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Thursday 30 September 2021
Indian national pleads guilty to role in nationwide tech support refund scamRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 27-year-old Indian citizen illegally present in the United States who had resided in Houston has entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to commit mail fraud, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Sumit Kumar Singh admitted to participating in a fraud ring from 2018 – 2020 which operated out of various cities, including Houston. The scheme targeted elderly victims throughout the United States and elsewhere.
The ring tricked and deceived victims using various ruses and instructed them to send money via wire through a money transmitter business such as Western Union or MoneyGram, by buying gift cards and providing to the fraudsters and by mailing cash to alias names via FedEx or UPS.
One such scheme involved the claim of providing computer technical support services in order to gain remote access to victims’ computers. The fraud ring tricked and deceived victims into believing a technical support company purportedly helped them with their computers. They then told the victims they had erroneously refunded or overpaid them and that the victim needed to return the overpayment in cash via FedEx or UPS.
The scheme generally worked because fraudsters contacted victims by phone or via internet sites directing them to a particular phone number. Once victims contacted them, they were told various stories to include the victim was communicating with a technical support center that needed remote access to their computer in order to provide technical support services. Once a victim provided such access, the fraudsters gained access to their personal data and bank and credit card information.
Victims typically paid a fee to conspirators for the alleged technical support but were later told they were due a refund. Through paying for “technical support” or through the “refund” process, the ring gained access to the victim’s bank account(s) and credit cards and manipulated the accounts to make it appear the victim was paid too large a refund due to a typographical error (e.g., a victim received a refund of $10,000 instead of the intended refund amount of $100). Victims were then instructed to reimburse the ring by various means.
Victims were sometimes re-victimized multiple times and threatened with bodily harm if they did not pay.
Today, Singh admitted to acting as a runner to pick up parcels of victim cash using fraudulent international driver’s licenses in fake names.
U.S. District Judge Kenneth Hoyt accepted the plea and set sentencing for Dec. 20. At that time, Singh faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 fine. He will remain in custody while awaiting sentencing.
The FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and IRS-Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation with assistance from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office and other local law enforcement agencies throughout the United States. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Belinda Beek and Quincy Ollison are prosecuting the case.
Houston crew convicted of violent ATM robberiesRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - Three Houston men have pleaded guilty to a string of Love’s Travel Stop robberies throughout Texas and Louisiana, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Christopher Bernard Brown aka Chris and C, 39, pleaded guilty today, while Wesley Jerome Davis, 28, and Kevin Wilson aka KCosa or KC, 33, admitted to their roles July 29.
Between May 29, and Sept. 13, 2019, the men conspired with each other to steal or attempt to steal ATMs and the currency they contained from at least nine Love’s Travel Stops. They admitted they threatened or used physical force towards customers or employees.
Brown typically served as a scout or lookout. Davis and Wilson wore masks and gloves and removed or attempted to remove the ATMs using a vehicle. The men would then lift the dislodged ATMs into a waiting vehicle and drive away.
They failed on three attempts but managed to take a significant amount of money from the stolen ATMs in Hungerford, Seguin, Lufkin, Cleveland, and Three Rivers as well as in Vinton, Louisiana.
In the Three Rivers incident, Brown or others came into contact with Love’s employees or customers and made statements and gestures that incited fear. Employees did not intervene for fear of sustaining serious bodily injury.
In Seguin, a good Samaritan attempted to stop the ATM robbery but Davis struck him twice. The victim fell to the floor and suffered bodily injury from a head wound.
Brown is set for sentencing Jan. 5, 2022, before U.S. District Judge David S. Morales, while Wilson and Davis are set for Oct. 27. At their hearings, each faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
They have been and will remain in custody pending their sentencing hearings.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of sheriff’s offices in Live Oak, Angelina, Brazoria, Wharton, Medina and Cass Counties; police departments in Angleton, Cleveland, Seguin and Lufkin and Vinton, Louisiana.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Reid Manning is prosecuting the case.Harahan Man Sentenced for Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that CHARLES A. LOPEZ (“LOPEZ”), age 29, of Harahan, Louisiana, was sentenced on September 29, 2021 for receipt of child pornography in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252(a)(2) and (b)(1).
The case against LOPEZ developed as a result of an undercover child exploitation investigation conducted by special agents with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”). On April 30, 2019, HSI agents and special agents with the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation executed a federal search warrant at LOPEZ’s Harahan home and determined LOPEZ received images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of minors.
U.S. District Judge Ivan L. R. Lemelle sentenced LOPEZ to sixty (60) months incarceration in federal prison, followed by five (5) years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment fee. Additionally, LOPEZ will be required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration Notification Act.
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."
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and Chief of Financial Crimes Unit, Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba.
Great Falls meth trafficker sentenced to prisonRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Great Falls man who admitted to distributing methamphetamine in the community after law enforcement stopped him on his way back from Missoula and found about a half pound of meth in the vehicle was sentenced today to six years and six months in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
John Deacon Gundlach, 35, pleaded guilty in June to possession with intent to distribute meth.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that in May 2020, the Russell Country Drug Task Force received information that Gundlach was distributing meth. Investigators also learned on June 1,2020 that Gundlach was leaving Great Falls to pick up a load of meth, had been in Missoula and was returning to Great Falls. Officers stopped a Chevrolet Tahoe in which Gundlach was a passenger. Gundlach admitted he got meth in Missoula and that it was on floor of the vehicle. Law enforcement found the bag of meth and an analysis determined it contained about 269 grams of meth, or more than half a pound.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica A. Betley prosecuted the case, which was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, Russell Country Drug Task Force and the Cascade County Sheriff’s Office.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime. Through PSN, federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement partners in Montana focus on violent crime driven by methamphetamine trafficking, armed robbers, firearms offenses and violent offenders with outstanding warrants.
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Great Falls meth and heroin trafficker sentenced to prisonRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Great Falls woman who admitted to dealing methamphetamine and heroin in the community was sentenced today to 38 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
Tammy Lynn Lapie, 56, pleaded guilty in June to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that in September 2020, the Russell Country Drug Task Force received information that Lapie was dealing methamphetamine and heroin. During a search of Lapie’s house, officers found both drugs. Officers also seized and searched Lapie’s cell phone and confirmed her involvement in dealing drugs. In February 2021, law enforcement intercepted a package of heroin that Lapie was expecting in the mail and delivered it to Lapie, who took custody of it. Lapie admitted to law enforcement that she sold heroin to a small group of individuals in the community.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica A. Betley prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Russell Country Drug Task Force.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime. Through PSN, federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement partners in Montana focus on violent crime driven by methamphetamine trafficking, armed robbers, firearms offenses and violent offenders with outstanding warrants.
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Grand Jury indicts two men accused of bank fraud involving Paycheck Protection ProgramRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A federal grand jury indicted Chris Carroll and George Reed today with three counts of bank fraud and six counts of money laundering.
The indictment charges Chris Carroll and George Reed with 3 counts of bank fraud and 6 counts of money laundering in connection with their company Square One Group’s receipt of two fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, one in the amount of more than $1.2 million, and the second loan in the amount of more than $1.6 million.
The indictment alleges that Reed and Carroll submitted PPP loan applications in their spouses’ names, rather than their own names, to misrepresent and conceal Carroll’s status as a paroled felon, which would have precluded his company from receiving PPP funds. It is further alleged, that Carroll and Reed did not use the funds to compensate their employees, but instead, used the funds to start a trucking company and to fund $660,000 in payments to themselves. The indictment further alleges that the company suspended their employees’ pay and health insurance coverage after applying for PPP funds.
“The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) was created for the sole purpose of helping businesses keep workers employed during the COVID-19 crisis,” said Special Agent in Charge Richard Quinn of the FBI St. Louis Division. “With finite taxpayer dollars, those who commit fraud against the PPP are taking money from workers who depend on a stable paycheck.”
Charges set forth in the indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina --- Acting United States Attorney M. Rhett DeHart, announced today that Dashawn Terrell Swygert, age 27, of Columbia, pleaded guilty in federal court to two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Evidence presented to the court showed that in early 2020, agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) conducted an investigation into firearms within the Columbia area. During this investigation, undercover ATF agents were introduced to Swygert, a validated gang member. During three transactions in February 2020, he sold six handguns, many of which were loaded, to undercover ATF agents. Of the seven handguns recovered by ATF, three had previously been reported as having been stolen from vehicles in Richland County and Newberry County. Another of the handguns was preliminarily linked through ballistics analysis as having been involved in two shooting incidents in Richland County and one shooting incident in Lexington County.
Swygert has prior state convictions for strong armed robbery, assault and battery, and criminal conspiracy.
Swygert faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison, a fine of $250,000, and 3 years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Swygert after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the United States Probation Office.
This case was made possible by investigative leads generated from the ATF’s 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. For more information on NIBIN, visit https://www.atf.gov/firearms/national-integrated-ballistic-information-network-nibin.
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.
Assistant United States Attorney Stacey D. Haynes is prosecuting the case.
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Former Montana man sentenced to 19 years in prison for sexually exploiting numerous children, including two Montana victims, through online activityRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A former Montana man, currently of Arizona, who admitted to coercing minor girls in Montana to send him sexually explicit images of themselves through the internet and to receiving child pornography was sentenced today to 19 years in prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
Joshua Dean Fish, 27, formerly of Helena and currently of Gilbert, Arizona, pleaded guilty on June 9 to two counts of sexual exploitation of a child and to receipt of child pornography.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. Restitution is pending a later hearing.
“Fish communicated directly with children through the internet to coerce them into sending him sexually explicit images of themselves. Many parents and guardians have little ability to monitor these kinds of communications. Anyone who exploits children in this way is an extreme danger to our children and a substantial threat to the community and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I want to thank Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyndee L. Peterson and the investigative agencies in Montana and Arizona for their work on this case,” Acting U.S. Attorney Johnson said.
The government alleged in court documents and in statements in court that in January 2020, the Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office received a report of online sexually explicit activity involving two children, who were under the age of 18. An investigation identified Fish as offering to pay for the sexually explicit images. Prior to mid-2018, Fish resided in Montana. The two Montana child victims, one in Butte and another in Helena, reported that an online user promised monetary digital payments in exchange for nude images that would be sent through the internet. Both child victims sent Fish sexually explicit images of themselves.
The government further alleged that an investigation by Arizona law enforcement into a Cybertip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children involving sending and receiving child pornography through a social media application led to Fish. In June 2020, law enforcement searched Fish’s residence. Fish admitted to law enforcement that he paid minor girls for nude images, which were sent to him online, and to possessing numerous hard drives containing child pornography. An examination of digital devices seized during the search found hundreds of thousands of images and video files of child pornography. The examiner determined that Fish received many of these files while living in Montana from 2012 to 2018.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyndee L. Peterson prosecuted the case, which was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, FBI, Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office, Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Gilbert (Arizona) Police Department.
This case was initiated under the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood initiative, which was launched in 2006 to combat the proliferation of technology-facilitated crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children. Through a network of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and advocacy organizations, Project Safe Childhood attempts to protect children by investigating and prosecuting offenders involved in child sexual exploitation. It is implemented through partnerships including the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The ICAC Task Force Program was created to assist state and local law enforcement agencies by enhancing their investigative response to technology facilitated crimes against children.
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Former Lubbock Private School President Sentenced to 5 ½ Years for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A former Lubbock Christian School president was sentenced today to 5 1/2 years in federal prison for possessing sexually explicit images of a child, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Prerak Shah.
