted of three felony offenses in 2011 and 2013 in Madison County, Illinois for attempted armed robbery, unlawful possession of a controlled substance, and armed robbery, for which he received sentences of probation and eight years of imprisonment in the Illinois Department of Corrections.
At sentencing, Jones faces statutory penalties of up to 30 years imprisonment for the drug offense, up to 10 years of imprisonment for the felon-in-possession offense, and a mandatory consecutive term of 5 years to life imprisonment for the possession of a firearm in the furtherance of the drug trafficking crime offense; a fine of up to $750,000; and a minimum of 6 years to life of supervised release.
The case was investigated by the Raymond, Illinois Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Bass is representing the United States in the prosecution.
3 Men Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Kidnapping and Torturing Government InformantRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that EDWARD HERNANDEZ was sentenced today in Manhattan federal court to 10 years in prison for his role in kidnapping and torturing a Government informant. WALKIN FRANCISCO ARIAS VILLAR and JOSIEL GUSTAVO MARTINEZ GUZMAN were each sentenced, on September 16, 2021, and September 22, 2021, respectively, to 10 years in prison for their roles in the offense. HERNANDEZ and ARIAS VILLAR pled guilty on April 6, 2021, and MARTINEZ GUZMAN pled guilty on March 23, 2021, before U.S. District Judge Paul A. Crotty, who also imposed the sentences.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Edward Hernandez now joins his codefendants in being sentenced to spend a decade in federal prison for his admitted role in the brutal and violent kidnapping, torture, and extortion of their victim. This case illustrates yet again how violence goes hand in hand with the illegal drug trade.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court proceedings:
ARIAS VILLAR and MARTINEZ GUZMAN forced a Government informant (the “Victim”) into their car after the Victim – who was acting at the direction of law enforcement – arrived at a meeting in the Bronx, purportedly to retrieve $178,000 in narcotics proceeds to be laundered. HERNANDEZ, who was driving, sped away after the Victim was forced into the car.
MARTINEZ GUZMAN and ARIAS VILLAR physically assaulted the Victim in an effort to extort the Victim into transferring money to their co-conspirators. MARTINEZ GUZMAN burned the Victim with cigarettes, beat him with a handgun, and threatened the Victim’s life. ARIAS VILLAR pointed the handgun at the Victim repeatedly, threatened the Victim’s life, and demanded that the Victim pay them. ARIAS VILLAR broke the Victim’s nose when he threw a laptop computer at his face. HERNANDEZ, ARIAS VILLAR, and MARTINEZ GUZMAN apparently did not know that the Victim was a Government informant, but sought repayment for narcotics proceeds lost to law enforcement seizures. The Victim, fearing for his life, transferred approximately $16,000 of his own money to accounts his abductors supplied.
Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) agents located the car in Fairfield, Connecticut, approximately three hours after the Victim was abducted. MARTINEZ GUZMAN, ARIAS VILLAR, and HERNANDEZ were arrested and the Victim was brought to a hospital for treatment.
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HERNANDEZ, 42, ARIAS VILLAR, 31, and MARTINEZ GUZMAN, 29, were each convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit extortion. In addition to their prison terms, HERNANDEZ, ARIAS VILLAR, and MARTINZ GUZMAN were each sentenced to three years of supervised release. Charges remain pending against Dacheng Zhen.
Mr. Williams praised and thanked the DEA for its outstanding work locating and safely recovering the Victim.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Aline Flodr, Stephanie Lake, and Sheb Swett are in charge of the prosecution.
20-Year-Old Felon Sentenced to 57 Months for Possessing RifleRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Ay’rhogunce Miller, 20, has been sentenced to federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm while under indictment. Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph C. Murphy Jr., announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, on May 22, 2020, the Memphis Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the United States Marshals Service, were working on a fugitive investigation of Ay’rhogunce Miller, also known as "Jacolbi Miller," and another individual who was a relative of Miller. The agents received information that Miller, and the other individual were in an apartment on East Barbara Circle, which belonged to Miller’s girlfriend.
While inside the residence, agents located and detained the other individual, along with Miller. A search of the bedroom revealed an American Tactical MK22 .22 caliber rifle; the serial number had been obliterated and it was equipped with an extended capacity magazine.
Further investigation disclosed that Miller had previously been convicted of felony breaking and entering in the State of Arkansas and was currently on probation. Miller also had outstanding warrants for 1st degree battery in Arkansas. Further, Miller was facing a pending indictment for theft of property – firearm, and possession of a firearm by a felon in Crittenden County Circuit Court, Marion, Arkansas. While in custody in Arkansas, Miller waived his Miranda rights and admitted to possessing the rifle which he purchased the previous week.
As a result of his criminal history, Miller is prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition.
On August 17, 2021, the defendant entered a guilty plea to both counts of the indictment; being a felon in possession of a firearm and receiving a firearm while under indictment for a felony.
On December 1, 2021, U.S. District Judge Thomas L. Parker sentenced Miller to 57 months in federal prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. This incarceration is consecutive to his criminal offenses in Arkansas. There is no parole in the federal system.
The Memphis Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the United States Marshals Service investigated this case.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel D. Winnig prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. SAUSA Winnig is currently assigned from the Shelby County District Attorney General’s Office for prosecuting violent crimes and firearms offenses in federal court.
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11 Defendants Indicted for Trafficking Cocaine in Northeastern OklahomaRead the Press Release
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and local, state and federal task force partners arrested nine individuals this week alleged to have been part of a drug trafficking organization that transported bulk quantities of cocaine from Mexico into the Northern District of Oklahoma for redistribution, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
Those arrested along with two others were named in an indictment that was unsealed Wednesday afternoon as defendants began making initial appearances in federal court. The defendants were charged with drug conspiracy, specifically possessing with intent to distribute and to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine starting as early as January 2020, and other crimes associated with the conspiracy.
“This organization is estimated to have transported and sold more than 10 kilograms of cocaine a month in Oklahoma,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “Ten different law enforcement agencies joined forces to investigate and take down this alleged drug trafficking organization. I appreciate their commitment to protecting our communities from the effects of the illicit drug trade.”
“Dismantling criminal organizations such as this one cannot be successful without DEA Tulsa’s partnership with the law enforcement and citizenry of Oklahoma,” said Eduardo A. Chávez, Special Agent in Charge of DEA operations in Oklahoma. “These individuals are being held responsible for their actions. Whether it is a gram or a kilogram, cocaine is not produced in Tulsa, and DEA Tulsa will never cease its efforts to rid these drugs from our streets.”
According to the indictment, an unknown defendant called “Chuy” led the drug trafficking organization from Mexico. Chuy directed shipments of multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine from Mexico to Oklahoma and ensured the drug proceeds were sent back to Mexico. He coordinated with alleged Tulsa-based distributor and money launderer Manuel Gustavo Cardenas-Lozoya who sold bulk quantities of cocaine to mid-level dealers in Tulsa for redistribution. The two would then coordinate the transport of sizeable drug profits from Tulsa back to Mexico. Chuy remains at large. Cardenas-Lozoya was arrested Thursday in Atlanta.
At Chuy’s direction, Alexis Perez-Camacho and Juan Luis Lopez-Carreon transported the cocaine from Oklahoma City to Tulsa so it could be distributed by Cardenas-Lozoya and mid-level dealers. Perez-Camacho also stored cocaine and drug proceeds at his residence.
Danahe Cervantes, Cardenas-Lozoya’s girlfriend, helped facilitate the drug sales by acting as a translator.
Mid-level dealers who purchased the cocaine from Cardenas-Lozoya for redistribution in Oklahoma were Reinaldo Gustavo Martinez, Miguel Angel Gabino-Trujillo, Christopher Holdman, and Yovani Soto.
Aren Yoana Lopez-Gomez and Audrina Denis Lopez-Gomez helped Cardenas-Lozoya laundered money and assisted him in his distribution efforts.
The conspirators used Messenger and cells phones to allegedly discuss the amount of cocaine, price and payment arrangements, distribution times and locations, settling debts owed, and money laundering.
The arrests and indictment are part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force operation titled Operation Snow Hunter.
The Drug Enforcement Administration led the operation with assistance from the Tulsa Police Department, Broken Arrow Police Department, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office, Delaware County District Attorney’s Office, Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, Miami Police Department, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Colorado Police Department.
