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30 November 2021
Nampa Man Sentenced to 9 Years for Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
BOISE – A Nampa man was sentenced to 108 months in federal prison for possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.
According to court records, Patrick William Collingwood, 39, of Nampa, transported methamphetamine and cash between Mexico and Idaho for a period of approximately four months before his arrest on February 19, 2021. During Collingwood’s arrest, law enforcement officers searched his vehicle and found nearly 15 pounds of methamphetamine and 25 marijuana starter plants. Law enforcement officers also found tools commonly used by drug traffickers to repackage their controlled substances for sale such as a digital scale and empty plastic baggies.
Collingwood has several prior state convictions and currently has a trafficking in methamphetamine charge pending in Canyon County and a possession of a controlled substance charge pending in Ada County.
Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye ordered Collingwood to serve four years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael M. Gonzalez, Jr., of the District of Idaho made the announcement and applauded the efforts of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Ada County Sheriff’s Office, and the City County Narcotics Unit consisting of officers from the Caldwell Police Department and the Canyon County Sheriff’s office, which led to charges.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This case was prosecuted by the Special Assistant United States Attorney hired by the Ada County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office with funds provided by the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program. HIDTA is part of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988. It provides assistance to federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States. Idaho is part of the Oregon-Idaho HIDTA. The Idaho HIDTA is a collaboration of local, multi-jurisdictional law enforcement drug task forces, and prosecuting agencies dedicated to addressing regional drug trafficking organizations that operate in Ada, Canyon, Bannock, Kootenai, and Malheur Counties.
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Minneapolis Felon Sentenced to 70 Months in Prison for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Minneapolis man was sentenced today to 70 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for possessing a firearm as a felon.
According to court documents, on March 2, 2021, Minneapolis police officers, who had a warrant for Theoplus Richmond, 34, conducted a traffic stop on Richmond’s vehicle. Officers recovered from the vehicle a loaded Glock model 19, pistol from a bag in the trunk of the vehicle. The firearm had been converted from a semiautomatic pistol into a fully automatic firearm with a device commonly referred to as a “glock switch,” or an “auto-sear.”
On July 20, 2021, Richmond pleaded guilty to one count of possessing a firearm as a felon. Because he has prior felony convictions in Hennepin County and Washington County (Mississippi), Richmond is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.
Acting U.S. Attorney Charles J. Kovats made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Eric C. Tostrud sentenced the defendant.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Minneapolis Police Department.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Samantha H. Bates and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey S. Paulsen.
Minneapolis Felon Sentenced to 42 Months in Prison for his Role in Gas Station ShootingRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Minneapolis man was sentenced today to 42 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for possessing ammunition as a felon during a shooting at a Minneapolis gas station.
According to court documents, on August 5, 2019, Minneapolis police officers responded to a shots-fired call at a gas station near Lowry Avenue and Logan Avenue North in Minneapolis. Upon arrival, officers found 11 discharged cartridge casings on the street in front of the gas station. Video surveillance footage showed Cortez Lamon Shipp, 40, interacting with codefendant Johnnie Lamar Haynes, 33, outside the gas station following a prior confrontation Haynes had with two other men. Minutes later, the two other men involved in the confrontation circled the block in their vehicle and returned to the gas station. The footage showed Shipp pass an object to Haynes just before Haynes began shooting at the vehicle as it drove off. A nearby business was in the line of Haynes’s gunfire and was struck by multiple rounds. Surveillance video footage from the business captured the bullets entering the building, causing employees to duck and take shelter.
On January 8, 2020, Shipp pleaded guilty to one count of possessing ammunition as a felon. Because he has prior felony convictions in Hennepin County, Shipp is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time. On August 3, 2021, a federal jury convicted Haynes of possessing a firearm and ammunition as a felon. Haynes is scheduled to be sentenced on January 28, 2022.
Acting U.S. Attorney Charles J. Kovats made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Wilhelmina M. Wright sentenced the defendant.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Minneapolis Police Department.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Calhoun-Lopez.
Mexican Man Sentenced to 12 Months in Prison for Unlawful Reentry by a Removed AlienRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – A Mexican national was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison, followed by one year of supervised release, for unlawful reentry by a removed alien, announced U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca and Jason E. Schneider, Chief Patrol Agent of the Border Patrol’s New Orleans Sector.
According to court documents, Daniel Alvarado-Alvarado, 29, was stopped by a Jackson County Deputy Sheriff on Interstate 10 in Jackson County for a traffic violation. Alvarado-Alvarado had no driver’s license and a fraudulent Texas Identification Card. Immigration records checks determined that Alvarado-Alvarado had been convicted twice for driving under the influence and also for illegal entry into the United States. Alvarado-Alvarado had been removed from the United States on multiple occasions, and had not received official permission to reenter the U.S.
If Alvarado-Alvarado is removed again from the U.S. following his prison term, his supervised release period will be non-reporting while he remains outside of the United States. However, if he were removed and unlawfully returned, Alvarado-Alvarado could face separate, consecutive penalties in addition to further prosecution. Alvarado-Alvarado was convicted after pleading guilty on August 26, 2021, before Judge McNeel.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Border Patrol and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant United States Attorney Stan Harris prosecuted the case.
Maryland man admits to firearms chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Todd Dwayne Mills, Jr., of Hagerstown, Maryland, has admitted to a firearms charge, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II announced.
Mills, 23, pleaded guilty today to one count of “False Statement During Purchase of Firearms.” Mills admitted to made false statements on forms to purchase two 9mm pistols in March 2021 in Berkeley County.
Mills faces up to 10 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Maryland Woman Pleads Guilty to Theft of Government MoniesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Tashawn Spencer, of Maryland, pleaded guilty today to theft of government money.
According to court documents, Spencer is a former employee of the United States Department of Treasury Bureau of Fiscal Service in Parkersburg. Spencer admitted that she misused her government issued purchase cards to illegally convert over $1,000 of government monies for her own personal use and benefit.
Spencer faces up to 10 years in prison when she is sentenced on March 24, 2022.
United States Attorney William S. Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Treasury-Office of Inspector General (OIG).
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen Robeson is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-00180.
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Maple Heights Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit ArsonRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Bridget M. Brennan announced that Timothy Goodner, 20, of Maple Heights, Ohio, pleaded guilty in federal court today to conspiracy to commit arson during the May 30, 2020, demonstrations in downtown Cleveland.
According to court documents, on May 30, 2020, during ongoing demonstrations in downtown Cleveland, a small crowd gathered around the Shaia & PPR parking booth located on West 3rd Street. In this crowd, an unidentified individual is observed using a lighter to ignite a roll of paper towels and cardboard boxes in an attempt to set fire to the parking booth.
While members of the crowd waited for the paper towels and boxes to ignite, a second unidentified individual handed Defendant Timothy Goodner a cardboard box, which Goodner placed inside the booth. The first unidentified individual then inserted the burning paper towels and cardboard boxes inside the parking booth while Goodner and others stood nearby. Goodner then placed additional cardboard boxes inside the booth to accelerate the fire.
After the demonstrations, the Cleveland Division of Police released images and videos of suspects committing various criminal acts to the media. Goodner was identified via these images from numerous anonymous tips.
A sentencing date has not been set. A federal district court judge will determine a sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case was investigated by the ATF and the Cleveland Division of Police. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly L. Galvin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio would like to acknowledge and thank the Cleveland FBI, Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office and the Ohio State Highway Patrol for their assistance in this matter.
Manchester Woman Sentenced to 40 Months for Participating in Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CONCORD – Melissa Gazaway, 34, of Manchester, was sentenced to 40 months for conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, fentanyl and crack cocaine, Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in the spring of 2020, investigators received information from confidential sources that Gazaway and her co-defendants, Jovan and Chrystal Callaghan, were selling crack cocaine and fentanyl from their residence in Manchester. Law enforcement officers learned that Gazaway and Chrystal Callaghan would travel to New York to purchase crack cocaine. On three separate occasions, officers conducted lawful traffic stops of their vehicle returning from New York and seized over 300 grams of crack cocaine. In late 2020, confidential sources conducted six controlled purchases of fentanyl and crack cocaine from the three co-defendants.
On December 24, 2020, investigators executed a search warrant at the residence and seized over one kilogram of fentanyl and a firearm, along with large amounts of cash and drug use and packaging materials.
Chrystal Callaghan was sentenced on July 28, 2021, to 54 months. Jovan Callaghan was sentenced on September 21, 2021, to 60 months.
Gazaway previously pleaded guilty on April 20, 2021.
“This case is another example of our ongoing efforts to prosecute drug dealers in Manchester,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley. “Those who seek to profit by selling dangerous drugs like fentanyl and crack cocaine are endangering lives in our community. To protect public safety, we are working closely with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute the drug dealers who threaten the quality of life in Manchester and other communities in the Granite State.”
“This case serves as another example of how frequently the Manchester Police Department is locating illegal drugs in the company of firearms. This is a dangerous combination and will not be tolerated within the City of Manchester,” says Manchester Police Chief Allen Aldenberg. “The Manchester Police Department will continue to seek federal charges for this type of behavior. We are thankful for the excellent relationship this agency has with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and their continued commitment to these cases.”
This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the New Hampshire State Police, the Manchester Police Department, and the Nashua Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Georgiana L. MacDonald and Jennifer Cole Davis.
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Manchester Man Pleads Guilty to Five Robberies in Manchester and GoffstownRead the Press Release
CONCORD - Jonathan McKnight, 39, of Manchester, pleaded guilty on Monday in federal court to interference with commerce by threats and violence by committing five robberies, Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 25, 2020, McKnight robbed a convenience store in Manchester. He passed a note to the clerk indicating he had a gun and that he wanted all the money. On March 28, 2020, McKnight robbed another convenience store in Manchester. He passed a note to the clerk ordering the clerk to give him the money. He further gestured toward his back waistband while lifting up his sweatshirt. An officer who reviewed the store video footage recognized McKnight as the person in the video. On March 30, 2020, Manchester police officers conducted a post-arrest interview with McKnight. He admitted to committing both robberies and passing the same note at each robbery. While acknowledging the had claimed to have a gun during the robberies, but he stated he did not possess a gun during the robberies.
On July 7, 2020, Manchester police officers responded to another robbery. The cashier gave the officers a description and told them that the robber had placed a note on the counter. The cashier gave him approximately $100-$150 from the drawer, mostly $1.00 bills. After reviewing the video footage, officers located McKnight wearing the same clothing worn by the robber. He had approximately $60, including approximately 25 $1.00 bills.
On March 7, 2021, and March 10, 2021, McKnight committed additional robberies at two separate locations in Goffstown. Investigators received a tip that McKnight committed both robberies and McKnight later admitted that he committed both robberies.
McKnight is scheduled to be sentenced on March 7, 2021.
“Robberies are violent crimes that can cause harm to victims and spread fear in communities,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley. “To protect the public from violent crime, we are working closely with all our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute criminals like Mr. McKnight who threaten the community. Thanks to these joint efforts, McKnight’s robbery spree has been stopped and he has been held accountable for his unlawful actions.”
“Today Jonathan McKnight confessed to a string of convenience store robberies in which he threatened a firearm and terrorized innocent bystanders just to get his hands on some quick cash. Had he not been identified and arrested by investigators, there’s a good chance he’d still be at it,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “The FBI and our partners at the Manchester Police Department are committed to taking violent criminals off the street to keep them from victimizing anyone else.”
These matters were investigated by the Manchester Police Department and Goffstown Police Department with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra Walsh.
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Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession of Nearly One-Half Pound of MethRead the Press Release
A man who possessed with intent to distribute nearly a half-pound of pure methamphetamine was sentenced November 23, 2021, in federal court in Sioux City.
On June 22, 2021, David Naberhaus, 57, from Deloit, Iowa, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Previously, in 2000, Naberhaus was convicted in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Evidence at the hearings showed that on November 18, 2020, Naberhaus was stopped by law enforcement for traffic violations in Woodbury County, Iowa. Due to Naberhaus’ nervous behavior, a K-9 was deployed and indicated the presence of controlled substances from within the car. Law enforcement searched the car and discovered approximately 222 grams of pure methamphetamine in 5 separate baggies, 12 grams of marijuana, 3 grams of cocaine, and $6,501. After Naberhaus was federally charged, a warrant for his arrest was issued. On February 15, 2021, while on routine patrol, Iowa State Patrol noticed a disabled vehicle registered to Naberhaus on the shoulder of Highway 20 with Naberhaus present. After arrest for the federal warrant, a search of Naberhaus’ car revealed 2.34 grams of methamphetamine in an open cigarette package, a smoking pipe, 3 bags of marijuana (total of approximately 23.95 grams), 4 bags of additional methamphetamine (total of approximately 16.68 grams of methamphetamine) and 72 empty Ziplock bags.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Naberhaus was sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment and must serve a term of five years of supervised release following imprisonment. Naberhaus remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by Ida County Sheriff’s Department, Sioux City Police Department, Woodbury County Sheriff’s Department, and Iowa DCI Laboratory.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21-4010.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Man Sentenced for Obstruction of Justice and Violations of Federal Firearms and Narcotics LawsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Duane A. Evans announced that KENDALL BARNES, age 25, of New Orleans, was sentenced for being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2); possession with the intent to distribute heroin, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C); possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i); and obstruction of justice, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1503(1) and 2.