Larry Tye Rogers, 56, pleaded guilty in June to possession of child pornography. He was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix.
According to plea papers, Rogers admitted that in October 2020, his wife caught him surreptitiously taking photographs of a 15-year-old girl as she was naked in the bathroom preparing to shower. Rogers, who was found on his hands and knees holding his iPhone under the opening at the bottom of the door, admitted to his wife that he’d taken several photos and videos of the child in the bathroom. He later admitted his intended focus was the child’s genitals and pubic area, and that the images were designed to elicit a sexual response in Rogers.
Shortly thereafter, a colleague confronted him about his conduct. Rogers dropped his head and confirmed that he had taken photos of a minor female, and suggested that he should resign his position as president of Lubbock Christian School.
In addition to his sentence, Mr. Rogers will have to have to register as a sex offender.
The Lubbock Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office – Lubbock Resident Agency, and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen Rancourt and Callie Woolam prosecuted the case.
Former Long Beach Police Officer Arrested on Federal Indictment Alleging He Distributed and Possessed Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A former Long Beach Police officer has been arrested pursuant to a federal grand jury indictment alleging he possessed and distributed child pornography when he was working as a law enforcement officer.
Anthony Brown, 57, of Lakewood, was arrested Wednesday morning by special agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). At his arraignment in United States District Court Wednesday afternoon, Brown pleaded not guilty to three counts of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
According to the indictment returned on September 21, Brown used MeWe, an internet-based messaging application, to distribute sexually explicit images of girls in November 2019 and April 2020.
From October 2019 through May 2020, Brown also knowingly possessed a sexually explicit image of a girl who had not yet reached the age of 12, the indictment alleges.
Brown was a Long Beach Police officer for 27 years. He left the force earlier this year after his arrest on state charges of possession and distribution of child pornography. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has dismissed those charges in light of the federal case.
At Wednesday’s arraignment, Brown was released on bond. A trial was scheduled for November 23.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted of all charges, Brown would face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of 80 years in federal prison.
HSI and the Long Beach Police Department investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Susan S. Har of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section and Kathrynne N. Seiden of the General Crimes Section are prosecuting this case.
Former Jackson Public School Band Volunteer Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Jackson man was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison for production of child pornography involving minors he met through volunteering with various Jackson Public School bands, announced Acting 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, Jerrell Lea’Shun Jackson, 34, used his association with the Jackson State University Sonic Boom to entice unsuspecting minors to his apartment and the bus barn for sexually explicit conduct and filming. Jackson preyed on the most vulnerable children by fixing their band instruments, giving them a ride home after band practices and buying them food.
Jackson pled guilty on June 14, 2021 to production of child pornography.
The case was investigated by the Jackson Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office and the Jackson Public School Campus Enforcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Glenda R. Haynes prosecuted 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.
Former Belmont County attorney charged with stealing more than half a million dollars from elderly victim with dementiaRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A federal grand jury has charged a former Belmont County attorney with crimes related to stealing more than half a million dollars from an elderly woman with dementia while acting as the woman’s Power of Attorney.
Mark Alan Thomas, 61, of St. Clairsville, Ohio, is charged with four counts of mail fraud, a federal crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
According to court documents, from 2012 through August 2019, Thomas defrauded a client while serving as her Power of Attorney. It is alleged that Thomas took the victim’s money without her knowledge or permission to use for his own benefit.
The indictment details that Thomas improperly used the victim’s Power of Attorney and his status as a lawyer – even after his law license was revoked in 2015 – to convince various entities, including banks and life insurance companies, to transfer the victim’s money for his use.
In May 2012, a family member of the victim obtained a separate Power of Attorney for the victim, and it is alleged that Thomas drafted a revocation of the family member’s Power of Attorney for the victim to sign. At the time, the victim was 85 years old, exhibiting symptoms of dementia, and living in a senior-care facility. Thomas allegedly acted as the notary to verify the victim’s signature on the revocation.
The indictment further alleges that Thomas falsely told a banker he needed $200,000 from the victim’s investment account to set up an educational fund that the victim wanted to establish. Once he received the money from the bank, Thomas allegedly transferred the money to himself instead.
In January 2014, Thomas allegedly cashed more than $290,000 of the victim’s U.S. Treasury Bonds, then subsequently transferred $200,000 into his law firm’s bank account, and eventually into his own personal bank account.
According to the indictment, in 2016, Thomas wrote letters to three life insurance companies purporting to be the victim asking to cash out the victim’s policies and direct all correspondence to Thomas.
“In total, the charging document alleges Thomas stole more than $500,000 of the victim’s funds while claiming to act in her best interests as Power of Attorney,” Acting U.S. Attorney Vipal J. Patel said.
“Having power of attorney is not a license to steal,” Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said. “I am thankful that investigators with my Health Care Fraud unit and our federal partners were able to expose this alleged abuse of trust.”
Patel, Yost and FBI Special Agent in Charge J. William Rivers announced the charges. The Ohio Attorney General’s Health Care Fraud Unit and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys David J. Twombly and S. Courter Shimeall are representing the United States in this case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Firestone Polymers Agrees to Settle Multiple Environmental Claims at its Louisiana Rubber Manufacturing PlantRead the Press Release
Firestone Polymers LLC (Firestone) has agreed to resolve alleged violations of the Clean Air Act and several other federal and state environmental laws at the company’s synthetic rubber manufacturing facility in Sulfur, Louisiana. The company will also pay a total of $3.35 million in civil penalties.
The settlement requires several actions from Firestone, including meeting emissions limits, operating and maintenance requirements, equipment controls, limiting hazardous air pollutants from facility dryers, conducting inspections of heat exchangers, installing controls and monitors on covered flares, and installing flaring instrumentation and monitoring systems. After being notified of the violations but prior to the consent decree being lodged, Firestone took other compliance measures, including installing and operating a regenerative thermal oxidizer system to receive waste gases from dryers, reducing n-hexane solvent concentrations and inspecting and testing heat exchangers.
The Department of Justice, on behalf of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and co-plaintiff Louisiana Department of Environment Quality (LDEQ), filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana. The complaint alleges that the facility emitted excess amounts of pollutants including nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, and hazardous air pollutants including 1,3-butadiene, n-hexane, styrene, formaldehyde, methanol and others. Additionally, the company allegedly failed to comply with requirements related to equipment such as dryers, cooling towers and flares; leak detection and repair; mechanical integrity; and monitoring and reporting. The complaint also asserts violations of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act; the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act; the Pollution Prevention Act; and Louisiana state air pollution control requirements.
“This settlement will ensure cleaner air for the citizens of Louisiana and the communities near Firestone’s plant,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “It also enforces the company’s obligation to inform local communities of potential chemical hazards to aid state and local efforts to control accidental releases.”
“Businesses such as Firestone Polymers have a sacred obligation to protect Louisiana’s environment and to use our natural resources wisely,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook for the Western District of Louisiana. “This settlement sends a clear message that those who don’t honor this obligation will be held accountable.”
“The Clean Air Act is vital to protecting people’s health, and the Sulfur Firestone facility violated these protections as Louisiana’s highest emitter of three types of hazardous air pollutants,” said Acting Regional Administrator David Gray of the EPA. “EPA’s legal and enforcement team, working with DOJ and LDEQ, held the company accountable for reducing emissions, and won additional benefits for environmental justice communities in Southwest Louisiana with improved air monitoring systems. I congratulate our team for their hard work on behalf of the people of Louisiana.”
“The violations detailed in the complaint represent Firestone’s disregard for the Clean Air Act, which is an underlying authority for environmental regulation in the United States,” said Secretary Dr. Chuck Carr Brown of LDEQ. “LDEQ and our federal partner, EPA, will vigorously pursue any violators of the CAA. These penalties and the beneficial environmental project under the consent decree are the result of our efforts. The beneficial environmental project’s funds will be used to support additional ambient air monitoring in the Westlake and southwest Louisiana areas, which will assist LDEQ’s efforts to improve air quality for these communities.”
As part of the consent decree, Firestone will pay a civil penalty of $2,098,678.50 to the United States and $1,251,321.50 to LDEQ for a total of $3,350,000. Firestone will also complete a Beneficial Environmental Project in Louisiana by funding ambient air monitoring system upgrades in several locations in southwest Louisiana.
The consent decree was lodged with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana and is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval. A copy of the decree will be available on the Department of Justice website at: www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.
Firestone Polymers Agrees to Settle Multiple Environmental Claims at its Louisiana Rubber Manufacturing PlantRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Firestone Polymers LLC (Firestone) has agreed to resolve alleged violations of the Clean Air Act and several other federal and state environmental laws at the company’s synthetic rubber manufacturing facility in Sulfur, Louisiana. The company will also pay a total of $3.35 million in civil penalties.
The settlement requires several actions from Firestone, including meeting emissions limits, operating and maintenance requirements, equipment controls, limiting hazardous air pollutants from facility dryers, conducting inspections of heat exchangers, installing controls and monitors on covered flares, and installing flaring instrumentation and monitoring systems. After being notified of the violations but prior to the consent decree being lodged, Firestone took other compliance measures, including installing and operating a regenerative thermal oxidizer system to receive waste gases from dryers, reducing n-hexane solvent concentrations and inspecting and testing heat exchangers.
The Department of Justice, on behalf of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and co-plaintiff Louisiana Department of Environment Quality (LDEQ), filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana. The complaint alleges that the facility emitted excess amounts of pollutants including nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, and hazardous air pollutants including 1,3-butadiene, n-hexane, styrene, formaldehyde, methanol, and others and failed to comply with requirements related to equipment such as dryers, cooling towers, and flares; leak detection and repair; mechanical integrity; and monitoring and reporting. The complaint also asserts violations of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act; the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act; the Pollution Prevention Act; and Louisiana state air pollution control requirements.
“Businesses such as Firestone Polymers have a sacred obligation to protect Louisiana’s environment and to use our natural resources wisely,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook for the Western District of Louisiana. “This settlement sends a clear message that those who don’t honor this obligation will be held accountable.”
“This settlement will ensure cleaner air for the citizens of Louisiana and the communities near Firestone’s plant,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “It also enforces the company’s obligation to inform local communities of potential chemical hazards to aid state and local efforts to control accidental releases.”
“The Clean Air Act is vital to protecting people’s health, and the Sulfur Firestone facility violated these protections as Louisiana’s highest emitter of three types of hazardous air pollutants,” said Acting Regional Administrator David Gray of the EPA. “EPA’s legal and enforcement team, working with DOJ and LDEQ, held the company accountable for reducing emissions, and won additional benefits for environmental justice communities in Southwest Louisiana with improved air monitoring systems. I congratulate our team for their hard work on behalf of the people of Louisiana.”
“The violations detailed in the complaint represent Firestone’s disregard for the Clean Air Act, which is an underlying authority for environmental regulation in the United States,” said Secretary Dr. Chuck Carr Brown of LDEQ. “LDEQ and our federal partner, EPA, will vigorously pursue any violators of the CAA. These penalties and the beneficial environmental project under the consent decree are the result of our efforts. The beneficial environmental project’s funds will be used to support additional ambient air monitoring in the Westlake and southwest Louisiana areas, which will assist LDEQ’s efforts to improve air quality for these communities.”
As part of the consent decree, Firestone will pay a civil penalty of $2,098,678.50 to the United States and $1,251,321.50 to LDEQ for a total of $3,350,000. Firestone will also complete a Beneficial Environmental Project in Louisiana by funding ambient air monitoring system upgrades in several locations in Southwest Louisiana.
