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3 November 2021
Atlantic City Woman Found Guilty of Drug Distribution OffensesRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – An Atlantic City, New Jersey, woman was convicted today of multiple drug distribution offenses, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Rajeri Curry, 32, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl and one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin, following a nine-day trial before U.S. District Judge Noel L. Hillman in Camden federal court. The jury did not reach a unanimous verdict on the charge of distribution of heroin and fentanyl that resulted in a death.
According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial:
On Jan. 17, 2018, law enforcement officers executed a search at Curry’s residence, where they recovered heroin stamped with the words “DOA” and “BODY COUNT,” which Curry intended to distribute to her customers in Atlantic City. Between March 2018 and June of 2018, Curry conspired with drug suppliers in Newark, New Jersey, to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl.
The charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute heroin carry a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $1 million dollars.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Susan A. Gibson in Newark; officers from the Atlantic City Police Department, under the direction of Deputy Chief James A. Sarkos; and the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Cary Shill, with the investigation leading to today’s conviction.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Catherine R. Murphy and Lauren E. Repole of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.
Arkansas Man Charged in $100 Million COVID-19 Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in the Western District of Arkansas returned an indictment yesterday charging an Arkansas man who owned or managed numerous diagnostic testing laboratories with health care fraud in connection with over $100 million dollars in false billings for urine drug testing, COVID-19 testing, and other clinical laboratory services.
According to court documents, Billy Joe Taylor, 42, of Lavaca, engaged in a scheme between February 2017 and May 2021 in connection with diagnostic laboratory testing, including urine drug testing and tests for respiratory illnesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, that were medically unnecessary, not ordered by medical providers, and/or not provided as represented. According to the indictment, Taylor controlled and directed multiple diagnostic laboratories, and used those labs to submit more than $100 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare. The indictment alleges that Taylor obtained medical information and private personal information for Medicare beneficiaries, and then misused that confidential information to repeatedly submit claims to Medicare for diagnostic tests that were not ordered by medical providers and were not actually performed by the laboratories. Taylor allegedly then used the proceeds of the fraud to live a lavish lifestyle, including purchasing numerous luxury automobiles, including a Rolls Royce Wraith, as well as real estate, jewelry, guitars, and other luxury clothing and items.
Taylor is charged with 16 counts of health care fraud, and one count of engaging in a monetary transaction in criminally-derived property. Taylor was previously charged by criminal complaint in May 2021. The defendant is scheduled for his arraignment on Nov. 23 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark E. Ford of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas. Each of the counts is punishable by a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes for the Western District of Arkansas; Special Agent in Charge James A. Dawson, of the FBI’s Little Rock division; Special Agent in Charge Miranda Bennett of the Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Dallas Regional Office; and Special Agent in Charge Christopher Altemus of the IRS-Criminal Investigation, Dallas Field Office, made the announcement.
The FBI, HHS-OIG, and IRS-Criminal Investigation are investigating the case.
Senior Litigation Counsel Jim Hayes and Trial Attorney D. Keith Clouser of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section’s National Rapid Response Strike Force and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Elser of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Arkansas are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Albuquerque man in federal court accused of transporting aliens in case resulting in deathRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Elton Gastelum, 20, of Albuquerque, appeared for a detention hearing today in federal court where he is charged with transporting illegal aliens resulting in death. Gastelum will remain in custody pending trial.
According to a criminal complaint, on Sept. 18, Gastelum allegedly was transporting illegal aliens when he approached a Border Patrol checkpoint on New Mexico State Road 11. Gastelum allegedly attempted to circumvent the checkpoint by driving his vehicle northward in the southbound lane, and then fled from Border Patrol agents at a high rate of speed. Gastelum allegedly lost control of the vehicle, which rolled several times and caught fire. Six people were ejected from the vehicle, while the other four were extracted from the burning SUV. One of the aliens who had been in the vehicle died at the scene while another died later at the hospital.
A complaint is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The maximum statutory penalty for this charge is up to life in prison or death.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated this case with assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher S. McNair and Randy Castellano are prosecuting the case.
Akron Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Multi-State Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – An Akron, Ohio man who helped lead a multi-state drug conspiracy entered a guilty plea today in federal court. George Devonte Langford, 29, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, 100 grams or more of heroin, and 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
According to court documents, Langford admitted that he participated in the conspiracy between April and September 2019. Langford admitted that he frequently acquired methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl in the Akron area which he and others transported to the Southern District of West Virginia. Langford then distributed the drugs to various customers in multiple locations including Scott Depot, Charleston and Sissonville. Langford also admitted that customers traveled to locations in Ohio on multiple occasions, including Akron and Canton, where he met with them to provide them with methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl. Langford was aware that these customers traveled from, and intended to return to, West Virginia with the drugs where they would be re-distributed.
Langford faces 10 years to life in federal prison when he is sentenced on February 7, 2022.
United States Attorney William S. Thompson made the announcement and commended the joint investigation spearheaded by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Other agencies that participated and assisted in the investigation include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force, the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, the United States Marshals Service, the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Charleston Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the Akron, Ohio Police Department, and the Brecksville, Ohio Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Stephanie S. Taylor are handling the prosecution.
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.
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. 3:19-cr-000246.
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Adult Man Pretending to be Teenager Sentenced to 25 Years for Federal Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – A Palm Beach Gardens, Florida adult who enticed minor girls into sending him sexually explicit pictures of themselves by, among other things, pretending to be a teenager during on-line chats was sentenced yesterday to 25 years in federal prison and supervised release for life.
Beginning in 2008, Dwight Castaldi, 45, communicated with at least six minor-aged girls, as young as 13, on a social networking websites. Castaldi told the girls he was a teenager and sent the victims pictures of an unknown young man, falsely claiming they were pictures of him. During chats, Castaldi told the minors that they were in exclusive relationships with him and convinced the minors to take sexually explicit pictures of themselves and send the images to him. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Castaldi’s Palm Beach County home in 2018. They found several electronic devices containing hundreds of videos and photographs of child exploitation material and evidence of Castaldi communicating with others about the illegal material.
Castaldi previously pled guilty to production, distribution, and possession of child pornography, and online enticement of minors. U.S. District Judge Rodney Smith, who sits in Ft. Lauderdale, imposed the sentence.
U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez of the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro, FBI Miami, announced the sentence.
FBI Miami investigated the case, together with the Palm Beach Gardens Police Department and Huntington Beach California Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Schiller prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), 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 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 the Project Safe Childhood initiative and for information regarding Internet safety, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report online child sexual exploitation, use the electronic Cyber Tip Line or call 1-800-843-5678. The Cyber Tip Line is operated by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in partnership with the FBI and other law enforcement agencies.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 20-cr-80087.
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36-Time Felon Sentenced to Prison After Assaulting Woman with Sawed-Off ShotgunRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – A federal district judge in Ft. Pierce, Florida has sentenced 40-year-old Gregory T. Fuller to eight years in federal prison for possessing a firearm while being a convicted felon.
In the early morning hours of April 10, 2019, in Ft. Pierce, Fuller began arguing with a female acquaintance. Fuller then went to a nearby residence, retrieved a firearm, and returned to the scene. While continuing to argue with the woman, Fuller pointed the firearm at her, threatened her, and hit her in the face. Fuller then returned to the residence and hid the firearm. Law enforcement later recovered it: a shotgun with no serial number that had its stock and barrel sawed off. At the time that he possessed the sawed-off shotgun, Fuller had previously been convicted of 36 felonies, including convictions for robberies, burglaries, batteries, escape, and other crimes.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Christopher Robinson, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division, announced the sentence.
ATF Miami investigated this case, with assistance from the Fort Pierce Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Hoover is prosecuting the case.
This case stems from Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In 2017, PSN was reinvigorated 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.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 21-cr-14001.
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2 November 2021
“Pure Armenian Blood” Member Pleads Guilty to Racketeering and Fraud OffensesRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that DAVIT YEGHOYAN pled guilty today to his role in a coast-to-coast racketeering enterprise referred to as “Pure Armenian Blood” or “P.A.B.,” in connection with the charges filed in United States v. Narek Marutyan, et al., 20 Cr. 652 (VM). YEGHOYAN pled guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah L. Cave, and will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero on a date to be determined.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As a member of a sophisticated coast-to-coast organized criminal enterprise, Davit Yeghoyan enriched himself by stealing others’ identities, falsifying documents, and spending other people’s money, as he admitted in court today.”
According to the allegations contained in the Indictment, and statements during court proceedings:
Pure Armenian Blood was an organized criminal group operating under the direction and protection of an unindicted co-conspirator (“CC-1”), a “vor v zakone” or “vor,” which are Russian phrases translated roughly as “Thief-in-Law” or “Thief,” and which refer to an order of elite criminals from the former Soviet Union who receive tribute from other criminals, offer protection, and use their recognized status as vor to adjudicate disputes among lower-level criminals. Members and associates of Pure Armenian Blood operated under the direction and protection of CC-1, a vor of Armenian descent previously based in Los Angeles before being deported in or about 2018. Pure Armenian Blood operated through groups of individuals, often with overlapping members or associates, dedicated to particular criminal tasks, particularly identity theft, access device fraud, and credit card fraud, among others. While Pure Armenian Blood exploited victims and the financial system in New York City, it had operations in various locations throughout the United States and abroad, including through the use of purportedly legitimate business entities operating under the control and in conjunction with members of P.A.B. at various points throughout the conspiracy.