According to court documents, on or about February 19, 2018, BARNES placed a recorded jail call directing another individual to move a firearm and ten bags of heroin from a hidden location.
U.S. District Judge Greg. G. Guidry sentenced BARNES to serve eleven (11) years and nine (9) months in prison, to be followed by three (3) years of supervised release. Judge Guidry also imposed a $400 mandatory special assessment fee.
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.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation New Orleans Violent Crimes Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the New Orleans Police Department in this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Maria M. Carboni is in charge of the prosecution.
Malden Woman Pleads Guilty to Drug and Firearms ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Malden woman pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston in connection with a drug and firearms conspiracy that included multiple shootings in Chelsea, Somerville and Cambridge.
Christina Bernbaum, a/k/a “Tina,” 23, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine base and one count of conspiracy to possess, use and carry firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for April 6, 2022. Bernbaum was originally charged along with co-conspirator Jaiir Coleman on April 7, 2021.
Bernbaum participated in a long-running conspiracy to manufacture, distribute and possess controlled substances, including in large quantities in Massachusetts and in Maine, including on Coleman’s behalf during his incarceration. The conspiracy involved the procurement and possession of firearms, some of which were used in several shootings from November 2019 through July 2020. In addition, at least one of the firearms used in these shootings was equipped with an auto-sear attachment rendering it an automatic weapon, commonly known as a machine gun.
The charge of conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 28 grams of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine base provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years and up to life of supervised release, a fine of up to $5 million and forfeiture. The charge of conspiring to possess, use and carry firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense provides for a sentence of up to life in prison because a machine gun was involved, up to five years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000 and forfeiture. 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 Field Division; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Roy E. McKinney, Director of the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency; Somerville Acting Police Chief Charles Femino; Chelsea Police Chief Brian Kyes; Lynn Police Chief Christopher Reddy; Cambridge Police Commissioner Christine Elow; Salem Police Chief Lucas Miller; Everett Police Chief Steven A. Mazzie; Malden Police Chief Kevin Molis; and Revere Police Chief David J. Callahan made the announcement today. Assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine; the Middlesex County and Suffolk County District Attorney’s Offices; the Suffolk County and Essex County Sheriff’s Departments; and the Boston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Philip A. Mallard and Sarah Hoefle of Mendell’s Organized Crime and Gang Unit are prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Macon Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Sexually Exploiting Children He Met OnlineRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A Macon resident convicted of child sexual exploitation for coercing multiple juveniles to send him sexually explicit and pornographic images and videos of themselves was sentenced to serve 18 years in prison for his crimes.
Deon M. Moore, 37, of Macon, was sentenced to serve 216 months in prison to be followed by life on supervised release by U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell today after he previously pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a child. In addition, Moore was ordered to pay restitution to one of the victims in the amount of $2,000 and he will have to register as a sex offender for life upon his release from federal prison. There is no parole.
“Deon Moore initiated conversation threads with more than 1,300 Facebook users in an aggressive effort that ultimately led to the sexual exploitation of minors as young as 10-years-old,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “This office and our law enforcement partners will continue to do everything in our power to protect young people from child predators by tracking them down and holding them accountable for their crimes.”
“Moore thought he could hide behind a computer to con and exploit underage girls, but that will not stop the FBI and our partners from pursuing and putting away child predators like him,” said Alex Santiago, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Online predators are unfortunately all too common, and we want to remind the public to be vigilant about who they are interacting with online and encourage children to use privacy settings that restrict access to their online profiles.”
According to court documents, the investigation was begun by the Fairborn, Ohio, Police Department (FOPD) on May 21, 2017, after the agency was contacted by the mother of a 12-year-old female victim, who had been communicating with Moore on Facebook and by text messages. Moore sent nude photos and requested to meet with the victim. Investigators discovered that Moore had changed his Facebook name to “Nathaniel Ellis,” and that he had numerous Facebook friends who appeared to be teenage females. The FBI and FOPD detectives determined that Moore used Facebook to find victims, using the false identities of Sharod King, Nathaniel Ellis, Jazmine Ellis and Sharde Carter. He sometimes represented himself to be a female and between the ages of teens to 30s, depending on the targeted victim. Moore was seeking young, black female girls, and Facebook transcripts indicate that he would ask them their ages. His victims ranged in age from 10 to 16, and he knew they were minors. Moore’s victims were from multiple states, and he would discuss sex in explicit terms with his victims and would request that they send him nude pictures of their breasts and genitalia. To coerce and induce victims to send sexually explicit pictures and videos of themselves, Moore would send them explicit pictures and videos.
Investigators discovered that a 10-year-old girl in the fourth grade began communicating with Moore on Facebook in May 2018. Moore represented himself to be a 14-year-old female living in Atlanta, and sent fictitious photos of himself, posing as female. He asked the 10-year-old victim to send pictures, which she did. Moore then asked the child victim for an explicit video, and he sent her a video to demonstrate what he was looking for her to send. The 10-year-old victim then sent him three explicit videos of herself.
During the time and scope of this investigation, Moore began conversation threads with a total of 1,306 individuals on Facebook, engaging 80 people in sustained conversations, 30 of which were juveniles. Four of these juveniles sent child pornography to Moore, and others sent explicit photographs of themselves, such as pictures of their breasts. Almost all of these victims received explicit sexual material from Moore, which he sent to induce, coerce and “educate” them.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. 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 case was investigated by the FBI and the Fairborn, Ohio, Police Department (FOPD).
Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul McCommon prosecuted the case.
Louisiana Marketer Sentenced in More Than $180 Million Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Louisiana marketer was sentenced today to 30 months in prison in the Southern District of Mississippi for his role in a multimillion-dollar scheme to defraud TRICARE and private insurance companies by paying kickbacks to distributors for the referral of medically unnecessary prescriptions. TRICARE is the health care program for uniformed service members, retirees and their families. The conduct resulted in more than $180 million in fraudulent billings, including more than $50 million paid by federal health care programs.
According to court documents, Thomas “Tommy” Wilburn Shoemaker, 57, of Rayville, participated in a scheme to defraud TRICARE and other health care benefit programs by acting as a marketer for a network of pharmacies owned and operated by co-conspirators Mitchell “Chad” Barrett and David Jason Rutland. Shoemaker worked with the pharmacies to use his TRICARE insurance to adjust prescription formulas to ensure the highest reimbursement without regard to efficacy, and he recruited doctors to procure prescriptions for high margin compounded medications. Shoemaker also obtained numerous fraudulent prescriptions using the personal information of military acquaintances.
Shoemaker pleaded guilty on Aug. 12 to conspiracy to defraud the United States and solicit, receive, offer, and pay illegal kickbacks. In addition to the term of imprisonment, Shoemaker was ordered to pay restitution and forfeit all assets traced to his ill-gotten gains.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca for the Southern District of Mississippi; Acting Assistant Director Jay Greenberg of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; and Special Agent in Charge Cyndy Bruce of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DoD OIG-DCIS) Southeast Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Jackson Field Office and DoD OIG-DCIS are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Emily Cohen and Alejandra Arias of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathlyn Van Buskirk of the Southern District of Mississippi are prosecuting the case with assistance from Sara Porter and Dustin Davis from the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.
Leader of prolific fentanyl trafficking ring sentenced to 20 years in prisonRead the Press Release
Seattle – Three men who were convicted at trial in August 2021, of multiple federal felonies for distributing fentanyl pills in Snohomish, Skagit, and Whatcom Counties, were sentenced to lengthy prison terms, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. The leader of the drug ring, Bradley Woolard, 42, of Arlington, was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for his conviction on 28 counts involving conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, conspiracy to commit money laundering, money laundering, illegal gun possession, and possessing drugs with the intent to distribute them. Last week, co-defendants, Anthony Pelayo, 34, of Marysville, was sentenced to 15 years in prison, and a $150,000 fine and Jerome Isham, 40, of Everett, was sentenced to 10 years in prison. U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour also sentenced all three men to 5 years of supervised release following their prison terms.
“Mr. Woolard ignored the destruction his drug trafficking caused in our community, instead being driven by the enormous profits he could generate off the addiction and misery of others,” said U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. “Even after his arrest he tried to impose his will, threatening violence against others in the case, and acting as if he is above the law.”
“This complex investigation, which involved aspects of the mysterious dark web, is an example of the innovation and cooperative law enforcement effort necessary to effectively reduce violent crime and overdoses in our cities,” said Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent-in-Charge DEA Seattle Field Division. “This new digital age of trafficking fake pills, potentially laced with fentanyl, signals a renewed sense of urgency and analytical approach to bring to bear all the resources of government and community to tackle the scourge of drug trafficking and gun violence.”
According to testimony and exhibits during trial, the case began in the summer of 2018, when law enforcement officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Snohomish Regional Drug and Gang Task Force obtained multiple court-authorized search warrants for Woolard’s home. On July 28, 2018, they found more than 12,000 fentanyl pills designed to look like 30 mg oxycodone prescription narcotic. The pills ultimately tested positive for furanyl fentanyl, an analogue of fentanyl and a controlled substance.
The pills were pale blue in color and had “M” printed on one side and “30” on the other side. Over the course of multiple searches, law enforcement seized more than $1 million in cash and gold from Woolard’s five-acre compound, including cash hidden behind drywall, in the ceilings of outbuildings, and in a hole beneath a dishwasher. Investigators also discovered a hidden room containing 29 firearms ranging from handguns to assault rifles, including four firearm silencers and several thousand rounds of ammunition.
Testimony at trial revealed that in 2015 and 2016, Woolard began buying fentanyl and furanyl fentanyl powder from China after researching how to do so on the Dark Web. He bought a pill press and mixing materials from websites such as Amazon and eBay, and taught himself how to make homemade pills. Testimony at trial established that Woolard’s pill making operation was capable of producing more than 2.5 million pills containing fentanyl and furanyl fentanyl, and that he regularly provided thousands of pills to other conspirators for distribution. In 2017, Woolard turned the pill press operation over to Pelayo, who continued the manufacturing at a rural compound in Snohomish County. Woolard retained the role of ordering the fentanyl from China and continued to help Pelayo make and distribute the pills. Woolard continued to distribute the pills while seeking treatment for his own drug addictions at spa-like resorts in Costa Rica and Mexico, which cost him between $30,000 and $50,000 per month, which he paid for with the profits of his illicit pill operation.
Woolard was ordered to pay a $250,000 fine and will be on 5 years of supervised release following his prison term.
Jerome Isham was one of the conspiracy’s top distributors. Evidence at trial established that he was responsible for re-distributing close to 100,000 illegal fentanyl and furanyl fentanyl pills over a one-year period between July 2017, and June 2018. Isham also recruited people to receive the shipments of powdered fentanyl and furanyl fentanyl from China. Woolard and Pelayo paid for the drugs by recruiting co-conspirators to wire money to China or by paying with bitcoin.
Pelayo was also convicted of two money laundering conspiracies and multiple counts of money laundering, including using $100,000 of his cash drug proceeds to purchase a luxury RV. He was also convicted of possessing a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking. Woolard was convicted of being a drug user and drug addict in possession of firearms. Isham was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) with assistance from U.S Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), the Snohomish Regional Drug and Gang Task Force (SRDGTF) and the Whatcom County Drug and Gang Task Force.
A total of eleven defendants were charged in this case. Eight pleaded guilty. All but two of the defendants have now been sentenced.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Karyn Johnson and Mike Lang.
Leader of Philadelphia to Pittsburgh Drug Pipeline Sentenced to 13 Years’ ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of suburban Pittsburgh has been sentenced in federal court tom 13 years’ (156 months’) imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release on his conviction for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
United States District Judge William S. Stickman, IV imposed the sentence on Trevon Kendrick, 28, of Penn Hills, Pennsylvania.
According to information presented to the court, in 2018, the Federal Bureau of Investigation began investigating a heroin trafficking organization led by Kendrick that operated throughout the greater Pittsburgh area. Beginning in February of 2019 and continuing through September of 2019, the FBI received authorization to conduct a Title III wiretap investigation into the organization. Kendrick, as the leader of this multi-member drug trafficking organization, was intercepted orchestrating and directing the movement of heroin from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh for distribution throughout Pittsburgh by various members of the organization. In addition to the intercepted communications, agents seized heroin, firearms, and bulk United States Currency from members of the organization, including Kendrick. Judge Stickman referenced the seriousness of the offense as well as Kendrick’s criminal history.