The consent decree was lodged with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana and is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval. A copy of the decree will be available on the Department of Justice website at: www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.
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Federal Judge Sentences West Bank Drug Dealer to 140 Months ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – DAVID TRAN, age 42, of Bridge City, Louisiana, was sentenced on September 29, 2021 by the Honorable Jane Triche Milazzo to 140 months in the Bureau of Prisons for violating the Federal Controlled Substances Act, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to the court records, TRAN pleaded guilty to conspiring with other individuals to manufacture, possess with the intent to distribute, and to distribute 1,000 or more marijuana plants, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, and 100 grams or more of heroin. TRAN also admitted that he possessed large quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine with the intent to distribute them and that he was manufacturing large quantities of marijuana.
The case resulted from a lengthy Title III wire intercept investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration in which TRAN and his co-conspirators were captured discussing heroin sales, as well as the construction of a large indoor marijuana grow in Bridge City. The calls led the DEA agents to conduct a search of a warehouse and adjacent residence in Bridge City. During the search, the agents found a large marijuana grow that contained approximately 700 plants in varying stages of growth and equipment sufficient to grow many thousand more plants. Significant work and expense had been put into remodeling the warehouse, including thousands of dollars in lights, cooling systems, and ventilation. The agents also discovered a safe containing a cornucopia of other drugs, including 1,396.2 grams of methamphetamine; 990 grams of MDMA (ecstasy); and 1,175.9 grams of fentanyl, a highly potent synthetic opioid that is fueling the tremendous rise in overdose deaths.
Judge Milazzo sentenced TRAN to 140 months in the Bureau of Prisons to be followed by five years of supervised release after he is released from imprisonment. TRAN was also ordered to pay a mandatory special assessment of $400.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the New Orleans Police Department, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Several other law enforcement agencies, including Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Kenner Police Department, assisted in the search of the warehouse in Bridge City. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney David Haller.
Federal Grand Jury Returns Superseding Indictment Charging 14 for Their Roles in Methamphetamine Trafficking Organization Operating in Kanawha CountyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston announced that a federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment today charging 14 individuals for their roles in a drug trafficking organization responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine in Kanawha County.
The superseding indictment includes charges against Angie Lane Harbour, 40, of Given, West Virginia. Harbour is charged with conspiracy to distribute a quantity of methamphetamine and aiding and abetting interstate travel in aid of a racketeering enterprises.
Charged along with Angie Lane Harbour in the 15-count indictment are: Ramon David Alston, 41, of Decatur, Georgia; Jonathan Gregory Bush, 38, of Dunbar, West Virginia; Kelly Cordle, 43, of Kimberly, West Virginia; Scott Edward Hudson, 49, and Jason Robert Oxley, 38, of St. Albans, West Virginia; Leo Antoine Smith, of Cross Lanes, West Virginia; and James Edward Bennett III, 30, Treydan Burks, 31, Kaitlyn Brooke Combs, 24, Denise Marie Cottrell, 63, Brittany Frances Gilbert, 33, Brian Dangelo Terry, 36 and Douglas Johnathan Wesley, 32, all of Charleston, West Virginia.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the United States Marshals Service, the Charleston Police Department, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), and the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
Please note: An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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-00172 (Alston, et al.).
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Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys Recognizes Three Members of the U.S. Attorney’s Office/District of New Jersey for Outstanding WorkRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Three members of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of New Jersey, are among those who were honored by the Department of Justice’s 37th Annual Director’s Awards this year, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced today.
Connie Jones won for Superior Performance in a Litigative Support Role, recognized for her outstanding contributions to criminal prosecutions in the District of New Jersey over the past 27 years. Since 2018, when she became a supervisor overseeing half of the Criminal Division’s paralegals, Jones has been integral to the district’s effort to redefine the role of paralegals in criminal matters. She developed standardized operating procedures and protocols to ensure consistency in the preparation of grand jury subpoenas, the maintenance of case files, the organization of evidence, and the management of discovery. Jones helps manage the office’s “Triggerlock” program, ensuring the safety of the community by assisting in the prosecutions that result in the seizure of hundreds of unlawfully possessed firearms.
Ronnell Wilson and Dean Sovolos won for Superior Performance by an AUSA – Criminal. Wilson and Sovolos coordinated and led the response of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey to two tragic incidents of violent extremism that took place in a span of only eight months: the first, the domestic terror attack fueled by anti-Semitism that took place in Jersey City, New Jersey; and the second, the bias-motivated attack on U.S. District Judge Esther Salas and her family. Wilson and Sovolos demonstrated extraordinary skill and professionalism in working tirelessly to investigate these attacks and find answers for the victims and their families. Their work on these investigations was supported by many others in the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
“I am proud to congratulate our office’s three recipients of this year’s Director’s Awards,” Acting U.S. Attorney Honig said. “The recognition of their work in the litigation support and criminal areas reflects not only on their tremendous contributions to protecting the people of New Jersey, but on all of the people in this office. They work every day – under especially trying circumstances during the COVID-19 pandemic – and maintain the highest levels of professionalism and performance. I am grateful to be their colleague.”
The traditional ceremony held in the Great Hall at the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building was again cancelled this year in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys provides oversight, general executive assistance, and direction to the 94 United States Attorneys’ offices around the country. For more information on EOUSA and its mission, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao.
East Stroudsburg Man Sentenced to 68 Months’ Imprisonment for Trafficking in Fentanyl and Cocaine While Serving A Term of Federal Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Grier Woodall, age 43, of East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on September 29, 2021, to 27 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 6-year term of supervised release, by United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion, for fentanyl and cocaine trafficking. Because Woodall engaged in this new criminal conduct while serving a term of federal supervised release, Judge Mannion also sentenced Woodall to a consecutive 41 month term of imprisonment on the supervised release violation, resulting in a total aggregate sentence of 68 months.
According to Acting United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, from approximately January 2019 to September 2019, Woodall possessed with the intent to distribute both fentanyl and cocaine. Woodall engaged in this conduct while he was serving a term of federal supervised released that had been imposed in connection with a prior 2005 140-month sentence for his conviction of conspiracy to distribute cocaine base.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Philadelphia Division and its state and local law enforcement partners in Monroe County, Pennsylvania. Assistant United States Attorney Jeffery St. John prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice 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 enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce crime.
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EDVA Announces Grant Award for Certified Peer Recovery SpecialistsRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – Acting U.S. Attorney Raj Parekh announced today that the Washington/Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) has provided $301,780 in grant funding for Project RECOVER. The funding will provide peer recovery support for Central Virginians suffering with substance use disorders during one of the most critical times in their path to recovery – immediately following an overdose. This support will be provided by Certified Peer Recovery Specialists who work with local emergency services, are in recovery themselves, and have taken training to help others who want to join the same life-saving journey.
“With the help of our partners and through this important initiative, we are focusing on long-term and community-based support through the deployment of recovery-related resources immediately after overdose incidents,” said Raj Parekh, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “By deploying Certified Peer Recovery Specialists who have training and life experience in the treatment and recovery process, we can provide mentors to those in need and allow them to embark on the path to recovery.”
Project RECOVER provides four Certified Peer Recovery Specialists and a supervisory Peer Recovery Specialist to support individuals in Henrico and Chesterfield counties, and in the City of Richmond, suffering with substance use disorders that result in treatment by Emergency Medical Services (EMS) or contact with law enforcement. All too often, once EMS and law enforcement have addressed the immediate trauma of an overdose incident and have left the scene to respond to the next call from the community, the victim is left without sustainable treatment and recovery options. Project RECOVER’s goal is to help fill this gap by providing individuals in need with immediate support from a peer who has overcome similar challenges and has gained real-world knowledge of the ongoing process of treatment and recovery. The grant-funded Peer Recovery Specialists will provide a handbook with resources and help guide the individual through the process of obtaining those resources. They will also provide a continuum of long-term support for the individual as they navigate through treatment and recovery. The Peer Recovery Specialists will also provide education and training to Central Virginia community members, including law enforcement, about how to provide proper support for those suffering with substance use disorders.
Project RECOVER’s partners in this community-based initiative include its sub-grantee, the Substance Abuse and Addiction Recovery Alliance of Virginia (SAARA), Chesterfield County Fire & EMS, Henrico County Fire & EMS, Richmond Ambulance Authority, and the Richmond Police Department. The Certified Peer Recovery Specialists will be embedded within these partner organizations and will respond to overdoses with their partner agencies.
Project RECOVER was developed to address the gap in services described above, as identified by the Central Virginia Overdose Working Group (CVOWG). The CVOWG is comprised of over 330 stakeholders from 14 disciplines. It was created to eliminate the siloed structure of the substance use arena by bringing experts from multiple fields together to discuss issues, identify gaps, and develop solutions to the overdose epidemic in Central Virginia.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Dominican National Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national previously deported pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy.
Jose Perez Felix, a/k/a “Eugenio Piedraita-Rivera,” “Roberto Patricio Ramirez,” “Grande,” 43, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, cocaine, cocaine base, oxycodone and marijuana and one count of distribution of heroin. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for Feb. 8, 2022. Perez Felix was charged in May 2019.
In 2018, federal and state law enforcement agents began investigating a violent Brockton drug crew headed by Djuna Goncalves. The investigation revealed that Goncalves and others distributed large quantities of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, cocaine base and marijuana throughout Southeastern Massachusetts from a base of operations in Brockton. The investigation also identified Perez Felix, a previously deported Dominican national, as a drug supplier to Goncalves and others. Intercepted communications from Perez Felix’s cellphone determined that he distributed large quantities of heroin, fentanyl and cocaine from a base of operations in Boston. On April 9, 2019, agents observed Perez Felix deliver heroin to a customer in Dorchester and subsequently seized 60 grams of a heroin-fentanyl mixture from the buyer. A search of Perez Felix’s residence in May 2019 resulted in the seizure of cell phones, materials commonly used to package drugs for street level sale, digital scales and a bag containing over 60 grams of a heroin-fentanyl mixture.
In all, 17 defendants, including Perez Felix, were indicted as part of a wide-ranging drug trafficking conspiracy reaching from Boston to Brockton to Cape Cod. Of the 17 defendants named in the indictment, nine have been sentenced. Perez Felix is the 14th defendant to plead guilty in the case.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, cocaine, cocaine base, oxycodone, and marijuana provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. The charge of distribution of heroin provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Boston Police Acting Commissioner Gregory Long made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Pohl and Alathea Porter of Mendell’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the case.
The operation was conducted by a multi-agency task force through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply. More information on the OCDETF program is available here: https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf/about-ocdetf.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Department of Justice Files Lawsuit Against Prince George County, Virginia, to Enforce Servicemember’s Employment RightsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it filed a civil complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia against Prince George County, Virginia, and the Virginia Retirement System (VRS) to enforce employment rights guaranteed to a member of the Virginia Army National Guard, Major Mark Gunn, under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA).
In its complaint, the United States alleges that Gunn had been a detective with the Prince George County Police Department for 14 years when, in January 2016, he was called to active duty by the Virginia Army National Guard. The United States further alleges that when Gunn returned from his active-duty service, the County refused to allow Gunn to return to his detective position. Instead, the County demoted him to a Patrol Unit officer position. The United States also alleges that the County denied Gunn employment benefits that he would have accrued during his period of active-duty service, including a bonus awarded to County employees. Finally, the United States alleges that the County’s unlawful actions caused Gunn to leave his employment with the Prince George County Police Department and return to active duty in the Virginia Army National Guard. The complaint seeks to have Gunn effectively reinstated to his prior detective position and to recover employment benefits that the County denied him during his period of active-duty service from 2016 to 2018, as well as the VRS pension credits and benefits that he lost as a result of the County’s USERRA alleged violations.