As a member of P.A.B., YEGHOYAN participated in and facilitated P.A.B’s various illicit activities, including the use of counterfeit credit cards and stolen personal identifying information, selling goods purchased with counterfeit credit cards for profit, fraudulently opening and exhausting lines of credit, and then falsifying documents to “clean” the credit of account holders in whose names the lines of credit were opened, and making purchases at collusive businesses with counterfeit credit cards or credit cards that were fraudulently opened.
YEGHOYAN, 29, of Brooklyn, New York, pled guilty to participating in a racketeering conspiracy, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. The statutory maximum penalty is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant would be determined by the judge.
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Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of FBI New York’s Eurasian Organized Crime Squad, as well as the FBI’s Newark, Los Angeles, and Miami offices, Homeland Security Investigations, the New York City Police Department, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and United States Customs and Border Protection for their investigative efforts and ongoing support and assistance with the case. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.
The prosecution of this case is being overseen by the Office’s Money Laundering and Transitional Criminal Enterprise Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benet J. Kearney, Abigail S. Kurland, and Emily Deininger are in charge of the case.
“11 Hunnit” Gang Member Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A former resident of the Hill District neighborhood of the City of Pittsburgh, has been sentenced in federal court to 12 years (144 months) of incarceration followed by five years of federal supervised release on his conviction for violating the Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organizations Act (commonly known as “RICO”), Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.
United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Sydney Pack, 23, who pled guilty in April 2021 to one count of RICO conspiracy.
According to information presented to the Court at the time of Pack’s guilty plea, Mr. Pack acknowledged that he was a member of the violent street gang known as “11 Hunnit,” which operated in the Hill District neighborhood of Pittsburgh. Mr. Pack acknowledged that he, along with alleged codefendants Dionte Griffin, Richard Kelly, and others, conspired to conduct and participate in the conduct in the affairs of the 11 Hunnit gang through a pattern of racketeering activity consisting generically of acts involving murder, robbery, and the distribution of controlled substances.
Mr. Pack acknowledged his personal participation in certain overt acts that were done in furtherance of the RICO conspiracy, which included an April 2015 shooting of a rival gang member, a January 2016 shooting of a rival gang member, an October 2016 shooting of a rival gang member, a November 2016 shooting of a rival gang member, the unlawful possession of heroin, fentanyl, and firearms on various dates, and his participation – along with other members of 11 Hunnit – in several publicly available rap music videos designed to intimidate rival gangs and enhance 11 Hunnit’s reputation as a violent enterprise.
Assistant United States Attorney Jerome A. Moschetta prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Kaufman commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, together with the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Pack.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Wetzel County woman sentenced for heroin distributionRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Jane Grace Dawson, of New Martinsville, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 30 months of incarceration for a drug charge, United States Attorney William J Ihlenfeld, II announced.
Dawson, age 32, pled guilty in January 2020 to one count of “Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin.” Dawson admitted to working with others to distribute heroin in Wetzel County and elsewhere from March 2019 to August 2019.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn M. Adkins prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The West Virginia State Police investigated.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
West Virginia Meth Dealer Sentenced to 10 Years for Drug and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A West Virginia resident has been sentenced in federal court to 120 months’ imprisonment and five years of supervised release on his conviction for violating the federal narcotics and firearms laws, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.
Senior United States District Judge David S. Cercone imposed the sentence on Van Gregory Barrows, 29, of Bowden, West Virginia, who pled guilty to a two-count Indictment charging him with attempted possession of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it, and conspiracy to do the same. He also pled guilty to a one-count Information charging him with unlawfully possessing firearms while being an unlawful user of a controlled substance.
According to information presented to the Court, on November 17, 2017, agents with the Department of Homeland Security Investigations and the Pennsylvania State Police executed federal search warrants at a hotel in Ross Township, PA, where they located Barrows and others. Inside of the hotel room, agents seized multiple firearms, three of which Barrows admitted to possessing. Agents seized quantities of methamphetamine and electronic devices (i.e., cell phones and computers) and drug paraphernalia used in the packaging and distribution of controlled substances. In an interview with agents, Barrows admitted to being an unlawful user of methamphetamine and to possessing three of the seized firearms. Federal law prohibits an unlawful user of a controlled substance from possessing a firearm. Barrows further admitted to agents that he purchased large quantities of methamphetamine from an online marketplace commonly known as “the dark web”. Barrows admitted that he, and others in his home state of West Virginia, distributed the methamphetamine that he purchased online, and that he was in the Pittsburgh area at that time to convert U.S. currency into cryptocurrency, which he used to purchase the methamphetamine. Barrows further advised agents that one such order was being delivered to the Ross Township hotel. Agents interdicted that parcel and found it to contain approximately eight ounces of “pure” methamphetamine, which is a scheduled controlled substance. Evidence seized from Barrows electronic devices further evidenced his involvement in the online drug purchases and conspiracy.
Assistant United States Attorney Jerome A. Moschetta prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Kaufman commended the Department of Homeland Security Investigations and the Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Barrows.
West Plains Sex Offender Sentenced to 15 Years for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A West Plains, Missouri, sex offender was sentenced in federal court today for receiving and distributing child pornography.
David Lee Wilson, 38, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 15 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Wilson to a lifetime of supervised release following incarceration.
On Aug. 5, 2020, Wilson pleaded guilty to receiving and distributing child pornography. Wilson has a prior conviction for child molestation in Grays Harbor County, Washington, and is a registered sex offender.
A law enforcement officer contacted Wilson at a West Plains residence on Aug. 22, 2019, and seized his cell phone. The cell phone contained images of child pornography.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, and the West Plains, Mo., Police Department.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Vallejo Man Sentenced to over Three Years in Prison for Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Michael Ray Pitre, Jr., 36, of Vallejo, was sentenced Monday by Chief U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller to three years and 4 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, the execution of federal search warrants of Pitre’s person, residences, and vehicles led to the discovery of a non-serialized machine gun, a short barrel rifle, and a pistol in Pitre’s possession. The machine gun, which was located in the defendant’s truck, was loaded with a 60-round extended magazine, and was placed on top of a bag containing a mask, additional extended magazines and ammunition, and two tracking devices. Pitre cannot lawfully possess firearms or ammunition because he has previously been convicted of two felony offenses, including for his participation in a residential burglary that resulted in the death of one of his coconspirators and serious gunshot injuries to an innocent victim.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Oakland Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Utah Man Sentenced for Tax FraudRead the Press Release
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/utah-man-sentenced-tax-fraud
Union County Man Sentenced to 17 Months in Prison for Offering Bribes to Postal Service EmployeesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Union County, Jersey, man was sentenced today to 17 months in prison for offering bribes to a U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employee to steal check books and credit cards from the mail, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Jabre Beauvoir, 23, of Elizabeth, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty to an information charging him with one count of bribery. Judge McNulty imposed the sentence by videoconference today.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In the summer of 2019, Beauvoir offered bribes to USPS employees to steal mail containing check books and credit cards. Beauvoir typically offered $100 per package of check books or credit cards to induce USPS employees to steal such mail matter and deliver it to him. It was further part of the scheme that Beauvoir and others then posed as the actual accountholders to whom the check books or credit cards originally were mailed by fraudulently signing checks, activating the stolen credit cards, and fraudulently using them.
In addition to the prison term, Judge McNulty sentenced Beauvoir to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution of $23,948.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Acting Inspector in Charge Raimundo Marrero, and special agents with the USPS-Office of Inspector General, Northeast Area Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Matthew Modafferi, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. She also thanked the U.S. Secret Service, the New Jersey State Police, the Elizabeth Police Department, and the Secaucus Police Department for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elaine K. Lou of the Special Prosecutions Division in Newark.
Two Men Plead Guilty to Roles in Multi-State Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Two men who participated in a multi-state methamphetamine conspiracy entered guilty pleas in federal court. Dennis Deire Mosley, Jr., 35, of Akron, Ohio, and Frederick Clyde Waite, 49, of Sissonville, both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to court documents, Mosley admitted that he participated in the conspiracy during the month of July 2019. Mosley admitted that he and another individual made arrangements to acquire methamphetamine in the Columbus, Ohio area. On July 24, 2019, Mosley and the other individual traveled from Akron to Columbus and acquired at least three pounds of methamphetamine. The other individual then delivered the methamphetamine to Waite in Sissonville the next day. Mosley admitted that he knew the methamphetamine would be distributed in the Southern District of West Virginia when he helped acquire it.
Waite admitted that he participated in the conspiracy between July of 2019 and September of 2019. In addition to receiving three pounds methamphetamine on July 25, 2019, Waite admitted that he also attempted to acquire additional methamphetamine in the Akron area. After Waite negotiated the purchase of methamphetamine over the telephone, another individual traveled to Ohio to receive the drugs. The individual was stopped during the return trip to West Virginia and troopers with the Ohio State Highway Patrol seized over 2.2 kilograms of methamphetamine from the vehicle.
Waite and Mosley each face a minimum mandatory of 10 years and up to life in federal prison when they are sentenced on January 31 and February 7, 2022, respectively.
