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Wednesday 15 September 2021
Passaic County Man Admits Illegal Possession of Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Passaic County, New Jersey, man with a previous felony conviction today admitted illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Jamir Clark, 27, of Paterson, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi to an indictment charging him with one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On June 7, 2020, Clark possessed a firearm capable of accepting a large capacity magazine, which was loaded with 14 rounds of .45 caliber ammunition. Clark has previously been convicted of possession of controlled substances within 1,000 feet of a school, a felony offense.
The firearms offense to which Clark pleaded guilty carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 22, 2022.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents and task force officers with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey L. Matthews in Newark, and members of the Paterson Police Department, under the direction of Director Jerry Speziale and Police Chief Ibrahim Baycora with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
This case is part of the Violent Crime Initiative (VCI), which was formed in 2020 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, and the City of Paterson’s Department of Public Safety for the purpose of combatting violent crime in and around Paterson. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate and pool resources to prosecute violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, the DEA, the U.S. Marshals, the Paterson Department of Public Safety, the Paterson Police Department, the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office, N.J. State Parole, Passaic County Jail, N.J. State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center, and N.J. Department of Corrections.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francesca Liquori of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Organized Crime and Gangs Unit in Newark.
Orlando Cardiologist Pays $6.75 Million to Resolve Allegations of Performing Unnecessary Medical ProceduresRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – Dr. Ashish Pal, a cardiologist based in Orlando, Florida, has paid $6.75 million to resolve allegations that he violated the False Claims Act by performing medically unnecessary ablations and vein stent procedures, the Justice Department announced today.
The settlement resolves allegations that, from Jan. 1, 2013, to Dec. 31, 2019, Dr. Pal knowingly submitted false claims to federal health care programs for medically unnecessary ablations and vein stent procedures. The government alleged that Dr. Pal performed the ablations and stent procedures on veins that did not qualify for treatment under accepted standards of medical practice. Additionally, the government alleged that Dr. Pal made misrepresentations in patient medical records to justify the procedures, including overstating the degree of reflux and diameter of veins, and falsely documenting patient symptoms. The United States also alleged that, in many instances, the ablations were performed either exclusively or primarily by one or more ultrasound technicians outside their scope of practice.
“Physicians are expected to perform procedures only when they have a legitimate medical basis to do so,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton for Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department will pursue those who waste taxpayer funds and subject patients to unwarranted medical care.”
“Our office is committed to protecting vulnerable patients from those who put financial gain ahead of patients’ needs,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Karin Hoppmann of the Middle District of Florida. “We will continue to hold accountable those who abuse the nation’s healthcare programs at the expense of the taxpayers.”
“The Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service will continue to lead the way in the dogged pursuit of unethical providers who risk patient health for profit,” stated Acting IG Sean O’Donnell. “Ensuring Force readiness and proper care of our military members and their families are among our top priorities.”
“When physicians enrich themselves by performing medically unnecessary procedures on Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, they threaten their patients’ health and divert taxpayer funds meant to pay for necessary care,” said Special Agent in Charge Omar Pérez Aybar of U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “We will continue to work hard with our law enforcement partners to ensure that health care providers who engage in such abusive behavior are held accountable.”
“The healthcare providers within the Military Health System are committed to patient satisfaction and take seriously their obligation to ensure great outcomes by providing the highest-quality care,” said Director Lt. Gen. Ronald J. Place, M.D. of the Defense Health Agency (DHA). “We are grateful to the U.S. Department of Justice for working to maintain that trust by ensuring medical providers continue to put their patients’ needs and safety first.”
“The Office of Personnel Management’s Office of the Inspector General (OPM-OIG) is dedicated to investigating providers that prioritize profits over patient well-being,” said Deputy Inspector General Performing the Duties of the Inspector General Norbert E. Vint for the OPM-OIG. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and colleagues at the Department of Justice to safeguard the federal health care programs from fraud.”
To help ensure the alleged abuses outlined in this case do not reoccur, Dr. Pal and Interventional Cardiology & Vascular Consultants, PLC entered a detailed, multi-year integrity agreement with HHS-OIG. This integrity agreement contains training and reporting requirements as well as a quarterly claims review conducted by an Independent Review Organization, with the requirement that the review team includes at least one interventional cardiologist who is board certified. It also contains provisions for stipulated penalties and, possibly, the exclusion from federal health programs such as Medicare and Medicaid in the event of a breach of its terms.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, with assistance from the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office of Inspector General and the Office of Personnel Management Office of Inspector General.
The government’s pursuit of this matter illustrates its emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services, at 800‑HHS‑TIPS (800-447-8477).
This matter was handled by Nicholas C. Perros of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael R. Kenneth of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Orlando Cardiologist Pays $6.75 Million to Resolve Allegations of Performing Unnecessary Medical ProceduresRead the Press Release
Dr. Ashish Pal, a cardiologist based in Orlando, Florida, has paid $6.75 million to resolve allegations that he violated the False Claims Act by performing medically unnecessary ablations and vein stent procedures.