Assistant United States Attorney Mark V. Gurzo prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Chung commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Allegheny County Police Department, the Stowe Township Police Department, the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, the Office of the Attorney General, the Allegheny County Sheriff's Office, the North Versailles Police Department, the Allegheny County Port Authority Police Department, the Munhall Police Department, and the Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Kendrick.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) 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.
Kwong Yau Lam Sentenced for Selling Illegal Products Claiming to Protect Against VirusesRead the Press Release
Hagatña, Guam - SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that defendant Kwong Yau Lam, age 67, a citizen of Hong Kong and U.S. permanent resident of Guam, was sentenced in the U.S. District Court of Guam to one year probation for Distribution and Sale of Unregistered Pesticide, in violation of 7 U.S.C. §§ 136j(a)(1)(A) and 136l(b)(1)(B), and Conspiracy to Distribute and Sell Unregistered Pesticide, in violation of l8 U.S.C. § 371. The Court also ordered a mandatory $150.00 special assessment fee.
Beginning in March 2020, Kwong Yau Lam sold products marketed as “Virus Shut Out Cards” that were not registered and authorized by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Upon hanging a card from a lanyard, it purportedly protected the consumer from viruses. On the contrary, it offered no proven protection from viruses, including COVID-19.
Lam sold 100 Virus Shut Out Cards to three merchants in Guam and told them that the product protected people from viruses. Lam ordered three more boxes containing 900 pieces from his relative in Hong Kong. U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Honolulu, Hawaii, seized two boxes from that order. After the seizure, agents with Homeland Security Investigations interviewed Lam. He told the agents that he did not get approval from any government agency to import the Virus Shut Out Cards from Hong Kong, and that he had not sold any cards in Guam. Lam lied when he made this statement because evidence showed that he sold the cards to merchants.
“This case is another shocking example of a false claim made to consumers during the initial stages of the pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Anderson. “The defendant preyed upon consumers who were justifiably concerned for their personal health and safety due to COVID-19. This was made worse by the potential harmful effects of the product itself.”
“Public safety is a top priority for Homeland Security Investigations,” said Special Agent in Charge John F. Tobon. “We will continue to pursue those who rob and hurt the people in our communities and make sure they are held accountable for exploiting a pandemic for profit.”
“Unregistered pesticide products that make fraudulent COVID-19 protection claims pose serious public health dangers,” said Special Agent in Charge Scot Adair of EPA’s criminal enforcement
program in Guam. “Today’s sentencing demonstrates that EPA and our law enforcement partners are committed to protecting the American people from harmful products.”
Under Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), the EPA regulates the production, sale, distribution and use of pesticides in the United States. A pesticide is any substance intended for preventing, destroying, repelling, or mitigating any pest, which includes viruses. Pesticides must be registered with the EPA. Toamit Virus Shut Out was not registered, and it is illegal to distribute or sell unregistered pesticides. Lam imported the pesticide from China and later sold it to individuals in Guam.
The EPA has taken steps to block the importation and sale of Toamit Virus Shut Out in the United States: EPA Administrator Wheeler Talks with Retailers and Third-Party Marketplace Platforms to Discuss Steps to Protect American Consumers from Fraudulent Coronavirus Disinfectant Claims and U.S. EPA Acts to Protect the Public from Unregistered “Virus Shut Out” Product Imported into Honolulu and Guam.
This case was a joint investigation led by U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations in conjunction with U.S. Customs & Border Protection, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Guam Customs & Quarantine Agency, and the Guam Environmental Protection Agency. The prosecution of this case was handled by Marivic P. David, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Guam.
Anyone with general information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Kanawha County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Marmet man pleaded guilty today to a federal gun crime.
According to statements made in court, Kevin Maurice Crider, 52, of Marmet, possessed a .45 caliber handgun on June 8, 2020. Crider admitted that he knew he was prohibited from possessing the firearm as a result of his previous felony conviction in Kanawha County Circuit Court for attempted prescription fraud.
Crider pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and faces up to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced on March 17, 2022.
United States Attorney William S. Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Marmet Police Department.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Blackwell 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. 2:21-cr-00125.
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KC Man Sentenced to 17 Years for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for soliciting images and videos of child pornography from several child victims and others online.
Charles Ray Sheppard, 33, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to 17 years and six months in federal prison without parole.
On July 8, 2021, Sheppard pleaded guilty to one count of receiving child pornography over the internet and one count of possessing child pornography.
Sheppard admitted that he engaged in sexual contact with a 5-or-6-year-old child victim when he was 18 or 19 years old, then reconnected with the child victim through the Facebook Messenger application in 2017, when the child victim was 13 years old. Sheppard and the child victim exchanged pornographic photos during their online conversations.
Investigators seized two cell phones from Sheppard, one of which also contained several conversations between Sheppard and another Kik user in which Sheppard requested and received images and videos of child pornography of unknown minor children. Investigators discovered 38 photos and two videos of child pornography within the cell phone’s Kik communications.
Sheppard also sent multiple nude images of himself to a 14-year-old child victim. Sheppard also admitted that he performed live sexual acts with a 13-year-old child victim on the Kik application.
When Sheppard was arrested on June 9, 2020, he possessed a third cell phone that contained child pornography.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Luna. It was investigated by the FBI.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Judge sentences former Southwest Airlines employee for stealing firearmsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Mark Hunter of St. Louis, Missouri, appeared before United States District Court Judge Stephen R. Clark on today’s date and was sentenced to six months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. Hunter previously pleaded guilty for knowingly possessing or receiving one or more firearms that he knew to be stolen.
Pursuant to the plea agreement, on September 25, 2020, the Manchester Police Department seized a pistol that had been reported stolen. A passenger of Southwest Airlines, who was traveling through St. Louis Lambert Airport previously reported that the firearm was stolen out of his luggage.
Subsequently, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Transportation Security Administration (TSA) initiated an investigation and identified seven reported thefts of firearms from luggage checked on Southwest Airlines flights that had traveled through Lambert Airport between March 28, 2020 to August 22, 2020.
During the investigation, which included reviews of scheduling records of Southwest Airline baggage employees and the dates of the thefts of the firearms, Hunter, a baggage employee for Southwest Airlines, became the target of the investigation. Records indicated that Hunter was working and had access to baggage from which other guns had been reported stolen. Hunter was approached by agents and admitted to the theft of five firearms from checked luggage he handled in his capacity as a Southwest Airlines baggage handler at St. Louis Lambert Airport.
This case was investigated by the Manchester Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Transportation Security Administration.
International Hacking Group Members Sentenced for SIM Hijacking Conspiracy That Resulted in the Theft of Millions in CryptocurrencyRead the Press Release
DETROIT - A sixth member of an international hacking group known to its members as “The Community” was sentenced yesterday in connection with a multi-million-dollar Sim Hijacking conspiracy, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Saima Mohsin for the Eastern District of Michigan. This was the final defendant to be sentenced in the case, which was indicted in 2019.
U.S. Attorney Mohsin was joined in the announcement by Acting Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit who oversees field offices in Michigan and Ohio.
Sentenced before United States District Judge Denise Page Hood was Garrett Endicott, 22, of Warrensburg Missouri. Endicott, who pleaded guilty, was sentenced to 10 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $121,549.37.
“SIM Hijacking” or “SIM Swapping” is an identity theft technique that exploits a common cyber-security weakness—mobile phone numbers. This tactic enabled The Community to gain control of victims’ mobile phone number, resulting in the victims’ phone calls and short message service (SMS) messages being routed to devices controlled by The Community. SIM Hijacking was often facilitated by bribing an employee of a mobile phone provider. Other times, SIM Hijacking was accomplished by a member of The Community contacting a mobile phone provider’s customer service—posing as the victim—and requesting that the victim’s phone number be swapped to a SIM card (and thus a mobile device) controlled by The Community.
Members of The Community engaged in Sim Hijacking to steal cryptocurrency from victims across the country, including California, Missouri, Michigan, Utah, Texas, New York and Illinois. Cryptocurrencies, also known as virtual currencies or digital currencies, are online media of exchange. The most famous of these is Bitcoin. Like traditional currency, they act as a store of value and can be exchanged for goods and services. They can also be exchanged for dollars.
Once “The Community” had control of a victim’s phone number, the phone number was leveraged as a gateway to gain control of online accounts such as a victim’s email, cloud storage, and—ultimately—cryptocurrency exchange accounts. The Community would use their control of victims’ phone numbers to reset passwords on online accounts and/or request two-factor authentication (2FA) codes that allowed them to bypass security measures.
In total, The Community’s scheme resulted the theft of tens of millions of dollars’ worth of cryptocurrency. Individual victims lost cryptocurrency valued, at the time of theft, ranging from under $2,000 to over $5 million. The sentenced defendants were involved in total thefts ranging from approximately $50,000 to over $9 million.
The following defendants have been previously sentenced in the Eastern District of Michigan, all after pleading guilty:
Ricky Handschumacher, 28, of Pasco Country, Florida, was sentenced to 48 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $7,681,570.03.
Colton Jurisic, 22, of Dubuque, Iowa was sentenced to 42 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $9,517,129.29.
Reyad Gafar Abbas, 22, of Charleston, South Carolina, was sentenced to 24 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $310,791.90
Two defendants charged in the indictment were previously sentenced in other courts. Conor Freeman, 22, of Dublin, Ireland, pleaded guilty to parallel charges in Ireland and was sentenced to three years in prison by an Irish court. Ryan Stevenson, 29, of West Haven, Connecticut, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to probation in the District of Connecticut. Both of these defendants were also ordered to pay restitution.
“The actions of these defendants resulted in the loss of millions of dollars to the victims, some of whom lost their entire retirement savings,” said Acting US Attorney Mohsin. “This case should serve as a reminder to all of us to protect our personal and financial information from those who seek to steal it.”
“The illegal activities of The Community were thwarted as the result of a complex international cryptocurrency and identity theft investigation,” said HSI Detroit Acting Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris. “As criminal organizations commonly use web-based schemes to further their illicit activities, this demonstrates how vulnerable our personal information can be, and the damage that can ensue when our information falls into the wrong hands.”
This case was investigated by HSI special agents with the assistance of Irish law enforcement authorities. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Wyse, assisted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shankar Ramamurthy and Michael El-Zein as well as attorneys from the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and Irish law enforcement officials. Special thanks are due to Assistant U.S. Attorneys and federal agents across the country that provided assistance with arrests and searches conducted on May 9, 2019.
Fugitive Sex Offender Found in Washington, NC Sentenced for Failing to RegisterRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A New Jersey man who was on the run for almost two years was sentenced today to 37 months in prison for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.
According to court documents, Gregory Dennis Dayton, 49, was charged with one count of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2250. Dayton pled guilty on August 30, 2021.
In 1998, Dayton was convicted of Endangering the Welfare of a Child in New Jersey after impregnating a minor. Dayton’s sentence included a lifetime requirement to register as a sex offender. Dayton has a lengthy criminal history with numerous prior felony convictions, including two prior convictions for Failing to Register as a Sex Offender. Dayton last registered in New Jersey in September 2018 and fled the area sometime after, resulting in a May 2019 arrest warrant. The U.S. Marshals Service (“USMS”) Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force (CRFTF) received the case on November 16, 2020 and apprehended Dayton the next day, in Washington, NC, where Dayton was living with a girlfriend and her minor daughter. In open court, the government explained that, while in custody, Dayton admitted that, if released, he could not return to the residence because of the minor daughter. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, New Jersey declined to extradite Dayton and, as a result, he was released and went right back to living with his girlfriend and the minor daughter while continuing to ignore his requirement to register as a sex offender. Dayton was arrested on the federal charges in April 2021.
Michael F. Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The U.S. Marshals Service, Eastern District of North Carolina, Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Stephany prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:21-CR-00025-D.
Frankfort Man Sentenced to 240 Months for Child Pornography, Firearm, and Explosive OffensesRead the Press Release
FRANKFORT, Ky.— A Frankfort man, Joshua James Moore, 45, was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison on Monday, by U.S. District Judge Gregory VanTatenhove, after pleading guilty to knowingly receiving a visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct and being a felon in possession of firearm and explosive devices.
According to Moore’s plea agreement, he admitted to knowingly receiving a visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct, through his computer. Specifically, Moore used the Internet to search and download as many as 15 videos and 20 pictures of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Additionally, following at least two convictions for crimes punishable by imprisonment for more than one year, Moore was in possession of three firearms, including a sawed-off shotgun, and two explosive pipe bombs. Moore admitted that he knew he was a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Moore has two prior convictions, a conviction of cultivation of five or more marijuana plants, in January 2018, and a conviction for possession of methamphetamine in January 2018.