“Servicemembers who take military leave from their civilian jobs to serve their country are entitled to return to their prior positions without having to sacrifice their hard-earned promotions and employment benefits,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Department of Justice will work tirelessly to enforce federal laws that protect the rights of servicemembers when they are called up to service.”
“It is our profound duty to help protect the brave servicemembers who temporarily leave their civilian employment when called upon to serve our country in times of need,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Raj Parekh for the Eastern District of Virginia. “These courageous Americans make immeasurable personal sacrifices associated with safeguarding the freedoms we enjoy. We will do everything we can to ensure that civilian employers comply with their legal obligation to return these honorable women and men to their previous jobs following their military service.”
USERRA protects the rights of uniformed servicemembers to retain their civilian employment following absences due to military service obligations and provides that servicemembers shall not be discriminated against because of their military obligations. USERRA also requires employers to provide pension benefits when their employees are called to active duty. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and Justice Department gives high priority to the enforcement of servicemembers’ rights under USERRA. Additional information about USERRA can be found on the Justice Department’s websites at www.justice.gov/crt-military/employment-rights-userra and www.justice.gov/servicemembers as well as on the Department of Labor’s (DOL) website at www.dol.gov/vets/programs/userra.
This case stems from a referral by the U.S. Department of Labor, at Major Gunn’s request, after an investigation by that agency’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service. The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Deirdre Brou, Lauren Oberheim, and Robert McIntosh, and as a part of the Servicemember and Veterans’ Initiative within the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Trial Attorney Shan Shah in the Employment Litigation Section of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
Department of Justice Files Lawsuit Against Prince George County, Virginia to Enforce Servicemember’s Employment RightsRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – The Justice Department announced today that it filed a civil complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia against Prince George County, Virginia, and the Virginia Retirement System (VRS) to enforce employment rights guaranteed to a member of the Virginia Army National Guard, Major Mark Gunn, under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA).
“It is our profound duty to help protect the brave servicemembers who temporarily leave their civilian employment when called upon to serve our country in times of need,” said Raj Parekh, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “These courageous Americans make immeasurable personal sacrifices associated with safeguarding the freedoms we enjoy. We will do everything we can to ensure that civilian employers comply with their legal obligation to return these honorable women and men to their previous jobs following their military service.”
“Servicemembers who take military leave from their civilian jobs to serve their country are entitled to return to their prior positions without having to sacrifice their hard earned promotions and employment benefits,” said Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Kristen Clarke. “The Department of Justice will work tirelessly to enforce federal laws that protect the rights of servicemembers when they are called up to service.”
In its complaint, the United States alleges that Gunn had been a detective with the Prince George County Police Department for fourteen years when, in January 2016, he was called to active duty by the Virginia Army National Guard. The United States further alleges that when Gunn returned from his active-duty service, the County refused to allow Gunn to return to his detective position Instead, the County assigned him back to a Patrol Unit officer position. The United States also alleges that the County denied Gunn employment benefits that he would have accrued during his period of active-duty service, including a bonus awarded to County employees. Finally, the United States alleges that the County’s unlawful actions caused Gunn to leave his employment with the Prince George County Police Department and return to active duty in the Virginia Army National Guard. The complaint seeks to have Gunn effectively reinstated to his prior detective position and to recover employment benefits that the County denied him during his period of active-duty service from 2016 to 2018, as well as the VRS pension credits and benefits that he lost as a result of the County’s USERRA alleged violations.
USERRA protects the rights of uniformed servicemembers to retain their civilian employment following absences due to military service obligations and provides that servicemembers shall not be discriminated against because of their military obligations. USERRA also requires employers to provide pension benefits when their employees are called to active duty. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and Justice Department gives high priority to the enforcement of servicemembers’ rights under USERRA. Additional information about USERRA can be found on the Justice Department’s websites at www.justice.gov/crt-military/employment-rights-userra and www.justice.gov/servicemembers as well as on the Department of Labor’s (DOL) website at www.dol.gov/vets/programs/userra.
This case stems from a referral by the U.S. Department of Labor, at Major Gunn’s request, after an investigation by that agency’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service. The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Deirdre Brou, Lauren Oberheim, and Robert McIntosh, and as a part of the Servicemember and Veterans’ Initiative within the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Trial Attorney Shan Shah in the Employment Litigation Section of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
Related court documents and information from the civil lawsuit are on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:21-cv-631.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
The civil claims asserted in the complaint are allegations only; there has been no determination of civil liability.
Department of Justice Announces DEA Seizures of Historic Amounts of Deadly Fentanyl-Laced Fake Pills in Public Safety Surge to Protect U.S. CommunitiesRead the Press Release
Today, at a press conference, Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco and DEA Administrator Anne Milgram announced a significant law enforcement surge to protect American communities from the flood of fentanyl and fentanyl-laced pills across the United States. Illicit fentanyl, a synthetic opioid found in most of the fake pills that were seized, is the primary driver of the recent increase in U.S. overdose deaths.
“Opioids were responsible for nearly three quarters of the more than 93,000 fatal drug overdoses in the United States in 2020,” said Deputy Attorney General Monaco. “The pervasiveness of these illicit drugs, and the fatal overdoses that too often result, is a problem that cuts across America from small towns to big cities and everything in between. One pill can kill. The department will continue to use all of the resources at its disposal to save lives, complementing strong enforcement efforts with public awareness and outreach campaigns, as well.”
“During the past eight weeks, DEA has targeted the criminal drug networks flooding the U.S. with deadly, fentanyl-laced fake pills,” said DEA Administrator Milgram. “DEA remains steadfast in its commitment reduce drug-related violence and overdose deaths by dismantling the violent, criminal drug distribution networks across the United States. The fentanyl-laced fake pills seized by DEA could potentially kill more than 700,000 Americans. I urge the American public today to talk to their loved ones about the threats and dangers of fake pills and the simple fact that one pill can kill.”
Mexican criminal drug networks are mass-producing illicit fentanyl and fentanyl-laced fake pills, using chemicals sourced largely from China, and are distributing these pills through U.S. criminal networks. These fake pills are designed to appear nearly identical to legitimate prescriptions such as Oxycontin®, Percocet®, Vicodin®, Adderall®, Xanax® and other medicines. Criminal drug networks are selling these pills through social media, e-commerce, the dark web and existing distribution networks. As a result, these fake pills are widely available. The Department of Justice will continue to collaborate closely with its international partners, within Mexico and around the world, to aggressively investigate and prosecute the members of these drug networks.
These fake pills are more lethal than ever. DEA laboratory testing reveals that today, four out of 10 fentanyl-laced fake pills contain a potentially lethal dose. Moreover, the number of fake pills containing fentanyl has jumped nearly 430% since 2019.
On Aug. 3, DEA launched a nationwide law enforcement effort to address the alarming increase in the availability and lethality of fentanyl-laced fake pills. Fentanyl — in powder and pill form — is a significant U.S. public health threat that is killing tens of thousands of Americans. Over the past two months, working in concert with federal, state and local law enforcement partners, DEA seized 1.8 million fentanyl-laced fake pills and arrested 810 drug traffickers in cities, suburbs and rural communities spanning the United States. The amount of deadly fentanyl-laced fake pills seized by DEA since Aug. 3 is enough to kill more than 700,000 Americans. These recent seizures add to the more than 9.5 million potentially deadly fake pills that DEA seized in the past year, which is more than the last two years combined.
During the two-month law enforcement surge targeting fake pills, DEA also seized 712 kilograms of fentanyl powder: enough to make tens of millions of lethal pills. DEA seized 158 weapons and many of the enforcement actions are tied to violence and overdose deaths. Additionally, DEA seized 4,011 kilograms of methamphetamine and 653 kilograms of cocaine.
DEA issued a Public Safety Alert on Monday, Sept. 27, warning the American public about the increasing availability of fake pills that are more deadly than ever before, and that are easy to purchase, widely available, and often contain deadly doses of fentanyl. DEA also launched the One Pill Can Kill campaign to inform the American public of the dangers of fake prescription pills. The only safe medications are ones prescribed by a trusted medical professional and dispensed by a licensed pharmacist. Any pills that do not meet this standard are unsafe and potentially deadly.
For more information, visit DEA.Gov/onepill.
Dedham Man Sentenced for Conspiring to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine—A Dedham man was sentenced today in federal court for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Brian Saunders, 39, to 155 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Saunders pleaded guilty in December 2020.
According to court records, between approximately July 2018 and May 2019, members of the conspiracy obtained methamphetamine in western and southern states from sources in Mexico. Saunders and his co-conspirators then distributed the drugs in Aroostook County and other parts of central and northern Maine.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated this case with the assistance of multiple state and local law enforcement agencies.
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.
Danvers Man Charged with Transfer of Obscene Matter to a Minor and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. –Alexander B. Smith, 22, of Danvers, Ill., was indicted on September 21, 2021, for allegedly transferring obscene matter to a minor and possessing child pornography in March 2021.
The indictment alleges that Smith used the social media platform Instagram to share pornographic communications with a minor.
Smith is currently in the custody of the United States Marshal Service.
If convicted, the maximum statutory penalties for the alleged crimes charged are 20 years imprisonment.
These charges are a result of an investigation by the Bloomington Police Department and the Illinois State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Hollingshead-Cook is representing the government in the prosecution.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
The case against Smith was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), to marshal federal, state, and local resources to 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
Covington Man Sentenced to 240 Months Imprisonment After Pleading Guilty to Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that BRANDON WARD, age 34, a resident of Covington, Louisiana, was sentenced to 240 months imprisonment by United States District Judge Eldon E. Fallon after previously pleading guilty to a one-count Indictment charging him with distribution of images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of children, including children as young as less than one (1) year old, in violation of 18 U.S.C. ' 2252(a)(2). Judge Fallon also sentenced WARD to five (5) years of supervised release after his term of imprisonment and pay a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. WARD will also be required to register as a sex offender. Judge Fallon scheduled a restitution hearing for December 16, 2021.
According to court documents, in about October 2019, a special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation operating in an undercover capacity accessed a chat room within an instant messaging mobile application known to be a haven for purveyors of digital files depicting the sexual victimization of children. Between September 29, 2019, and October 13, 2019, an individual subsequently determined to be WARD posted over two dozen links to online file storage service accounts. Each link contained hundreds of videos depicting pre-pubescent children engaging in sexually explicit conduct with adults. In total, WARD uploaded at least 47,000 files to the accounts. For example, on October 31, 2019, a special agent with the FBI reviewed the contents of one of WARD’s accounts, and it contained approximately 151 files, all of which depicted the sexual victimization of children as young as less than one year old.
Additionally, a second FBI special agent acting in an undercover capacity participated in direct communication with WARD via Skype, phone, and text message. In the conversations, WARD claimed he had been in contact with an 8-year-old female (Minor 1) who had a crush on him. WARD sent non-sexually explicit pictures he took of Minor 1 to the undercover agent. WARD also instructed the undercover agent, who claimed to be babysitting a six-year-old female, to engage in sexually explicit conduct with the child while WARD watched via Skype.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States 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.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg is in charge of the prosecution.