An indictment is merely an accusation. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defendant
Role in Conspiracy
Charges
Status
Chuy, unknown
directed the DTO
-Drug Conspiracy
At large
Manuel Gustavo Cardenas-Lozoya 39, of Broken Arrow
Tulsa-based distributor and money launderer
-Drug Conspiracy
-Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute;
-Distribution of Cocaine;
-Use of a Communication Facility in Committing, Causing, and Facilitating the Commission of a Drug Trafficking Felony;
-Money Laundering Conspiracy
Federal custody
Alexis Perez-Camacho
23, of Indianapolis, Indiana
transported cocaine
-Drug Conspiracy
-Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute;
-Distribution of Cocaine;
-Use of a Communication Facility in Committing, Causing, and Facilitating the Commission of a Drug Trafficking Felony
Federal custody
Juan Luis Lopez-Carreon
age unknown, of Oklahoma City
transported cocaine
-Drug Conspiracy
-Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute;
-Distribution of Cocaine
Federal custody
Danahe Cervantes
23, of Tulsa
facilitator/
translator
-Drug Conspiracy
-Use of a Communication Facility in Committing, Causing, and Facilitating the Commission of a Drug Trafficking Felony
Federal custody
Reinaldo Gustavo Martinez
44, of Tulsa
mid-level dealer
-Drug Conspiracy
-Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute
-Use of a Communication Facility in Committing, Causing, and Facilitating the Commission of a Drug Trafficking Felony
Federal custody
Miguel Angel Gabino-Trujillo
38, of Tulsa
mid-level dealer
-Drug Conspiracy
-Use of a Communication Facility in Committing, Causing, and Facilitating the Commission of a Drug Trafficking Felony
Federal custody
Christopher Holdman
46, of Tulsa
mid-level dealer
-Drug Conspiracy
-Use of a Communication Facility in Committing, Causing, and Facilitating the Commission of a Drug Trafficking Felony
At large
Yovani Soto
36, of Sand Springs
mid-level dealer
-Drug Conspiracy
-Use of a Communication Facility in Committing, Causing, and Facilitating the Commission of a Drug Trafficking Felony
Federal custody
Aren Yoana Lopez-Gomez, 33, of Tulsa
money launderer
-Drug Conspiracy
- Use of a Communication Facility in Committing, Causing, and Facilitating the Commission of a Drug Trafficking Felony;
-Money Laundering Conspiracy
Federal custody
Audrina Denis Lopez-Gomez
34, of Colorado Springs, Colorado
money launderer
-Drug Conspiracy
Use of a Communication Facility in Committing, Causing, and Facilitating the Commission of a Drug Trafficking Felony;
-Money Laundering Conspiracy
Federal custody
1 December 2021
Wyoming County Man Going to Prison for Attempting to Have Sex with 11-Year Old GirlRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Daniel Hays, 42, of Bliss, NY, who was convicted of attempted receipt of child pornography, was sentenced to serve five years in prison and 10 years supervised release by U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Rossi, who handled the case, stated that during April and May of 2021, Hays engaged in sexually explicit online and text communications with an individual who he believed to be an 11-year-old girl. In reality, the child was an undercover New York State Police Investigator working with the Department of Homeland Security. During the conversations, Hays discussed having sex with the child, and asked the child to produce and send to him naked photographs. On May 11, 2021, Hays traveled approximately two hours from Bliss to the child’s home in the Western District of New York, in order to have sex with the child. Hays was arrested upon his arrival at the meeting place, at which point he was found to be in possession of candy that he purchased as a gift for the child.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Barry Chase and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino.
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Woman pleads guilty to scamming SSA and FEMA out of hundreds of thousands of dollarsRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Ivie Shevon Sajere pled guilty to a money laundering conspiracy that defrauded the Social Security Administration (“SSA”) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (“FEMA”) out of nearly $1,000,000. The conspiracy involved the false filing of thousands of online applications for SSA retirement benefits and FEMA disaster benefits using stolen personal information.
“This was a massive fraud that impacted two government agencies and harmed thousands of victims across the country,” said U.S. Attorney Kurt R. Erskine. “The defendant thought she could avoid detection because the scheme was so complex. She was wrong. Through the coordination with multiple federal law enforcement agencies, we were able to identify Sajere and bring her to justice.”
“Sajere and her co-conspirators, brazenly used the stolen personal information of innocent people and abused SSA’s online application process to defraud the government of nearly a million dollars,” said Gail S. Ennis, Inspector General for the Social Security Administration. “This guilty plea demonstrates the commitment we have to ensuring the integrity of SSA’s eServices and to work with our law enforcement partners to hold perpetrators accountable for their crimes. I appreciate the coordinated efforts of the Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General, and U.S. Postal Investigation Services, and other law enforcement partners, in working with us to dismantle this conspiracy.”
“Funds fraudulently obtained from FEMA and the SSA deprive deserving recipients and communities truly in need,” said Dr. Joseph V. Cuffari, Inspector General for DHS’s Office of Inspector General. “This outcome and guilty plea speaks to the strength of the successful law enforcement partnerships between the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General, the Department of Justice, the Social Security Administration and the U.S. Postal Investigation Services.”
“In partnership with our law enforcement partners, we combined our investigative and legal resources to stop this fraudulent activity that affected numerous identity theft victims along with two government agencies that provide aid to those in need,” said Tommy D. Coke, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division. “Postal Inspectors are dedicated to protecting the mail from all those who seek to use the mail system for illegal purposes and this case should serve as warning to anyone considering similar conduct that those actions will result in criminal consequences.”
According to U.S. Attorney Erskine, the charges and other information presented in court: Beginning in approximately June 2017 until September 2018, the defendant and her husband, Neville Sajere, both Nigerian nationals who engaged in marriage fraud in an unsuccessful attempt to become US citizens, participated in a money laundering scheme that defrauded nearly a million dollars from SSA and FEMA.
The scheme involved unknown individuals filing applications for Social Security retirement benefits and/or FEMA disaster relief benefits using stolen personal information. The individual victims whose personal information was stolen were often individuals highly acclaimed in their fields. It appears that these individuals were targeted because, even though they were of retirement age, they had not filed for SSA retirement benefits and did not need disaster benefit relief. Thus, the criminals had a better chance of getting the applications approved. Specifically, the victims included a movie director, an award-winning journalist, the daughter of a legendary movie director, and a highly esteemed academic.
Once an application was approved, the fraudsters directed that the funds be deposited onto a Green Dot debit card opened using other stolen personal information. As soon as the money was credited to the Green Dot debit card, the defendant generated payments through Square, Stripe and Paypal to Nevada Bridge TV, a Nigerian streaming service/television production company owned by the defendant’s husband; BAGMA, an African gospel award show business owned by the defendant’s husband; and Shevonz, a clothing store owned by the defendant.
Sajere pleaded guilty to one count of violating Title 18, United States Code, Section 1956(h) (conspiracy to commit money laundering.) She also agreed to pay $949,616.40 in restitution to SSA and FEMA.
Sentencing for Ivie Shevon Sajere, 37, of Suwanee, Georgia, is scheduled for March 8, 2022, at 10:30 a.m., before U.S. District Judge Timothy C. Batten Sr.
This case is being investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General, and U.S. Postal Investigation Services.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane C. Schulman, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Samir Kaushal are prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Wisconsin Rapids Man Sentenced to 6 Years for Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Benjamin T. Mann, 40, Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 6 years in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release for distributing child pornography. Mann pleaded guilty to this charge on September 9, 2021.
In July 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant at a home in Ohio. In reviewing devices found during the search, they discovered that Mann sent the Ohio resident child pornography and communicated with him about sexually assaulting children. In addition, the investigation revealed that Mann posted images of child pornography and discussed assaulting children in Kik chat rooms with that resident and others.
Judge Peterson said that the discussions about sexually assaulting children were an aggravating factor and that the sentence imposed would protect the community for approximately 20 years.
The charge against Mann was the result of an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal of Investigation, and the Wood County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Altman prosecuted this case.
Whitehall Man Sentenced for Unlawfully Possessing Firearms and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK - Shane Smith, age 24, of Whitehall, New York, was sentenced today to 41 months in prison and three years of supervised release for unlawfully possessing two short-barrel rifles, and unlawfully possessing hundreds of rounds of ammunition while being a felon.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and John B. DeVito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
As part of his previously entered guilty plea, Smith admitted that on September 16, 2016, he was convicted in the Northern District of New York of the felony offense of unlawfully possessing a machine gun. He was released from prison in April 2018.
Smith further admitted that on December 15, 2020, U.S. Probation Officers searched his Whitehall residence, and found two rifles whose barrels were each less than 16 inches in length, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, all of which was illegal for Smith to possess.
This case was investigated by the United States Probation Office for the Northern District of New York, FBI, and ATF, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Belliss.
VA employee sentenced for stealingRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Kevin Rumph, Jr., has been sentenced to prison for stealing medical supplies from the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
“It is disappointing when someone entrusted to help care for our veterans instead steals from them,” said U.S. Attorney Kurt R. Erskine. “As a veteran, Rumph should have been a compassionate servant, not a thief.”
“This defendant was held accountable for his role in a long-term fraud scheme in which he used his position at VA to selfishly enrich himself,” said Special Agent in Charge David Spilker of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Southeast Field Office. “The VA OIG will remain vigilant alongside our law enforcement partners ensuring that VA employees who would steal funds intended for the care of our nation’s veterans are investigated and prosecuted.”
According to U.S. Attorney Erskine, the charges and other information presented in court: Kevin Rumph, Jr., a U.S. Air Force veteran, was employed as a Purchasing Agent by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) and had worked there since 2012. He worked in the VA’s Prosthetic Department at its Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) located in Fort McPherson, Atlanta, Georgia.