United States Attorney William S. Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Other agencies that participated and assisted in the investigation include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force, the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, the United States Marshals Service, the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Charleston Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the Akron, Ohio Police Department, and the Brecksville, Ohio Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearings. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is handling the prosecution.
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.
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. 3:19-cr-00024.
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Two Individuals Convicted of Defrauding Medicaid at a Doral Clinic Providing Psychosocial Rehabilitation ServicesRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – Two South Florida residents have pleaded guilty to running a mental health care fraud scheme that over-billed Medicaid for hundreds of thousands of dollars.
During the change of plea hearing in federal court in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Lorena Osella, 44, of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, and Juan Luis Matos, 59, of Miami, Florida, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to pay health care kickbacks. U.S. District Judge William P. Dimitrouleas, who sits in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, will sentence both defendants on January 10, 2022.
As part of their guilty pleas, Osella and Matos admitted that they paid kickbacks of $400 in cash per month to Medicaid beneficiaries in exchange for the beneficiaries receiving psychosocial rehabilitation (PSR) services at Lighthouse Community Center LLC, in Doral, Florida. In addition, Osella admitted that she fraudulently billed Medicaid for at least $350,206 in psychosocial rehabilitation (PSR) services that were not provided as claimed. Psychosocial rehabilitation (PSR) services are a type of mental health group counseling designed to help people with depression, anxiety, and other mental disorders cope with their conditions and improve their ability to conduct daily life activities. Medicaid allowed these services to be administered via telemedicine beginning in April 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Osella and Matos also admitted to illegally receiving Florida unemployment benefits during the time they committed the health care fraud.
HHS-OIG investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Abraham is prosecuting the case. AUSA Emily Stone is handling asset forfeiture.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 21-cr-20299.
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Trussville Man Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison for Guns, Drugs and EscapeRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Trussville man was sentenced today on gun, drug, and escape charges, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Mickey French, and U.S. Marshal Martin Keely.
U.S. District Judge Abdul K. Kallon sentenced Timothy Allen Phillips, 40, to 264 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and escape from the custody of the Attorney General.
“Repeat offenders like this defendant, who deal drugs and illegally possess firearms, are the focus of our enforcement efforts to reduce violent crime in our communities.” U.S. Attorney Escalona said. “We are grateful for the excellent work of the Irondale and Argo Police Departments, the ATF, and the U. S. Marshal’s Service to make the cases that would put this defendant in prison for 22 years.”
“ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence partnerships once again have proven to be effective in reducing violent crime,” SAC Mickey French said.
According to the plea agreement, on September 13, 2019, Irondale Police Department executed a search warrant on Center Street in Trussville, Alabama, where Phillips resided. Inside the house officers found methamphetamine and a digital scale. There was also a small barn located at the property where officers found marijuana and drug paraphernalia, including items used to smoke marijuana. Phillips told officers that he had weapons hidden in the eve on the front porch. Officers recovered a Springfield .45 caliber handgun and a Cobra .22 caliber derringer handgun from the overhang on the front porch.
On February 19, 2020, a confidential informant (CI) made a controlled drug purchase of methamphetamine from Phillips’ residence. The CI had been to the residence on more than one occasion. On February 21, 2020, a search was executed at Phillip’s residence, based on the CI’s purchase on February 19th. Officers recovered a Remington 12-gauge short-barreled shotgun from a storage shed. Officers also recovered multiple firearms and rounds of ammunition, and approximately 225 grams, and 84 blotter units of LSD from inside the residence.
On February 27, 2020, a police officer made a traffic stop on the driver of a grey Chevy Tahoe for a switched tag. The officer identified the driver as Phillips. Phillips had a suspended driver’s license and an outstanding warrant with ATF. Officers recovered marijuana, a Smith & Wesson .357 revolver, and a Ruger .380 caliber pistol from the vehicle. Both firearms were loaded with 6 rounds each.
On February 24, 2020, ATF agents arrested Phillips after he was charged for being a felon in possession of a firearm. On that same day, Phillips was released on bond. On March 9, 2020, Phillips’ bond was revoked, and he was remanded into the custody of the Attorney General. Phillips was booked into the Talladega County Jail, as a federal inmate.
On April 30, 2020, Phillips escaped from the Talladega County Jail. Local law enforcement along with the United States Marshals Service began a search for Phillips. Later that afternoon, federal law enforcement officers located Phillips at a residence in Ohatchee, Alabama. Phillips was taken into custody without incident.
The ATF and United States Marshals Service investigated the case along with the Irondale Police Department and Argo Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney John Camp prosecuted the case.
Three Defendants Indicted for Narcotics ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Ray Donovan, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), and Thomas A. Gleason, Commissioner of the Westchester County Department of Public Safety, announced that JORGE APONTE-GUZMAN, NELSON AGRAMONTE-MINAYA, and CARLOS MAISONET-LOPEZ were indicted yesterday for their participation in a drug trafficking conspiracy. The defendants were arrested on September 29, 2021, and were presented before United States Magistrate Judge Gabriel W. Gorenstein on September 30, in the cases of AGRAMONTE-MINAYA and MAISONET-LOPEZ, and on October 1, in the case of APONTE-GUZMAN. The case is assigned to United States District Judge Alison J. Nathan.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “This investigation has yielded the seizure of approximately 920 kilograms of cocaine, disrupting an alleged narcotics trafficking organization. Thanks to our partners at the DEA, this massive quantity of dangerous drugs has been kept off the streets.”
DEA Special Agent in Charge Ray Donovan said: “A multimillion-dollar storm of cocaine was seized before it could wreak havoc in the Northeast. Over one ton of cocaine was seized, making it the largest cocaine seizure destined for the streets of New York in over a decade. This seizure signifies a shift in the illegal drug landscape in New York, with cocaine seizures rising more than 150% in the last year. DEA and our law enforcement partners will continue to guard against drug trafficking organizations’ tactics and techniques to smuggle drugs into our country.”
Westchester County Police Commissioner Thomas A. Gleason said: “A seizure of this magnitude underscores the critical importance of working together with our federal and local law enforcement partners in the DEA Westchester Task Force. The tremendous work and dedication of the DEA and Task Force Investigators has interrupted a major drug distribution operation and prevented approximately one ton of dangerous, illegal narcotics from being distributed on the streets of our area.”
According to the allegations in the Indictment unsealed yesterday in Manhattan federal court and in other public court documents[1]:
On or about September 29, 2021, APONTE-GUZMAN traveled in a rental van from a loading dock in New Jersey to the area of a New Jersey residence, where he was met by MAISONET-LOPEZ and AGRAMONTE-MINAYA. Inside the rental van driven by APONTE-GUZMAN, law enforcement seized approximately 460 kilograms of cocaine that were packaged inside 10 large metal lawn rollers. Records relating to the shipment of the lawn rollers indicate that the lawn rollers were shipped from Puerto Rico to New Jersey, with a consignee in the Bronx, New York.
The next day, on or about September 30, 2021, DEA agents seized a substantially similar shipment of 10 large metal lawn rollers from the loading dock that APONTE-GUZMAN had visited the day before. In that second shipment, agents found an additional approximately 460 kilograms of cocaine.
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APONTE-GUZMAN, 33, AGRAMONTE-MINAYA, 37, and MAISONET-LOPEZ, 32, are charged with conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute at least five kilograms of cocaine, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison.
The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants would be determined by the assigned judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the New York Division of the DEA, the Westchester County Department of Public Safety, and the Mt. Vernon Police Department. Mr. Williams also thanked the Westchester Resident Office of the DEA, the Port Authority Police Department, the New Rochelle Police Department, the Portchester Police Department, the White Plains Police Department, and the Yonkers Police Department for their assistance in the investigation.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin Mead and Samuel P. Rothschild are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges in the Indictment are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and other assertions in public court documents, and the descriptions of those documents set forth in this release, constitute allegations only, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Texas Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Multi-Year Embezzlement Scheme to Defraud Alameda-Based Labor UnionRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – Scott A. Wilson was sentenced today to sixty months in prison and ordered to pay more than $4 million in restitution for executing a multi-year embezzlement scheme targeting his former employer, Operating Engineers Local No. 3, announced Acting United States Attorney Stephanie Hinds, Federal Bureau of Investigation San Francisco Division Special Agent in Charge Craig D. Fair, and U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, Special Agent in Charge, Los Angeles Region, Quentin Heiden. The sentence was handed down by the Honorable Jeffrey S. White, U.S. Senior District Judge.
“Scott Wilson abused his authority as the IT director of the Operating Engineers Local 3 by creating a complex scheme to steal millions of dollars in union funds. Today’s sentencing affirms the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General’s commitment to safeguard union funds from those who seek to enrich themselves at the expense of union members,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Quentin Heiden.
Wilson, 54, formerly of Tracy, Calif., has been residing in Texas since 2017 and pleaded guilty to the charge on July 6, 2021. Wilson was the director of the union’s information technology department where he had authority to purchase goods and services. According to his plea agreement and other documents in the case, while working for the union, Wilson set up a front company called OST. Using the alias, “John Lasson,” Wilson used OST to receive funds from the union, at first directly and then through two other front companies set up by a friend and a relative under Wilson’s direction. Between 2011 and 2017, Wilson used these front companies to fraudulently invoice the union for IT-related goods and services that were never to be delivered, taking some funds directly through OST, and others through kickbacks paid by his friend and relative. Wilson also used the front companies to conceal payments made with union funds to his own family members, primarily for work that was never done. At one point, Wilson arranged for the union funds to be withdrawn from the front companies’ accounts and delivered to him in the form of cash wrapped in bundles.