Moore pleaded guilty in May 2021.
Under federal law, Moore must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for life.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Office; Daniel Cameron, Kentucky Attorney General, and Sheriff Chris Quire, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office; and Lawrence Weathers, Chief of the Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by ATF, the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office, Franklin County Sheriff’s Department, and the Lexington Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Roth and Special Assistant United States Attorney James Chapman.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Former Phoenixville-Area School District Official Charged with Embezzling $90K in District FundsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Christopher Gehris, 46, of Phoenixville, PA, was charged by Information with one count of embezzlement from a program receiving federal funds.
According to the Information, from November 2013 until July 2019, the defendant was the Director of Finance/Business Manager of the Phoenixville Area School District (PASD). The Information alleges that Gehris misappropriated funds from PASD bank accounts, directed unauthorized payments to himself, made false entries, and fabricated receipts, all in order to embezzle more than $90,000 in school funds earmarked for student sporting events, field trips, summer programs and other school events. For the years during the charged conduct, the PASD received federal funds for school programming.
“The defendant allegedly stole nearly $100,000 from a public school district, money which was specifically allocated for student activities meant to enhance their educational experience,” said U. S. Attorney Williams. “Criminals that embezzle public money from schools are ripping off hundreds of students while also ripping off all taxpayers who fund them.”
"The FBI is committed to bringing justice to those, like Gehris, who dare to steal from programs funded with tax payer dollars," said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Philadelphia Division. "In exploiting the trust the Phoenixville Area School District placed in him, Gehris stole from children and deprived them of meaningful educational experiences. The FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect government-funded programs and investigate those who engage in similar greed-based schemes."
"Thank you to the United States Attorney’s Office for bringing these charges against Christopher Gehris and holding him accountable for stealing from the coffers of the Phoenixville School District, students, parents, and taxpayers," said Chester County District Attorney Deb Ryan. "It is a clear violation of trust for a school leader to take advantage of his position to the detriment of those children he is supposed to serve. Our children deserve better.”
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Phoenixville Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Terri A. Marinari and the Chester County District Attorney’s Office.
Fitchburg Man and Woman Plead Guilty in Wide-Ranging Fentanyl, Heroin, Crack and Cocaine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Fitchburg man and woman pleaded guilty today in federal court in Worcester to their roles in a wide-ranging fentanyl, heroin, crack and cocaine trafficking conspiracy.
Ricky Figueroa, 31, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 280 grams or more of cocaine base and 500 grams or more of cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman scheduled sentencing for March 17, 2022.
Monica Troche, 29, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 280 grams or more of cocaine base (crack) and 500 grams or more of cocaine. Troche also pleaded guilty to five counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute and distribution of fentanyl, heroin and cocaine. Judge Hillman scheduled sentencing for March 15, 2022.
Troche and Figueroa were charged in an eight-count superseding indictment along with 16 others in July 2020.
According to court documents, following a fatal fentanyl overdose in September 2018, law enforcement began an investigation into a drug trafficking organization (DTO) in the Fitchburg area led by co-conspirators Pedro Baez and Anthony Baez. Intercepted phone communications by the DTO and its suppliers revealed that Troche worked with Anthony Baez to distribute a fentanyl and heroin mixture and cocaine. Communications also revealed that Figueroa supplied Pedro and Anthony Baez, as well as others in the Fitchburg area, with cocaine and crack cocaine on a regular basis.
Over the course of the investigation, agents seized over 1.8 kilograms of a heroin and fentanyl mixture, over 3.6 kilograms of cocaine and over 50 grams of crack cocaine, as well as a stolen, loaded handgun, drug manufacturing equipment and over $376,000. Figueroa was responsible for distributing 280 grams or more of crack cocaine and 500 grams or more of cocaine. Troche is responsible for distributing 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 100 grams or more of heroin and 500 grams or more of cocaine.
Figueroa and Troche are the seventh and eighth defendants to plead guilty in this case. In December 2020, Anthony Baez was sentenced by Judge Hillman to 13 years in prison and five years of supervised release. Pedro Baez pleaded guilty on Feb. 2, 2021 and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 17, 2022.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 280 grams or more of cocaine base and 500 grams or more of cocaine provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, at least five years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. The other drug trafficking charges provide for a sentencing range of five years to a lifetime in prison, at least four years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of between $5 million to $10 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Correction; and Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. The Fitchburg and Lunenburg Police Departments, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Massachusetts State Police provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alathea Porter of Mendell’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The details contained in the court documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Felon Indicted for Illegally Possessing a Gun and Multiple DrugsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA. – A resident of Pittsburgh, PA, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal firearm and narcotics laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
The three-count Superseding Indictment named Dreshawn McBroom, 33, of Hamilton Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15208, as the sole defendant.
According to the Superseding Indictment presented to the grand jury, on November 30, 2021, McBroom was found to be in possession of eutylone, fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, hydrocodone, and a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. His prior felony convictions make it unlawful for him to possess a firearm.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 15 years to a maximum of life imprisonment. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendants. The defendant is currently being detained at Allegheny County Jail.
Assistant United States Attorney Michael R. Ball is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police conducted the investigation leading to the Superseding Indictment in this case.
A superseding indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
East Windsor Man Charged with Recording Sexual Abuse of Minor, Other Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that MARK ROMAN, 53, of East Windsor, was arrested yesterday on a federal criminal complaint charging him with production of child pornography and transportation of child pornography.
Following his arrest, Roman appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas O. Farrish in Hartford and is detained pending a detention hearing that is scheduled for December 8.
As alleged in the complaint, law enforcement began investigating Roman after Yahoo! reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that Roman’s email account was transmitting images of child sexual abuse. Investigators determined that Roman’s email account also contained voyeuristic images and videos of naked children that appeared to be homemade. On November 2, 2021, the Connecticut State Police and East Windsor Police Department executed a state search warrant at Roman’s residence and seized Roman’s iPhone, laptop and computer storage devices. Preliminary analysis of the seized items has revealed approximately 3,000 images and videos of child pornography, including images and videos of Roman sexually abusing a girl who was between the ages of six and eight, and numerous voyeuristic videos that Roman secretly took of the minor victim and another minor female who was between the ages of two and four.
The charge of production of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years, and the charge of transportation of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
Acting U.S. Attorney Boyle stressed that a criminal complaint is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Connecticut State Police, with the assistance of the East Windsor Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy V. Gifford.
Acting U.S. Attorney Boyle thanked the Hartford State’s Attorney’s Office for its cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of this case.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
East Machias Woman Sentenced for Trafficking Fentanyl and Crack CocaineRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: An East Machias woman was sentenced today in federal court for possessing fentanyl and crack cocaine with intent to distribute, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Kayla Thistlewood, 28, to eight years and one month in prison and three years of supervised release. She pleaded guilty on April 28, 2021.
According to court records, on July 14, 2020, Thistlewood sold cocaine to a confidential informant in Washington County. On August 3, 2020, Special Agents with the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency stopped Thistlewood’s vehicle and arrested her for the July 14 sale. At the time of her arrest, Thistlewood was in the vehicle with her two young children. During a search of the vehicle, agents recovered 244 grams of fentanyl, 83 grams of crack cocaine, and $7,820 in United States currency.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated the case.
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District Clergy Member Found Guilty of Misdemeanor Sexual Abuse of Adult ParishionerRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Urbano Vazquez, 49, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty yesterday of sexually abusing an adult woman while he was employed as a priest in Northwest Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Vazquez was found guilty of one count of misdemeanor sexual abuse. The Honorable Juliet McKenna returned the verdict following a one-day trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The case proceeded immediately to sentencing and, after hearing a victim impact statement, Judge McKenna sentenced the defendant to 180 days of incarceration, the maximum sentence. The time is to be served consecutive to the 15-year sentence he is already serving on four felony counts of child sexual abuse, of which he was convicted in 2019.
The government’s evidence established that in approximately April 2017, during a confession in a room in the parish rectory building at the Shrine of the Sacred Heart, in Northwest Washington, Vazquez twice touched the adult parishioner’s breast, over her sweater, without her consent. He had previously made comments about her appearance and marital status. Following the assault, the adult parishioner immediately disclosed what happened to her mother, who encouraged her to stay away from Vazquez. In 2018, when reports came out that the defendant was accused of sexually molesting child parishioners, the woman disclosed the abuse to another priest at the church who notified law enforcement.
Vazquez was indicted on this charge when he was indicted on the child sexual abuse counts. The cases involving the child victims and the adult proceeded separately. In August 2019, a jury found Vazquez guilty of committing four counts of child sexual abuse against two children in his parish from 2015 to 2017. He was sentenced in that case to 15 years in prison.
In announcing the verdict and sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and the Department of Forensic Sciences Leica Team. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Supervisory Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling, Victim/Witness Program Specialist Lezlie Richardson, former Victim/Witness Program Specialist Juanita Harris, and intern David Offit. They expressed appreciation for the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathleen Houck and Sharon Marcus-Kurn, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Williams, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
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In October 2018, the Superior Court Division’s Sex Offense and Domestic Violence Section and the Victim Witness Assistance Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia launched a hotline and e-mail address for survivors to report child sexual abuse by clergy.
Survivors of sexual abuse by a clergy member that took place in a house of worship, school, or other location in the District of Columbia can call the Clergy Abuse English and Spanish Reporting Line at 202-252-7008 or send an e-mail to [email protected].
Survivors can access further information by visiting the following website: https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/victim-witness-assistance/report-clergy- abuse.
All reports will be reviewed and a team of experienced criminal investigators, prosecutors, and victim advocates from the Superior Court Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office will determine whether any criminal charges can be brought or victim services provided. The victim advocates, who are part of the Victim Witness Assistance Unit, are available to offer support and guidance to survivors who wish to report.
Depending on the nature of the report, some information may be referred to law enforcement or the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia.
Individuals in need of police assistance or wishing to report any other criminal activity or sexual assault or abuse should call 911.
Destrehan Man Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud and Money Laundering ConspiraciesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – DUANE A. DUFRENE, age 54, of Destrehan, Louisiana, pleaded guilty on November 24, 2021 to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of money laundering before U.S. District Court Judge for the Eastern District of Louisiana, Jane Triche Milazzo, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
As charged in the now unsealed indictment, DUFRENE and a co-conspirator, Ryan Mullen, utilized fictitious entities, falsified tax returns, fraudulent financial statements, and fraudulent appraisals to orchestrate their scheme to defraud the lenders for the purchases of a residence in Jayess, MS (State Bank and Trust), The Briars bed and breakfast in Natchez, MS (Keesler Federal Credit Union) and two other Natchez hotels (Red Oak Capital Group, LLC). The sale of the Jayess residence was premised on false financial information provided by DUFRENE to Mullen, who then gave it to State Bank and Trust. The sales of The Briars and the two hotels were not only premised upon false information prepared by DUFRENE and given to the financial institutions by Mullen but also upon inflated appraisals based on side sales agreements between Mullen and DUFRENE. After the sales of the bed and breakfast and hotel properties, Mullen paid DUFRENE the sum of $90,000. Mullen pocketed over $3 million from the overvalued loans and used the proceeds to buy at least 20 high-end luxury cars, a number of which have been seized by the United States.
Sentencing for DUFRENE is set for February 23, 2022. At that time, he faces a maximum sentence of up to thirty (30) years as to the bank fraud conspiracy, and a maximum sentence of up to ten years on the money laundering conspiracy. After imprisonment, the defendant faces up to five (5) years of supervised release, and up to a $1,000,000 fine on the bank fraud count, and up to three (3) years of supervised release, and up to a $250,000 fine on the money laundering count. Each count also carries a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
U.S. Attorney Evans commended the special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and IRS-Criminal Investigation for their handling of the matter. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Edward J. Rivera and Andre Lagarde.
Cryptocurrency Trader Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United State Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today the guilty plea of JEREMY SPENCE, a/k/a “Coin Signals,” a cryptocurrency trader who solicited over $5 million from more than 170 individual investors for various cryptocurrency funds that he operated, after making false representations in connection with these funds. SPENCE pled guilty today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Debra Freeman. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Jeremy Spence, a/k/a, ‘Coin Signals,’ admitted today to luring investors to his cryptocurrency investment scam by touting fictitious historical returns of up to 148%. In reality, Spence’s investments consistently lost money, and his scam left investors with a $5 million loss. The bourgeoning cryptocurrency market can be attractive to investors; however, investors should be aware of the inherent risks, including the risk of fraud.”
According to the Indictment and the Complaint filed in this case, and statements made in open court:
From November 2017 through April 2019, SPENCE solicited investors in various cryptocurrency investment pools that SPENCE had created and managed (the “Funds”). SPENCE solicited investments for several Funds, the largest and most active of which were the Coin Signals Bitmex Fund, a/k/a the “CS Mex Fund,” the Coin Signals Alternative Fund, a/k/a the “CS Alt Fund,” and the Coin Signals Long Term Fund. Investors who wanted to participate in a Fund would transfer cryptocurrency, such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, to SPENCE in order for SPENCE to invest it.