Rumph’s job duties included receiving prosthetic request forms and prescriptions from physicians, therapists, patients, and patient representatives, and reviewing those forms for proper documentation and justification of the items, services, and durable medical equipment being requested. Rumph prepared purchase orders for a wide variety of prosthetic and sensory aids devices, medical supplies, and durable medical equipment and coordinated the delivery of medical equipment and supplies through contracted providers utilizing his VA-issued purchase card.
In addition to his legitimate purchases for veterans’ health care needs, Rumph used his government-issued purchase card to make unauthorized purchases of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) supplies from a supplier in Alabama. He then stole and sold the CPAP supplies to a vendor located in Ohio. CPAP supplies are medical products used to treat obstructive sleep apnea.
Between 2013 to 2021, Rumph made hundreds of unauthorized CPAP supply purchases costing the VA in excess of $1.9 million.Rumph, 41, of Fairburn, Georgia, was sentenced to two years, three months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $2,041,733.62. Rumph was convicted on these charges on August 16, 2021, after he pleaded guilty.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Huber, Deputy Chief of the Complex Frauds Section, prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Universal City Man Sentenced for Felon in Possession ChargeRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – Yesterday, a Universal City man was sentenced to five years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, in April 2020, the Bexar County Fire Marshal’s Office (BCFMO) issued a “Be on the Lookout” alert for Joshua Conan Faleide, 43, who had two explosives-related warrants for his arrest. BCFMO and Universal City Police Department arrested Faleide at his Universal City hotel room, where he had three loaded firearms, including a loaded SKS rifle, which had been mounted on a bipod near the entryway of the room. Faleide had previously been convicted of felony Assault on a Public Servant in Bexar County.
On July 29, 2021, Faleide pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession.
“Faleide's conviction and sentencing highlight our continuing efforts to prosecute violent actors who illegally carry firearms and endanger our community,” said U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff.
“This defendant has proven that he has the propensity for violence on multiple dangerous levels,” said Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge Fred Milanowski. “This sentence shows that removing convicted felons who possess firearms and those who wish to endanger our communities is the top priority for ATF and our law enforcement partners.”
The ATF and the Bexar County Fire Marshal’s Office investigated this case. The Universal City Police Department assisted with the arrest.
Assistant U.S. Attorney William Calve prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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United States Reaches Settlement with Frederick County Public School District to Protect Students with DisabilitiesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland - The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland and the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division announced today a settlement agreement with the Frederick County Public School District to address the discriminatory use of seclusion and restraint against students with disabilities. The government’s investigation found that the school district unnecessarily and repeatedly secluded and restrained students as young as five years old in violation of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Under the settlement, Frederick County will end the use of seclusion, overhaul its restraint practices, and train staff on the use of appropriate behavioral interventions for students with disabilities.
The settlement agreement was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
The investigation, opened in October 2020, revealed thousands of incidents of seclusion and restraint in just two and a half school years. Although students with disabilities make up only 10.8% of students enrolled in the district, every single student the district secluded was a student with disabilities, as were 99%—all but one—of the students the district restrained. The district routinely resorted to seclusion and restraint in non-emergency situations instead of using appropriate individualized behavior interventions tailored to individual students’ needs. The investigation found that these practices often intensified students’ distress, with some students engaging in self-harm and showing other signs of trauma while in seclusion.
“Every child should feel safe and protected while in school. The use of seclusion rooms and unjustified physical restraints on young people, particularly those with disabilities, falls painfully short of a school district’s responsibility to support the safety, health, and educational needs of its students. Students with disabilities deserve a school environment rooted in positive, preventive, and supportive classroom strategies,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron. “We appreciate Frederick County Public School District’s cooperation in the investigation and are pleased that the District has agreed to take comprehensive steps to ensure that students with disabilities receive equal educational opportunities.”
“We cannot stand by and watch schools put children with disabilities in isolation thousands of times and call it public education. The district’s unlawful use of seclusion and restraint did not help students; it led to heightened distress and denied them access to a safe and positive learning environment,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke. “Frederick County Public Schools understand the significant work ahead under this agreement and we will ensure that they institute all the institutional reforms necessary to comply with the law.”
The school district cooperated fully throughout the investigation. Under the settlement agreement, the school district will take proactive steps to ensure that its practices do not discriminate against students with disabilities. The district will, among other things:
- prohibit the use of seclusion;
- report all instances of restraint and evaluate whether they were justified;
- designate trained staff to collect and analyze restraint data and oversee the creation of appropriate behavior intervention plans;
- deliver appropriate training and resources to help schools implement the agreement;
- design and implement procedures for handling complaints about restraint;
- offer compensatory education services to students with disabilities who were subjected to the district’s discriminatory practices; and
- hire an administrator to supervise school-based staff and ensure the district’s compliance with the agreement and Title II of the ADA.
The investigation was conducted jointly by the United States Attorney’s Office and the Civil Rights Division’s Educational Opportunities Section, as part of a Division initiative to address unlawful segregation, seclusion, and restraint of students with disabilities in public schools. U.S. Attorney Barron and Assistant Attorney General Clarke thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Marquardt, and Trial Attorneys Natane Singleton and Claire Chevrier, who handled this investigation.View the letter here.
View the agreement here.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/civil-rights.
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Union County Man Sentenced to 70 Months in Prison for Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Union County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 70 months in prison for receiving images of child sexual abuse, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Joseph Hinksmon, 42, of Cranford, New Jersey, previously pleaded by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi to one count of an indictment charging him with receipt of child pornography. Judge Cecchi imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From July 10, 2019, through July 24, 2019, Hinksmon accessed the internet to download and receive videos and images of child sexual abuse to his personal hard drive. Hinksmon’s computer devices contained more than 600 images of child sexual abuse that Hinksmon had downloaded from the internet, including images of prepubescent children.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Cecchi sentenced Hinksmon to 10 years of supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution of $75,000.
Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr. in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey E. Zyriek Enriquez of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Violent Crimes Unit in Newark.
Two District Men Charged in 98-Count Indictment for Conspiracy to Commit Armed Robbery, Armed Kidnapping, and FraudRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Mekhi Truesdale, 19, and William Bell, 19, both of Washington, D.C., have been indicted on 98 charges, including conspiracy to commit armed robbery, armed kidnapping, and fraud, for a series of armed robberies that took place during the fall of 2020 in Northwest Washington. A third individual, Jada Winder, 19, of Greenbelt, Md., was also indicted on fraud and receiving stolen property charges.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division, Pamela A. Smith, Chief of the U.S. Park Police, and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The indictment was returned on Nov. 5, 2021. Bell was arrested yesterday in San Luis Obispo, Calif., by the U.S. Marshals Service. Winder was arrested in Greenbelt by the U.S. Marshals on Nov. 24, 2021. Truesdale was arrested in Washington, D.C. on Nov. 5, 2020, following a foot chase in the Georgetown area. Truesdale and Bell remain detained pending further court proceedings, and all three defendants are to appear for a hearing on Dec. 10, 2021, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
The indictment follows an investigation by MPD, FBI, and the U.S. Park Police into a series of armed robbery‑related incidents that occurred in the District of Columbia and Maryland in October and November 2020. According to the government’s evidence, between Oct. 17 and Nov. 1, 2020, Truesdale and Bell robbed at least 20 people at gunpoint or knifepoint across Northwest Washington. Three of the victims were kidnapped and forced into a vehicle before or after they were robbed. Following many of the incidents, Truesdale and Bell used mobile applications such as Venmo and Cash App to transfer funds from the victims to themselves and, on at least two occasions, to Winder.
The indictment details a series of 11 armed robberies committed between Oct. 17, 2020 and Nov. 1, 2020, at various locations in Northwest Washington. Two took place at Fort Reno Park. In one stretch of approximately four hours, late Oct. 31, 2020, and early Nov. 1, 2020, Truesdale and Bell allegedly committed four robberies, at four different locations: Fort Reno Park, the 3100 block of P Street NW, the 1400 block of 22d Street NW, and the 2400 block of Massachusetts Avenue NW. These four robberies involved a total of nine victims.
Truesdale and Bell are charged with a number of offenses related to the series of crimes, including conspiracy to commit a crime of violence and 95 counts of armed robbery, armed kidnapping, assault with intent to rob, assault with a dangerous weapon, and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, as well as various fraud offenses. Winder is charged with two counts of first-degree felony fraud and two counts of receiving stolen property.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This case is being investigated by MPD, the FBI Washington Field Office’s Violent Crimes Task Force, and the U.S. Park Police. Valuable assistance was provided by the Metro Transit Police Department and the Montgomery County, Md., Police Department.
In announcing the charges, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Jacobs, Chief Smith, and Chief Contee expressed appreciation for the work of those investigating the case from MPD, the FBI Washington Field Office, and U.S. Park Police, as well as for the assistance of the Deputy U.S. Marshals involved in locating the defendants.