The settlement resolves allegations that, from Jan. 1, 2013 to Dec. 31, 2019, Dr. Pal knowingly submitted false claims to federal health care programs for medically unnecessary ablations and vein stent procedures. The government alleged that Dr. Pal performed the ablations and stent procedures on veins that did not qualify for treatment under accepted standards of medical practice. Additionally, the government alleged that Dr. Pal made misrepresentations in patient medical records to justify the procedures, including overstating the degree of reflux and diameter of veins, and falsely documenting patient symptoms. The United States also alleged that, in many instances, the ablations were performed either exclusively or primarily by one or more ultrasound technicians outside their scope of practice.
“Physicians are expected to perform procedures only when they have a legitimate medical basis to do so,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton for Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department will pursue those who waste taxpayer funds and subject patients to unwarranted medical care.”
“Our office is committed to protecting vulnerable patients from those who put financial gain ahead of patients’ needs,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Karin Hoppmann of the Middle District of Florida. “We will continue to hold accountable those who abuse the nation’s healthcare programs at the expense of the taxpayers.”
“The Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) will continue to lead the way in the dogged pursuit of unethical providers who risk patient health for profit,” said Acting Inspector General Sean O’Donnell for the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General. “Ensuring Force readiness and proper care of our military members and their families are among our top priorities.”
“When physicians enrich themselves by performing medically unnecessary procedures on Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, they threaten their patients’ health and divert taxpayer funds meant to pay for necessary care,” said Special Agent in Charge Omar Pérez Aybar of U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “We will continue to work hard with our law enforcement partners to ensure that health care providers who engage in such abusive behavior are held accountable.”
“The healthcare providers within the Military Health System are committed to patient satisfaction and take seriously their obligation to ensure great outcomes by providing the highest-quality care,” said Director Lt. Gen. Ronald J. Place, M.D. of the Defense Health Agency (DHA). “We are grateful to the U.S. Department of Justice for working to maintain that trust by ensuring medical providers continue to put their patients’ needs and safety first.”
“The Office of Personnel Management’s Office of the Inspector General (OPM-OIG) is dedicated to investigating providers that prioritize profits over patient well-being,” said Deputy Inspector General Performing the Duties of the Inspector General Norbert E. Vint for the OPM-OIG. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and colleagues at the Department of Justice to safeguard the federal health care programs from fraud.”
To help ensure the alleged abuses outlined in this case do not reoccur, Dr. Pal and Interventional Cardiology & Vascular Consultants, PLC entered a detailed, multi-year integrity agreement with HHS-OIG. This integrity agreement contains training and reporting requirements as well as a quarterly claims review conducted by an Independent Review Organization, with the requirement that the review team includes at least one interventional cardiologist who is board certified. It also contains provisions for stipulated penalties and, possibly, the exclusion from federal health programs such as Medicare and Medicaid in the event of a breach of its terms.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, with assistance from the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General - DCIS, the FBI, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office of Inspector General and the Office of Personnel Management Office of Inspector General.
The government’s pursuit of this matter illustrates its emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services, at 800‑HHS‑TIPS (800-447-8477).
This matter was handled by Nicholas C. Perros of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael R. Kenneth of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Orange Park Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Attempting to Entice A 14-Year-Old to Produce Child Sex Abuse Images and to Meet for SexRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Darryl Gray Smith (31, Orange Park) to 10 years in federal prison for attempting to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity and to produce child sex abuse images. Smith was also ordered to serve a 10-year term of supervised release and to register as a sex offender.
Smith was found guilty on February 5, 2020, following a jury trial.
According to testimony and evidence introduced during the trial, from February 6 through February 13, 2019, Smith engaged in a series of online text conversations over the internet with a person whom he believed to be a 14-year-old child. Unbeknownst to Smith, this “child” was an undercover agent from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). During the course of these conversations, Smith discussed in detail his desire to meet and sexually abuse the “child.” He made several requests for the “child” to produce and send him images of the “child” engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
On February 13, 2019, Smith went to a local restaurant in Orange Park to meet the 14-year-old child. He was arrested at the meeting location by HSI agents and officers with the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.
“We are witnessing an epidemic of the sexual exploitation of children in our society,” said HSI Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent in Charge K. Jim Phillips. “It’s imperative that parents, caregivers and children understand the dangers of online predators and take every step possible to safely navigate Internet and social media activities.”
This case was investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ashley Washington and Kelly Karase.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Omaha Man Sentenced for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced the Corey J. Collmann, 38, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha for possession of child pornography. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Collmann to 48 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Collmann will begin a 5-year term of supervised release and will be required to register as a sex offender.
An investigation conducted by the Omaha FBI's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force determined that between September 30, 2017 and October 2, 2017, Yahoo! Inc., a company located outside the State of Nebraska, identified multiple images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct that were uploaded using one of their services, known as Flickr.
Yahoo! Inc. provided to law enforcement the account, an email address, and IP address, of the user who uploaded the images of the minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The FBI obtained information related to the IP addresses, which ultimately identified Collmann’s residence in Omaha, Nebraska.
On February 23, 2018, the FBI executed a search warrant of Collmann’s residence and seized his cellular phone and a tablet. Forensic analysis of the devices identified approximately 50 images of minors, at least one as young as 3 years old, engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
At the time of the search warrant, Collmann admitted to law enforcement that he used the Yahoo! Inc. Flickr application and that he had viewed child exploitive images.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case was investigated by the Omaha FBI's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.