Over the course of six years, Wilson fraudulently misdirected at least $3.98 million to the front companies, $2.44 million of which was kicked directly back to Wilson in various ways. In the plea, Wilson admitted that he used the embezzled funds to, among other things, purchase land in Corsicana, Texas, and build himself a house there.
Wilson was charged by information with one count of embezzlement of labor organization assets, in violation of 29 U.S.C. § 501(c). He pleaded guilty to the count.
In sentencing Wilson to the five-year prison term, Judge White pointed out that Wilson committed more than a single fraudulent act—instead, the defendant engaged in “hundreds of decisions to steal money” and that he was “embarking on a campaign to cover up” the offense with “perjury, false statements” and “fantastical” stories. Judge White stated, “[it is] hard to conceive of a white-collar offense significantly more serious than this one.”
In addition to the prison term, Judge White also ordered White to pay restitution of $4,669,577 and to serve a three-year term of supervised release. Judge White ordered Wilson to surrender and begin serving his prison term on or before January 3, 2022.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Colin Sampson of the Special Prosecutions Section of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.
Syracuse Man Sentenced to 70 Months for Drug, Money Laundering and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – John Wright, age 33, of Syracuse, was sentenced today to serve 70 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute marijuana, as well as conspiracy to commit money laundering of drug proceeds, possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute, possession of firearms by a convicted felon, and possessing firearms in connection with a drug trafficking crime announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Kevin Kelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Gregory S. Oakes, Oswego County District Attorney.
As part of his previous guilty plea, Wright admitted that between May 2017 and August 2017, he received bulk quantities of marijuana from a source of supply who imported marijuana via the Akwesasne Mohawk Reservation in Northern New York State. Wright sold marijuana he received to customers in Syracuse, and sent the proceeds back to his source of supply. As part of his guilty plea, Wright admitted that he distributed at least 54 kilograms (119 pounds) of marijuana. Wright further admitted that he possessed a handgun and a loaded shotgun in his home to protect his drugs and the proceeds from drug sales. In 2008, Wright was convicted in Onondaga County Court of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree, and was prohibited from possessing firearms at the time of his commission of his federal crimes.
In addition to his term of imprisonment, Wright was also sentenced to 3 years of supervised release and ordered to pay a money judgment in the amount of $204,581.00 representing proceeds derived from marijuana distribution.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), the Syracuse Police Department, and the Oswego County Drug Task Force, comprised of Special Agents of HSI, members of the City of Oswego Police Department, the Oswego County Sheriff’s Office, Investigators from the Oswego County District Attorney’s Office, the SUNY Oswego Police Department, and Agents of the U.S. Border Patrol. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas Sutcliffe.
Stoneham Man Pleads Guilty to Identity Theft and Fraud Related to COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment AssistanceRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Stoneham man pleaded guilty today to his involvement in a fraudulent scheme to obtain COVID-19-related unemployment assistance using stolen personal information.
Daniel Maleus, 33, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, five counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel scheduled sentencing for Feb. 15, 2022. Maleus was indicted on July 22, 2021.
In March 2020, in response to the global coronavirus pandemic, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), which among other things, created a temporary federal unemployment insurance program called Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA). The PUA program, which in Massachusetts is administered by the Department of Unemployment Assistance, provided unemployment insurance benefits for individuals who were not eligible for other types of unemployment benefits. Maleus filed and conspired with others to file fraudulent PUA claims using the stolen personal information of others as well as email accounts Maleus and others created in the names of their victims. Maleus and his co-conspirators obtained more than $250,000 in payments on fraudulent unemployment claims submitted between April 2020 and April 2021.
The charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory sentence of two years in prison to be served consecutively to any other sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations made the announcement. Special assistance was provided by the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Markham of Mendell’s Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
St. Louis County man pleads guilty for interstate transport of a minor for illicit sexual conductRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – United States District Court Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk accepted a plea of guilty from Wesley Kimble, age 24, on today’s date for interstate transport of a minor for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct. A grand jury in the Eastern District of Missouri previously indicted Kimble on the charge.
In the fall of 2019, Kimble met the 15-year-old minor victim through an online dating site. Kimble engaged in online messaging with the victim, with many of the messages being sexual in nature. In December 2019, Kimble, with an intent to engage in sexual activity with the minor, drove from St. Louis, Missouri to Springfield, Illinois and picked up the victim. On the return trip to St. Louis, Kimble engaged in sexual activity with the victim. Kimble also provided the victim with illegal drugs and engaged in unprotected sex with the victim once they arrived at his apartment in St. Louis County.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
South Bend Man Sentenced to 37 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Daviae O'Shay McKinstry, 25 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
McKinstry was sentenced to 37 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, McKinstry’s DNA was discovered on a firearm that was found near the scene of a crime in Elkhart, Indiana on November 3, 2018. One of McKinstry’s prior felony convictions includes a battery for his involvement in a shooting incident.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with the assistance of the Elkhart Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kimberly L. Schultz.
This case was prosecuted as part of the South Bend Group Violence Intervention Program, a Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative (PSN). The PSN Program is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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Sixteen indicted in multi-state drug distribution ringRead the Press Release
Seattle – A series of arrests over the last ten days has disrupted a multi-state methamphetamine and fentanyl distribution ring. The drugs were coming up from California and were being distributed in King, Pierce, Thurston, Lewis, Mason and Kitsap counties. The 18-month investigation revealed the drug trafficking organization was also distributing drugs to locations in the Southeastern United States including Florida, Arkansas and Tennessee.
“This drug organization trafficked two of the deadliest substances we are seeing in our community – fentanyl and methamphetamine,” said U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. “Members of the ring tried to trade drugs for firearms – ones they could transport to Mexico – contributing to terrible violence south of the border. These arrests are a significant step for community safety.”
According to records filed in the case, the investigation began in February 2020. Various people working with law enforcement provided information regarding the drug distribution activities. Aware of some of the group’s trafficking, law enforcement seized 10 pounds of methamphetamine in a traffic stop on May 16, 2020. Another 44 pounds of meth were seized in a stop on April 2, 2021, and 83 pounds of methamphetamine and 20,000 fentanyl pills were seized in a traffic stop on September 28, 2021. Additionally, on August 17, 2021, law enforcement seized 22 pounds of methamphetamine that conspirators attempted to mail to Fiji.
The alleged leaders of the drug distribution ring, Jose Maldonado-Ramirez, 33, and his fiancé, Iris Amador-Garcia, 30, of Bellflower, California, were arrested October 28, 2021. During a search of the residence where Iris Amador-Garcia was living with her brother and co-conspirator, Mario Amador-Garcia, 31, and co-conspirator, Bayron Eberto Garcia-Perez, 33, agents seized a kilogram of fentanyl or heroin, 80,000 pills of suspected fentanyl, and 2 firearms. Eight additional firearms were seized at search locations in Washington and California. Four other conspirators were taken into custody last week including:
Amado Pedro Castillo, 59, Brooklyn, New York
Jose Nolberto Bernal, 28, Kent, WA
Fernando Alcides Lopez-Mendez, 37, Los Angeles, CA
Justino Cruz-Victorio, 34, Joshua Tree, CA
Today, law enforcement made additional arrests of the distribution network:
Joseph Troy Easton, 42, Bremerton, WA
Angelique Marie Easton, 51, Bremerton, WA
Curtis Robert Griffin, 42, Belfair, WA
Dwayne Douglas George, 60, Spanaway, WA
Douglas Bryan Healer, 47, Port Orchard, WA
Jerry Wayne Kohl, 59, Tacoma, WA
One additional defendant was arrested today with 2 pounds of methamphetamine, three rifles, and a shotgun. An additional four guns were recovered at other search locations. Defendant Healer engaged in an armed stand-off with law enforcement today. This afternoon he was taken into custody at his Port Orchard residence without incident.
“The objectives of this operation were to hold those accountable for the menace of illegal narcotics trafficking, and the violence associated with it, which has plagued our communities for far too long in the state of Washington and throughout the Pacific Northwest,” stated DEA Special Agent in Charge, Frank Tarentino. “The DEA and our partners are focused on the most dangerous criminals in Washington. Today’s successful operation should give members of the community a level of comfort in knowing these violent offenders, who live and walk among us, won’t be putting their lives in danger any longer.”
“These warrants represent the continued efforts of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS:CI) to ensure the safety of our communities,” said IRS:CI acting Special Agent in Charge Adam Jobes. “We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to stop the widespread harm these illicit substances cause our friends, families, and neighbors.”
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
These indictments are 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. The investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Seattle Field Division (SFD) Tacoma Resident Office (TRO) and Bremerton Police Department (BPD), with assistance from Tahoma Narcotics Enforcement (TNET); the Seattle, Puyallup, Auburn, Federal Way, Kent, Bonney Lake, Tacoma, and Lakewood Police Departments; the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office; Washington State Department of Corrections; Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team (JNET): Centralia and Chehalis Police Departments; Valley Narcotics Enforcement Team (VNET); and Washington State Patrol; Thurston Narcotics Team (TNT), Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office, and Mason County Sheriff’s Office; United States Postal Inspections Service (USPIS), Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) with support from Northwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas ( HIDTA).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin Diggs and C. Andrew Colasurdo.