They also acknowledged the efforts of those working on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Debra McPherson and Alesha Matthews Yette. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Gold and Charles R. Jones, who are investigating and prosecuting the case, along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie Carter, who investigated the case prior to indictment.
Trinitarios Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Multiple Guns, Ammunition, Cocaine and Crack CocaineRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A member of the Trinitarios street gang pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston in connection with trafficking firearms, ammunition, cocaine and crack cocaine in the Greater Lawrence area.
Jose Omar Hernandez-Aragones, 24, a Dominican national residing in Lawrence, pleaded guilty to four counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm; one count of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine; and one count of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine base, commonly known as crack cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin scheduled sentencing for March 22, 2022.
Hernandez-Aragones was indicted and arrested in November 2019 as part of a federal sweep targeting federal and state offenders, including members and associates of the Trinitarios street gang, in the Greater Lawrence area.
Beginning in 2017, law enforcement conducted an investigation into the members, associates and suppliers of the Trinitarios operating in the Greater Lawrence area. The Trinitarios is a street gang originating in the New York area with increased presence in Lawrence and the surrounding communities. According to court documents, many Trinitarios members are involved in a broad range of illegal activities including, but not limited to, firearms and drug trafficking as well as violent crimes undertaken to protect the interests of the gang and its members.
During the investigation, Hernandez-Aragones was identified as a member of the Trinitarios. On four separate occasions between May and July 2018, Hernandez-Aragones sold least nine guns, ammunition, cocaine and crack cocaine to a cooperating witness. Specifically, Hernandez-Aragones sold the cooperating witness two handguns and ammunition for $1,900 on May 16, 2018; a bulletproof vest, a loaded 9 mm handgun, a SKS rifle and a magazine containing ammunition for the rifle on June 4, 2018; two handguns and approximately 55.4 grams of a substance containing cocaine July 3, 2018; as well as three guns, one of which was stolen, and approximately 8.7 grams of a substance containing crack cocaine on July 13, 2018. Hernandez-Aragones is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to a 2016 conviction of assault that was punishable by more than one year in prison.
The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine or cocaine base provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; Matthew B. Mollhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations, Boston Field Division; Essex County District Attorney Jonathan W. Blodgett; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Corrections; and Lawrence Police Chief Roy P. Vasque made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Mulcahy of Mendell’s Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.
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.
Texas man admits to smuggling $1.1 Million of crystal methRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 20-year-old Dallas resident has entered a guilty plea to illegally importing approximately 25.16 kilograms of meth, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
On June 6, Luke Law attempted to cross into the United States after vacationing in Monterrey, Mexico. Authorities referred his vehicle to the secondary inspection area where a K-9 alerted to the presence of narcotics. An X-ray scan revealed anomalies behind the vehicle’s gas tank. Upon further investigation, law enforcement discovered a total of 29 bundles of meth wrapped in clear tape weighing approximately 25.16 kilograms.
The drugs have an estimated street value of approximately $1.1 million.
U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo accepted the plea and set sentencing for a future date. At that time, Law faces up to life in prison and a possible $10 million maximum fine. He will remain in custody pending that hearing.
Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Makens is prosecuting the case.
Sturgis Man Sentenced for Attempted Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Sturgis, South Dakota, man convicted of Attempted Receipt of Child Pornography was sentenced on November 22, 2021, by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey L. Viken.
William Nicholas Riley, age 61, was sentenced to six years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and a $5,000 special assessment to the Victims of Trafficking Fund. Riley will also be required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
Riley was arrested and federally indicted as a result of an undercover sex trafficking operation conducted during the 2020 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, targeting internet predators. Riley initiated sexual chats and sought images of child pornography from a person he believed to be a 15-year-old girl, but who was in fact an undercover agent. Riley then negotiated a time and place he would meet the minor to engage in unlawful sex acts. When Riley went to the pre-determined location to meet the minor, he was met by law enforcement and placed under arrest.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Rapid City Police Department, and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah B. Collins prosecuted the case.
Riley was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Statement by Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke on World AIDS DayRead the Press Release
On World AIDS Day, the Department of Justice reaffirms the rights of people living with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) to live free from stigma and discrimination. Through enforcement of civil rights laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and by educating the public about their rights and responsibilities through outreach and technical assistance, the department remains committed to protecting and advancing the rights of people living with HIV and AIDS.
“The Department of Justice plays a pivotal role in safeguarding the civil rights of people living with HIV and AIDS,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Civil Rights Division. “Together with our federal partners and those in communities across America, the department remains steadfast in its commitment to eradicate unlawful treatment of those living with HIV and AIDS, recognizing in particular the disproportionate impact of HIV on communities of color, including Black and Latino communities. In doing so, the department will renew our fight against the spread of unfounded stereotypes and misinformation about the disease while celebrating the advances that allow people with HIV to live long and productive lives.”
Over the past year, the department has continued vigorously to enforce the ADA to combat HIV discrimination and the still-pervasive attitudinal barriers that people living with HIV and AIDS experience daily — particularly in accessing health care services. The department’s enforcement efforts seek equal opportunity and dignity in all aspects of life for those living with HIV and AIDS.
- In January, the department filed two lawsuits alleging that obstetrician-gynecologist doctors in California refused to provide routine medical care to a patient on the basis of her HIV status. The complaints alleged that when the patient tried to make an appointment with one of the doctors, she was told that the doctor could not see her because she had HIV and the other doctor denied the patient a Pap smear, a regular preventative procedure, because he deemed her a “high risk” patient. https://www.ada.gov/anucha_comp.html; https://www.ada.gov/jamaluddin_comp.html
- In June, the department entered into a settlement agreement with a dental practice with multiple locations in North Carolina after an investigation substantiated that the practice refused to accept a new patient with HIV who was seeking routine dental care, and required certain laboratory results from patients with HIV before deciding whether to provide care. The agreement requires the practice to pay compensatory damages to the individual, provide training and implement a non-discrimination policy. https://www.ada.gov/night_and_day_sa.html
- In February, the department entered into a settlement agreement with a surgical practice in Michigan after an investigation by the Justice Department and the Department of Health and Human Services substantiated allegations that the practice turned away a prospective patient because of the person’s HIV status. The agreement requires the practice to pay compensatory damages to the individual, provide training and implement non-discrimination policies and practices. https://www.ada.gov/great_lakes_surgical_sa.html
- In February, the department entered into a settlement agreement with the Nevada Department of Corrections to resolve systemic discrimination in its correctional practices. The department’s investigation found that the State impermissibly isolated and segregated inmates with HIV, failed to keep their HIV status confidential and denied them equal employment opportunities as well as classification and housing at lower custody levels. Under the settlement, Nevada agreed to develop or amend its policies and procedures to ensure equal and integrated housing, classification and employment opportunities; to provide training on the ADA to staff; and to implement an ADA grievance procedure. https://www.ada.gov/nv_doc_sa.html
- In June, the department entered into a settlement agreement with a nail salon in North Carolina that denied services to an individual living with HIV and inappropriately requested medical documentation. The agreement requires the salon to pay monetary damages to the individual, provide training and adopt a non-discrimination policy. https://www.ada.gov/diva_nails.pdf
In addition to enforcement efforts, the department continues to engage in outreach to educate people living with HIV and AIDS, businesses, state and local governments and public entities on their rights and responsibilities under the ADA. The department also provides technical assistance and responds to questions from individuals and covered entities through our ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 (voice) or 800-514-0383 (TTY).
On World AIDS Day 2021, and every day, the department remains dedicated to eradicating discrimination against those living with HIV and AIDS. Through comprehensive enforcement of our civil rights laws and the provision of outreach and technical assistance, the department will continue to lead efforts to ensure that all people living with HIV and AIDS can share fully in all that our country has to offer.
To learn more about the department’s work, please visit www.ada.gov/hiv.
South Florida Felon Sentenced to Federal Prison for Building “Ghost Guns” and Manufacturing Ammunition in GarageRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – This week, Mark Gene George, 58, of Port St. Lucie, Florida, appeared in federal court in Fort Pierce and was sentenced to 27 months in prison after being convicted of possessing a firearm and ammunition while being a convicted felon.
According to court documents, special agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”) executed a federal search warrant at George’s residence in Port St. Lucie in December of 2020. During the search, agents recovered an AK-style rifle, multiple pistols, and six firearms that had no serial number or manufacturer information. Agents also found over 5,000 rounds of, and parts of, assorted ammunition, as well as machines and tools to manufacture ammunition. George later admitted to building unserialized AR-style rifles, as well as ammunition, and to having previously sold firearms online.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Christopher Robinson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Miami Field Division, made the announcement.
ATF Miami led the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Hoover prosecuted the case.
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-14009.
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South Dakota Man Indicted for Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Dennis Holmes announced that a South Dakota man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.
John Burgess Bad Hand, age 37, was indicted on November 9, 2021. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on November 30, 2021, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to ten years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, five years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that Bad Hand, a person required to register as a sex offender by reason of conviction under federal law, knowingly failed to register and update his registration between September 15, 2021, and October 21, 2021, while living in Upper Cut Meat, South Dakota.