New York Man Admits Role in KidnappingRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Bronx, New York, man today admitted his role in a Paterson, New Jersey, kidnapping, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Maurice Cottman, 41, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Stanley R. Chesler in Newark federal court to an information charging him with one count of kidnapping.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Oct. 8, 2020, Cottman and his conspirator, Reginald Law, entered a retail store in Paterson and assaulted the Victim, who was working in the store. Cottman and Law dragged the victim from the store, threw him into the back of a U-Haul truck and drove to New York. Cottman and Law pistol-whipped the victim in the head and face. Cottman called the victim’s family and demanded $200,000 for his return.
That afternoon, law enforcement officers went to Harlem, New York, where they saw the U-Haul parked on the street. When the officers approached, Cottman and Law fled in the U-Haul and a motor-vehicle pursuit ensued. After some distance, the U-Haul crashed, and a foot pursuit ensued. Cottman was arrested, but Law got away. The officers opened the U-Haul and rescued the victim. Law was arrested on May 26, 2021.
The kidnapping charge to which Cottman pleaded guilty is punishable by a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 2, 2022.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr. in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. She also thanked the FBI New York Field Office and the Paterson Police Department for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shontae D. Gray of the Violent Crimes Unit.
The charges against Law remain pending, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
New York City Man Sentenced to 11 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Child Sex Abuse Images over the InternetRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Andre Dwayne Blagrove (35, New York City) to 11 years in federal prison for distribution of child pornography. Blagrove was also ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release and register as a sex offender.
Blagrove had pleaded guilty on June 14, 2021.
According to court documents, in June 2019, an FBI agent who was acting in an undercover capacity encountered Blagrove in an internet chat room. The undercover agent was posing as a father of two minor children, whom he purportedly sexually abused. Blagrove expressed great interest in the undercover agent’s sexual abuse of his children, and asked whether he (Blagrove) could join in. Blagrove also described the sexual acts he wanted to perform on one of the children and requested that the agent take and send naked pictures of his daughters for Blagrove’s sexual gratification. Blagrove also used the internet to send the agent two videos that depicted the sexual exploitation of children.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily C. L. Chang.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
New Haven Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug-Related OffensesRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that KEILAH BORIA, 40, of New Haven, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to nine months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for narcotics trafficking and money laundering offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2019, the DEA New Haven Task Force began an investigation into a New Haven-based drug trafficking network headed by Michael Smith, also known as “Head.” The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps, revealed that Smith and others were distributing heroin and crack cocaine throughout the New Haven area, and that Boria maintained bank accounts that Smith used to launder the cash proceeds of his drug trafficking activity. From 2016 to 2019, Boria deposited more than $200,000 in cash into the bank accounts. Smith spent some of the drug proceeds to pay for rental cars that he used to transport narcotics and to travel to meet his drug customers.
In December 2019, Smith was intercepted on a wiretap describing having shot at a rival drug dealer. New Haven Police collected 31 shell casings from a location in the Fair Haven neighborhood where the shooting occurred. Smith was arrested on December 23, 2019.
Boria was arrested on September 16, 2020. On April 14, 2021, she pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess and distribute heroin and cocaine base (“crack”), and one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments.
Boria, who is released on a $150,000 bond, is required to report to prison on November 12, 2021.
Smith, who has been detained since his arrest, pleaded guilty to drug, firearm and money laundering charges on April 15, 2021. He awaits sentencing.
This investigation is being conducted by the DEA New Haven Task Force, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, and the New Haven, West Haven, Hamden, East Haven, North Haven, Ansonia, Meriden and Derby Police Departments.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Pierpont, Jr. and Elena L. Coronado through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Multi-Agency Investigation Results in Indictment and Arrest of "Drug Kingpin" Associated with the Sinaloa Cartel Operating in Sonora, MexicoRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE – Miguel Baez Guevara, 38, a United States citizen living in Mexico, was indicted by a federal grand jury on 17 counts related to his leadership role in trafficking narcotics directly from Mexico to Alaska. Guevara was arrested by Mexican immigration authorities from the Instituto Nacional de Migración in Sonora, Mexico, on Friday, September 10, and deported to the United States. U.S. Law Enforcement arrested Guevara upon his arrival in Arizona. He pleaded not guilty Tuesday in federal court in Phoenix, Arizona. He will remain detained pending his transfer to Alaska.
According to the recently unsealed indictment, beginning in 2016 Guevara’s organization operated to import heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine directly from Mexico to Alaska. Guevara claimed membership in, and association with, the Sinaloa Cartel. Guevara’s network specifically targeted Alaska because they received higher profits for the illegal drugs due to Alaska’s significant distance from the Mexican sources of supply.
Using social media and encrypted messaging applications, Guevara’s network recruited drug couriers who lived in Alaska. The couriers were promised money or drugs in exchange for traveling to Mexico to collect the narcotics for transport back to Alaska. Couriers were required to submit photos of their driver’s license and other personal information. Guevara made it known he was associated with the Sinaloa Cartel and there were serious and violent repercussions for couriers who stole narcotics or provided information to law enforcement. The couriers often traveled in small groups with an assigned team leader. Couriers typically carried about 250 grams of narcotics on each trip. Once the couriers arrived in Alaska a member of Guevara’s network, who was stationed in Alaska, paid them and collected the narcotics. Street level dealers in Alaska contacted Guevara who coordinated the sale between his Alaska workers and the local dealer. Guevara did not cross into the United States due to outstanding federal and state arrest warrants but conducted all operations from Mexico.