Sidney Woman Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that Ashley Whited, 32, of Sidney, Nebraska, was sentenced on November 1, 2021 in federal court in Omaha for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Senior United States District Judge Joseph F. Bataillon sentenced Whited to 57 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After her release from prison, she will begin a five-year term of supervised release.
On May 10, 2019, law enforcement stopped a vehicle for an active arrest warrant. In the course of the wanted person’s arrest, a potted marijuana plant with the highest branch measured at 38 inches was located in the vehicle. During an interview with the subject of the arrest warrant, the plant was linked with a residence on Illinois Street in Sidney. Based on this discovery, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the Illinois Street address where Whited resided. Law enforcement seized approximately 560 grams of a mixture of methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Sidney, Nebraska, Police Department.
Seven KC-Area Defendants Charged in Cocaine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Seven residents of the Kansas City, Missouri, metropolitan area have been indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine.
Irfan Causevic, also known as “Jonny,” 37, a citizen of Bosnia, Christopher C. Oregel, 29, Nicholas Carrillo, also known as “Nicco,” 32, Admir Suljic, also known as “Babo,” 34, and Augustine Charles Aviles, also known as “Gus,” 32, all of Kansas City, Mo.; Jacob Daniel Craven, 24, of Independence, Mo.; and Micah N. Bond, also known as “Nate,” 36, of Parkville, Mo., were charged in a six-count superseding indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Oct. 27, 2021.
The superseding indictment unsealed today replaces the original indictment returned on June 23, 2021, which charged only Causevic. The superseding indictment, which includes six additional defendants, was unsealed and made public today following the arrests of the six additional defendants.
Causevic was arrested on June 3, 2021, and remains on pretrial release. The remaining six defendants were all arrested early this morning.
According to court documents, Causevic was arrested after he agreed to sell cocaine to an undercover detective in the Jackson County Drug Task Force. In his first transaction with the undercover detective, Causevic allegedly sold 113.1 grams of cocaine for $3,500. A few days later, Causevic allegedly agreed to sell the undercover detective nine ounces of cocaine for $6,000. Although Causevic agreed to sell cocaine, according to court documents, he did not possess any cocaine when he arrived at the arranged meeting to conduct the second transaction. He later told investigators he planned to take the money from the undercover detective with a promise of obtaining cocaine, but actually intended to steal the money without providing any cocaine.
The federal indictment alleges that all seven defendants participated in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine from Oct. 1, 2019, to June 3, 2021.
In addition to the conspiracy, Causevic is charged with three counts of distributing cocaine. Causevic and Bond also are charged together in one count of distributing cocaine. Causevic, Craven, Bond and Aviles also are charged together in one count of distributing cocaine.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the FBI, the Jackson County Drug Task Force, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, and IRS-Criminal Investigation.
San Fernando Valley Man Who Plotted Bombing of Long Beach Rally Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A California man who planned the bombing of a political rally in Long Beach, California, in 2019 was sentenced yesterday to 25 years in federal prison.
On Aug. 11, Mark Steven Domingo, 28, of Reseda, was found guilty of one count of providing material support to terrorists and one count of attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction at the conclusion of a five-day jury trial. Domingo has been in federal custody since April 2019.
According to court documents and the evidence presented at trial, the investigation into Domingo was prompted by Domingo’s online posts and conversations in an online forum, in which he expressed support for violence, specifically a desire to seek violent retribution for attacks against Muslims, and a willingness to become a martyr. After considering various attacks – including targeting Jewish people, churches and police officers – Domingo decided to bomb a rally scheduled to take place in Long Beach in April 2019.
As part of the plot, Domingo asked a confederate – who actually was working with the FBI as part of the investigation – to invite a bomb-maker into the scheme. Domingo then purchased and provided to the confederate and the bomb-maker – who in fact was an undercover law enforcement officer – several hundred 3½-inch nails to be used as shrapnel for the bombs. Domingo specifically chose those nails because they were long enough to penetrate organs in the human body.
Leading up to the attack, Domingo called for an event similar to the October 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas. Following an attack on Muslims in New Zealand in March 2019, Domingo called for retribution in an online post.
Domingo selected the Long Beach rally as his target and, in April 2019, drove his confederate and the undercover officer to Long Beach to scout the location he planned to attack. While there, Domingo discussed finding the most crowded areas to place the bombs so he could kill the most people. On April 26, 2019, Domingo received what he thought were two live bombs, but were actually inert explosive devices delivered by an undercover law enforcement officer. He was arrested that same day with one of the bombs in his hands.
“At trial, [Domingo] testified and repeatedly affirmed that he intended to commit mass murder in March and April 2019,” prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum that recommended a sentence of life in prison. “He admitted that the [confidential informant] stopped him from committing at least one murder in April 2019 by encouraging him to be patient. Finally, he admitted that he was excited when he learned that the [confidential informant] had access to an individual who could construct a bomb, and that he was the one who chose to attack the rally, chose to use the bombs, and chose to go through with the plot to commit mass murder, right up until the moment of his arrest.”
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) investigated this matter. JTTF members who participated in the investigation include the FBI, the Los Angeles Police Department, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and the Long Beach Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Reema M. El-Amamy and David T. Ryan of the Central District of California and Trial Attorneys Lauren Goddard and Joshua Champagne of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section prosecuted this case.
Ringleader and Members of Multi-State Anabolic Steroid Trafficking Network SentencedRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – Today, a Richmond man was the sixth and final defendant to be sentenced for his role in a multi-state anabolic steroid conspiracy that operated across the country.
According to court documents, Clyde Edward Peele, 46, is one of six members of a trafficking network, led by Michael Steven Lambert, 37, of Wilson County, North Carolina. Starting in 2018, Lambert and the five other members of the conspiracy manufactured and distributed anabolic steroids to customers across the country. They also worked together to hide and launder the proceeds of their illegal activities.
Lambert and his wife, Laura Lambert, 32, began this operation in their residence located in Wilson County. They used raw materials received from China to manufacture liquid and pill-form steroids for wholesale distribution. Lambert’s products were advertised on various underground internet forums and, with the assistance of his co-conspirators, the group shipped wholesale quantities of steroids through the U.S. Postal Service to various states for further distribution. The organization concealed its activities by using false names and identity information, encrypted messaging platforms, and crypto-currency accounts.
In 2018, North Carolina authorities arrested and charged Lambert with possession of anabolic steroids with the intent to distribute. Lambert was convicted and ordered to serve an active sentence in 2019. Rather than turn himself in to serve the sentence, Lambert adopted a new identity and moved the operation to Pennsylvania. Once there, the Lamberts and other co-conspirators resumed the distribution operation.
After the arrest of another co-conspirator, the Lamberts moved in with Adam Morin, 36, of Hanover County. Morin not only assisted in the manufacture of anabolic steroids, but he also manufactured silencers for weapons Lambert illegally possessed.
In early 2020, Lambert and his wife rented a residence in Surry County, where they established another massive anabolic steroid distribution operation. Peele worked for Lambert several days a week pressing powders into pills and shipping product to customers across the country. To avoid detection, Peele shipped packages using false names and from various postal branches in Surry County and Richmond.
Erik Eckert, 35, of Jacksonville, Florida, a Petty Officer with the U.S. Navy, and Hamdy Sayed, 37, of Katy, Texas, each received wholesale quantities of anabolic steroids from Lambert’s trafficking network and sold the steroids to others. Sayed also assisted the organization by collecting drug proceeds and funneling them through various cryptocurrency accounts and using drug proceeds to purchase luxury vehicles for the Lamberts to drive.
In total, Lambert manufactured and distributed tens of thousands of steroid units and admitted that he earned well over a million dollars in gross drug proceeds over the course of approximately two and a half years. The Lamberts used those proceeds to purchase luxury vehicles, jewelry, and a horse, among other items.
Today, Peele was sentenced to 5 years in prison for his role in the conspiracy. On September 7, Morin was sentenced to 18 months in prison for his role in the conspiracy. On September 23, Laura Lambert and Sayed were sentenced to 18 months and 3 months in prison respectively for their roles in the conspiracy. On October 12, Eckert was sentenced to time served, or approximately three months, in prison for his role in the conspiracy. Additionally, as a result of his involvement in this conspiracy, he will be discharged from the U.S. Navy.
On October 22 Lambert was sentenced to nine years in prison for his role in the conspiracy.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Mark R. Herring, Attorney General of Virginia; Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division; Daniel A. Adame, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Frederick E. Franks, Special Agent in Charge of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Norfolk Field Office; Charlie J. Patterson, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division; and Paul Neudigate, Chief of Virginia Beach Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Roderick C. Young.
The Norfolk Resident Office Tactical Diversion Squad conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Virginia Beach Police Department.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin Bird and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Bosse are prosecuting the case.
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.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:20-cr-112.
Redford Man Was Sentenced to 156 months’ imprisonment on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
DETROIT - A Redford man was sentenced today to 156 months’ imprisonment on charges of receiving child pornography, announced Acting United States Attorney Saima Mohsin.