The charge is merely an accusation and Bad Hand is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Abby Roesler is prosecuting the case.
Bad Hand was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Soccer coach admits to producing child pornographyRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A former McAllen youth league coach who illegally resided in Pharr has entered a guilty plea to sexual exploitation of children, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
From March 2020 through June 2021, Oscar Hinojosa communicated and cultivated a relationship with a 15-year-old minor.
Hinojosa was the victim’s soccer coach. Over time, Hinojosa told her he loved her and expressed his sexual desire for her. During their communications, Hinojosa instructed the minor victim to send a sexually-explicit photo of her genitalia in a specific pose. She ultimately did as requested on this occasion and others.
While communicating with this victim, Hinojosa also attempted to cultivate a similar relationship to another one of the minor females on his soccer team. While he was unsuccessful, he expressed his love for her as well.
Hinojosa is not a citizen of the United States does not have legal status to reside here.
Mission Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation.
U.S. District Judge Alvarez accepted the plea and set sentencing for March 18, 2022. At that time, Hinojosa faces up to 30 years in federal prison.
He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Colton T. Turner is prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to Nearly 10 Years in Federal Prison for CarjackingRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of carjacking was sentenced on November 30, 2021, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.
Shawn Michael Long, age 31, was sentenced to 116 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to forfeit a firearm and to pay $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Long was indicted for firearms offenses, failing to appear, and carjacking by a federal grand jury on April 6, 2021. He pled guilty to carjacking on August 23, 2021.
Between January 15 and 16, 2021, in Sioux Falls, Long and an accomplice attempted to forcefully take a motor vehicle, a Honda Accord, from the victim and the victim’s two friends. During the carjacking, Long brandished a firearm and threatened the victim and the other occupants of the car. While Defendant Long pointed the firearm at the victim, Long’s accomplice grabbed the car keys from the victim and took control of the vehicle. Long’s accomplice entered the driver’s side and tried to steal the car, but the gear lock was engaged, preventing Long and his accomplice from taking the vehicle. Because bystanders were watching this crime take place, Long and his accomplice fled the scene.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri prosecuted the case.
Long was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Sheraden Man Sentenced for Obstructing Pittsburgh Police during May 30, 2020 Pittsburgh ProtestRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court on a charge of obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
George Allen, 33, of Glen Mawr Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to twelve months and a day of incarceration followed by three years of supervised release by United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab. Judge Schwab permitted the defendant to remain on bond and self-report on February 1, 2022, to begin his sentence.
The court was previously advised that on May 30, 2020, Allen did knowingly and willfully throw multiple pieces of concrete at a vehicle occupied by police officers. One of the pieces of concrete shattered the front passenger window and struck an officer, causing minor bruising to the officer’s arm. Allen’s actions caused the obstruction, impediment and interference of law enforcement officers engaged in the lawful performance of their official duties.
Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan D. Lusty prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation.
Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Access with Intent to View Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland - William Carl Eikenberg, Jr., age 51, of Edgewater, Maryland pleaded guilty yesterday to access with intent to view child pornography.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Anne Arundel County Police Chief Amal E. Awad.
Eikenberg previously entered a guilty plea to distribution of child pornography in the Circuit Court of Maryland for Anne Arundel County in August 2016. Eikenberg admitted that he used BitTorrent through a personal cell phone to download and trade child pornography. BitTorrent is a communication protocol for peer-to-peer file sharing network that enables users to distribute electronic files over the internet. Eikenberg served 114 days in jail and was placed on five years of supervised probation. As a result of his conviction, Eikenberg was required to register as a sex offender.
According to his guilty plea, between April 2017 and September 2017, Eikenberg knowingly possessed and accessed with intent to view child pornography, including content depicting the exploitation of prepubescent minors being used to engage in sexual conduct. These visual depictions included at least 94 video files and 80 images of child pornography. Eikenberg admitted that he knew the production of the depictions involved minors engaged in sexual activity.
As part of his investigation, on July 3, 2017, and September 3, 2017, an Anne Arundel County Police Department (AAPD) detective identified several known electronic files of child pornography being shared by an IP address assigned to Eikenberg’s Edgewater, Maryland address. These files included a 21-minute video that portrayed a prepubescent female engaged in sexual activity with an adult male and several other shorter videos that also depicted the sexual abuse of minors.
Further, on September 6, 2017, AAPD learned that Eikenberg had stopped attending sex offender treatment and fled from probation supervision. On September 22, 2017, Eikenberg ran out the backdoor of his residence and attempted to evade authorities as AAPD officers and Eikenberg’s probation officer approached his residence for a home visit. Eikenberg was later apprehended, taken into custody, and transported to an AAPD station.
In a subsequent voluntary interview, Eikenberg stated that he used the BitTorrent network to view child pornography between April and September 2017.
Eikenberg and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Eikenberg will be sentenced to 10 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander has scheduled sentencing for January 20, 2022 at 11 a.m.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "Resources" tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI, Anne Arundel County Police Department, the Maryland State Police Department, and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew J. Maddox and Abigail E. Ticse, who are prosecuting the federal case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey J. Izant, for his work in the prosecution of the case.
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Russian Man Sentenced for Providing ‘Bulletproof Hosting’ for CybercriminalsRead the Press Release
A Russian man was sentenced today for providing “bulletproof hosting” services, which were used by cybercriminals between 2009 to 2015 to distribute malware and attack financial institutions and victims throughout the United States.
On Dec. 1, Chief Judge Denise Page Hood of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan sentenced Aleksandr Grichishkin, 34, of Russia, to 60 months in prison for the scheme.
According to court documents, Grichishkin was a founder and leader of a bulletproof hosting organization that rented internet protocol (IP) addresses, servers, and domains to cybercriminal clients who employed this technical infrastructure to disseminate malware that allowed them to gain access to victims’ computers, form botnets, and steal banking credentials for use in frauds. Malware hosted by the organization included Zeus, SpyEye, Citadel, and the Blackhole Exploit Kit, which attacked U.S. companies and financial institutions between 2009 and 2015 and caused or attempted to cause millions of dollars in losses to U.S. victims.
Grichishkin also helped clients evade detection by law enforcement and continue their crimes uninterrupted by monitoring sites used to blocklist technical infrastructure used for crime, moving “flagged” content to new infrastructure, and registering all such infrastructure under false or stolen identities. On June 28 and Oct. 20, respectively, Chief Judge Hood sentenced two of Grichishkin’s co-conspirators, Pavel Stassi, 30, of Estonia, to 24 months in prison and Aleksandr Skorodumov, 33, of Lithuania, to 48 months in prison for their roles in the scheme.
According to court filings and statements made in connection with the defendants’ guilty pleas, Grichishkin was one of the organization’s founders and proprietors, and its day-to-day leader. In this role, he oversaw efforts to advertise the organization’s bulletproof hosting services in online cybercrime forums, set pricing for these services, negotiated and interfaced with clients seeking internet infrastructure to be used in spamming and malware operations, managed employee hiring and compensation, and supervised the systems administrators’ and other employees’ work. He also regularly instructed other members of the organization on how to “resolve” abuse notices by, among other methods, moving the affected clients’ data to new, “clean” domains and IP addresses.
Stassi, Skorodumov, Grichishkin, and a fourth defendant, Andrei Skvortsov, 34, of Russia, each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in a racketeer influenced corrupt organization. Skvortsov is pending sentencing and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine his sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI investigated the case with critical assistance from law enforcement partners in Germany, Estonia, and the United Kingdom.
Senior Counsel Louisa K. Marion of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick E. Corbett of the Eastern District of Michigan prosecuted the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance.
Providence Man Admits to False Use of a Social Security Number to Defraud Rhode Island Food Stamp, Medicaid ProgramsRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A Providence man today admitted to a federal court judge that he fraudulently used another individual’s Social Security number to defraud the Rhode Island Medicaid Managed Care Program of more than $39,000, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Program of more than $7,000, and also used the number to obtain a Rhode Island identification card, announced Acting United States Attorney Richard B. Myrus.
Diomedes Ramirez Rodriguez, 48, a Dominican national, pleaded guilty to false representation of a Social Security number, health care fraud, theft of public money, and false representation of citizenship.
According to court documents and information presented to the court, between March 2014 and August 2020, Ramirez Rodriguez used a Social Security number and other documents belonging to another person to fraudulently gain $39,023 in health care benefits from RITE Care, Rhode Island’s Medicaid Managed Care Program.
In a second scheme that ran from March 2017 to August 2020, using the same Social Security number, Ramirez Rodriguez applied for and was approved to receive $7,342 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits from the Rhode Island Department of Human Services.
Finally, in March 2018, Ramirez Rodriguez falsely stated that he was a United States citizen when applying for and receiving a Rhode Island identification card from the Rhode Island Department of Motor Vehicles.
Ramirez Rodriguez is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy on February 28, 2022.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul F. Daly, Jr.
The matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations; U.S. Department of Health and Human Service Office of Inspector General, Boston Field Office; U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service, Boston Field Office; U.S. Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General/Office of Investigations; and U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General.
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Project Monitor and Abatement Company Owner Sentenced to Jail and Fined $399,000 for Conspiring to Violate Asbestos RegulationsRead the Press Release
Kristofer Landell and Stephanie Laskin were sentenced today before U.S. District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy sitting in Binghamton, New York, for conspiring to violate Clean Air Act regulations that control the safe removal, handling and disposal of asbestos.
Judge McAvoy sentenced Landell and Laskin to eight months and ten months of incarceration respectively, as well as three years of supervised release, during which time defendants must surrender any asbestos-related licenses. Co-defendants Roger Osterhoudt, Gunay Yakup and Madeline Alonge were all sentenced to three years’ probation in early November. All five defendants were further ordered to pay approximately $399,000 in restitution to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its costs related to cleaning up the now-contaminated site in Kingston, New York, known as the “Tech City property.” The defendants may also be ordered to pay additional monies to members of the community who were potentially exposed to hazardous air pollutants as a result of the defendants’ conspiracy.
According to court-filed documents, Landell, Laskin, Yakup, and Alonge engaged in a year-long conspiracy to violate federal and New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) regulations intended to prevent human exposure to asbestos. More specifically, between 2015 and 2016, Landell and Laskin both permitted, and in some cases directed, abatement workers to remove asbestos from the TechCity Property illegally by stripping regulated asbestos containing materials without properly containing the work area and removing the asbestos dry, thus allowing airborne fibers to escape into the surrounding environment. In an effort to conceal those crimes, Landell, acting in his capacity as an air- and project-monitor, concealed these violations by fabricating and falsifying paperwork required by EPA and the State of New York. The conspirators also engaged in other efforts to deceive authorities, such as by failing to conduct air-monitoring and falsifying at least one NYSDOL-required “final air clearance.” Despite the defendants’ efforts to conceal their crimes, NYSDOL inspectors found numerous violations during the course of the year-long project and issued notices of violation. Conditions at the TechCity Property deteriorated until NYSDOL shut down operations in August 2016 and directed the defendants and their companies to cease all work. Notwithstanding this NYSDOL order, the defendants continued operations for a short time, prompting a criminal investigation.
In his plea agreement, Osterhoudt, the Vice President of Property Management for TechCity, admitted that as a result of the defendants’ illegal asbestos removal, there was likely a release of asbestos contamination into the environment that placed others at an increased risk of death or serious bodily injury. Asbestos has been determined to cause lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma, an invariably fatal disease. Given that EPA has determined that there is no safe level of exposure to asbestos, the United States has endeavored to identify all those persons in close proximity to the illegal asbestos operations during the TechCity project and is seeking restitution on behalf of all those potentially exposed to airborne asbestos contamination during the relevant time period. That process is ongoing.
Special agents of the EPA investigated the case with the assistance of New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and information provided by the NYSDOL Asbestos Control Bureau and the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The case was prosecuted by Todd W. Gleason and Gary N. Donner of the Environmental Crimes Section.
Pittsburgh Resident Sentenced to More Than Five Years in Prison for Conspiracy, Health Care Fraud, and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court for conspiracy to defraud the Pennsylvania Medicaid program, health care fraud, and aggravated identity theft, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon sentenced Tamika Adams, 45, to sixty-five months of imprisonment, followed by two years of supervised release, for her role in a years-long conspiracy. Adams was also ordered to pay restitution to the Pennsylvania Medicaid program in the amount of $445,131.67.
During her plea hearing on March 13, 2020, Adams admitted that at various times between 2011 and 2014 she was an employee of three related entities operating in the home health care industry—Moriarty Consultants, Inc. (MCI), Activity Daily Living Services, Inc. (ADL), and Everyday People Staffing, Inc. (EPS). MCI, ADL, and a fourth entity, Coordination Care, Inc. (CCI), were approved under the Pennsylvania Medicaid program to offer certain services to qualifying Medicaid recipients (“consumers”), including personal assistance services (PAS), service coordination, and non-medical transportation, among other services. EPS nominally performed back-office functions for MCI, ADL, and CCI.
Between January 2011 and the defendant’s departure from the entities in and around 2014, MCI, ADL, and CCI collectively received tens of millions of dollars in Medicaid payments based on claims submitted for home health services, with PAS payments accounting for the vast majority of the total amount. During that time, Adams admitted that she participated in a wide-ranging conspiracy to defraud the Pennsylvania Medicaid program for the purpose of obtaining millions of dollars in illegal Medicaid payments through the submission of fraudulent claims for services that were never provided to the consumers identified on the claims, or for which there was insufficient or fabricated documentation to support the claims.
As part of the conspiracy, Adams admitted that she fabricated timesheets to reflect the provision of in-home PAS care that, in fact, she never provided to the consumer identified on the timesheets. In one instance, Adams admitted submitting false timesheets claiming that she provided more than 80 hours of care in a single week to a consumer, while also working full-time as the nominal president of ADL. During a two-year period in which the same consumer lived with Adams, the defendant admitted taking steps to conceal their co-habitation and the fact that she served as the consumer’s power of attorney (both disqualifying circumstances) from the Medicaid program.
Likewise, Adams admitted that she paid kickbacks to at least one consumer—her spouse at the time—in exchange for his participation in the scheme. Specifically, Adams admitted that she and her father, co-defendant Tony Brown, used Brown’s name on time sheets for fabricated care of Adams’s then-spouse. At various times, Adams admitted that she, Tony Brown, and her spouse would meet at an MCI office on the day that Brown received payment for the fraudulent care so that the three individuals could divide the proceeds. In total, Adams acknowledged causing losses to the Pennsylvania Medicaid program in excess of $250,000 related to her spouse.
Adams also admitted that during the conspiracy, she caused the submission of Medicaid claims for PAS care that her friend, an MCI employee, purportedly provided to various consumers, without the friend’s knowledge and when in fact no such care had been provided to the consumers. During this time, Adams admitted that her friend was recovering from a serious injury and unable to work. Adams further misused her friend’s personally identifiable information to obtain and misappropriate the resulting salary payments. Finally, Adams admitted that during the course of audits of MCI, ADL, and CCI, she fabricated documentation for submission to state authorities in an effort to conceal the Medicaid fraud scheme. Among other things, Adams fabricated PAS timesheets, criminal history checks for attendants, child-abuse clearance forms for attendants, and certain consumer affidavits to ensure that files requested as part of the audits appeared complete.
To date, a total of sixteen defendants have been charged in connection with this investigation. Adams was the twelfth defendant to enter a guilty plea. The remaining defendants, including Tony Brown, are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Assistant United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan and Special Assistant United States Attorney Edward Song are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General – Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General, and United States Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation.
Pittsburgh Man Admits Guilt in California-to-Pennsylvania Marijuana Trafficking RingRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA- A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of conspiracy to distribute marijuana, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Christopher Shaner, age 26, pleaded guilty to one count before U.S. District Judge Marilyn J. Horan.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Shaner participated in conspiracy to distribute marijuana from 2017, and continuing thereafter to in and around May 2019, in the Western District of Pennsylvania and elsewhere. Shaner was part of a conspiracy in which individuals, many of whom were born in Jamaica, mailed kilograms of cocaine and marijuana from California to individuals in the Western District of Pennsylvania. Federal agents obtained Court authorization and intercepted the communications of members of the conspiracy, including Shaner and they also executed numerous search warrants.
Judge Horan scheduled sentencing for March 22, 2022, at 9:00 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of not more than five years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the Judge ordered the defendant shall remain on bond.
Assistant United States Attorneys Brendan T. Conway and Maureen Sheehan-Balchon are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
A federally administered Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) conducted the investigation leading to the prosecution of Shaner. The task force is headed by the Drug Enforcement Administration and is comprised of members drawn from the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Lawrence County Drug Task Force, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Borough of Baldwin Police Department, McKees Rocks Police Department, Munhall Police Department, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and the Pennsylvania State Police. In this case, the Lawrence County Drug Task Force and the New Castle Police Department also participated in the investigation.
OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Philadelphia Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Tax Fraud and Operating Fraudulent Debt Relief SchemeRead the Press Release
A Philadelphia man was sentenced today to seven years in prison for conspiring to defraud the IRS and assisting others in filing false income tax returns.
On July 16, Albert Upshur, aka Kelinde Jaha, and a co-conspirator, Yolonda Thompson, aka Qhama Al, were found guilty at a bench trial of one count each of conspiring to defraud the IRS and eight counts each of helping others to file false tax returns. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between 2009 and 2015, Upshur and Thompson attempted to obtain millions of dollars for themselves and other participants in a fraudulent debt relief scheme they referred to as the Debt Payoff Process. As part of the scheme, Thompson and Upshur formed the Yolonda Denise Thompson Living Trust (the Thompson Trust). Participants in the Debt Payoff Process were told that if they paid money to Upshur and filed tax returns and other documents Thompson prepared for them, they could access funds from the Thompson Trust to pay off their mortgages and other debts. In reality, the tax returns that Thompson prepared and participants filed with the IRS fraudulently claimed income tax refunds that the scheme participants were not entitled to receive. The false tax returns collectively sought fraudulent IRS refunds of more than $300 million.