SPENCE solicited these investments through false representations, including that SPENCE’s crypto trading had been extremely profitable when, in fact, SPENCE’s trading had been consistently unprofitable. For example, on January 28, 2018, SPENCE posted a message in an online chat group falsely claiming that his trading of investor funds over the past month had generated a return of more than 148%. As a result of this misrepresentation, investors transferred additional funds to SPENCE. In fact, over that same period of approximately one month, SPENCE’s trading resulted in net losses in the accounts in which he traded investor funds.
To forestall redemptions by investors, and to continue to raise money from investors to fund his scheme, SPENCE generated fictitious account balances, which he made available to investors online. Instead of accurately reporting the trading losses SPENCE was incurring, the account balances falsely indicated to investors that they were making money by investing with SPENCE. To hide his trading losses, SPENCE used new investor funds to pay back other investors in a Ponzi-like fashion. In total, SPENCE distributed cryptocurrency worth approximately $2 million to investors substantially from funds previously deposited by other investors.
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SPENCE, 25, pled guilty to commodities fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of ten years in prison. The maximum potential sentence is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
SPENCE is scheduled to be sentenced at a later date by Judge Kaplan.
Mr. Williams praised the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and thanked the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which brought a separate civil action.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine I. Magdo is in charge of the prosecution.
Convicted Embezzler Pleads Guilty to Stealing from Another Company Where He Was Doing Accounting WorkRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A suburban Pittsburgh residentcity,/state pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of wire fraud, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Walter Tymoczko, age 47, of Pittsburgh, PA 15227, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Tymoczko was an independent contractor performing accounting work for a local company. From October 2018, until October 2019, Tymoczko embezzled funds from the company by utilizing an Inuit QuickBooks payroll program. Tymoczko used the program multiple times to transfer funds from the victim’s bank account to his own bank account and a family member’s bank account for a total of $73,206.77. The Court was further advised that Tymoczko has a previous federal felony conviction for embezzling from various clients. In the previous case, Tymoczko was sentenced to 24 months in prison and ordered to pay a total of $254,974.60 in restitution to various victims.
Judge last name of judge scheduled sentencing for April 20, 2022 at 2:15 P.M. The law provides for a total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense(s) and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court permitted Tymoczko to remain on bond but prohibited him from performing work that would give him access to his clients’ sensitive financial information.
Assistant United States Attorney Lee J. Karl is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Tymoczko.
Colorado Man Sentenced to More than 9 Years in Federal Prison for Assaulting ATF Special AgentRead the Press Release
DENVER – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces Dallas Michael Theiss, age 24, was sentenced to 110 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for assaulting a federal officer on April 9, 2021.
According to the plea agreement, ATF agents and officers with the Colorado Springs police department were attempting to arrest the defendant at a 7-Eleven store on April 9, 2021. Agents surrounded the defendant’s blue Nissan Sedan, moving their police vehicles to the rear and side of the defendant’s car. The defendant attempted to get away by reversing his car, but was blocked by an ATF vehicle. The defendant then accelerated forward, ran over a curb, onto the sidewalk in front of the 7-Eleven store, and directly towards an ATF Special Agent standing near the doorway. The Special Agent was unable to get out of the way of the oncoming vehicle and was forced to shoot at the car’s windshield and driver’s side window. The defendant hit the Special Agent in the leg with the car and then fled at a high rate of speed. After a short pursuit, the defendant barricaded himself in a Colorado Springs residence for approximately two hours before being taken into custody. A subsequent search of the vehicle he was driving resulted in the discovery of two firearms.
“This case demonstrates the kind of heroic acts that federal law enforcement officers undertake every day to keep us safe,” said Acting United States Attorney Matt Kirsch. “Taking violent offenders off the street is a dangerous business, and we are grateful no one was killed in this incident.”
“We are fortunate the injuries our agent suffered were not fatal. Through extraordinary bravery and professionalism in the face of imminent danger, this violent criminal was taken into custody without anyone else being harmed,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge David Booth. “We applaud the United States Attorney’s Office in their success in this case thus removing a violent criminal from our communities.”
United States District Court Judge Philip A. Brimmer sentenced Mr. Theiss on November 19, 2021.
The ATF and the Colorado Springs Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Kelly Churnet handled the prosecution of the case.
Case No. 21-cr-0149
Clarke County Man Sentenced for Illegally Possessing AmmunitionRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Jackson man was sentenced today to 27 months in prison for being a felon in possession of ammunition.
According to court documents, Matthew Shannon Hartley, 39, was arrested in January 2018 following the execution of a search warrant at his residence in Jackson, Alabama. During the search of Hartley’s residence, police recovered several rounds of .22-caliber ammunition, 12-gauge shotgun shells, and an empty 9mm handgun magazine. A trained drug-detection dog also alerted for the presence of drugs during the search, though police did not recover any drugs. During a post-Miranda interview, Hartley admitted that he had purchased the ammunition and had hidden some of it behind a dryer because he knew he was a convicted felon who could not legally possess it. At the time of the offense, Hartley had multiple felony convictions for drug and theft-related crimes.
Senior United States District Court Judge William H. Steele ordered Hartley to serve a three-year term of supervised release upon his release from prison, during which time he will undergo testing and treatment for substance abuse. The court did not impose a fine, but Judge Steele ordered Hartley to pay $100 in special assessments.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Jackson Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Chicago Woman Sentenced to 56 months for Home Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
An Illinois woman was sentenced yesterday in the Northern District of Illinois to 56 months in prison and ordered to pay $6.3 million in restitution for her participation in a conspiracy to commit health care and wire fraud.
According to court documents, and the evidence presented at trial, Angelita Newton, 43, of Chicago, worked at Care Specialists, a home health care company owned by Ferdinand Echavia and later his wife, Ma Luisa Echavia. While operating between 2011 and 2017, Care Specialists fraudulently billed Medicare at least $6.3 million. At trial, the government demonstrated that around 90% of the patients were not homebound and did not qualify for the types of care that Care Specialists billed Medicare for. Further, many patients received cash bribes to receive home health “visits,” some of which were performed in the visiting nurse’s car. Newton facilitated the conspiracy by falsifying patient visit records which were used to support claims billed to Medicare and was convicted by a federal jury on Feb. 14, 2020.
In addition to issuing Newton’s sentence today, Judge Virginia Kendall previously sentenced three others involved in the conspiracy. On Oct. 21, 2021, Ferdinand Echavia was sentenced to 84 months’ confinement and three years’ supervised release. On Nov. 5, 2021, Ma Luisa Echavia was sentenced to 60 months’ confinement and three years’ supervised release. Another participant in the conspiracy, Reginald Onate, who pleaded guilty and cooperated with the government throughout the investigation, was sentenced to a term of three years’ probation.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting Assistant Director Jay Greenberg of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, and Special Agent in Charge Mario Pinto of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement.
The FBI Chicago Field Office and HHS-OIG investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Leslie S. Garthwaite of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Mott (formerly of the Fraud Section) prosecuted the case.
Charlestown Man Sentenced for Trafficking Firearms and Being Felon in Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Charlestown man was sentenced today for trafficking more than three dozen firearms obtained from a straw purchaser in New Hampshire and for illegally possessing multiple firearms.
Charles Baker, 45, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 37 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On June 16, 2021, Baker pleaded guilty to one count of dealing in firearms without a license and two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
From August 2018 to May 2019, Baker acquired over 36 firearms from a straw purchaser in New Hampshire and then resold the firearms to individuals in Massachusetts, taking pictures and negotiating the prices with numerous potential buyers over text message. Many of these firearms were recovered in Massachusetts from gang members and prohibited persons. Based on photographs that proved Baker possessed certain firearms in Massachusetts, he was convicted of specifically possessing multiple firearms that were later trafficked.
Due to a prior conviction, Baker is prohibited from possessing firearms and does not possess a federal license to sell firearms.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell and James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, New England Field Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of Mendell’s Organized Crime and Gang Unit prosecuted the case.
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. Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Carriere Man Pleads Guilty to Producing Video of a Minor Engaging in Sexually Explicit ConductRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – A Carriere, Mississippi man pled guilty to producing a video of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Mississippi.
According to court documents, Joshua Christopher Stockstill, 29, enticed a minor child to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct with his cellphone camera in Pearl River County in November of 2018. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) became aware of the video and other images. On July 14, 2021, with the assistance of NCMEC, the FBI in Gulfport identified then Picayune Police Sergeant Joshua Christopher Stockstill as the producer of the video.
Stockstill is scheduled to be sentenced on February 24, 2022 at 1:30 p.m. in Gulfport, and faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, and a maximum $250,000 fine. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case with the assistance of the Mississippi Attorney General’s Cyber Crimes Division.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Jones is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
City of Taylor Official Pleads Guilty to Accepting Bribes While Taylor’s Manager of Community Development and Treasurer of Mayor Sollars’ Campaign FundRead the Press Release
DETROIT – The former manager of the City of Taylor’s Community Development and former Treasurer of Mayor Richard Sollars’ campaign fund, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to commit bribery with Richard Sollars, Shady Awad, real estate developer, and Hadir Altoon, real estate developer and owner of Dominick’s Market, Acting United States Attorney Saima S. Mohsin announced today.
Mohsin was joined in the announcement by Timothy Waters, Special Agent in Charge of the Michigan Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Pleading guilty was Jeffrey Baum, 46, of Allen Park.
During his guilty plea hearing, Baum admitted accepting thousands of dollars in cash bribe payments for himself and over $40,000 in cash payments to Sollars in connection with the City of Taylor’s Right of First Refusal (“ROFR”) Program. The ROFR Program is designed to allow Taylor to acquire tax-foreclosed properties from Wayne County for redevelopment. According to court records, between 2017 and 2019, Baum helped Sollars steal money from Sollars’ campaign by giving Sollars blank campaign checks, bearing his signature as the treasurer of the campaign fund, so that Altoon, with Baum’s assistance on occasions, could prepare false and inflated invoices for catering services that were never rendered, were prepared in amounts higher than the actual amount for the catering services provided, and/or were for catering services for which Altoon had already been paid by the City of Taylor.
In furtherance of the fraudulent scheme, Altoon issued the false invoices to Sollars’ campaign fund and completed blank campaign fund checks, provided to Sollars by Baum, in the amounts of the false invoices. Altoon cashed the campaign checks based on the false invoices at his store, Dominick’s Market, and gave Sollars cash and/or scratch-off lottery tickets in same amounts of the checks, totaling over $35,000. It was also part of the conspiracy and in exchange for kickbacks to Baum and Sollars, Baum, without the knowledge of Taylor City Council, but with the knowledge and approval of Sollars, fraudulently facilitated the transfers of tax-foreclosed properties that Taylor had awarded to other developers. Baum transferred to Altoon two of Taylor’s tax-foreclosed properties that that Taylor had originally awarded to another developer and also helped prepare an agreement to transfer nine properties that Taylor had previously awarded to Awad, to Altoon. After Baum provided Altoon a list of nine properties that were eventually transferred and/or intended to be transferred to Altoon by Awad under this agreement, Baum accepted thousands of dollars in cash from Altoon. Over the course of the conspiracy, Baum also accepted hundreds of dollars in cash and gift cards from Altoon. In addition, Baum accepted $5,000 in cash from Altoon for one of Sollars’ campaign fundraising events. Baum also admitted that he accepted $5,000 in cash for a Sollars’ campaign event from another individual interested in doing business with the City. Both times, Baum gave the cash to Sollars and did not include receipt of the funds in Sollars’ campaign finance reports, as required.
In furtherance of the conspiracy, Baum also caused Taylor to dismiss approximately 21 tickets charging civil infractions, ranging between $150 and $200 each, that had been issued by Taylor against Realty Transition and Awad.
The bribery conspiracy count to which Baum pleaded guilty carries a maximum sentence of 5 years of imprisonment. Under the United States Sentencing Guidelines, it is likely that Baum will face a guideline sentencing range of between 46 and 57 months of imprisonment, and a maximum fine of up to $250,000.
Acting United States Attorney Mohsin said, “Citizens in this district deserve public officials who conduct the public’s business with integrity and without improper influence. We will root out and continue to hold accountable those public officials who betray the public’s trust for their own personal benefit or for the benefit of another.”
"The citizens of Taylor deserve a government free of corruption," said Timothy Waters, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Detroit Division. "Today's conviction should stand as a warning to any public official that the FBI will aggressively investigate anyone who uses their official position for personal gain."
The investigation of this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dawn N. Ison and Frances Carlson.