Moshin was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Timothy Waters, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division.
Sentenced was Devin Walker, Age 24.
According to court records, beginning in 2015 and continuing up until his arrest in November 2018, Walker enticed and persuaded minor females to produce images of themselves engaging in sexually explicit conduct. He threatened his victims with violence and exposure of their images if they did not continue to send sexually explicit photos and videos. Walker communicated with his victims on the Internet using his real name as well as an alias. A search of Walker’s devices revealed 31 videos and 105 images of child pornography. Walker’s victims ranged in age from 13-years old to 17-years old.
“Walker is a sexual predator who coerced and exploited children for his own sexual gratification. The images he obtained from girls as young as 13 are not merely pictures but are a permanent record of the sexual abuse and exploitation he visited upon these children,” stated Acting United States Attorney Mohsin. “I commend the work of the FBI and the prosecutors for their dedication to investigating and prosecuting Walker for these horrible crimes.”
"Walker's conduct is an all-too-familiar example of sextortion. Sextortion begins when a predator, through threat or manipulation, coerces a minor into producing a sexually explicit image and sending it over the Internet. He then uses the threat of sharing or publishing those images to get the victim to produce more," said Special Agent in Charge Timothy Waters of the FBI's Detroit Field Office. "Make no mistake, Walker is a predator. I thank the brave young victim who took the first step towards holding Walker accountable for his crimes by reporting him to law enforcement."
This case was investigated by special agents with the FBI and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alyse Wu.
The FBI continues to see cases that involve adults coercing minors into producing sexual images and videos online. Take a moment to learn how sextortion works and how to talk to young people about it. Information, resources, and conversation guides are available at www.fbi.gov/StopSextortion.
Rapid City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Receipt of Child Pornography was sentenced on October 25, 2021 by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange.
Nikolas John Larson, age 41, was sentenced to five years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Larson was ordered to pay a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100 and $51,000 in restitution. Larson will also be required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
Larson was arrested and federally indicted following a failed pre-employment polygraph examination. After being informed of the failed polygraph, Larson admitted to visiting the Dark Web to look for and intentionally view images of child pornography from 2009 to 2019. A forensic examination of Larson’s devices revealed over 10,000 images of child pornography and 900 child pornography videos.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Rapid City Police Department, and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Sazama prosecuted the case.
Larson was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rapid City Man Found Not Guilty in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man was acquitted of two counts of Sexual Abuse as a result of a federal jury trial in Rapid City, South Dakota, on October 28, 2021.
Brandon Lindemann, a/k/a Brandon Lindeman, age 36, was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 17, 2020.
The charges related to the alleged sexual abuse of a juvenile female at a time when she was incapable of declining participation near Porcupine in February 2020.
The investigation was conducted by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The U.S. Attorney's Office prosecuted the case.
Puerto Rico Woman Sentenced for Attempting to Smuggle Marijuana through the Henry E. Rohlsen AirportRead the Press Release
St. Croix, USVI – Nathalie Lopez, 32, of Puerto Rico, was sentenced in District Court on one count of Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Distribute on Board an Aircraft, United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced.
Judge Wilma A. Lewis sentenced Lopez to two and a half years of federal probation with a required 100 hours of community service and imposed a fine of $2,000 and a special assessment of $100.
According to court documents, on February 17, 2017, Nathalie Lopez traveled on American Airlines flight #1293 from Miami, Florida, to St. Croix, via the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport. Lopez checked one box on this flight containing five separate vacuum-sealed packages of marijuana, weighing approximately 4.5 kilograms. Once Lopez arrived in St. Croix, her co-conspirator, Gibbs Bully, retrieved the box containing the marijuana from the baggage carousel, and was immediately detained by Customs and Border Protection officers.
Gibbs Bully previously pled guilty to the charge of Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Distribute, and on March 14, 2019, was sentenced to a prison term of 18 months, to be followed by a four-year period of supervised release, and a fine of $4,000.
The Virgin Islands Port Authority, Customs and Border Protection, and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. The DEA Southeast Crime Laboratory in Miami analyzed the marijuana. Assistant United States Attorney Daniel H. Huston prosecuted the case.
Postal Contractors Charged Following Seizure of 8,000+ Pieces of MailRead the Press Release
Two Lubbock postal contractors have been charged with possession of stolen mail, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Chad E. Meacham.
The investigation – which culminated in the recovery of more than 8,000 pieces of mail worth more than $4 million – marks the largest ever seizure of stolen mail in Northern District of Texas history.
Joe Roy Rivas, III, 22, and Jessica Lynn Solomon, 35, were indicted on Oct. 13 on one count of conspiracy to possess stolen mail and eight counts of possession of stolen mail. Ms. Solomon was arrested in Slaton, Texas the following day and made her initial appearance in federal court on Oct. 15; Mr. Rivas was arrested in Slaton on Oct. 27 and made his initial appearance in federal court yesterday afternoon.
According to the indictment, Mr. Rivas and Ms. Solomon were former co-workers at Cargo Force, Inc., a company that contracts with the United States Postal Service to load mail into and out of air containers destined for flights to and from the Lubbock International Airport.
During their shifts, the defendants allegedly sifted through mail looking for items containing cash, gift cards, checks, and money orders. They allegedly stole that mail and stashed it in 55-gallon trash bags at their residences. Among the checks they stole were a $25,728 check made payable to a telecom co-op, a $15,000 check to a consulting group, and a $241,1863 check to a facilities management and food services company.
An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Like all defendants, Mr. Rivas and Ms. Solomon are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
If convicted on all counts, they face up to 45 years in prison.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Slaton Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann Howey is prosecuting the case.
Posing on Social Media with Guns and Drugs Leads Waterloo Man to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who made several social media posts posing with guns and marijuana was sentenced today to nearly three years in federal prison.
Joshua Adam Rode, age 24, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 30, 2021 guilty plea to one count of being a drug user in possession of a firearm.
In a plea agreement, Rode admitted he had made several social media posts depicting himself with marijuana and firearms. Waterloo police officers then located Rode sitting in his car in a residential neighborhood in Waterloo. Officers approached Rode’s car, smelled the odor of marijuana, and asked him to step out of the car. Rode then retrieved an item from under the driver’s seat and attempted to run through responding officers. The officers stopped Rode and arrested him, finding a loaded handgun, with a round chambered, underneath Rode on the ground. Officers then found marijuana inside Rode’s car.
Rode was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Rode was sentenced to 33 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Rode is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Waterloo Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew Gillespie and Dan Chatham.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21‑CR‑02036-CJW‑MAR.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Port St. Lucie Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – A 21-year-old man from Port St. Lucie, Florida, Christopher Fabrisio Jimenez, has pled guilty in federal district court in Ft. Pierce to producing and distributing child pornography.
According to court documents, in January of 2020, a fourteen-year old girl reported to police investigators that she believed she had been sexually assaulted. Through the course of their investigation, law enforcement discovered that Jimenez had picked-up the fourteen-year-old in a vehicle, driven her around, and had given her alcoholic beverages until she passed out. Jimenez then recorded a sexually explicit video of the girl and posted it on a social media application. The day after the incident, Jimenez’s phone was deactivated and shortly after that, he left the State of Florida. The FBI later arrested him in New Jersey.
Jimenez pled guilty to one count of production of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography and faces up to 50 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The case is currently set for sentencing on March 8, 2022 at 10:00 a.m.
U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez of the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro, FBI Miami, announced the guilty plea.
FBI Miami investigated the case, together with the Martin County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Luisa Berti and Daniel Funk are prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 20-cr-14019.
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Porcupine Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Carjacking and Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Porcupine, South Dakota, man convicted of Carjacking and Use and Brandishing of a Firearm During the Commission of a Crime of Violence was sentenced on October 29, 2021, by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey L. Viken.
Curtis Horse, age 30, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, including three years in federal prison for the Carjacking conviction and a consecutive sentence of seven years in federal prison for the Firearm conviction. Horse was also sentenced to five years of supervised release to follow imprisonment and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution was ordered in an amount to be set at a later date.
Horse was indicted by a federal grand jury on December 8, 2020. He pleaded guilty on July 9, 2021. The conviction stems from Horse burglarizing and damaging property at a construction business building in Rapid City during the early morning hours of November 13, 2020. After breaking into the construction business, Horse stole a vehicle, tools, and a firearm belonging to another business that kept property at the same location. Horse fled with the vehicle until he abandoned it near a school elsewhere in Rapid City. Horse then took the firearm and walked into another business, where an individual was working on an indoor construction project. Horse pointed the gun at the individual, demanding his pickup keys and cell phone. Horse left in the person’s pickup. When law enforcement located Horse, he led them on a high-speed chase in Rapid City before making a turn into and hiding behind a business after cresting a hill, eluding officers. Later that day, law enforcement near Porcupine, South Dakota, on the Pine Ridge Reservation, spotted Horse in the pickup. Horse led officers on a chase at speeds up to 115 miles per hour from Porcupine to Evergreen housing, also on the reservation. Horse then led the chase through residential property in Evergreen before abandoning the vehicle and fleeing from police. Horse was not arrested until the next day, when he was found hiding in the attic of a residence in Evergreen.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Rapid City Police Department, and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Kelderman prosecuted the case.