The Continuing Criminal Enterprise statute 21 U.S.C. § 848 is often referred to as the “Kingpin Statute.” The statute is designed to reach the top brass in drug trafficking organizations, and not the lieutenants and foot soldiers. The statute was enacted to target large-scale profit-making enterprises engaged in the illegal importation, manufacture and distribution of controlled substances. A conviction carries a mandatory life sentence.
The indictment and arrest are part of an ongoing, large scale drug trafficking investigation dubbed “Operation Albondiga” which has resulted in the arrest and criminal charges of 23 individuals since 2016.
The defendants (in alphabetical order) are as follows:
- Jason Alto, 25, pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, sentenced January 18, 2017 to 20 months imprisonment.
- Chinaya Begay, 26, pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance, sentenced August 12, 2021 to time served (13 months).
- Mario Burgueno, 36, pleaded guilty in the District of Arizona to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Heroin, sentenced June 12, 2019 to 120 months imprisonment.
- Dana Dwyer, 45, pleaded guilty to Felon in Possession of Firearms, sentencing scheduled for January 10, 2022.
- Travon Grays, 28, pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances, sentenced March 2, 2021 to 37 months imprisonment.
- Jessica Hannah, 26, pleaded guilty to Attempted Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances, sentenced June 7, 2021 to time served (7 months).
- Zanders Herndon, 39, pleaded guilty to Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition, sentenced August 6, 2018 to 54 months imprisonment.
- Eva Houser, 38, pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances, sentenced January 3, 2019 to 36 months imprisonment.
- David Garcia Johnson, 29, pleaded guilty to Distribution of a Controlled Substance, sentenced January 11, 2021 to 46 months imprisonment.
- April Krause, 36, pleaded guilty in the District of Arizona to Conspiracy to Possess Counterfeit Obligations and Sureties of the United States and Bringing in Counterfeit Obligations, sentenced October 18, 2018 to 13 months imprisonment.
- Katrina Lundy, 41, pleaded guilty to Attempted Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances, sentenced March 6, 2019 to 21 months imprisonment.
- Jarese Martinez, 28, pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances, sentenced November 2, 2018 to 120 months imprisonment.
- Victor Mizugay-Gallego, 24, pleaded guilty to Attempted Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Distribute, sentencing scheduled for October 6, 2021.
- Alicia Norvell, 33, pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances, sentenced September 12, 2018 to time served (10 months).
- Mykki Orth, 55, pleaded guilty to Distribution of Controlled Substances, sentenced October 23, 2018 to 15 months imprisonment.
- Frances Pelch, 66, pleaded guilty to Attempted Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances, sentenced January 15, 2021 to 36 months imprisonment.
- Alicia Pierce, 27, pleaded guilty in the District of Arizona to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Heroin, sentenced May 23, 2019 to time served (10 months).
- Jackie Polzel, 34, pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances, sentenced September 12, 2018 to 36 months imprisonment.
- Kelly Pretty, 35, pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances, sentenced May 2, 2018 to 16 months imprisonment.
- Jody Schuyler, 55, pleaded guilty in the District of Arizona to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Heroin, sentenced May 21, 2019 to 12 months imprisonment.
- Audriel Soto, 25, pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance, sentenced February 17, 2021 to 36 months imprisonment.
- Nicole Villa, 33, pleaded guilty in the District of Arizona to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Heroin, sentenced April 3, 2019 to time served (10 months).
- Casey Wells, 39, pleaded guilty in the District of Arizona to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Heroin, sentenced April 2, 2019 to time served (10 months).
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) are leading the investigation with investigative support provided by Anchorage Police Department (APD), Homeland Security Investigations Sells, Arizona, Office (HSI), U.S. Customs & Border Patrol, the Alaska State Troopers (AST), Ted Stevens International Airport Police and the Alaska National Guard. We also want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona and law enforcement agencies in the State of Arizona for their invaluable help with this case and “Operation Albondiga.”
Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Taylor, Allison O’Leary, and Chris Schroeder are prosecuting the case.
Operation Albondiga 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.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Montville Man Sentenced to 52 Months in Prison for Robbing Norwich Bank While on Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that ANTHONY HALL, 60, of Montville, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to 52 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for robbing a Norwich bank while he was on supervised release for a prior federal bank robbery conviction.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in April 2011, Anthony Hall was sentenced in Hartford federal court to 87 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for robbing four Connecticut banks in 2008 and 2009. He was released from federal custody in January 2016. On September 13, 2019, while on federal supervised release, Hall robbed the Eastern Savings Bank, located at 666 West Main Street in Norwich, of approximately $2,400.
Hall has been detained since his arrest on related state charges on October 28, 2019. On April 13, 2021, he pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of bank robbery.
Judge Hall sentenced Anthony Hall to 40 months of imprisonment for the bank robbery, and an additional 12 months of imprisonment for violating the conditions of his supervised release.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Norwich Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Gresham.
Middlesex County Man Charged with $1.3 Million in Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loan Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Middlesex County, New Jersey, man was arrested today on charges related to his role in fraudulently obtaining $1.3 million in federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced today.