CEO of Purported Global Biomedical Company Charged with Stealing over $1 Million of Victim’s Money Through False Promises of Investment OpportunitiesRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Ricky J. Patel, the Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Department of Homeland Security (“HSI”), announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging NORMAN GRAY with wire fraud, in connection with a scheme to induce an individual (“Victim-1”) into wiring him funds through false promises that those funds would be put towards an equity stake in his purported global biomedical company (“Biomedical Company”) and certain purported investment deals involving the sale of personal protective equipment (“PPE”). GRAY was arrested this morning and will be presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Debra Freeman later today. The case is assigned to United States District Judge Lorna G. Schofield.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Norman Gray, CEO of a purported global biomedical company, allegedly induced his victim investor to entrust Gray with over $1.2 million by claiming the risk involved in their PPE investment deals was ‘virtually zero.’ But in reality, the deals are alleged to be fictitious, and any chance of actually earning a profit with Gray’s investments was virtually zero. We thank the HSI for their assistance in this investigation and charge.”
Acting HSI Special Agent-in-Charge Ricky J. Patel said: "As alleged in the indictment, Norman Gray made fake promises and created a fictitious persona to dupe an investor for over a million dollars in real cash, but in the end, Gray’s dishonest imagination led him right into the hands of law enforcement. HSI Special Agents, in conjunction with our partners, will work tirelessly to prevent shameless activities perpetrated by fraudsters like Gray, who sell dreams of making big profits with little risk to unwitting investors. What made these acts even more deplorable was that he allegedly created this scheme by falsely purporting that the investments were going to legitimate companies providing vital PPE to the public.”
As alleged in the Indictment:[1]
GRAY is the CEO of the Biomedical Company, which is headquartered and incorporated in Hamden, Connecticut. In or about August 2020, GRAY induced Victim-1 to give him $250,000, supposedly as an equity investment in the Biomedical Company. In reality, nearly all of the $250,000 was paid out to a company with no apparent affiliation with the Biomedical Company, and Victim-1 received no equity in the Biomedical Company. In the ensuing months, GRAY further solicited a total of approximately $1,200,000 from Victim-1, representing that he would invest those funds in deals involving the procurement of PPE for two major universities in the tristate area. GRAY represented that the necessary contracts for those deals were in place and that the risk involved with those deals was “virtually zero.” In reality, the necessary contracts did not exist, and GRAY caused substantially all of Victim-1’s funds to be spent on the Biomedical Company’s general operating expenses, as well as products and services having nothing to do with the Biomedical Company or the procurement of personal protective equipment, including, for example, the cash purchase of an approximately $50,000 luxury SUV.
As part of his scheme to fraudulently solicit funds from Victim-1, and as a means of dispelling Victim-1’s concern that an investment with GRAY would require Victim-1 to forego the purchase of a home, GRAY offered Victim-1 a mortgage from the “Tranctus Group.” GRAY claimed that “Tranctus Group” was a boutique mortgage company of which he was the sole investor. GRAY directed Victim-1 to his supposed mortgage broker “Benjamin Mabry.” In fact, “Benjamin Mabry” was a false persona invented by GRAY, and GRAY registered the internet domain associated with the “Tranctus Group” on the very same day that Victim-1 received a purported mortgage commitment letter from “Mabry.” Ultimately, Victim-1 received no return on Victim-1’s investments, GRAY refused to return Victim-1’s money to Victim-1, and the purported “Tranctus Group” mortgage failed to materialize.
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GRAY, 66, of the Hamden, Connecticut area, is charged with one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum potential prison sentence of 20 years. The maximum potential penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only; any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of Special Agents of the United States Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, New York City Police Department, New York City Sheriff's Office, Bronx District Attorney, Greenburgh Police Department, and HSI New Haven.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Money Laundering and Transnational Criminal Enterprises Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin A. Gianforti and Tara La Morte are in charge of the prosecution.
The allegations contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Information and the description of the Information set forth below constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Brewerton Man Sentenced for Stealing Government PropertyRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Frederick L. Guth, Jr., age 67, of Brewerton, New York, was sentenced today to three years of probation related to his theft of Social Security retirement benefits.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and John F. Grasso, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, New York Field Office.
As part of his prior guilty plea, Guth admitted that from November of 2016 until July of 2018, he erroneously received a total of $33,812.00 in Social Security retirement benefits issued under the social security number and name of another person, and that he spent the benefits despite knowing that the benefits were not his and that he was not entitled to them.
In addition to ordering Guth to serve three years’ probation, Senior United States District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy also ordered Guth to pay full restitution to the Social Security Administration (SSA).
This case was investigated by the SSA Office of the Inspector General and was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian S. LaRochelle.
Brevard County Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Falsifying Records Related to NASA InvestigationRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Stacy R. Caruvana (47, Rockledge) to six months in federal prison for falsifying records with intent to obstruct and influence a federal investigation. The court further sentenced Caruvana to one year of supervised release.
Caruvana had pleaded guilty on June 11, 2021.
According to court documents, between May 2018 and May 2019, Caruvana attempted to frame a NASA employee to make it appear that he had harassed and threatened to kill her. First, Caruvana sent an “anonymous” letter to the NASA Office of Inspector General (OIG) falsely alleging that the NASA employee was engaged in various types of misconduct. In addition, Caruvana purchased a second cell phone and sent threatening text messages to her own cell phone from the second cell phone, following which she falsely reported to law enforcement that the threatening messages had been sent by the NASA employee. During the course of the ensuing NASA OIG investigation, Caruvana falsified emails purporting to be from the victim’s NASA email account to make it appear that he was threatening her, following which Caruvana submitted these falsified emails to a NASA OIG agent. Caruvana also made multiple statements to the NASA OIG agent in which she falsely claimed that the NASA employee was still calling and threatening her. NASA OIG subsequently executed a search warrant at Caruvana’s residence. Evidence from a computer at the residence showed that Caruvana had fabricated the emails that she sent to NASA OIG.
“I am extremely proud of the exceptional work by our agents and law enforcement partners in rooting out the malicious and damaging false claims made by the subject, and in doing so protecting the integrity of the agency and the NASA workforce,” said NASA OIG Central Field Office Special Agent in Charge Curtis Vaughn.
This case was investigated by the NASA Office of Inspector General and the Rockledge Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Chauncey A. Bratt.
Baytown man gets 60 years for sexually-exploiting childrenRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 30-year-old man has been ordered to federal prison on multiple counts involving child pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Andrew Blake Delacruz pleaded guilty May 6 to three counts of sexual exploitation of children as well as possession and distribution of child pornography.
Today, U.S. District Judge Alfred Bennett ordered him to serve a total of 720 months in federal prison. At the hearing, the court heard victim statements explaining how Delacruz detrimentally impacted their lives and were seeking justice.
In handing down the sentence, Judge Bennett noted Delacruz’s egregious conduct in his victimization of three minors, one of whom had a mild mental disability.
Delacruz came to the attention of law enforcement after he sent images of child pornography of a minor female relative through an online chat group which was dedicated to the sexual exploitation of children.
On July 17, 2020, authorities executed a search warrant at his residence and seized his cellphones. At that time, they located a young female victim who reported that Delacruz had been sexually abusing her and would take pictures.
A forensic examination resulted in the discovery of seven videos and 41 images of that victim which showed oral and anal penetration. Law enforcement also found two other young victims of whom Delacruz had also produced child pornography.
One of those victims was only nine years of age at the time of the abuse. She reported that Delacruz would rub her thighs, buttocks and vaginal area and that he would perform oral sex on her. She also described how he would rub his penis on her vagina and attempted to vaginally penetrate her.
In addition, there were six images of child pornography of one of her friends. Delacruz has his penis exposed in the foreground of some of the images. In others, Delacruz’s hand is seen pulling down her pants and underwear, exposing her buttocks.
In addition to the child pornography Delacruz created of these minor victims, authorities also found 50 videos and seven images of other child pornography Delacruz had in his collection.
Delacruz has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly Ann Leo and Luis Batarse prosecuted 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.
Baltimore man admits to drug trafficking chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Tremaine Antonio Davis, of Baltimore, Maryland, has admitted to a drug a charge, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II announced.
Davis, 31, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Aiding and Abetting Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl.” Davis admitted to working with another to distribute fentanyl in January 2020 in Berkeley County.
Davis 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.
Arizona Man Receives Three Years in Prison for CyberstalkingRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – Micah Austin Goodale, 27, of Queen Creek, Arizona was sentenced today in federal court by Chief U.S. District Judge J. Michael Seabright to 36 months imprisonment plus three years of supervised release for cyberstalking. Goodale pleaded guilty to a single count indictment on July 7, 2021.
According to court documents and information presented at sentencing, Goodale had previously been in a relationship with the victim, an adult female, and during that time, Goodale had recorded sexually explicit and graphic videos of the victim. Sometime after their relationship had ended, Goodale uploaded and published the sexually explicit videos onto a website that hosts adult pornographic content for free public streaming. Alongside the videos on the pornographic website, Goodale added the victim’s full name, phone number, and address, and included comments inviting viewers to harass the victim.
On or about November 13, 2019, Goodale signed onto a Facebook social media account that belonged to the victim, who then resided in the District of Hawaii. Goodale then posted links to the sexually explicit videos that featured the victim on her Facebook account for everyone in her social network to view. Subsequently, Goodale also created a Twitter profile using the victim’s name and likeness and posted additional sexually explicit content featuring the victim there. In addition, Goodale sent harassing messages to the victim using a variety of electronic means, both directly and on public messaging boards.
“Cyberstalking and revenge pornography are just new forms of harassment and intimidation that have been made possible by advancing social media technology,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Judith A. Philips. “The digital nature and global reach of social media present unprecedented potential for harm, and criminals who abuse these new technologies to unlawfully harass and intimidate others in substantial ways will be brought to justice.”
"What Micah Goodale did is horrific, and the impact on the victim is immeasurable," said Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Steven Merrill. “By using online tools to scare and disrupt the victim's life, the defendant tormented and caused substantial distress to the victim. While today’s sentencing cannot erase that harm, it ensures he will remain behind bars for a very long time, unable to victimize anyone else. This sentencing is a success in the fight against those who exploit the vulnerable and illustrates our dedication to bring these criminals to justice. The FBI will continue to hold accountable those who engage in such conduct and will never stop working to put cyberstalkers like him behind bars.”
The investigation that led to the indictment was led by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregg Paris Yates is handling the prosecution.
Appleton Man Sentenced to 13 Years in Federal Prison for Child EnticementRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Richard G. Frohling of the Eastern District of Wisconsin announced that on November 29, 2021, Neil A. Frank (age: 36) of Appleton, Wisconsin, was sentenced to 156 months in federal prison for seeking to entice a child into having sexual intercourse.
According to court records, in May 2020, Frank began using a popular social media site to communicate with a 15-year-old located in Appleton. During these interactions, Frank requested graphic digital images and expressed his desire to have sexual intercourse with the child. On May 18, 2020, after Frank drove to the apartment complex where he believed the child lived, he was arrested by an undercover police officer with the Fox Valley Metro Police Department.
At the time of his arrest, Frank was a registered sex offender in the State of Wisconsin due to a prior conviction for attempted possession of child pornography in Outagamie County in 2012.
At sentencing, Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach noted the serious nature of the charge, Frank’s prior record, and the need for just punishment. Following his release from prison, Frank will spend five years on supervised release. He will continue to be required to register as a sexual offender.
This case was investigated by the Fox Valley Metro Police Department with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006, by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Aliquippa, Pa. Man Looking at 5 to 40 Years after Pleading Guilty to Drug PossessionRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, has pleaded guilty in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Ossie Foster, age 37, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of heroin; a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine base; and a quantity of a mixture and substance containing detectable amounts of fentanyl and heroin before Judge Joy Flowers Conti.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that a confidential source informed the Beaver County Anti-Drug Task Force that Foster distributed “brick” quantities of heroin and fentanyl from his residence. Acting, in part, on information provided by that confidential source, the Beaver County Anti-Drug Task Force executed a search warrant on Foster’s residence of 1710 Main Street in Aliquippa on June 13, 2020. During the search, law enforcement recovered multiple controlled substances in various packaging. From a large plastic bag in the basement, officers recovered approximately 937 net grams of heroin that bore the imprint of a swastika. Additionally, law enforcement recovered 336 white glassine bags stamped “Barney” in red ink and 279 white glassine bags stamped “Road Runner” also in red ink. Finally, officers recovered plastic baggies of cocaine base, in the form commonly known as crack, in the residence and within a pair of the defendant’s sneakers.
In addition to the controlled substances, officers recovered the following from the defendant’s residence: five digital scales, empty glassine bags, packaging paper with an imprint of a swastika, an armored bulletproof vest, 9mm, .380 special, and .40 caliber ammunition, a loaded .9mm caliber pistol magazine, gun parts, an empty Taurus gun box, bulk United States currency, and indicia for the defendant.