Horse was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Phoenix Man Sentenced to 50 Months for Cross-Country Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Last week, Brandon (Brandi) Greenberg, 30, of Phoenix, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge John J. Tuchi to 50 months in prison, followed by 48 months of supervised release. Greenberg previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy and distribution of methamphetamine.
Over a nine-month period in 2018 and 2019, Greenberg mailed 30 parcels of methamphetamine ranging from less than half a pound to roughly six pounds, from Arizona to Massachusetts through the U.S. Postal Service. Most of the methamphetamine originated in Phoenix, and was then distributed by Greenberg’s co-conspirators in the greater Boston metropolitan area. Western Union and U.S. Postal Service records established payments sent from co-conspirators in Massachusetts to Greenberg in Arizona. During the execution of a search warrant at Greenberg’s residence in Phoenix in August 2019, investigators seized an additional 486 grams of methamphetamine.
Several other individuals who participated in the conspiracy have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing in Massachusetts.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation in this case. Assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police, the Boston (Massachusetts) Police Department, the Peoria (Arizona) Police Department, the Middlesex County (Massachusetts) District Attorney’s Office, the Suffolk County (Massachusetts) District Attorney’s Office, and the Arlington (Massachusetts) Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney James E. Arnold, District of Massachusetts and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacqueline Schesnol, District of Arizona, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR21-288-JJT
RELEASE NUMBER: 2021-077_Greenberg# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Philadelphia Sex Offender Sentenced to 1 ½+ Years in Prison for Failing to Register After Absconding from Federal SupervisionRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Edward C. Kipp, 75, of Philadelphia, PA, was sentenced to 19 months in prison and ten years of supervised release by United States District Court Judge Jeffrey L. Schmehl for failing to register as a sex offender, as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), also known as “Megan’s Law.” Under Megan’s Law, sex offenders are required to register their home, work, and school addresses with state law enforcement, so that individuals can search a database and be aware of convicted sex offenders living, working, or attending school in their neighborhood.
In August 2021, the defendant was convicted at trial of the charge of failing to register as a sex offender. In 2013, Kipp was convicted of possessing child pornography. Because of that conviction, he is required to register as a sex offender with the Pennsylvania State Police, and to verify that registration on an annual basis for 10 years. The defendant must also notify the State Police within three business days if there is any change in his residence. In 2020, Kipp absconded from federal supervised release and moved to a new residence without updating his registration. For this offense, he was charged by Indictment in September 2020.
“The purpose of Megan’s Law is to provide the public with current information about the whereabouts of sex offenders in order to ensure public awareness and safety,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Williams. “Failure to comply with the Megan’s Law registration requirement is not simply an administrative hiccup; it is a federal crime. And if offenders do not fulfill their obligation to report, we will aggressively prosecute them to ensure compliance.”
“Non-compliance regarding sex offender registration is, quite simply, not an option,” said Eric Gartner, U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. “We will continue to aggressively enforce these laws purposed to protect our children as part of a deterrence framework supporting Project Safe Childhood.”
“Parents want to know if there’s a sex offender living in the neighborhood, to better protect their children, and Megan’s Law gives them that right,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “If registered offenders refuse to keep their information current, as required, the FBI and our partners will see that they’re held accountable. The community’s safety is paramount here.”
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jessica Rice and Nancy Rue.
Peabody Construction Company Owner Pleads Guilty to Tax and Workers' Compensation FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The owner of a now-defunct Peabody construction company pleaded guilty yesterday in connection with a scheme to defraud the IRS of payroll taxes and to defraud his workers’ compensation insurance carrier by failing to disclose how many workers he employed.
Argyrios “Eric” Mavros, 57, pleaded guilty to 10 counts of failure to collect or pay over taxes and one count of mail fraud. U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for Feb. 17, 2022. Mavros was indicted in September 2020.
Mavros, who owned Mavros Construction, Inc., cashed more than $3.3 million in customer checks at a Peabody check cashing business and used some of those funds to pay his employees in cash. Mavros failed to report these employees or their wages in quarterly corporate tax filings, in an effort to avoid paying Social Security and Medicare taxes on employee wages and withholding federal income taxes. Overall, it is alleged that Mavros failed to pay and withhold federal taxes on more than $2.5 million in wages, resulting in a tax loss of over $1 million. Additionally, Mavros failed to report these employees to his workers’ compensation insurance carrier, thereby defrauding his insurer of premiums.
The charge of failure to collect and pay over taxes provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $10,000. The charge of mail fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Insurance Fraud Bureau of Massachusetts. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen A. Kearney of Mendell’s Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
Orville Broker-Dealer Charged with Securities FraudRead the Press Release
Acting U.S. Attorney Bridget M. Brennan and FBI Special Agent in Charge Eric B. Smith announced that a federal grand jury returned a seven-count indictment charging Thomas Brenner, 58, of Orville, Ohio, with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, conspiracy to commit securities fraud, mail fraud, wire fraud, securities fraud and engaging in a monetary transaction in property derived from criminal activity.
According to the indictment, the defendant was a financial broker-dealer and President of First American Securities, Inc., located in Orrville. In March of 2015, it is alleged that the defendant, Person-1 and others conspired together to recruit the defendant’s clients to “invest” in United RL Capital Services, LLC (“URL”), a company that purportedly financed medical laboratory developments.
It is alleged that the defendant and Person-1 solicited investors over the phone, through letters and in person. According to the indictment, the two misrepresented material information to the investors, including that investors’ money would finance medical laboratory developments, investors would receive their money back with interest after three years and that URL was as safe or safer than other existing investments.
It is alleged that some investors, at the defendant’s and Person-1’s encouragement, removed money from their IRAs to invest in URL and that the defendant and Person-1 misrepresented that doing so would not result in tax penalties.
The indictment describes how the defendant, instead of apportioning the investors’ money as promised, allegedly used these funds for his benefit, including large racecar-related purchases and to pay taxes. The indictment also alleges that when investors inquired about their investments, the defendant and Person-1 misrepresented that their investments were secure and provided some investors with sporadic, minimal payments, disguised as installments of earned interest, in order to lull investors into believing that their money was safe and being used as promised.
According to the indictment, the defendant knew that he was being investigated in 2015 and 2016 for selling URL securities by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”), a congressionally authorized entity that licenses and regulates broker-dealers. Despite this, it is alleged that neither the defendant nor Person-1 told prospective investors about the investigation, that First American Securities, Inc. could face closure and that the defendant could be suspended from associating with any FINRA-registered firm, which he eventually was. The defendant and Person-1 also allegedly did not inform investors that the defendant and Person-1 were related as family members.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, a defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum, and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
This case was investigated by the Cleveland FBI – Canton Resident Agency and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan O’Shea.
Omaha Man Sentenced as Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that Ja’Von Smith, 23, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on November 1, 2021 in federal court in Omaha as a felon in possession of a firearm. Senior United States District Judge Joseph F. Bataillon sentenced Smith to imprisonment for a term of 24 months. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Smith will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.
On December 1, 2019, Smith was observed by officers while police were conducting surveillance at a recent homicide memorial where rival gang members were gathering to discuss retaliatory action for a murder that took place the day before.
Officers observed several gang members acting in a manner which indicated that they were armed. When officers attempted to make contact with these parties, they fled in a vehicle. A high-speed chase occurred. Smith was identified as a passenger in the vehicle that was being driven by co-defendant Markese Davis. While being pursued, officers observed a handgun thrown from the vehicle. The gun, a .40 caliber handgun, was recovered by officers and submitted to a forensic lab for testing.
DNA of both Smith and Davis was recovered from the handgun. Smith had previously been convicted of felony possession of a stolen firearm in the Douglas County, Nebraska on March 13, 2017. Davis, also a convicted felon, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 24 months in the Bureau of Prisons on February 19, 2021.
This case was primarily investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives 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.
Oklahoma City Man Sentenced to Serve a Decade in Federal Prison for Illegal Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – Yesterday, DAVID ASHARD SAMILTON, 28, of Oklahoma City, was sentenced to serve 120 months in federal prison for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. Federal law prohibits convicted felons from possessing firearms or ammunition.
On November 2, 2020, a federal grand jury returned a one-count Indictment that alleged Samilton illegally possessed a firearm. On May 27, 2021, a federal jury found Samilton guilty of the firearms charge. At trial, the jury heard testimony that, on September 13, 2020, the Oklahoma City Police Department was dispatched to a hotel in south Oklahoma City. A hotel employee reported seeing Samilton in a vehicle and in possession of a firearm. Law enforcement searched the vehicle Samilton occupied and located a semi-automatic 9mm caliber pistol underneath his car seat.
Public records reflect that, before September 2020, Samilton had felony convictions for drug dealing, drug possession, larceny of a motor vehicle, discharging a firearm into a dwelling, and illegal firearm possession.
Today, Senior U.S. District Judge Stephen P. Friot sentenced Samilton to serve 120 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In announcing the sentence, Judge Friot noted the nature and circumstances of the offense and Samilton’s criminal history.
This case is the result of investigations by the Oklahoma City Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorneys Ashley Altshuler and Bow Bottomly prosecuted the case. The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses on the most violent offenders and partners with local prevention and re-entry programs for lasting reductions in crime. For more information, visit https://www.justice.gov/psn.