The evidence at trial also established that after the IRS began to investigate the Debt Payoff Process, Upshur and Thompson attempted to obtain money from the IRS by other fraudulent means, including using checks drawn on closed bank accounts and trying to use financial instruments such as fictitious bonds. The defendants also continued to file false tax returns for themselves and others after the IRS assessed civil penalties against them and notified them that they were under criminal investigation.
In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Wendy Beetlestone ordered Upshur to serve one year of supervised release. Thompson is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 15, 2022.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement. He thanked U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, which provided support in the investigation and prosecution of this case.
IRS-Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Melissa S. Siskind and Kathryn D. Carpenter of the Justice Department’s Tax Division prosecuted the case.
Pendleton Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Assault with a Deadly Weapon, Distribution of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Pendleton, Oregon man was sentenced to federal prison today for shooting a family member with a semi-automatic pistol and distributing methamphetamine.
Royce Francis Speedis, 34, was sentenced to 77 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release.
According to court documents, in early March 2019, Speedis and co-defendant Lavella Ruth Thompson, 28, also of Pendleton, arranged to purchase methamphetamine on the Umatilla Indian Reservation. On March 7, 2019, three individuals drove to the reservation to meet and sell methamphetamine to Thompson. Thompson arrived in an SUV and tried to convince the three people to follow her to a second location to complete the sale. When they declined, Thompson returned to the SUV. Three men then exited the SUV with guns and opened fire into the sellers’ car. One passenger in the sellers’ car sustained non-life-threatening injuries after being struck in the back of the head.
The methamphetamine sellers provided conflicting accounts of Speedis’ involvement in the shooting. A ballistics analysis later linked a Ruger rifle recovered from Speedis’ family’s residence on the reservation to spent cartridge casings found at the shooting scene. However, no arrests were made following the shooting.
On April 17, 2019, Speedis and his sister engaged in an argument with their cousin on the reservation. When the cousin attempted to leave, Speedis pulled a black semi-automatic pistol from his waistband and fired a single round that traveled through his cousin’s right leg into his left leg.
On April 23, 2019, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a two-count indictment charging Speedis with assault with a deadly weapon and using a firearm in connection with a crime of violence. On August 19, 2020, Speedis was indicted a second time, along with Thompson, on one count each of conspiring with one another to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and interference with commerce by robbery.
One year later, on August 23, 2021, Speedis pleaded guilty to assault with a deadly weapon and conspiring to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
On September 7, 2021, Thompson pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge. She will be sentenced on December 10, 2021.
Acting U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug of the District of Oregon made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the Umatilla Tribal Police Department and the FBI. It was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
Pekin Man Sentenced to 151 Months in Prison for Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – A Pekin, Illinois, man, Daniel W. Dawe, 48, of the 1600 block of Crescent Drive has been sentenced to 12 years and 7 months in the Bureau of Prisons, to be followed by 8 years of supervised release for possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.
At the sentencing hearing, the government presented evidence that on or about November 5, 2019, Dawe was a passenger in a vehicle that was stopped for a traffic violation. Dawe was searched due to his status on parole, and officers located several individual baggies of suspected ice methamphetamine hidden on his person. A lab report later revealed the methamphetamine weighed 17.584 grams and was 100% pure. Dawe admitted he had been released from prison approximately six months prior in June 2019 and had purchased approximately eight ounces of ice methamphetamine in the time frame since his release. Dawe was on mandatory supervised release for the State of Illinois at the time of this offense.
Dawe pleaded guilty to the sole count of the indictment on June 25, 2021, pursuant to a written plea agreement.
Dawe faced enhanced statutory penalties for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute due to his prior 2012 conviction for robbery, a serious violent felony offense - specifically, a minimum of 10 years to life imprisonment, a minimum of eight years to life term of supervised release, and a maximum $8,000,000 fine.
Dawe has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals since his arrest November 5, 2019. The Drug Enforcement Administration and Pekin Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine G. Legge represented the government in the prosecution.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF)’s National Methamphetamine Strategic Initiative, spearheaded locally out of the Pekin Police Department. The primary goal of this initiative is to address methamphetamine trafficking and its attendant consequences by using a coordinated, multi-agency approach targeting the highest levels of drug trafficking leadership. 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.
Owner of local marketing business to pay quarter of a million dollars for committing COVID relief fraudRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Columbus woman was sentenced in federal court here today and ordered to pay a fine of $250,000, the maximum amount allowed by law, for committing COVID relief fraud. In addition to her fine, she was ordered to pay more than $128,000 in restitution.
Janet Jenison, 38, was convicted of three counts of wire fraud and one count of making a false statement on a Paycheck Protection Program loan application.
Jenison was charged by bill of information in May 2021 and pleaded guilty in July 2021.
According to court documents, Jenison submitted three fraudulent applications to obtain Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, created by the CARES Act, for Janet Minton Marketing, LLC, a business registered in her maiden name. The applications collectively sought $298,719.67 in fraudulent loans. Two of the applications were approved and a financial institution disbursed $160,247.
In support of the three applications, Jenison created false Fifth Third Bank account statements for her business for the period Feb. 8, 2020 to March 6, 2020. The bank statements showed debits for payroll, tax withholding and business expenses. The business account at Fifth Third Bank was not opened until April 27, 2020.
Jenison also submitted false tax documents. One document claimed she elected for her marketing business to be classified as a corporation and was dated Jan. 24, 2020, but the employer identification number on the form was not created until four months later. The defendant also made false claims about federal employment tax deposits.
Jenison was interviewed by law enforcement in March 2021 and she admitted to creating the false documents submitted in support of the applications.
As part of her sentence, Jenison was ordered to pay $128,783.04 in restitution and to serve five years of probation, including six months of home confinement.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Bryant Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office; and officials with the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration announced the sentence imposed today by Chief U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley. Assistant United States Attorney Peter K. Glenn-Applegate is representing the United States in this case.
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Orangeburg Brothers Sentenced on Federal Firearm Charges Related to ShootingRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina --- Acting United States Attorney M. Rhett DeHart announced today that brothers Abrian Dayquan Sabb, 26, of Orangeburg, and Darius Bernard Sabb, 23, of Georgetown, were sentenced today in federal court after pleading guilty to offenses related to making false statements to a federal firearms dealer during the purchase of a firearm. Abrian Sabb was sentenced to seven years in federal prison, and Darius Sabb was sentenced to three years probation.
Evidence presented to the court showed that on the morning of April 10, 2019, Abrian Sabb, while armed with a loaded AR-15 semi-automatic rifle with a high-capacity magazine, entered the emergency room of The Regional Medical Center in Orangeburg and began shooting in the hallway. A nurse was struck by a bullet to the chest, causing serious bodily injuries. Law enforcement responded and arrested Abrian Sabb at the scene, charging him with various state charges. Upon learning of the incident, Darius Sabb went to local law enforcement and advised that he had purchased the firearm for his brother.
The investigation revealed that the day before, April 9, 2019, Abrian Sabb had been involved in a domestic argument at his residence, which resulted in law enforcement responding and confiscating his handgun. Later that day, Abrian Sabb asked his brother, Darius Sabb, to go with him to a local firearms dealer to purchase him another firearm. Abrian Sabb provided his brother money and requested that he buy an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle with a 100-round magazine and two boxes of ammunition for him. Darius Sabb falsely filled out the ATF 4473 form attesting that he was the actual purchaser of the firearm and bought it.
Immediately upon leaving the firearms dealer’s store, Darius Sabb turned the items over to Abrian Sabb. Later that day, Abrian Sabb’s girlfriend called Darius Sabb and complained about him purchasing the firearm for Abrian Sabb as she indicated she was fearful. Darius Sabb then retrieved the rifle and hid it at another person’s home. However, the next morning, Abrian Sabb found out where the firearm was located, kicked in the front door of the residence, and retrieved the firearm. Later that morning, he and his girlfriend traveled to the medical center to seek help for his mental illness. At some point, he left the medical center, went to his vehicle, returned with the firearm, and began shooting.
United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Abrian Sabb to 84 months in federal prison, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. She sentenced Darius Sabb to three years’ probation with 180 days of home detention and GPS location monitoring. State court charges related to the shooting remain pending in Orangeburg County against Abrian Sabb, and he is innocent of those charges unless proven guilty.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office 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.
Assistant United States Attorney Stacey D. Haynes prosecuted the case.
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North Carolina Man Sentenced for Trafficking a Dozen Loaded Firearms into Rhode IslandRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A North Carolina man who was found in possession of a dozen loaded, high-powered firearms, night-vision goggles, a taser, and other like items during a traffic stop by Rhode Island State Police on Rte. 95 was sentenced today to eight years in federal prison, announced Acting United States Attorney Richard B. Myrus.