Court Orders USDA-Licensed Breeder to Provide Immediate Care to Dogs Found to Be in Serious DangerRead the Press Release
A federal court on Sept. 28, issued a temporary restraining order against Daniel Gingerich, an Iowa dog breeder, based on claims that he is placing the health of hundreds of dogs in “serious danger” in violation of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA).
U.S. District Court Judge Stephanie M. Rose granted the relief requested by the Justice Department and ordered Gingerich, and any of his business associates and employees, to identify all locations of dogs intended for breeding or sale, have a licensed veterinarian complete a physical examination “from head to tail” of every dog, and timely provide the veterinary records of those examinations and any other veterinary care to the Department of Justice. Additionally, Gingerich must immediately cease from breeding, euthanizing or otherwise disposing of any dogs without the consent of the Department of Justice or a court order.
The Department of Justice filed a complaint for injunctive relief in the Southern District of Iowa on Sept. 28, along with a motion for temporary restraining order, alleging that Gingerich is failing to provide the dogs with adequate veterinary care, nutritious food in a sufficient quantity, potable water and housing that is both safe and sanitary. According to the complaint, Gingerich is evading federal oversight by denying U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) inspectors’ access to breeding locations and hiding dogs from inspection. On one occasion, APHIS inspectors discovered hidden in a horse barn a number of live dogs running around two dead dogs. The dogs at Gingerich’s facilities also were being fed moldy and contaminated food and lacked access to potable water. In addition, multiple litters of puppies were not being properly vaccinated against distemper and parvovirus, resulting in multiple disease outbreaks.
“This case shows that there will be consequences for breeders who violate the obligations of their breeding license and endanger the lives and health of the animals in their care,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “The Animal Welfare Act exists to protect these animals, and the Department of Justice will vigorously enforce this law and hold to account those who violate it.”
“This action demonstrates the shared commitment of the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to use all available tools to ensure the effective and expeditious enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act,” said General Counsel Janie Simms Hipp of the USDA.
Gingerich has been licensed as a dog breeder since October 2019. In the last six months alone, he has amassed at least 100 violations of the Animal Welfare Act at approved and unapproved facilities in Iowa. During one recent inspection, APHIS inspectors observed a severely emaciated golden retriever, several dogs with untreated and painful eye conditions, and a non-responsive puppy that died moments later.
In September, the USDA determined that Gingerich is placing the health of the dogs in serious danger, in violation of the Animal Welfare Act, and its regulations and standards. The court agreed with the government’s assessment, describing the medical care the dogs receive as “shockingly inadequate” and the food and water at the facilities as “no better.” The court also held that once the United States makes a proper showing that the animals are in serious danger, injunctive relief is mandated by AWA.
Senior Trial Attorney Mary Hollingsworth and Trial Attorney Shampa A. Panda of the Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division are handling this case. They are assisted by the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa. This case is being investigated by USDA’s APHIS.
Council Bluffs Man Sentenced for MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that Joshua M. Chafa, 29, of Council Bluffs, Iowa, was sentenced on September 29, 2021, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of Methamphetamine and for being a felon in possession of ammunition. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Chafa to 60 months’ imprisonment on both counts to run concurrently. After Chafa’s release from prison, he will begin a four-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
On July 28, 2020 Omaha Police officers noticed Chafa in a vehicle on North 30th Street that had been reported as stolen. Chafa was arrested and found in possession of Winchester ammunition. During a vehicle search officers found a small silver chest containing dozens of small Ziploc bags, a digital scale, pipes, 5 grams of actual methamphetamine, and more ammunition. ATF agents determined that the Winchester rounds had moved in interstate commerce. Chafa admitted to possessing the methamphetamine and that he had recently served an eight-year prison sentence. Chafa was convicted previously in the District Court of Pottawattamie County, Iowa for second degree theft on March 29, 2012.
This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department and was 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. The Department of Justice 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.
Corrupt Department Head at Walter Reed Sentenced to Federal Prison for Accepting Cash, Event Tickets, and Other Gratuities from a Maryland Company That Received More Than $25 Million in Government BusinessRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang sentenced David Laufer, age 64, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, formerly of Bethesda, Maryland, today to eight months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, four months of which is to be served in home confinement, for acceptance of gratuities by a public official. Judge Chuang also ordered Laufer, the former Chief of the Prosthetics and Orthotics Department at Walter Reed Medical Center, to pay restitution in the amount of $7,890.62.
The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dillard of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service; Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon, Office of Investigations, Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services; and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.
According to his plea agreement, from 2009 until May 2019, Laufer worked as the Chief of the Prosthetics and Orthotics Department at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, the largest joint military medical center in the United States. Walter Reed is located in Bethesda and provides medical services, including orthotic and prosthetic services to U.S. service members and their dependents, including wounded soldiers. Bruce Thomas lived in Montgomery County and owned, operated, and controlled Pinnacle Orthopedic Services (Pinnacle), located in Germantown, Maryland. Pinnacle provided prosthetics and orthotics materials to Walter Reed in return for payments from the government.
“David Laufer accepted thousands of dollars in cash and other gifts from a company to which he steered government business worth millions in taxpayer funds,” said Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner. “Laufer’s illegal acts not only unfairly helped Pinnacle Orthopedic Services, his actions also hurt other businesses and caused the U.S. government to pay more for goods and services than it should have. We are committed to holding accountable public officials like David Laufer who undermine the market and abuse their positions in government to benefit themselves at the expense of the taxpayers.”
“Attempting to defraud the government is a losing proposition,” said Frank Robey, director of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division's Major Procurement Fraud Unit. “This sentencing is yet another example of the great cooperation among federal law enforcement agencies to put a stop to fraud within the contracting community.”
As detailed in the plea agreement, from 2010 until May 2019, the Walter Reed Prosthetics and Orthotics department used Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs) to order and purchase prosthetics and orthotics materials. This allowed the department to obligate funds to purchase materials that employees could order without charging a credit card each time or engaging in a formal contract for each purchase. Thomas regularly interacted with Laufer about Pinnacle’s business with Walter Reed, including the award of BPAs, future BPA funding, orders charged against the BPAs, and fulfillment of orders. Walter Reed awarded multiple BPAs to Pinnacle, which the Prosthetics and Orthotics department used to order and purchase prosthetics and orthotics materials from Pinnacle.
According to court documents, between 2012 and 2016, Laufer and his wife received things of value, that is the airlines travel, lodging and entertainment tickets, as well as direct cash payments, for and because of Laufer’s official acts as the Chief of the Prosthetics and Orthotics department and Laufer’s official acts in connection with the purchase of prosthetics and orthotics materials from Pinnacle. Laufer admitted that he undertook official acts in connection with the gratuities, including seeking renewal of BPAs with Pinnacle, sending multiple purchase requests obligating millions of dollars to Pinnacle for prosthetics and orthotics materials, and causing the repeated ordering of supplies from Pinnacle.
Laufer admitted that he restricted the availability of BPAs to some of the manufacturers and distributors from whom Pinnacle purchased products, thereby inhibiting those companies from doing business directly with Walter Reed, and actively encouraged and directed those companies to sell to Walter Reed through Pinnacle, knowing that it would result in a higher price to the government. At the same time that he was funneling business through Pinnacle, Laufer was personally involved in ordering materials and causing materials to be ordered from Pinnacle, as well as taking official acts that impacted Pinnacle.
According to the plea agreement, Laufer’s job required him to complete annual Confidential Financial Disclosure forms which required him to report: all sources of outside income greater than $200; any business outside the U.S. Government in which Laufer or his spouse was an employee or consultant, whether or not compensated; any agreements or arrangements concerning past, current, and future employment; and travel-related reimbursement or other gifts totaling more than $350 from any one source during the reporting period. Laufer’s financial disclosure filings from 2014 to 2019 failed to disclose the financial benefits received from Pinnacle.
Furthermore, when interviewed by federal agents as part of a corruption investigation at Walter Reed, Laufer denied receiving any financial benefits from Pinnacle. Laufer also was interviewed by federal agents several times between 2017 and 2019 concerning unexplained cash deposits. On each occasion, Laufer lied to the agents, initially stating that he earned extra money from the purchase and sale of bicycles and small collectibles at swap meets, then falsely stating that he earned cash by working for Person C and Company C, and finally stating that the unexplained cash came from moonshine and liquor sales.
On September 9, 2021, Judge Chuang sentenced Thomas, to eight months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, with four months of that to be served in home confinement, for paying gratuities to a public official in exchange for official acts. Judge Chuang also ordered Thomas to pay a fine of $50,0000 and forfeit and pay restitution in the amount of $27,890.62.
In a related case, another employee of the Walter Reed Prosthetics and Orthotics Department, Timothy Hamilton, age 60, of Columbia, Maryland, is expected to be sentenced in November 2021. Hamilton previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and to acts affecting a financial interest. Hamilton admitted that beginning in 2009, he allowed Person A to use his orthotist certification for Person A’s business, Company A. Hamilton was aware that Company A used his certification to obtain national accreditation and as part of its documentation for Medicare credentialing, which allowed Company A to bill insurers for medical treatment that required the involvement of a certified orthotist, even though Hamilton was not providing those services in the vast majority of cases. Hamilton admitted that he received monthly financial payments from Company A from 2009 until October 2015, totaling more than $45,000. From 2011 to 2015, Company A used Hamilton’s credentials to submit more than 225 fraudulent insurance claims of more than $150,000.
Further, Hamilton admitted receiving more than $15,000 in gift cards, checks, and other benefits such as tickets and lodging, from Bruce Thomas and Pinnacle. During the time that Hamilton was receiving payments from Company A and Pinnacle, Hamilton ordered products on behalf of Walter Reed from both companies.
Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the DCIS, HHS OIG, and the FBI for their work in the investigation and thanked the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Major Procurement Fraud Unit, the Office of Personnel Management Office of Inspector General, DOD Cyber Crimes Center Defense Cyber Forensics Laboratory, and the Defense Contract Audit Agency for their assistance. Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Harry M. Gruber and Dana Brusca, who are prosecuting the case.
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Columbus Woman Sentenced to 72 Months for Role in Murder-For-Hire PlotRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Kelly Harper, 38, Columbus, Wisconsin was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 72 months in federal prison for using the Internet with the intent that the murder of a known individual be committed in exchange for bitcoin. Harper pleaded guilty to this charge on June 24, 2021.
On January 12, 2021, a group of journalists informed a known victim (KV) they were investigating murder-for-hire sites on the dark web, and that they uncovered information showing someone wanted KV killed. In addition, the journalist provided KV with copies of chat messages between an unknown subject (UNSUB) and the murder-for-hire website administrator. In these chats, UNSUB gave the administrator detailed information about KV, including KV’s photograph, place of employment, and vehicle description. UNSUB also directed the administrator to kill KV. KV notified law enforcement and provided copies of the chat messages to the FBI.
During its review of these messages, the FBI determined UNSUB also paid bitcoin to a second murder-for-hire website with the intention of having KV killed. An analyst from the FBI’s Money Laundering, Forfeiture, and Bank Fraud Unit tracked this bitcoin transfer and identified UNSUB as Kelly Harper.
Agents from the FBI’s Milwaukee Field Office executed a search warrant at Harper’s residence and found screenshots from a murder-for-hire dark website, as well as one of the pictures Harper sent to the murder-for-hire website administrator. Agents also interviewed Harper, who admitted to paying bitcoin to the murder-for-hire website administrator in order to have KV killed.
The charge against Harper was the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Dane County Sheriff’s Office, and Sun Prairie Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chadwick M. Elgersma prosecuted this case.