Reference is made to public filings for more information.
Newark Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Online Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Tristan Warner, age 48, of Newark, New Jersey, pled guilty today to attempted online enticement of a minor, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
As part of his guilty plea, Warner admitted that from about October 2020 to January 15, 2021, he exchanged electronic messages, via text and through a social networking platform, with an undercover officer he believed was the mother of an 11-year-old girl. In those messages, Warner expressed an interest in meeting the minor girl and in engaging in sexual acts with her. He also communicated by phone with someone he believed to be the girl’s mother. On January 15, 2021, Warner drove from Newark to a pre-determined location in Watervliet, New York, to meet and engage in sexual acts with the minor. He brought with him condoms, stuffed animals and two small vibrators/sexual toys to give to the girl as gifts. Warner was then encountered by law enforcement and arrested.
As a result of his conviction, Warner faces a mandatory term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life, a maximum fine of $250,000, and a term of supervised release of between 5 years and life. He will also be required to register as a sex offender. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. Sentencing is scheduled for March 1, 2022 before United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino.
This case was investigated by the FBI, New York State Police, Colonie Police Department, and Watervliet Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Belliss.
This case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Nampa Man Pleads Guilty to Distribution of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
BOISE - A Nampa man pleaded guilty to distribution of methamphetamine.
According to court records, Edward Lee Noll, 54, of Nampa, sold another person methamphetamine on two different occasions. On October 19, 2020, Noll sold 63.4 grams of methamphetamine and on October 29, 2020, he sold 95.7 grams of methamphetamine.
Noll is scheduled to be sentenced on February 14, 2022 and faces a statutory mandatory minimum sentence of at least ten years and a maximum sentence of life in federal prison, a ten million dollar fine, and at least five years of supervised release. A federal district court judge will determine Noll’s sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting U.S. Attorney Gonzalez applauded the efforts of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Ada County Sheriff’s Office, and the City County Narcotics Unit consisting of officers from the Caldwell Police Department and the Canyon County Sheriff’s Office, which led to the charges.
This case was prosecuted by the Special Assistant United States Attorney hired by the Ada County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office with funds provided by the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program. HIDTA is part of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988. It provides assistance to federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States. Idaho is part of the Oregon-Idaho HIDTA. The Idaho HIDTA is a collaboration of local, multi-jurisdictional law enforcement drug task forces, and prosecuting agencies dedicated to addressing regional drug trafficking organizations that operate in Ada, Canyon, Bannock, Kootenai, and Malheur Counties.
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Mosher Man Sentenced for Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Mosher, South Dakota, man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender was sentenced on November 1, 2021, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.
Tyrone Steven Andrews, age 29, was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Andrews was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 2, 2021. He pled guilty on August 2, 2021.
The conviction stems from Andrews failing to register as a sex offender as required by federal law between November 1, 2020, and June 2, 2021. Andrews had previously been convicted of a sex offense in federal court, which required him to register until the year 2041.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper prosecuted the case.
Andrews was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Mobridge Man Indicted for Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Mobridge, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.
Justin Jerome Howard, age 38, was indicted on October 13, 2021. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on October 25, 2021, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is ten years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, a lifetime of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that between August 17, 2021, and August 29, 2021, near Kennel, South Dakota, Howard, a person required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, and a sex offender by reason of conviction under federal law, failed to properly register as a sex offender and update his registration.
The charge is merely an accusation and Howard is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Mobridge Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook is prosecuting the case.
Howard was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Mississippi Podiatrist Charged for Alleged Foot Bath SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Oxford, Mississippi, returned an indictment on Oct. 27 that was unsealed today, charging a Mississippi podiatrist with a scheme to defraud health care benefit programs, including Medicare, by prescribing and dispensing medically unnecessary medications and ordering medically unnecessary testing, including in exchange for kickbacks and bribes.
According to court documents, Carey “Craig” Williams, 63, of Water Valley, owned and operated a podiatry clinic, North Mississippi Foot Specialists P.C., as well as an in-house pharmacy. The indictment alleges that Williams regularly prescribed antibiotic and antifungal drugs to be mixed into a tub of warm water for patients to soak their feet. These drug cocktails often included capsules and creams that were not medically indicated to be dissolved in water and were often chosen based on their anticipated reimbursement amount rather than on medical necessity. The indictment also alleges that Williams ordered medically unnecessary molecular diagnostic testing to be performed on his patients’ toenail clippings, including testing for the bacteria that causes “cat scratch disease,” which is unlikely to be found in a toenail. In addition, the indictment alleges that Williams solicited and received cash kickbacks from a marketer in exchange for referring prescriptions for foot bath medications and referring biological specimens and testing orders to pharmacies and laboratories. Between approximately July 2016 and July 2021, Williams allegedly caused pharmacies to submit over $4.9 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for dispensing expensive foot bath medications that were not medically necessary. Between approximately January 2018 and April 2021, Williams also allegedly caused a diagnostic laboratory to submit more than $6.4 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for medically unnecessary molecular diagnostic testing.
Williams is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud; seven counts of health care fraud; one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to offer, pay, solicit, and receive kickbacks; and two counts of soliciting and receiving kickbacks. He made his initial court appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge David A. Sanders of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi. If convicted, Williams faces a maximum penalty of 20 years of imprisonment for conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud; 10 years of imprisonment per health care fraud count; five years of imprisonment for the kickback conspiracy count; and five years of imprisonment per count of soliciting and receiving kickbacks. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner for the Northern District of Mississippi, Special Agent in Charge Derrick L. Jackson of the Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and Acting Assistant Director Jay Greenberg of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division made the announcement.
HHS-OIG and the FBI are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Sara E. Porter and Justin M. Woodard of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Clayton A. Dabbs of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Mississippi are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, comprised of 15 strike forces operating in 24 federal districts, has charged more than 4,200 defendants who collectively have billed the Medicare program for more than $19 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at https://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Mission Woman Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Mission, South Dakota, woman convicted of two counts of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, one count of Health Care Fraud, and one count of Obtaining Controlled Substances by Fraud was sentenced on October 22, 2021, by Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court.
Frenchone One Horn, a/k/a Frenchone Kills In Water, age 41, was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison to be served consecutively on each count of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury. One Horn was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison on the charge of Health Care Fraud, to be served consecutively to the assault charges. As to the charge of Obtaining Controlled Substances by Fraud, One Horn was sentenced to 12 months in federal prison. In total, One Horn was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $400 in special assessments to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
One Horn was indicted for the charges by a federal grand jury on October 22, 2020. She pleaded guilty on May 28, 2021.
One Horn was addicted to prescription controlled substances and was no longer able to obtain controlled substances as a result of her behavior. One Horn assaulted others, including her minor children, in order to obtain prescriptions from medical providers for the injuries she intentionally inflicted. As a result of One Horn’s actions, three victims lost four fingers to amputation. One Horn fabricated stories as to how the individuals received their injuries, and also provided false statements to health care providers in order to obtain controlled substances and health care benefits. Once the individuals received controlled substances, One Horn took the controlled substances, despite the individuals having significant bodily injuries.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen prosecuted the case.
One Horn was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Minnesota Man Sentenced for Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Dent, Minnesota, man convicted of Possession of Firearm by a Prohibited Person was sentenced on October 25, 2021, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.
Stacy Hansen, age 52, was sentenced to two months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, to include eight months of home confienment, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Hansen was indicted for Felon in Possession of a Firearm by a federal grand jury on October 14, 2020. He pled guilty on August 4, 2021.
The conviction stems from an incident on January 24, 2020, when Hansen and Elissa Shultz, who lived in the same residence, entered an outdoor store in Pierre, and filled out ATF forms using Shultz’s information. By using Schultz’s information, Hansen was able to purchase three firearms from the store. Hansen cannot legally purchase or possess firearms due to a prior felony conviction. A search warrant was executed on Hansen’s residence and business in August 2020, where multiple firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition were seized. Schultz was previously sentenced on October 5, 2021, to 18 months probation for her involvement.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case was investigated by Hyde County Sheriff’s Office, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Dilges prosecuted the case.
Hansen is to self-report at a later time.
Mexico Man Sentenced in Federal Court for Illegal Re-EntryRead the Press Release
A man who was illegally in the United States was sentenced November 1, 2021, to 57 days imprisonment.
Gabriel Grima-Sanchez, 47, from Mexico, received the prison term after an August 18, 2021, guilty plea to illegally re-entering the United States.
At the guilty plea and sentencing hearing, evidence showed that Grima-Sanchez was arrested on March 28, 2016, in Sioux City, Iowa for Domestic Abuse Assault and was released on March 30, 2016, from custody on a state bond. Subsequent investigation revealed Grima-Sanchez was an alien who had been ordered removed from the United States and was most recently removed on May 11, 2005. On April 30, 2016, a federal indictment and arrest warrant were issued against Grima-Sanchez for illegal re-entry. On June 23, 2021, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle operated by Grima-Sanchez. Defendant was then taken into custody on the federal warrant.
Grima-Sanchez was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Grima-Sanchez was sentenced to time served of 57 days’ imprisonment. He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release, pay a fine of $1,000, and pay a special assessment of $100. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and investigated by Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 16-4044.
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