Jordan C. Larkins, 31, of Edison, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with three counts of bank fraud, seven counts of wire fraud, and two counts of money laundering. Larkins is scheduled to have his initial appearance by videoconference this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jessica S. Allen.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Larkins submitted three fraudulent PPP loan applications to two different lenders on behalf of three purported businesses and a total of seven EIDL applications to the Small Business Association (SBA) on behalf of four purported businesses.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, through the PPP. In April 2020, Congress authorized over $300 billion in additional PPP funding.
The PPP allows qualifying small businesses and other organizations to receive loans with a maturity of two years and an interest rate of 1 percent. PPP loan proceeds must be used by businesses on payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities. The PPP allows the interest and principal on the PPP loan to be forgiven if the business spends the loan proceeds on these expense items within a designated period of time after receiving the proceeds and uses at least a certain percentage of the PPP loan proceeds on payroll expenses.
The applications Larkins submitted allegedly contained fraudulent representations to the participating lenders and the SBA, including bogus federal tax return documentation. According to Social Security Administration records, there were no wages or Forms W-2 processed for any of the entities between 2018 and 2020. Larkins also fabricated bank statements, the identities of certain individuals listed on the applications, and driver’s licenses of purported applicants.
Lenders and the SBA approved Larkins’s PPP loan applications, EIDL SBA loan applications, and EIDL advance payments, and provided Larkins’s purported businesses with approximately $1.3 million in federal COVID-19 emergency relief funds meant for distressed small businesses.
The three counts of bank fraud each carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine; the seven counts of wire fraud each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years, and the two counts of money laundering each carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Both the wire fraud and money laundering counts carry a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain to the defendant or gross loss to the victim, whichever is greatest.
Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael Honig credited postal inspectors of U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Newark Division, under the direction of Acting Inspector in Charge Raimundo Marrero; special agents of IRS – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael Montanez; and special agents of the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, New York Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge John Grasso, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Fatime Meka Cano of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Government Fraud Unit in Newark.
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 Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Massachusetts Man Convicted of Sending Threatening Emails to Police CommissionerRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that that Peter Fratus, 39, of West Dennis, MA, was convicted today at trial of sending threatening email messages to City of Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw.
In August 2020, Fratus was charged by Indictment with transmitting threatening communications in interstate commerce. According to the Indictment, on June 6, 2020, the defendant sent two emails to the Philadelphia Police Commissioner’s City of Philadelphia email address. Both emails allegedly contained racist, offensive, and threatening language, with one communication asking about where the Commissioner lives.
“It is a federal felony to threaten another person online, whether the victim is a private citizen or a public figure,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Williams. “The public can rest assured that our Office, together with our law enforcement partners, will work tirelessly to identify anyone who does this and ensure they’re held accountable for their actions.”
“The perceived anonymity offered by the internet has emboldened many people into thinking they can post or send anything they want,” said Bradley S. Benavides, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “Today, a jury proved that’s not the case, holding Peter Fratus accountable for his violent threats. This was not free speech. This was a crime. Know that the FBI will continue to investigate and bring to justice people like Fratus who clearly cross that line.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Philadelphia Police Department and the Dennis Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Robert J. Livermore and Sarah M. Wolfe.
Manchester Man Sentenced to 77 Months for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
CONCORD - Efrain Perez, 48, of Manchester, was sentenced on Tuesday to 77 months in federal prison for attempted possession of MDMA with intent to distribute, Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in the spring of 2019, the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) seized a package shipped from the Netherlands that contained over 500 grams of MDMA. MDMA is an illegal drug that is also known as “Ecstasy” or “Molly.” The package was addressed to an employee at a store in New Hampshire.
On April 3, 2019, a member of the USPIS, disguised as a mail carrier, delivered the package to the employee and learned that Perez had asked him to receive the package.
At the request of law enforcement officers, the employee advised Perez that the package was available at a post office. Perez went to the post office and signed for the package. After leaving the post office, Perez was approached by law enforcement officers while in possession of the package. A later search of Perez's cellular phone showed that he had made multiple inquiries to check on the delivery status of the package.
“Drug trafficking endangers public health and safety,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley. “Shipping dangerous drugs through the mail can create an additional public health hazard. We are working hard to stop the flow of drugs into New Hampshire. As this case demonstrates, those who use the mail for drug trafficking will face substantial consequences for their unlawful conduct.”
“HSI is committed to preventing trafficked drugs from reaching the streets. With the assistance of our partners at the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, we’re working together to keep dangerous substances out of the mail system and out of the hands of traffickers,” said Matthew Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge for the Homeland Security Investigations’ Boston Field Office.
This matter was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Postal Inspection Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Aframe.
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Manchester Man Sentenced to 22 Months for Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
CONCORD - Larry Woods, 41, of Manchester, was sentenced on Tuesday to 22 months in federal prison for aiding and abetting the distribution of fentanyl, Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 18, 2019, a confidential source (CS) working with Manchester police detectives engaged in a series of calls with Woods to arrange the purchase of fentanyl. The CS then obtained the fentanyl at a Manchester residence.
“Fentanyl trafficking has caused great damage to communities throughout New Hampshire,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley. “We continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute those who distribute this deadly drug in the Granite State.”
This matter was investigated by the Manchester Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joachim H. Barth.