Following a search of the residence, the defendant consented to a search of a black Lincoln sedan parked outside the residence. A wallet in the driver’s side visor contained the defendant’s identification and bulk United States currency. Additional bulk United States currency was seized from the sunglass holder. A duffel bag in the trunk contained a Taurus model PT 24/7 G2C, .40 caliber firearm. The firearm was loaded with 16 rounds of ammunition. Officers recovered another .40 caliber magazine containing 11 rounds of ammunition within the same duffel bag as the loaded firearm.
Judge Conti scheduled sentencing for March 22, 2022, at 1:30 p.m. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than five years and not more than forty (40) years in prison, a fine of $5,000,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
The Court ordered that the defendant be detained pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Beaver County Anti-Drug Task Force and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of this case.
40-Year Federal Prison Sentence for South Florida Man Who Exploited ChildrenRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – Today, U.S. District Judge Rodney Smith handed down a 40-year federal prison sentence for Breshawn Hamilton, a 21-year-old Fort Lauderdale man who produced and possessed sexual abuse material of children, coerced minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct, and engaged in sextortion.
From October 2019 through November 2020, defendant Breshawn Hamilton used social networking platforms to meet and communicate with at least seven minor females between the ages of 11 and 15. During chats, Hamilton misrepresented his age, often pretending to be younger than he actually was in order to gain the minors’ trust. He would convince the minors to send him sexually explicit images and videos of themselves. After obtaining the images and videos in question, Hamilton threatened to disseminate them unless the minors agreed to meet him for sexual intercourse or continue to provide him with additional videos and images. Even after the victims complied, Hamilton nevertheless disseminated the videos and images. Law enforcement confirmed that Hamilton met with some of the minor victims who resided in the Fort Lauderdale area in person and raped them, often in their own homes. At times, Hamilton recorded himself having sex with the minors and sold those videos to others.
On August 17, 2021, Hamilton pled guilty to two counts of coercing a minor, four counts of production of child pornography, three counts of sending interstate extortionate threats, and one count of possession of child pornography.
U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez of the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), announced the sentence.
“Those who exploit children are the worst of criminals and today’s sentence reflects that,” said U.S. Attorney Gonzalez. “Our Office is committed to protecting our precious children. We will use every available federal resource to investigate and prosecute these abhorrent crimes.”
“Today’s 40-year sentence sends a clear message to those looking to exploit and victimize our children. We will spare no resource to find you and ensure your prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” said HSI Miami SAC Salisbury. “HSI and its partner law enforcement agencies are committed to protecting the most vulnerable members of our society and will always be there to protect these innocent victims and put these predators behind bars.”
Anyone with additional information about this crime or potential victims is asked to call 866-347-2423.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Fort Lauderdale investigated the case with assistance from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Broward Sheriff’s Office Special Victims Unit, and the South Florida Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.
Assistant United States Attorney Ajay Alexander prosecuted this case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 21-cr-60144.
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29 November 2021
United States Attorney’s Office Celebrates Native American Heritage MonthRead the Press Release
Assistant U. S. Attorney Kim-Thoa Hoang (619) 546-9397
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – November 29, 2021
SAN DIEGO – To commemorate American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month, the U.S. Attorney’s Office recently hosted an event to celebrate the cultures, traditions and histories of American Indians and Alaska Natives and acknowledge the tremendous contributions of those communities to the United States.
At the November 19 event, Acting U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman expressed his commitment to working as partners with Tribal nations to reduce crime and help victims. “The Department of Justice is committed to improving public safety in Native American communities,” Grossman said. “We stand ready to work with our Tribal partners to develop public safety solutions that work best for Tribal communities in our district.”
Grossman noted in his remarks at the event that the U.S. Attorney’s Office, through its tribal liaison efforts, has built and maintained partnerships with the tribal communities in San Diego County, as well as fostering a strong working relationship with local and county law enforcement agencies for the investigation and prosecution of criminal activities within the reservations.
Also attending the event were San Diego County Deputy District Attorneys Joe McLaughlin and Brooke Tafreshi and District Attorney Investigator Juan Cisneros, all tribal liaison representatives; Sheriff’s Captain Mike Rand; Chairwoman Erica Pinto and Councilman James Cuero of the Jamul Indian Village.
Further, in honor of Native American Heritage Month, Chairman Robert Smith of Pala Band of Mission Indians, who also serves as Chairman of the Board of the Southern California Chairmen’s Association, offered some remarks remotely and stressed the importance of working with all levels of law enforcement to ensure the well-being of tribal residents.
“The most basic responsibility of tribal leaders,” Smith said, “is to provide a variety of social, governmental, administrative, educational, health and welfare services for tribal members. Over the years, Native Americans have made progress in these areas, but there is much more to be done; we need to continue to dedicate ourselves to improving the quality of life of all of our members. To this end, we also need to promote strong collaborative relationships with governmental agencies to overcome challenges and attain positive solutions.”
This year’s celebration featured a first for the U.S. Attorney’s Office: The participation in person of one of the tribal leaders in the district, Chairwoman Pinto of the Jamul Indian Village, who delivered keynote remarks.
Chairwoman Pinto shared her background and experience as a tribal leader and award-winning trailblazer who has accomplished much for the benefit of her Tribe and tribal constituents. She stressed the importance of a partnership approach on the part of tribal leaders and organizations as one of the key attributes of successful leadership in building self-reliance and strengthening tribal sovereignty while contributing to the prosperity of the greater community and celebrating the historical legacy and rich culture of Native Americans.
She said: “Tribal independence and self-determination now guide our Tribe. The ability to exercise our inherent right to sovereignty has allowed my tribal community to engage in the self-sufficiency required to tackle issues like education, housing, health care, and economic development.”
U.S. Attorney’s Office Provides Update on Federal Prosecutions and Ongoing Strategies to Combat Violent Crime in ChicagoRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, today provided an update on federal prosecutions and strategies to combat violent crime in Chicago and the surrounding area.
The centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts continues to be Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders works together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develops 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 Department of Justice this summer announced the formation of five cross-jurisdictional strike forces, one of which is based in Chicago and led by the U.S. Attorney Lausch, to help reduce gun violence by disrupting illegal firearms trafficking. As part of the Chicago strike force, the U.S. Attorney’s Office collaborates with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and other federal, state, and local law enforcement partners in the Northern District of Illinois and across the country to help stem the supply of illegally trafficked firearms and identify patterns, leads, and potential suspects in violent gun crimes. The Chicago strike force’s efforts have been substantially enhanced by the Chicago Police Department’s (CPD’s) recently created Gun Investigations Team.
“Straw purchasers and firearms traffickers enable violence,” said U.S. Attorney Lausch. “The cross-jurisdictional strike force has increased collaboration with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, and enhanced our longstanding efforts to hold accountable individuals or groups who illegally traffic firearms into Chicago.”
In addition to a sustained focus on prosecutions of federal firearm offenses, the U.S. Attorney’s Office endeavors to disrupt violent crime by seeking pre-trial detention for defendants who pose a danger to the community and pursuing appropriate prison sentences to deter dangerous individuals from continuing to cause violence in their communities.
Following up on activities most recently reported in May of this year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office remains active in fighting violent crime through enforcement actions, prosecutions, and community partnerships, as illustrated by the examples below.
Enforcement Actions and Prosecution Activity
The U.S. Attorney’s Office works closely with U.S. law enforcement agencies, including ATF, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI), and U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), to investigate and prosecute a variety of violent crimes. State and local partners in this effort include CPD, Illinois State Police (ISP), Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC), Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, Cook County Sheriff’s Office, Rockford Police Department, and other police departments throughout northern Illinois.
The primary focus of these collaborative law enforcement efforts is to investigate and prosecute gangs and other groups of individuals who work in concert to commit violent crimes, including murders, attempted murders, robberies, carjackings, drug trafficking, and firearms trafficking. In addition, these enforcement efforts also identify for potential prosecution individual offenders who are drivers of violence.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Gun Crimes Prosecution Team continues to emphasize the prosecution of illegal firearm possession in the most violent police districts in Chicago. Working collaboratively with federal and local law enforcement, the team focuses on charging Chicago’s most dangerous criminals quickly after arrest, endeavoring to disrupt the cycle of violence in the neighborhoods most in need.
“Our Gun Crimes Prosecution Team works tirelessly to investigate and prosecute firearms cases from the Chicago neighborhoods suffering from the most violent crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Lausch. “Our partnerships with CPD and other state and local law enforcement continue to be very strong.”
Firearm and violent crime investigations in Chicago have also been bolstered by an important tool from ATF – the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles. Federal, state, and local law enforcement in Chicago have used NIBIN extensively to help solve violent crimes and prosecute trigger-pullers and other gun offenders.
Racketeering and Gang-Related Prosecutions
“Combating the unacceptable level of gang violence in Chicago has been and will continue to be a top priority in our office,” said U.S. Attorney Lausch.
- A federal jury this month convicted LABAR SPANN, a leader of the Four Corner Hustlers street gang, on a racketeering conspiracy charge for participating in a criminal organization that committed murders and other acts of violence on the West and Southwest Sides of Chicago. The jury found that Spann participated in four murders in a cold, calculated, and premeditated manner as part of the conspiracy. Spann faces a mandatory term of life in prison when he is sentenced next year. After Spann’s conviction, all nine defendants charged in the case have been convicted of racketeering conspiracy. The investigation was conducted by FBI, ATF, CPD, DEA, IDOC, ISP, Illinois Secretary of State Police Department, Cook County Sheriff’s Office, and Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, with the support of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and the Chicago High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force (HIDTA).
- A racketeering conspiracy indictment unsealed this month charged 13 alleged leaders, members, and associates of the Wicked Town faction of the Traveling Vice Lords street gang with engaging in numerous acts of violence in Chicago, including at least 19 murders and 19 attempted murders. The probe was conducted by ATF, CPD, IRS-CI, DEA, FBI, Cook County Sheriff’s Office, and Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, with the support of OCDETF and HIDTA.
- WILLIAM HAYSLETTE, of Chicago, was sentenced last month to 30 years in prison for engaging in racketeering offenses as a “soldier” in the Latin Kings street gang. In addition to committing numerous assaults on behalf of the gang, the sentencing judge also found that Hayslette participated in the murder of Sergio Hernandez in the South Chicago neighborhood of Chicago. Hayslette was indicted in 2018 along with more than 30 other alleged members of the Latin Kings. Nearly all of the charged defendants have pleaded guilty or been convicted at trial, including GERONIA FORD, of Chicago, who was sentenced in September to 29 years in prison for participating in Hernandez’s murder and committing acts of witness intimidation. FBI and CPD led the investigation, with assistance from the Cook County Sheriff’s Office and the Hammond, Ind., Police Department, and the support of OCDETF.
- Five alleged members of the O-Block street gang were charged last month with committing murder in aid of racketeering for allegedly killing Carlton Weekly, a Chicago rapper also known as “FBG Duck,” on Aug. 4, 2020, in downtown Chicago. The case was investigated by FBI and CPD, with assistance from the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Firearm Trafficking and Firearm Theft Prosecutions
“We are using every available federal law enforcement tool to continue to bring impactful cases that hold firearms traffickers accountable and reduce violent crime in Chicago,” said U.S. Attorney Lausch.
- Chicago resident ISMAEL SENE was sentenced last month to a year in federal prison for straw purchasing handguns in the Chicago suburbs. In one of the gun transactions, Sene falsely certified on federal forms that he was the actual buyer. In reality, Sene purchased the gun on behalf of an individual whom Sene had reason to believe was a convicted felon who was prohibited by federal law from purchasing or possessing a firearm. ATF led the probe, with assistance from CPD.
- Four men were charged last month with firearm offenses for allegedly trafficking guns from St. Louis to Chicago. The charges accuse ROBERT NARUP, of Washington, Mo., of buying firearms at gun shows throughout the United States and illegally selling them to JEROME BOYKIN, of St. Louis, Mo. Boykin then allegedly brought the guns to Chicago and sold them to ROGELIO MANCERA, of Schaumburg, Ill., in exchange for marijuana. Mancera allegedly re-sold the guns to RODOLFO ORTEGA, of Chicago, who in turn would sell them on the streets of Chicago. ATF and CPD’s recently created Gun Investigations Team led the probe, with assistance from ATF officials in Missouri and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri.
- A suburban Chicago man was sentenced last month to eight and a half years in federal prison for trafficking dozens of guns from Kentucky to Chicago. Many of the guns trafficked by JOHN PHILLIPS, of Lyons, Ill., were later discovered by law enforcement at crime scenes in Chicago. The investigation was led by ATF’s Chicago office, with assistance from ATF agents in Louisville, Ky., and the support of HIDTA.