Colombian Dentist Sentenced for Fraud and Misuse of A VisaRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – U.S. District Court Judge Aida Delgado sentenced Juan Carlos Pérez-Camacho to three years’ probation for fraud and misuse of a visa in relation with a I-130, Petition for Relative Alien application, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.
According to the facts admitted during the change of plea hearing, Pérez-Camacho was a national of Colombia who had been practicing dentistry without a license in Puerto Rico since 2018. Customs and Border Protection records showed that the defendant had been continuously entering and exiting the United States as a B1/B2 visa holder, for either business or tourism purposes, since as early as 2015. On May 23, 2019, the defendant knowingly made a false statement under oath with respect to a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services application form. He stated that he had never worked in the United States without authorization and that he never violated the terms or conditions of his non-immigration status. Pérez-Camacho knew his answers were false since he had worked in 2018 and 2019 in Puerto Rico without authorization in an unlicensed dental practice.
“We are seeing an upward trend of foreign persons traveling to PR to illegally practice medicine and dentistry, and we need to be aware of these doctors and urge the community not to give them the opportunity to practice illegally in PR,” said U.S. Attorney Muldrow. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect the public from misbranded products, and to ensure that doctors are practicing medicine legally.”
“The Diplomatic Security Service is firmly committed to working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to investigate visa fraud, especially when the health and safety our citizens are unnecessarily placed at risk,” said Walter Rios, the newly appointed Resident Agent-In-Charge of the DSS San Juan Resident Office. “Traveling to the U.S. with the purpose of illegally practicing medical professions is a growing trend and a very serious matter that DSS is addressing with the help and support of our interagency partners”.
“American patients rely on the FDA to ensure that their prescription drugs and devices are safe and effective,” said Special Agent in Charge Justin C. Fiedler, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Miami Field Office. “We will continue to investigate and bring to justice those who threaten the health of consumers by evading FDA requirements.”
“HSI San Juan is committed to protecting the well-being of our citizens. Today’s conviction highlights our dedication to work closely with our federal and local partners to bring violators to justice and guarantee public safety,” said Ivan Arvelo, Special Agent in Charge, HSI San Juan.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service, U.S. Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations, and the Department of Homeland Security. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney José Ruiz Santiago.
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Co-defendants Sentenced to Federal Prison Resulting from Eisenhower Parkway Corridor Drug Trafficking InvestigationRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – Four co-defendants found guilty on various methamphetamine distribution charges were sentenced to prison this week as a result of an investigation centered on drug trafficking in and around motels located in the Eisenhower Parkway corridor of Macon, Georgia. As a result of the full investigation into this methamphetamine trafficking organization, agents seized approximately 2.5 kilograms of methamphetamine.
Cartney Pitts aka Blue, 37, of Macon, was sentenced to serve 200 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; Shauna Bush aka Brittany, 26, of Macon, was sentenced to serve 121 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to distribution of methamphetamine; Stephanie Davis, 32, of Macon, was sentenced to serve 100 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; and Lori Harrell, 34, of Macon, was sentenced to serve 80 months in prison to run consecutively to sentences imposed in two Bibb County, Georgia, Superior Court cases plus three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
“The federal penalty is steep for individuals—especially repeat offenders—who traffic large quantities of methamphetamine in the Middle District of Georgia,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Preventing the flow of methamphetamine into our region and holding high-volume drug traffickers accountable for their crimes is a priority for our law enforcement partners, who are working around the clock to protect citizens.”
“The sentencing of these four co-defendants removes them from the streets of the Macon community thereby reducing the threat of violence and destruction their drug trafficking posed,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI will continue to work with our federal, state and local partners to protect our citizens from such predators.”
The following co-defendants been convicted and have been sentenced for their crimes or are awaiting sentencing in this case:
Robert Lee Whisby, Jr. aka Lil Pumpkin, 46, of Macon and Stone Mountain, Georgia, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to serve 240 months in prison;
Rodney Morris, Sr., 46, of Macon, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to serve 200 months in prison;
Joshua Barham aka Gambino, 32, of Macon, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to serve 175 months in prison;
Kyra Williams aka K-Boo, 29, of Macon, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to serve 100 months in prison;
Albruce Green aka B, 41, of Macon, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to serve to 60 months imprisonment, to run consecutively to the sentence imposed in an unrelated case;
Theon Robinson, 40, of Macon and Sarasota, Florida, pleaded guilty to use of communication facility in causing or facilitating the commission of felonies under the controlled substances act and was sentenced to serve 46 months in prison;
Melvin Cason, 32, of Macon, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to serve three years of probation;
Roderick Chester, 34, of Macon, was convicted by a federal jury following a three-day trial on Wednesday, Aug. 25, of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Chester is facing a mandatory minimum of ten years up to a maximum of life in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 30;
Keyundre Stafford aka Dre, 26, of Macon, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and use of communication facility in causing or facilitating the commission of felonies under the controlled substances act and for the gun charge is facing a minimum of five years, up to life imprisonment, consecutive to any other sentence and a maximum of four years in prison for the use of communication facility charge. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 3;
Troy Faulks, 49, of Macon, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and is facing a maximum of 20 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 30;
Carlos Brown aka Lo, 32, of Macon, pleaded guilty to distribution of methamphetamine and is facing a maximum of 20 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 30;
Morley Culver , 44, of Macon, pleaded guilty to two counts use of communication facility in causing or facilitating the commission of felonies under the controlled substances act and is facing a maximum four years in prison per count. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 3;
Tamara Fryer, 34, of Macon, pleaded guilty to use of communication facility in causing or facilitating the commission of felonies under the controlled substances act and is facing a maximum of four years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 3;
Milton Hill, 38, of Macon, pleaded guilty to use of communication facility in causing or facilitating the commission of felonies under the controlled substances act and is facing a maximum of four years in prison. A sentencing date has not been scheduled; and,
Ray Kendrick aka Unk, 63, of Macon, pleaded guilty to use of communication facility in causing or facilitating the commission of felonies under the controlled substances act and is facing a maximum of four years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 3.
U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell is presiding over the sentencing hearings.
The case was investigated by FBI and the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shanelle Booker, Beth Howard and Will Keyes are prosecuting the case.
Cleveland Man Sentenced to 57 Months After Conviction of Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Acting U.S. Attorney Bridget M. Brennan announced that Darryl Borden, 43, of Cleveland, was sentenced today by Judge Patricia A. Gaughan to 57 months imprisonment after Borden pleaded guilty in May of 2021 to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court records, on July 20, 2020, Cleveland Police Officers responded to a residence after a woman called police, stating that Borden was threatening her with a gun. Officers met the woman outside of the home and were told that Borden was upstairs with a firearm.
Officers entered the residence, announced themselves as police officers, and attempted to search a bathroom. The officers encountered Borden waiting in the bathroom with a weapon drawn and pointed. Borden fired his weapon, and one officer returned fire. One police officer was injured during the gunfire exchange.
Cleveland Police SWAT responded to the scene for a barricaded suspect, and Borden was taken into custody. A handgun with five spent rounds and one live round was recovered from inside the bathroom.
Borden is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to previous convictions for robbery, burglary and sexual battery in the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court.
Borden’s sentence will run consecutively with his sentence in the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court.
This case was investigated by the ATF and the Cleveland Division of Police. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Zarzycki.
Chillicothe Man Sentenced to 20 years in Prison for Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Peoria, Ill. – A Chillicothe, Ill., man, Jayson McNulty, 44, of the 300 block of South Ridgewood has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
At McNulty’s sentencing hearing, U.S. District Court Judge Joe Billy McDade found that McNulty had trafficked over 4.5 kilograms of ice methamphetamine from approximately April 2018 through his arrest in December 2019. Court documents reveal that McNulty was receiving large amounts of methamphetamine through the U.S. Postal Service. One of the packages sent to McNulty was intercepted by law enforcement and contained approximately 1 pound of ice methamphetamine. The ice methamphetamine mailed to McNulty was determined to have at least 96% purity levels.
During sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge Joe Billy McDade noted that McNulty was one of the biggest meth dealers in the area. Judge McDade also noted McNulty had a troubled childhood and a lengthy criminal history. Court records reveal McNulty had previously been convicted in 2006 of possession of anhydrous ammonia with the intent to manufacture in Logan County, Ill. and was sentenced to impact incarceration through Illinois Department of Corrections.
McNulty pleaded guilty on April 7, 2021, and he has been in the custody of the U.S. Marshals since his arrest in December 2019.
“This sentence serves as an excellent example of collaboration between federal, state, and local law enforcement to jointly combat the heightened threat of high-purity methamphetamine in our communities,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Douglas J. Quivey. “Sentences like this serve as a reminder to all drug dealers that we remain dedicated to disrupting illegal drug trafficking, committed using the mail or otherwise, and that the price to pay is simply not worth it.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case with assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Pekin Police Department, Peoria Multi-County Enforcement Group (P-MEG), and Chillicothe Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Darilynn J. Knauss and Katherine G. Legge represented the government in the prosecution.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF)’s National Methamphetamine Strategic Initiative, spearheaded locally out of the Pekin Police Department. The primary goal of this initiative is to address methamphetamine trafficking and its attendant consequences by using a coordinated, multi-agency approach targeting the highest levels of drug trafficking leadership. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Child Sex Trafficker Sentenced to Serve Three Decades in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – Earlier this week, GERMAINE COULTER, SR., 48, of Oklahoma City, was sentenced to serve 30 years in federal prison for child sex trafficking and conspiracy to commit child sex trafficking, announced Robert J. Troester, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma. Elizabeth Andrade, 39, of Edmond, was previously sentenced to serve 78 months in federal prison for her role in the sex trafficking conspiracy.
"In addition to recruiting young girls to exploit them to engage in commercial sex work, the defendants coached the girls on how to perform sex acts and made threats of violence to control them," said Acting U.S. Attorney Troester. "It is impossible to restore the innocence that was so callously stolen away from these young and vulnerable victims. Our hope is that this 30-year prison sentence will ensure that Mr. Coulter will never be able to exploit another child and will bring some solace to the victims in their recovery. I commend the FBI and Oklahoma City Police Department who diligently investigated this case, the Oklahoma County District Attorney’s Office who provided valuable assistance, and the prosecutors who held these defendants accountable."
"Crimes against children are some of the most reprehensible acts that law enforcement is determined to prevent and punish once they occur. The FBI and our law enforcement partners work together to identify and rescue victims as well as bring their exploiters to justice," said Melissa Godbold, FBI Special Agent in Charge of the Oklahoma City Field Office. "It is because of this partnership that Mr. Coulter is now facing a lengthy sentence for his crimes. Today’s sentence takes a dangerous man off the street, and will hopefully bring a measure of closure and comfort to those he victimized."
On November 13, 2018, a grand jury returned a three-count superseding indictment against Coulter, a/k/a "Slim." Count One charged him with a child-sex-trafficking conspiracy in which he recruited and attempted to recruit three girls—aged 15 and 17—to provide them to men for commercial sex. Counts Two and Three charged him with substantive offenses of trafficking girls identified as Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 3.
At a jury trial in July 2019, a federal jury heard testimony that in January and February 2018, Coulter recruited three girls under 18 to perform commercial sex work. Coulter told one girl she needed to make $1,000 per day, all of which would go to him, and, if she was successful, he would buy her a car, get her an apartment, and get her business cards after she turned 18. He directed his victims to call him “Daddy.” The jury also heard evidence that Coulter used violence and direct and indirect threats of violence to control the girls. Working with co-conspirator Elizabeth Andrade, he sent photos of one underage girl to prospective customers. The jury heard that Andrade began taking one of the girls with her on commercial sex appointments, where the girl performed sex acts for money. Between January 27, 2018, and February 19, 2018, Coulter and Andrade trained and directed the girl how to interact and perform sex acts with customers and how to convince her mother to let her stay with them. The jury convicted Coulter on Counts One and Two. It was unable to reach a unanimous verdict on Count Three.