This case is part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.). In July of 2018, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the creation of S.O.S., which is being implemented in the District of New Hampshire and nine other federal districts. The goal of S.O.S. is to combat the large number of overdoses and deaths associated with fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. In New Hampshire, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is focusing its efforts on prosecuting synthetic opioid trafficking cases arising in Hillsborough County, which includes Manchester and Nashua.
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Manchester Man Indicted for Possessing a Firearm by a Prohibited PersonRead the Press Release
CONCORD –Michael Francis, 34, of Manchester, was indicted by a federal grand jury on Monday and charged with unlawfully possessing a firearm, Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today.
According to court documents and statements in court, Francis was arrested on September 1, 2021, for parole violations. At the time of his arrest, there was a holster under the driver’s seat of his vehicle. Law enforcement agents later obtained a warrant to search Francis’ residence on Thornton Street in Manchester and recovered four loaded handguns, two of which were stolen. Law enforcement officers also recovered over 400 grams of suspected fentanyl and over 400 grams of suspected methamphetamine. The charges allege that Francis is prohibited from possessing firearms due to at least one prior felony conviction.
Francis is being detained pending trial. The criminal investigation into his conduct is ongoing.
The charges in the indictment are only allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case was investigated by the Manchester Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joachim Barth and Aaron Gingrande.
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Man and Woman Involved in Drug Robbery and Murder Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
A man and woman who were responsible for participating in a robbery that led to the murder of another man were sentenced today to federal prison.
Danielle Busch, age 31, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received a decade in prison after an April 13, 2020 guilty plea to conspiracy to commit robbery affecting interstate commerce and using and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence resulting in murder.
William Leo Yancey, age 46, also from Cedar Rapids, received over 30 years in prison after a May 13, 2021 guilty plea to robbery affecting interstate commerce and using and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence resulting in murder.
Evidence during the case established that, in May 2014, Busch, Yancey, and Matthew Robbins, who will be sentenced at a later date, conspired to rob a local drug dealer, and then robbed the dealer on May 31, 2014. During the robbery, Robbins possessed a firearm which was discharged, murdering the victim.
Busch and Yancey were sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand, who described the case as an “horrific offense.” Busch was sentenced to 120 months’ and one day imprisonment. She must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. Yancey was sentenced to 400 months’ imprisonment. Judge Strand noted that Yancey has been a drain on the criminal justice system who has engaged in criminal conduct throughout his adult life. Yancey is currently serving a 188-month prison term for conspiring to manufacture methamphetamine and will begin serving this sentence once he finishes serving that term of imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
“The volatile combination of drugs and guns resulted in a man’s tragic death,” said Acting United States Attorney Sean R. Berry. “Today’s sentences hold accountable two of the individuals who participated in a plan to rob that man of drugs and money. Our office is committed to vigorously prosecuting those who mix drugs, guns, and violence.”
Busch and Yancey are being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until they can be transported to a federal prison.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lisa C. Williams and Emily K. Nydle and was investigated by the Marion Police Department, the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation, the Linn County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Iowa City Police Department, the United States Marshals Service, the Davenport Police Department, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Benton County Sheriff’s Office, the Cedar County Sheriff’s Office, the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, and the Daytona Beach Shores Florida Police Department. Assistance was also provided by the Waypoint Services Survivor's Program in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 19-cr-53.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Abusive Sexual Contact with a Child Under 12Read the Press Release
A man who sexually abused a young child was sentenced Wednesday in federal court.
U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced Travis Dray Stewart, 41, to 240 months in federal prison followed by 10 years of supervised release.
Stewart pleaded guilty on May 24, 2021, to abusive sexual contact in Indian Country.
In his plea agreement, Stewart admitted to making sexual contact with a child under 12 years of age between June 2003 and September 2005. The U.S. Attorney’s Office charged Stewart after his May 2015 conviction in Tulsa County District Court was overturned due to lack of jurisdiction following the Supreme Court’s McGirt v Oklahoma decision.
“Travis Dray Stewart will spend 20 years in federal prison for harming a young child,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “The resulting trauma associated with child sexual abuse is life altering and long lasting. I encourage anyone who is struggling with the trauma of abuse to seek community resources to help in their recovery. No victim should suffer in silence.”
Resources are available to assist in recovery. You can start your search for assistance by contacting:
-Oklahoma’s SafeLine at 1-800-522-SAFE (7233).
-National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678). Information on reporting and recovery can be found on NCMEC’s site https://www.missingkids.org/gethelpnow/csam-resources.
Suspected child neglect and abuse can be reported to the Oklahoma Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-522-3511 and/or to local law enforcement.
The FBI and Tulsa Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Reagan V. Reininger is prosecuting the case.
Local residents arrested in large-scale poly-drug caseRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas - A total of 16 Starr County residents are now in custody following the return of two separate and unrelated indictments alleging the distribution of large quantities of meth, cocaine and marijuana, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Among those taken into custody were Rio Grande City residents, Roel Valadez, 31, Jose Diaz, 43, Isidoro Garza, 53, Jeronimo Morin, 34, Tomas Martinez-Talamantes, 30, Noel Avila, 46, Samuel Torres, 33, Hugo Canales, 63, Jose Ortiz, 46, Ignacio Garza, 49, Diego Reyes, 40, Marcos Barrientos, 38, Janella Chavarria, 32; and David Gomez, 22, Mission. Abel Reyes, 33, Mission, turned himself in a short time ago. With the exception of Diaz, who will make his initial appearance in Austin, the remaining defendants are expected to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Scott Hacker tomorrow at 9 a.m.