- Six individuals were charged in September in the Southern District of Indiana with straw purchasing 90 firearms, more than 20 of which were later discovered at crime scenes in Chicago. ATF led the investigation, with assistance from law enforcement in Chicago.
- The U.S. Attorney’s Office in August successfully moved to revoke the bond that had been set for JAMES MASSEY, of Chicago. Massey is awaiting trial on a charge of inciting rioting involving incidents of property damage and looting in Chicago in the summer of 2020. The judge found that Massey violated the terms of his bond when he allegedly attempted to purchase a firearm in Indiana. Massey is now in federal custody. Trial on the rioting charge is set for Feb. 22, 2022. FBI and CPD investigated the looting case, while ATF investigated the firearm matter.
- PARIS STEELE, of Chicago, was sentenced in August to more than six years in federal prison for unlawfully dealing shotguns and other firearms in Chicago. While Steele was on bond and awaiting trial, he appeared in videos on social media holding a firearm and threatening violence against others. ATF and CPD conducted the investigation.
- A Chicago man was charged in August with making materially false statements in the acquisition of more than 20 firearms. STOVALL BUCHANAN acquired the guns from suburban Chicago firearms dealers and allegedly lied on federal forms about his home address and the actual buyer of the guns. ATF investigated, with assistance from CPD.
- Chicago resident JUSTIN GARCIA was charged in August with straw purchasing handguns in a suburban Chicago store on behalf of another individual. ATF investigated, with assistance from CPD.
- Two days after the fatal shooting of Chicago Police Officer Ella French, a Hammond, Ind., man was charged with conspiring to straw purchase the semi-automatic handgun used in the shooting. JAMEL DANZY purchased the gun at a firearms dealer in Hammond and allegedly falsely certified on the required forms that he was the actual buyer. The charges allege that Danzy was a straw purchaser who bought the gun at the request of a convicted felon who was found in possession of the gun after the shootings of Officer French and her partner. ATF and CPD led the probe.
- JOSUE CANALES, of Chicago, was charged in June with trafficking a loaded submachine gun and dealing cocaine in the city. FBI and the CPD led the investigation.
- Three Chicago men were charged this summer with unlawfully dealing or possessing firearms in the city. JOHNATHAN BURGOS allegedly illegally dealt firearms in Chicago, while ALEJANDRO DAVIS and DAMIAN REYES were charged with illegally possessing firearms as previously convicted felons. FBI and the CPD conducted the investigation.
- RONEAL NIGHTENGALE, Glendale Heights, Ill., and ERIC ROWE, of Bellwood, Ill., were charged in June with conspiring to steal a dozen handguns from a suburban Chicago firearms dealer. ATF and the Naperville Police Department led the probe, with assistance from the DuPage County Sheriff’s Office.
Carjacking and Other Violent Crime Prosecutions
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office works closely with federal, state, and local law enforcement officers to prosecute violent crimes, such as carjacking, that violate federal law,” said U.S. Attorney Lausch.
- A Chicago man was indicted last month on charges he carjacked a rideshare vehicle and fatally shot the driver. EDMOND HARRIS was also charged with an additional carjacking and attempted carjacking in connection with other incidents. JOSHUA WALKER, of Chicago, was charged with participating with Harris in one of the carjackings. The case was investigated by ATF, CPD, and the Oak Park Police Department.
- A Chicago man who carjacked a vehicle at gunpoint in the city’s Uptown neighborhood was sentenced in September to more than 12 years in prison on carjacking and firearm offenses. During the carjacking, MICHAEL C. PEARSON fired a pistol in the direction of a passenger of the vehicle. FBI and CPD investigated, with assistance from the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.
- A jury in September convicted JAMAR JARVIS, of Chicago, on carjacking and weapons offenses for carjacking a vehicle at gunpoint in the city’s Edgewater neighborhood. Jarvis is set to be sentenced next month. The probe was led by the FBI and CPD, with assistance from the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.
- KIAR EVANS, of Chicago, was arrested and charged this summer with firing a handgun while attempting to carjack a vehicle on the city’s West Side, and moments later carjacking another vehicle at gunpoint. FBI and CPD investigated.
- A Chicago man was charged in July with forcibly assaulting two ATF agents and an ATF Task Force officer. EUGENE MCLAURIN allegedly shot the officers as they were driving in an unmarked law enforcement vehicle while participating in a federal investigation on the South Side of Chicago. ATF and CPD led the investigation into the shooting, with assistance from the Illinois State Police.
Illegal Possession of Firearms Prosecutions
“If you are a felon and thinking about picking up a gun in Chicago, you should expect to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and face the possibility of going to federal prison for a long time,” said U.S. Attorney Lausch.
- A federal jury this month convicted BRIAN STAFFORD, a felon from the Chicago suburb of Bellwood, on firearm and drug charges for illegally possessing two loaded handguns and dealing heroin and crack cocaine. A separate jury in 2019 convicted Stafford of illegally possessing three assault rifles. All of the handguns and rifles illegally possessed by Stafford were linked to thefts from a cargo train that passed through Chicago in September 2016. Stafford is awaiting sentencing. The case was investigated by FBI, with assistance from ATF, Cook County Sheriff’s Office, Evergreen Park, Ill., Police Department, and Bolingbrook, Ill., Police Department.
- DONTA BAKER, of Chicago, was sentenced this month to six years in federal prison for illegally possessing a loaded handgun on a street in the city’s West Englewood neighborhood. Baker had previously been convicted of multiple firearm-related felonies in state court and was prohibited by federal law from possessing a firearm. ATF and CPD conducted the investigation.
- TERRY LEE, of Chicago, was sentenced in August to six years in federal prison for illegally possessing a stolen semi-automatic handgun in Douglas Park on the city’s West Side. ATF and CPD conducted the probe.
- Convicted felon EDDIE JONES, of Chicago, was sentenced in August to eight years in prison for illegally possessing a loaded handgun in the city’s Humboldt Park neighborhood. The investigation revealed that three victims were wounded by gunfire moments before Chicago Police officers encountered and arrested Jones. In imposing the sentence, the judge found that Jones used the gun in the attempted murders of the three wounded victims. ATF and CPD investigated.
- In August, NICHOLAS WILLIAMS, of Chicago, was sentenced to five and a half years in prison for illegally possessing a loaded handgun on a sidewalk on the city’s Near North Side. The firearm was equipped with an extended magazine and loaded with 22 rounds of ammunition. Williams had previously been convicted of a firearm-related felony in state court. FBI and CPD investigated the case, with assistance from the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.
- A federal jury in August convicted DARIUS MORALES of illegally possessing a semi-automatic handgun in north suburban Evanston after Morales tried to flee from police in a car and on foot. He faces up to ten years in prison when he is sentenced later this month. DEA led the investigation, with assistance from ATF, the Evanston Police Department, and the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.
- A convicted felon who illegally possessed a loaded handgun during looting in downtown Chicago in the summer of 2020 was sentenced in July to 18 months in prison. During the investigation, law enforcement uncovered multiple social media postings by JAVONTE T. WILLIAMS, of Chicago, in which he boasted about looting stores in the city. ATF and CPD led the probe, with assistance from the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Significant Drug Trafficking Prosecutions
The U.S. Attorney’s Office targets traffickers who bring illegal drugs into Illinois from other states or countries, with a focus on organizations or individuals who use guns, violence, and threats of violence to protect and promote their illegal businesses. The U.S. Attorney’s Office works directly with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office to ensure that individuals trafficking drugs are charged with appropriate offenses in either federal or state court.
Public safety is also being threatened by unprecedented levels of opioid misuse and overdose. Opioids are a class of highly addictive drugs that includes heroin, fentanyl, and prescription painkillers such as oxycodone and hydrocodone. U.S. Attorney Lausch in November 2019 created an Opioid Task Force for the purpose of combatting the growing number of unlawful distributions of controlled substances fueling the nation’s opioid crisis.
This includes prosecuting the leaders of traditional drug trafficking organizations, as well as rogue healthcare providers, pharmacists, pharmacist technicians, and others who contribute to the misuse of opioids. “We are actively attacking the opioid crisis from all investigative and prosecutorial angles,” said U.S. Attorney Lausch.
- The leader of a drug trafficking organization was sentenced this month to 20 years in federal prison for supplying heroin to an illegal open-air market on the West Side of Chicago. LEVAUGHN COLLINS, of Chicago, obtained bulk quantities of heroin and provided it to numerous associates, who, at Collins’s direction, processed and packaged the drugs for street-level sales. DEA and CPD led the probe, with support from HIDTA and assistance from IRS-CI and the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.
- Three individuals were arrested this month as part of a federal investigation that disrupted a suspected Mexico-to-Chicago drug pipeline and resulted in government seizures of a private plane and 100 kilograms of cocaine. The cocaine had allegedly been transported to the Chicago area on the plane from Toluca, Mexico, via Houston, Texas. DEA, HSI and IRS-CI are leading the probe, with assistance from CPD, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Indiana.
- A joint federal and local investigation in the far north suburbs of Chicago resulted in drug or firearm charges in August against four individuals. The alleged trafficking of cocaine and methamphetamines occurred in Waukegan and Beach Park. ATF and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
- A woman vacationing in Chicago from Mexico was arrested here in July for allegedly selling two kilograms of cocaine to a buyer who, unbeknownst to the woman, was cooperating with law enforcement. According to the charges against MARINA RIVERA, law enforcement after the sale searched a home in the city’s Little Village neighborhood and discovered approximately eight kilograms of cocaine inside a suitcase in the bedroom where Rivera was staying. DEA investigated.
- A federal indictment unsealed in June charged five defendants with conspiring to launder illicit drug proceeds in Chicago for more than a decade. The defendants allegedly laundered drug trafficking proceeds generated by the husbands of two of the defendants after the husbands were incarcerated on separate federal charges in 2008. The probe was led by DEA, IRS-CI and USPIS.
Community Partnerships
The PSN program continues to invest resources in violence-prevention initiatives. Members of the U.S. Attorney’s Office have participated in offender notification meetings and youth outreach forums. Even during the current COVID-19 pandemic, these meetings and forums are still being held, including in a virtual environment, to maintain the outreach to former offenders.
Offender notification meetings provide an opportunity for individuals who have been convicted of a state or federal offense to make an informed choice not to engage in further criminal activity. Researchers at Arizona State University found that the forums in Chicago have a positive influence on the offenders’ perception of police and help create an understanding that criminal activity results in a higher risk to return to prison. Researchers at Yale University found that ex-offenders who attend an offender notification meeting in Chicago are 30% less likely to commit a new offense than those who did not attend a meeting.
The quarterly youth forums assist teenagers to identify a path beyond criminal activity. The youth forums are conducted in partnership with CPD, the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center, and local social service agencies.
Texas Man Sentenced to More Than Nine Years in COVID-19 Fraud and Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
A Texas man was sentenced today to 110 months in prison for his scheme to fraudulently obtain and launder proceeds from more than $1.6 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
According to court documents, Lee Price III, 30, of Houston, who pleaded guilty in September to charges of wire fraud and money laundering, submitted fraudulent PPP loan applications to two different lenders on behalf of three entities, 713 Construction LLC, Price Enterprises Holdings LLC, and Price Logistic Services LLC. Through these loan applications, Price sought over $2.6 million and actually obtained over $1.6 million in PPP loan funds. Price falsely represented the number of employees and payroll expenses in each of the PPP loan applications. To support the fraudulent PPP loan applications, Price also submitted fraudulent tax records and other materials. Illustratively, with respect to the 713 Construction LLC loan application, Price applied in the name of an individual who died shortly before the application was submitted. After he received the PPP loan funds, Price spent the money on, among other purchases, a Lamborghini Urus, a Ford F-350 truck, a Rolex watch, and to pay off a loan on a residential property. The Department of Justice, along with law enforcement partners, seized over $700,000 of the funds Price fraudulently obtained.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer Lowery for the Southern District of Texas; Special Agent in Charge Catherine Huber of the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General (FHFA-OIG) – Central Region; Special Agent in Charge Sharon Johnson of the SBA Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG) – Central Region; and Acting Inspector in Charge Dana Carter of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service – Houston Division made the announcement.
FHFA-OIG, SBA-OIG, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Andrew Tyler of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Trial Attorneys James Alexander and Matthew Grisier of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Assistant U.S. Attorney James McAlister of the Southern District of Texas. Assistant Deputy Chief Timothy A. Duree and Trial Attorney Kyle Maurer of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section assisted in the investigation and prosecution of the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the PPP. Since the inception of the CARES Act, the Fraud Section has prosecuted over 150 defendants in more than 95 criminal cases and has seized over $75 million in cash proceeds derived from fraudulently obtained PPP funds, as well as numerous real estate properties and luxury items purchased with such proceeds. More information can be found at https://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/ppp-fraud.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.