In July 2018, Andrade, a/k/a "Beth," "Bobbi Monroe," "Tiffany," and "Porsche," pleaded guilty to a one-count superseding information that charged conspiracy to commit child sex trafficking. In December 2019, Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy D. DeGiusti sentenced Andrade to serve 78 months in federal prison for her role in the conspiracy.
On September 28, 2021, Judge DeGiusti sentenced Coulter to serve 30 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release on each count of conviction. The sentence consists of 360 months as to Count 1 and 360 months as to Count 2, to be served concurrently. In imposing the sentence, Judge DeGiusti noted that nature and circumstances of the sex trafficking conspiracy, the need to adequately deter related conduct, and the need to protect the public from further crimes of Coulter. Coulter has been in custody since March 8, 2018.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Oklahoma City Field Office and the Oklahoma City Police Department, with assistance from the Oklahoma County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys K. McKenzie Anderson and Jessica Perry are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section of the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Reference is made to court filings for further information.
Chicago Man Charged in Federal Court with Engaging in Unauthorized Trading That Caused $30 Million in LossesRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A Chicago trader was charged today with securities fraud for allegedly engaging in unauthorized speculative bond trading that cost his employer and others more than $30 million.
KEITH WAKEFIELD, 48, of Chicago, was charged in a criminal information with one count of securities fraud. The charge is punishable by a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. Arraignment in U.S. District Court in Chicago has not yet been set.
The charge was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney John D. Mitchell.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which filed a civil enforcement lawsuit against Wakefield, provided valuable assistance.
According to the charge, Wakefield worked as the head of fixed income trading in the Chicago office of a broker-dealer. From 2017 to 2019, Wakefield knowingly and fraudulently engaged in unauthorized speculative trading in U.S. Treasury bonds using his employer’s trading accounts, causing more than $30 million in losses to the employer and its counterparties, the information states. Wakefield attempted to conceal the unauthorized trades and losses by entering fake off-setting trades into a clearing broker’s order system, creating the false impression that he had profitably traded through a different clearing broker, the charge alleges.
In addition to the trading scheme, Wakefield allegedly embezzled approximately $820,000 from the employer by falsifying the company’s books and records to create fake commissions that Wakefield knew were not actually owed to him.
The public is reminded that an information is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
Charleston Woman Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston woman was sentenced yesterday to 12 months in prison for distribution of heroin and fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Drema Setliff, 37, sold a fentanyl and heroin mixture to an individual in South Charleston on December 10, 2017, which resulted in the individual dying from a drug overdose.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT) and the Charleston Police Department.
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr., imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Monica Coleman handled the prosecution.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-00077.
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Cattle Broker Sentenced to Prison for Wire Fraud, Ordered to Pay $2.1 Million in RestitutionRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A Georgia cattle broker was sentenced to prison and was ordered to pay millions in restitution after he pleaded guilty to wire fraud in a scheme defrauding an investor of $2.1 million.
Collis Robert Todd, aka C. Robert Todd, aka Collis Todd, aka Robert Todd, aka Robert C. Todd, 65, of Jesup, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 33 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell on Wednesday, Sept. 29, after previously pleading guilty to wire fraud. In addition, Todd was ordered to pay $2,137,000 in restitution to the victim. There is no parole in the federal system.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office will always seek to hold investment predators accountable for their criminal actions, ” said Acting U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners are doing everything in our power to protect individuals and businesses from fraud and harm.”
“Todd is paying the price for deceiving an investor into believing his money would make legitimate profits instead of going directly into Todd’s pockets,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “It is a warning to investors to be very careful where they entrust their money and a warning to investment predators that the FBI is committed to uncovering fraud no matter how clever they think their schemes are.”
Todd worked as a cattle and corn broker from 2008 through 2017. During that time, Todd entered into an agreement with an investor who supplied the money used to execute deals negotiated and conducted by Todd. The general understanding was that profits would be split evenly. Todd did not invest the money as promised in certain deals, instead using it for his own purposes. Todd sometimes sent money back to the investor representing the amount to be profit, which was not true. This was done to disguise Todd’s theft and to keep the investor investing in current and future deals. Todd’s deceit continued when he made a phone call on Nov. 6, 2016, to the investor’s business manager, claiming he would sell cows and calves he previously purchased on behalf of the investor, with the investor’s money, as part of the “Big Cow” deal and transmit the proceeds to the investor. In fact, the cows and calves did not exist. The investor lost $2,137,000 in the scheme.
The case was investigated by the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul McCommon prosecuted the case.
Butte meth trafficker sentenced to more than four years in prisonRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Butte man who admitted to conspiring with others to traffic pounds of methamphetamine in the community was sentenced today to four years and six months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
Charles David Clement, 36, pleaded guilty in June to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.
The government alleged in court documents that law enforcement learned Clement was trafficking drugs with others in Montana. In March 2019, officers searched a package that contained 1,579 grams, or about 3.4 pounds, of meth and was addressed to an individual in Butte. The individual was enlisted to accept the package of meth for Clement. The investigation found numerous text messages, including messages about drug distribution, between Clement and the individual accepting the package. Clement paid for the drugs he received by sending cash payments back to Bakersfield, California, including $12,000 in cash that law enforcement seized.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan G. Weldon prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Butte Silver Bow Law Enforcement, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Homeland Security Investigations.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime. Through PSN, federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement partners in Montana focus on violent crime driven by methamphetamine trafficking, armed robbers, firearms offenses and violent offenders with outstanding warrants.
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Bridgeport Man Who Sold Fentanyl Involved in Overdose Death Sentenced to More Than 11 YearsRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOHN MATTHEWS, also known as “Jay” and “Gotti,” 36, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 136 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 1, 2018, a 35-year-old man in Trumbull died of a drug overdose. The investigation revealed that Matthews sold the victim the fentanyl that caused the victim’s death.
On November 2, 2018, law enforcement investigators, posing as the overdose victim and using the victim’s cell phone, placed an order for narcotics from Matthews. Matthews was arrested after he arrived at the victim’s residence to complete the transaction. At the time of his arrest, Matthews possessed 247 wax folds of fentanyl and $1,828 in cash.
Matthews’ criminal history includes multiple drug-related convictions, and he was on state parole when he distributed the fentanyl involved in the overdose death.
Matthews has been detained since in state custody since February 11, 2019, after he was arrested and charged with stealing a firearm, criminal weapon possession and possession of controlled substances offenses. On June 18, 2021, he pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl.
Judge Thompson ordered that the 136-month sentence is in addition to the approximately 32 months Matthews has served in state custody.
This investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Trumbull Police Department and Bridgeport Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha Freismuth.
Boerne Man Sentenced for Ponzi Scheme with over $7.4 M in LossesRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A Boerne man was sentenced yesterday to 135 months in prison and ordered to pay $7,424,927.10 in restitution for running a Ponzi scheme.
According to court documents, Victor Farias, 48, owned and operated Integrity Aviation & Leasing (IAL). Farias used IAL to perpetuate a Ponzi scheme resulting in net losses to victims of over $7.4 million. Farias persuaded victims to invest in IAL by misrepresenting that investors’ funds would be used to purchase aircraft engines and that the aircraft engines would be leased to airlines for profit. In addition, Farias also told investors he would not pay himself a salary or commission.
Instead, Farias bought one aircraft engine and sold it shortly thereafter, making no profit for investors. He used investors’ money to pay himself a salary, commissions, and personal expenses. He also paid out false investment returns to prior investors and financed the construction of the Fair Oaks Country Store, a convenience store unrelated to the IAL investment.
On January 27, 2021, Farias pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.
“Through deception and greed this defendant stole from his victims, some of whom were retired public servants. He deprived many of these victims of the restful retirement they worked all their lives to achieve,” said U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff. “We hope the Court’s sentence provides some measure of justice to the victims and sends a strong message to other fraudsters that their criminal activities will not be tolerated in our community.”
“The defendant betrayed the trust of almost 90 people as he swindled them out of their retirement savings to finance his fraudulent investment scheme and his luxurious lifestyle,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs, San Antonio Division. “This case is all the more repugnant because so many of the victims were first responders who had spent their careers putting their lives on the line to protect our community.”
The FBI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Harding prosecuted the case.
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Bismarck Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Exploitation of A MinorRead the Press Release
HOT SPRINGS, ARK. – Aaron Edward Briggs, 28, formerly of Morgan City, Louisiana, was sentenced yesterday to thirty (30) years in prison without the possibility of parole on one count of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor via the Production of Child Pornography. The Honorable Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearing in the U.S. District Court in Hot Springs.
According to court documents, in 2019, Briggs met and began a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old female. During the course of the sexual relationship, Briggs sent a picture of his genitals to the minor via Facebook Messenger. During a subsequent online conversation, Briggs requested that the minor take and send him sexually explicit images of herself. The evidence recovered during the investigation revealed numerous sexually explicit images of the minor that were sent to Briggs.
Acting U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigations, Little Rock Division investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyra Jenner prosecuted the case for the United States.
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 CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Belcourt, ND Man Sentenced to 36 ½ Years in Federal Prison for Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Minor ChildRead the Press Release
FARGO - Acting United States Attorney Nicholas W. Chase announced that U.S. District Court Chief Judge Peter D. Welte sentenced Adam Jason Poitra, age 40, Belcourt, ND, to 36 ½ years in federal prison for Aggravated Sexual Assault of a 11-Year-Old Minor Child. Chief Judge Welte also sentenced Poitra to lifetime supervised release and a $100.00 special Assessment.
Investigation revealed that between September 2017 and May 2018, Adam Jason Poitra sexually abuse an eleven-year-old child countless times while in Belcourt, ND.
This case was investigated by the Bottineau County Sheriff’s Office, Northern Plains Children’s Advocacy Center and the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Greenly, District of North Dakota and Clayton Solomon, Trial Attorney, Criminal Division, Department of Justice prosecuted the case.
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Avon Man Charged with Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and David Sundberg, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that MICHAEL FERRO, 35, of Avon, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with multiple child exploitation offenses.
Ferro surrendered to law enforcement yesterday. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas O. Farrish in Hartford and was released on a $100,000 bond.
As alleged in the complaint, on August 18, 2021, Ferro, using the Kik social media application, began chatting in a Kik group with an FBI Online Covert Employee (“OCE”) who was posing as a father of a 12-year-old girl. After Ferro determined that the OCE was engaging in sexual activity with his “daughter,” he sent the OCE a “live photo” depicting the genitals of a child. Ferro then stated that he had more pictures to share, and expressed an interest in meeting the OCE’s daughter to engage in sexual activity. After confirming Ferro’s identity, investigators traveled to Ferro’s residence late in the evening of August 18, informed him of the investigation, and seized his cell phone.
The complaint charges Ferro with sexual exploitation of children, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years; attempted receipt of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years; and attempted enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life.
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 the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Avon Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy V. Gifford.
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.
Armed Fentanyl Dealer Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia Hernandez Covington has sentenced Johnny Ordaz (32, Bradenton) to 12 years in federal prison for possession of fentanyl with the intent to distribute, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The court also ordered Ordaz to forfeit two firearms, 121 rounds of ammunition, and $588 in cash, which are traceable to proceeds of the offenses.