A federal grand jury returned a 10-count indictment under seal Sept. 7, charging Garza, Reyes, Barrientos, Chavarria, Valadez, Vela, Gomez, Garza, Diaz, Ortiz, Canales, Morin, Avila and Torres. It alleges they conspired from July 2020 to September 2021 to possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams or more of meth, five kilograms or more of cocaine and 1000 kilograms of marijuana. Some are also charged with substantive counts on varying dates of possession with intent to distribute one or more of the narcotics and maintaining a stash house.
A separate two-count sealed indictment was also returned Sept. 7. It charges Martinez-Talamantes beginning in June of 2020 and continuing until August of 2020 conspired to possess 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. They are also charged with the substantive count of possession of 193 kilograms of methamphetamine.
All face a minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison as well as a possible $10 million maximum fine upon conviction. Those charged in the substantive possession counts could also face additional terms from five to 40 years and/or a maximum of 20-year-term of imprisonment. .
This investigation was an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation dubbed Operation IceRiver. OCDETF is the largest anti-crime task force in the country. Its mission is to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug trafficking and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States through prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency task forces that leverage the authorities and expertise of federal, state and local law enforcement. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI and Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of IRS-Criminal Investigations; U.S. Marshals Service; Hidalgo County District Attorney’s Office; Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, police departments in Pharr, Edinburg and University of Texas; sheriff’s offices in Brooks, Jim Wells County, Live Oak, Cameron and Hidalgo Counties; Border Patrol; Customs and Border Protection, Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Rangers and National Guard.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patricia Cook Profit and Jongwoo Chung are prosecuting the cases.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.Lincoln Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that Ian Michael Ivey, 24, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Lincoln for conspiracy to distribute/possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine mixture. United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Ivey to 151 months in prison followed by a 5-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
Starting around February 1, 2018 and continuing until April 23, 2020, Ivey conspired with at least nine others to distribute methamphetamine in the Lincoln area. During that time, Ivey purchased up to pound quantities of methamphetamine to be distributed to others, and he sold methamphetamine to others in quantities ranging from a quarter ounce to two ounces of methamphetamine. On April 23, 2020, an undercover law enforcement officer purchased about 5 grams of methamphetamine from Ivey. In total, Ivey participated in the purchase and distribution of at least 3 kilograms of methamphetamine during the conspiracy.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force.
Latvian National Sentenced to More Than 4 Years in Federal Prison, Ordered to Pay over $4.5M in Restitution after Defrauding Millions from Patent and Trademark Mail Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina --- Acting United States Attorney M. Rhett DeHart announced today that Viktors Suhorukovs, 37, a citizen of Latvia, was sentenced to more than four years in federal prison and ordered to pay over $4.5 million in restitution, after pleading guilty to mail fraud in a multi-million-dollar scheme, carried out over a nearly three-year period, that defrauded holders of United States trademark registrations.
“Our office will always seek out and utilize all means available to bring justice towards those who defraud United States citizens and businesses in efforts to steal millions of dollars,” said Acting U.S. Attorney DeHart. “Our office also appreciates the collaborative effort with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Greenville Police Department to ensure justice was served.”
“On behalf of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, we are grateful for the work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in South Carolina, Homeland Security, and the Greenville Police Department in bringing Mr. Suhorukovs to justice," said David S. Gooder, Commissioner for Trademarks. "Trademark filing scams are a growing international problem, with foreign entities increasingly targeting U.S. citizens with misleading solicitations. We are committed to the rigorous protection of all users of our world-class trademark register and are pleased to work with law enforcement to achieve a result like the one in this case.”
Evidence presented to the court showed that Suhorukovs established and operated Patent and Trademark Office, LLC, a limited liability company registered in the District of Columbia, and Patent and Trademark Bureau, LLC, a limited liability company registered in New York. These names closely resemble the official name of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), which helped conceal the true source of trademark registration renewal notices Suhorukovs’ companies were mailing to registrants.
Suhorukovs’ renewal notices misrepresented the trademark registration’s expiration date. The renewal notices also contained a QR Code which linked the trademark holder directly to the official government USPTO website. The notices directed the victim to sign and return the notice. Once the victim signed and returned the renewal notice, Suhorukovs sent the victim an invoice for the renewal service and charged inflated prices for the renewal of the trademark. Victims would then, unknowingly, send renewal fees to Suhorukovs’ businesses, believing they were dealing with the USPTO.
In the notices and invoices, Suhorukovs represented he would renew the trademark registration, when in fact, he did not or could not renew the registration at the time he represented to the victims that he would because, under applicable law, those trademarks were not yet eligible for renewal. In addition, under the USPTO’s rules, Suhorukovs could not lawfully file renewal documents on behalf of registrants because he was not a licensed U.S. attorney.
Over 2,900 victims of the scheme have been identified.
United States District Judge Donald C. Coggins, Jr. sentenced Suhorukovs to 52 months in federal prison and 24 months of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Suhorukovs was also ordered to pay $4,521,593.27 in restitution.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Greenville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Winston Marosek prosecuted the case.