Anthony Mondrez Thompson, 43, pleaded guilty in federal court on November 6, 2020, to the charge of being a felon in possession of firearms.
According to court documents, during the stop, following a confrontation with a State Police trooper, Thompson attempted to flee on foot on Rte. 95 and was tasered. A search of his vehicle resulted in the seizure of a loaded Glock .40 caliber pistol from under the driver’s seat and a flashlight attachment and laser sight attachment for the Glock .40; eleven loaded firearms and ammunition clips were located in the rear of the vehicle; and a backpack located on the backseat containing camouflage-patterned clothing, a taser, a can of pepper spray, night vision goggles, a machete, handcuffs, and handgun holsters was also recovered.
“Day in and day out, law enforcement and federal prosecutors work closely to keep firearms out of the hands of criminals and off the streets of our neighborhoods,” noted Acting United States Attorney Richard B. Myrus. “This defendant traveled from North Carolina with an arsenal of loaded firearms, ammunition, and other weapons. Their seizure, and today’s federal sentence, are an unequivocal win for our communities and for the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods Program.”
“As always I am grateful for the vigilance and dedication of our Troopers, but am especially proud today as our Troopers were responsible for apprehending this dangerous individual and seizing a cache of weapons,” said James M. Manni, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police and Director of the Department of Public Safety. “I want to commend the rest of our law enforcement team for ensuring that this case was brought to a successful conclusion.”
An analysis of the firearms by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) determined that at least three of the firearms seized from Thompson had been reported stolen.
“Felons who possess firearms endanger our communities” said James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge ATF Boston Field Division “ATF will continue to partner with federal, state, and local agencies to keep firearms out of the wrong hands. As a convicted felon, this sentence ensures that our communities will be safer and sends a message that there are real and severe consequences for firearm offenses.”
Appearing today before U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., Thompson was sentenced to 96 months of incarceration to be followed by two years of federal supervised release.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The case was prosecuted in federal court by Assistant U.S. Attorney Milind M. Shah.
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New York City Man Going to Prison for Illegally Accessing Hundreds of Snapchat Accounts and Send Nude PhotosRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that David Mondore, 30, of New York, New York, who was convicted of accessing a protected computer without authorization and, by means of such conduct, furthering the intended fraud and obtaining anything of value, was sentenced to serve six months in prison by Senior U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles M. Kruly, who handled the case, stated that between July 2018 and August 2020, the defendant gained unauthorized access to, and control of, Snapchat accounts belonging to third parties. After doing so, Mondore often located nude “selfie” photos saved in the victims’ “My Eyes Only” folder, which the defendant then saved to his own phone. Mondore gained unauthorized access to Snapchat accounts belonging to 14 victims in the Western District of New York. The defendant admits that he gained unauthorized access to at least 300 Snapchat accounts belonging to victims both in the Western District of New York and elsewhere.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Stephen Belongia.
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New Jersey Woman Pays Fine for Interfering with Safe Operation of a VesselRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A New Jersey woman agreed to pay an $800 civil fine to resolve an allegation that she interfered with the safe operation of a commercial sightseeing vessel, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
According to the civil complaint, on July 15, 2021, Marybeth C. Greer, of Ridgewood, New Jersey, jumped off the M/V Acadian, as it was docking in Frenchman Bay, Bar Harbor. As a result, the vessel’s crew had to deploy a ladder to retrieve Greer and disengaged the vessel’s propeller to prevent injury to her.
Greer faced a fine of up to $25,000.
The Coast Guard Investigative Service investigated the case. Greer cooperated throughout the investigation.
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New Jersey Man Charged with Distribution of Controlled Substances Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on November 9, 2021, Daniel D. Wheeler, a/k/a “Danny Manhattan,” age 32, of Jersey City, New Jersey, was charged by a federal grand jury with drug distribution resulting in death and conspiring to do the same. The case was unsealed following Wheeler’s arrest on November 30, 2021.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that Wheeler conspired to knowingly and intentionally distributing controlled substances, including fentanyl and heroin, within the Middle District of Pennsylvania, resulting in the death of a person. The indictment further alleges that Wheeler aided and abetted by another, did distribute heroin and fentanyl on March 31, 2020, which led to the death of another.
The charges stem from a joint investigation involving the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Scranton, the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, the Pocono Mountain Regional Police Department, and the United States Marshals Service. Assistant United States Attorney James M. Buchanan is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin and fentanyl. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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.
In this case, the maximum penalty under the federal statute for drug distribution resulting in death is life imprisonment. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature 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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New Bedford Man Arrested on Child Exploitation ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A New Bedford man was arrested yesterday in connection with receiving and possessing child pornography.
Robert David Austin, 41, was charged with receipt and possession of child pornography. Following an initial appearance before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Jennifer C. Boal, Austin was detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for today at 3 p.m.
According to the charging documents, Austin engaged in a number of groups on a messenger application through which child pornography is disseminated. On Nov. 3, 2021, a search of Austin’s residence revealed child pornography on his cell phone. Further analysis of Austin’s phone identified the messaging application through which Austin engaged in the dissemination of child pornography.
The charge of receipt of child pornography provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell and Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Mackenzie Duane of Mendell’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should call 617-748-3274.
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/.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Miramar Man is Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for an On-Line Child Exploitation Scheme to Produce Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – A federal district judge in Fort Lauderdale has sentenced Andres Camilo Ruiz, 31, of Miramar, Florida, to 40 years in federal prison, followed by lifetime supervised release as a sexual offender, for production of child pornography, enticement of a minor, and possession and distribution of child pornography. Ruiz was also ordered to pay restitution to his victims.
Beginning in November of 2018 and continuing through May 14, 2019, Ruiz pretended to be a 12-year-old child named “June” on social media platforms where he met other children throughout the country and tricked and coerced them into creating sexually explicit videos. Ruiz would befriend these children on social media using web-based applications. While pretending to be a child himself, Ruiz would prey upon the unsuspecting child victims by sending them sexually explicit videos of other children and encouraging them to perform the same sexual conduct, record it and send it back to him. Ruiz exploited over 50 children. The youngest child who was coerced by Ruiz into making a sexually explicit video of herself was only nine years old. When Ruiz was arrested, law enforcement found an extensive collection of child pornography on his cell phone and in his cloud account: over 1100 images and videos including images of children engaged in sadomasochistic acts.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami, announced the sentence imposed by United States District Judge Roy K. Altman.
FBI Miami investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jodi L. Anton and Francis Viamontes prosecuted the case.
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 no. 19-cr-060223.
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Minnesota Man Sentenced for Bank FraudRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Moorhead, Minnesota, man convicted of Bank Fraud was sentenced on November 29, 2021, by U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann.
Richard L. Carpenter, a/k/a “Butch” Carpenter, age 68, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, $7,784,996 in restitution, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
An Information was filed on May 11, 2021. Carpenter pled guilty on June 21, 2021.
The conviction stemmed from incidents beginning in approximately 2008 and continuing through March 10, 2020, when Carpenter knowingly executed and attempted to execute a scheme and artifice to defraud a financial institution whose deposits were, at the time of the offense, insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
Carpenter began custom feeding cattle in the 1980s. In approximately 2008, Carpenter changed his operation from custom feeding to raising and feeding his own cattle in the rural Watertown, South Dakota, area.
Carpenter was a customer at First Premier Bank. On multiple occasions over the years, Carpenter provided false and fraudulent information about his income and assets to First Premier Bank in order to induce the bank to loan him money and give him a large line of credit. Carpenter falsely inflated his cattle sales and the number of cattle he had on hand. Carpenter also falsified his tax returns and provided those to the bank in support of his falsely inflated figures.
In approximately 2020, Carpenter also kited checks between his account at First Premier Bank and his account at Reliabank.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Watertown Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann M. Hoffman prosecuted the case.
Carpenter was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Middlesex County Woman Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for $1.7 Million Bank Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Middlesex County, New Jersey, woman was sentenced today to 72 months in prison for orchestrating a $1.7 million bank fraud scheme that involved writing fraudulent business checks, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Tammy L. Martinez, 49, of South Amboy, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi in Newark federal court to an information charging her with one count of bank fraud. Judge Cecchi imposed the sentence today by videoconference.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From January 2014 through March 2019, Martinez served as an office manager and bookkeeper for a New Jersey based company. Beginning in January 2014, Martinez used her position at the company to issue fraudulent checks made payable to herself or cash and forged the signature of her manager on the fraudulent company checks. Martinez converted the fraudulent company checks into cash at bank branches in New Jersey. The scheme allowed Martinez to embezzle hundreds of thousands of dollars every year for more than half a decade, resulting in approximately $1.78 million in losses.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Cecchi sentenced Martinez to five years of supervised release and ordered her to pay restitution of $1.78 million.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Thomas Mahoney in Newark, and the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Brian O’Hara, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamel Semper, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Organized Crimes and Gangs Unit.