A federal jury had found Ordaz guilty on July 8, 2021.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, in September 2019, law enforcement officers stopped Ordaz’s car because he failed to stop at a stop sign and because the car’s window tint was illegally dark. During the traffic stop, officers discovered a firearm with an extended magazine, loaded with 31 rounds of ammunition, wedged between the driver’s seat and the center console. They also seized a bag containing fentanyl from the driver’s side door handle, as well as a digital scale and small clear plastic baggies. The officers also found a bag in the passenger seat that contained another firearm with an extended magazine loaded with 27 rounds of ammunition, 63 rounds of additional ammunition, another digital scale, sandwich bags, and more small clear plastic baggies. They also recovered $588 from Ordaz’s front pocket.
Ordaz was previously convicted of multiple felony offenses, including possession of an unregistered short barrel shotgun, fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. As such he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charlie D. Connally.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
American Expatriate in Monaco Pleads Guilty to Filing a False Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—An American expatriate residing in the Principality of Monaco pleaded guilty today in federal court to filing a false tax return.
Kory Merrill Tarpenning, 59, pleaded guilty to making and subscribing a false federal income tax return.
According to court documents, Tarpenning is a marketing consultant and owner of numerous foreign businesses organized in France and Monaco. His primary line of business is a brand consultant to U.S. companies interested in expanding their business operations to Monaco. Tarpenning also owns several Monegasque consulting companies, including Sirius Group SAM and Sirius Sports Marketing.
In 2014, Tarpenning arranged a sponsorship agreement between Association Sportive de Monaco Football Club SA (AS Monaco), a Monegasque professional soccer club, and Nike European Operations. The agreement was valued at as much as €20 million over its five-year term. Subsequently, AS Monaco executed a contract with Sirius Group to pay Tarpenning a 9% commission on cash payments from Nike and a 6% commission on athleticwear ordered by the team. Between 2014 and 2018, AS Monaco paid Tarpenning at least €2.1 million.
Tarpenning transferred the income from deals with AS Monaco and other companies to joint personal bank accounts in Monaco and the U.S. He used the proceeds to purchase a second home in Eugene, Oregon and to pay for his children’s Monegasque private school. In tax years 2014 through 2018, Tarpenning failed to report more than $1.4 million in wages and business income.
During this same time, Tarpenning also failed to report substantial dividend income from other unrelated business ventures, including companies he owned that operated the Nike Store and Starbucks Coffee in Monaco and a brand consulting firm based in Portland. In tax years 2014 through 2018, Tarpenning failed to report more than $1 million in dividend income.
Altogether, from 2014 to 2018, Tarpenning’s underreporting of income caused a tax loss to the IRS of more than $670,000.
On August 25, 2021, Tarpenning was charged by criminal information with making and subscribing a false federal income tax return.
Tarpenning faces a maximum sentence of three years in prison; a $250,000 fine or twice the gross gains or losses resulting from his offense, whichever is greater; and one year of supervised release. He will be sentenced on January 6, 2022 before U.S. District Court Judge Michael W. Mosman.
As part of the plea agreement, Tarpenning has agreed to pay $670,851 in restitution to the IRS.
Acting U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug of the District of Oregon made the announcement.
This case was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith D.M. Bateman is prosecuting the case.
Alleged California Kingpin Arrested and Charged with Directing Drug Conspiracies that Brought Bulk Quantities of Methamphetamine into Oklahoma and MissouriRead the Press Release
An alleged drug kingpin charged with directing a continuing criminal enterprise and organizing and directing at least three separate methamphetamine conspiracies in Oklahoma and Missouri was arrested this week in Bakersfield, California, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
“Today, a 13-count federal indictment was unsealed charging Luis Alfredo Jacobo with leading a continuing criminal enterprise that brought an estimated 2,000 pounds of methamphetamine into the Northern District of Oklahoma and southwestern Missouri for redistribution,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “I appreciate our law enforcement partners that brought this case forward for prosecution. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Duncombe will seek to hold Jacobo and his coconspirators accountable in federal court.”
“Methamphetamine continues to be one of the top drug threats in Oklahoma,” said Eduardo Chavez, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Dallas Field Division, which oversees operations in Oklahoma. “Simply put, methamphetamine destroys families across the state and within Oklahoma’s Indian Country. Our communities have felt the horrible effects of drug abuse and addiction. DEA Oklahoma is committed to make our communities safer and hold those accountable who push these deadly substances across our great nation.”
“Meth is an insidious drug that continues to take lives and devastate families throughout Oklahoma,” said Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics Director Donnie Anderson. “My agency is committed to working along-side our state, federal and local law enforcement partners to target, apprehend and prosecute these drug traffickers who threaten the safety and security of our citizens.”
Jacobo was arrested by federal agents Monday. Also arrested were Kelly Wayne Bryan and Curtis Anthony Jones in Missouri, who were charged as part of one of Jacobo’s alleged drug conspiracies. The indictment also charged Jesus Valdez Martinez and Antonio Cervantes Garcia as Jacobo’s coconspirators. Martinez is in federal custody for a related case in Montana. Garcia is in federal custody for a related case in the Western District of Oklahoma.
The superseding indictment was unsealed today, by order of the U.S. District Court.
Jacobo, using his Mexican sources of supply and Bakersfield as a base of operations, is alleged to have directed and organized a methamphetamine enterprise that consisted of at least three distribution conspiracies with three separate groups of individuals in Northeast Oklahoma and Southwest Missouri.
Jacobo allegedly set prices, determined methods of delivery and payment, and approved any suggestions made about the groups’ operations.
According to the indictment, bulk distributors brought the methamphetamine to Bakersfield from Mexico. From there, Jacobo directed that the methamphetamine be sent via U.S. mail to the groups in Oklahoma and Missouri or driven there in vehicles, sometimes in quantities of 50 to 100 pounds at a time. Coconspirators would drive large amounts of cash back to California or would mail cash payments back to Jacobo and to others at Jacobo’s direction. The coconspirators sometimes mailed as much as $100,000 cash at a time from Oklahoma to California as part of the enterprise.
A total of 10 defendants were charged in this second superseding indictment with one or more of the following crimes: Continuing Criminal Enterprise (Count 1); Drug Conspiracy (Counts 2-5); Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises (Counts 6,7); Interstate Travel to Aid Racketeering (Counts 8,13); Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute (Count 9); Possession of Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime (Count 10); Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute (Count 11); and Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute (Count 12).
Defendants charged in the indictment are:
- Luis Alfredo Jacobo, a/k/a “Lokz,” 30, of Bakersfield, California
- Antonio Cervantes Garcia, a/k/a “Tony Garcia,” 33, of Bakersfield, California
- William Donavan Johnson III, 46, of Grove
- Shauni Breanne Callagy, 31, of Grove
- David Scott Chambers, a/k/a "Scott Chambers,” 52, of Springfield, Missouri
- Gene Olen Charles Rast, a/k/a “Charlie Rast," 46, of Elkland, Missouri
- Renee Lynn Haynes, 40, of Bolivar, Missouri
- Jesus Valdez Martinez, a/k/a “Jesse Martinez,” a/k/a “Hostile,” 46, of Bolivar, Missouri
- Kelly Wayne Bryan, 54, of Joplin, Missouri
- Curtis Anthony Jones, 44, of Marshfield, Missouri
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The indictment resulted from an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force investigation “Operation Pullin Chains.” The case is also related to a 231-pound methamphetamine seizure in October 2020 in Grove, made by the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs. The drugs were found inside a Grove storage unit along with more than $465,000 in cash.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, Bureau of Indian Affairs, City of Miami Police Department, Grove Police Department, Bakersfield Police Department, Kern County Sheriff’s Office, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Oklahoma District 13 Drug Task Force are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas E. Duncombe is prosecuting the case.
Albuquerque woman found guilty in bank robbery trialRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – A federal jury returned a guilty verdict on Sept. 29 against Rhonda Quintana, 39, of Albuquerque, on one count of aiding and abetting and bank robbery. Quintana will remain on conditions of release pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled.
According to a federal indictment and other court records, on March 13, 2018, Quintana drove James Verdream to the Rio Grande Credit Union on 4th Street NW in Albuquerque. Verdream entered the credit union and passed a demand note to a teller. Verdream took money from the teller, returned to the car, and fled with Quintana.
Verdream pleaded guilty on Dec. 27, 2018, and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Quintana faces up to 20 years in prison.
The FBI investigated the case with assistance from the United Stated Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Mysliwiec and Jaymie Roybal are prosecuting the case.
Alabama man sentenced for impersonating a federal officerRead the Press Release
NEWNAN, Ga. - Jay Diamond, who has a criminal history with over 30 misdemeanor and traffic convictions, has been sentenced on two counts of false impersonation of a federal Air Marshal.
“Flashing a badge and impersonating a federal officer to gain a benefit puts the public and law enforcement officers at risk,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Kurt R. Erskine. “Instead of avoiding a speeding ticket, Diamond ended up with two federal felony convictions and time in prison.”
“Impersonating a law enforcement officer is a serious offense,” said Ronnie Tippett, Special Agent in Charge of DHS OIG’s Atlanta Field Office. “Our office is committed to safeguarding the public from scam artists and individuals seeking to benefit themselves such as Mr. Diamond’s attempt to pose as a Federal Air Marshal.”
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Erskine, the charges and other information presented at trial: On August 23, 2018, Jay Diamond was pulled over by a Troup County Deputy Sheriff for speeding on Interstate 185 in Troup County, Georgia. He was travelling 90 miles per hour in a 70 miles per hour zone. The entire traffic stop was captured on dash cam video.
During the traffic stop, Diamond immediately identified himself as an Air Marshal and a Senior Air Marshal and showed the deputy a fraudulent badge that contained the words “Senior Federal Air Marshal.” When asked for his actual law enforcement credentials, Defendant said he had left them at home.
The deputy believed that Diamond was pretending to be a law enforcement officer to avoid receiving a traffic citation. Diamond also said he had received the fake badge from former President Jimmy Carter, and he tried to show them a photo of himself with President Carter. Diamond’s story changed once he was arrested for falsely impersonating a law enforcement officer.
Diamond admitted that he had been overzealous in calling himself an Air Marshal and “should have just taken the ticket.”
On May 27, 2021, a federal jury returned guilty verdicts on both counts of the first superseding indictment after deliberating for approximately one hour and 30 minutes.
Jay Diamond, a/k/a Larry Allen Dilleshaw, 49, of Phenix City, Alabama, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Timothy C. Batten, Sr., to approximately one year and five months in prison to be followed by one year of supervised release, and 50 hours of community service. Diamond was initially charged on two counts of false impersonation of a federal officer.
This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security - Office of the Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Miguel R. Acosta prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
"John Doe" Sentenced for Identity Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An individual previously residing in Lawrence who has been living under a false identity was sentenced today in federal court in Boston on charges arising from his use of the name and Social Security number of a U.S. citizen.
An individual referred to as “John Doe” was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young to 40 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On June 4, 2021, Doe pleaded guilty to false representation of a Social Security number, making a false statement concerning a health care benefit program and aggravated identity theft.
Beginning in approximately 2014, Doe used the identity of a U.S. citizen to apply for MassHealth benefits and Massachusetts identification documents, among other things. Between approximately 2014 and 2018, Doe received approximately $25,081 in MassHealth benefits, to which he was not entitled. Doe’s identity remains unknown.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; and Phillip M. Coyne, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mackenzie Duane and Benjamin A. Saltzman of Mendell’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.