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Information on how the USPTO protects owners of United States trademark registrations from theft and scams can be viewed at: https://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/protect/scam-awareness.
Justice Department and EPA Reach Clean Air Act Settlement with Xtreme Diesel Performance, Ending Sale of Defeat DevicesRead the Press Release
Xtreme Diesel Performance (XDP), an automotive parts manufacturer and retailer based in Wall Township, New Jersey, with a sales distribution center in Las Vegas, Nevada, has agreed to stop manufacturing and selling parts for diesel pickup trucks that, when installed, bypass, defeat or render inoperative EPA-approved emission controls and harm air quality, as part of an agreement to resolve alleged Clean Air Act violations. The company will pay a $1,125,000 penalty, which was reduced due to XDP’s limited financial ability to pay a higher penalty.
The complaint, filed simultaneously with the settlement, alleges that the parts described above are “defeat devices” prohibited by the Clean Air Act. XDP manufactured and/or sold over 27,000 aftermarket defeat devices between January 2015 and May 2017. XDP suspended sales of the defeat devices in September 2019 in an effort to resolve this matter.
“Defeat devices do an end run around decades-old Clean Air Act emissions requirements that protect public health and the environment,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “As part of the Department of Justice’s national efforts to ensure that the aftermarket automotive parts industry complies with anti-pollution laws and focuses on legal products, this settlement ensures that XDP will eliminate defeat devices from its product line.”
“As a result of XDP’s actions, thousands of diesel pickup trucks now operate without filters, catalysts, and other essential emissions controls harming our nation’s air quality,” said Acting Assistant Administrator Larry Starfield for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “This action will stop the sale of these illegal products, preventing additional excess pollution caused by illegal aftermarket defeat devices and keeping the air we breathe clean.”
“Today’s settlement will prevent the future sale of approximately 11,000 illegal products per year,” said Acting Regional Administrator Deborah Jordan for the EPA Pacific Southwest. “The increased nitrogen oxides and particulate matter pollution stemming from defeat devices threatens the health of everyone, especially those with pre-existing health conditions, children, and older adults. EPA will continue to vigorously enforce the Clean Air Act’s defeat device prohibition to protect vulnerable communities located near highways that face a disproportionate amount of exposure from vehicle emissions.”
In addition to requiring XDP to pay a penalty of $1,125,000, the settlement requires XDP to destroy any violative products still in its inventory, cease providing technical support or honoring warranty claims for previously-sold violative products, revise its marketing materials, notify the customers that purchased the subject parts that the products at issue violate the Clean Air Act and conduct compliance training for its employees and contractors.
EPA estimates that the products XDP sold may result in more than 12 million pounds of excess nitrogen oxides emissions and 115,000 pounds of excess particulate matter emissions over the anticipated remaining life of the diesel pickup trucks equipped with those products. This enforcement action will prevent additional excess emissions that would have resulted from the continued sale of these illegal products.
Tampering with diesel-powered vehicles by installing defeat devices can cause large amounts of nitrogen oxide and particulate matter emissions, both of which contribute to serious public health problems. These include premature death, aggravation of respiratory and cardiovascular disease, aggravation of existing asthma, acute respiratory symptoms, chronic bronchitis and decreased lung function. Numerous studies also link diesel exhaust to increased incidence of lung cancer. Respiratory issues disproportionately affect families, especially children, living in underserved communities overburdened by pollution. Stopping the sale and use of defeat devices will help reduce harmful air pollution that exacerbates the health effects of pollutant exposures.
Stopping the manufacture, sale, and installation of defeat devices on vehicles and engines used on public roads as well as on nonroad vehicles and engines is a priority for EPA. To learn more, visit: https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/national-compliance-initiative-stopping-aftermarket-defeat-devices-vehicles-and-engines.
The consent decree for this settlement was lodged in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey and is subject to final court approval.
For more information on this settlement: https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/xtreme-diesel-performance-llc-clean-air-act-settlement.
If you suspect someone is manufacturing, selling, or installing illegal defeat devices, or is tampering with emission controls, tell the EPA by writing to [email protected].
Justice Department Settles with Medical Parts Manufacturing Company to Resolve Immigration-Related Discrimination ClaimsRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice announced today that it reached a settlement with DC Precision Machining Inc., which manufactures parts for medical devices and is based in Morgan Hill, California.
The settlement resolves claims that the company discriminated against workers by requiring them to present specific work authorization documents depending on each worker’s citizenship status. The settlement also resolves a claim that the company rescinded a worker’s job offer when she refused to provide an additional document to prove she could work in the United States, even though she had already provided sufficient documentation.
The department’s investigation began when a U.S. citizen filed a discrimination charge with the Civil Rights Division against DC Precision Machining. Based on its investigation, the department determined that the company rejected the worker’s unrestricted Social Security card to prove her work authorization, required her to provide an additional unnecessary document before she could start work and then withdrew her job offer when she was unwilling to comply with the company’s demand. The department’s investigation also found that the company routinely requested unnecessary and specific work authorization documents from all new employees, limiting each new hire’s choice of documents based on the worker’s citizenship status. In particular, U.S. citizens were required to show a U.S. Passport or birth certificate, while non-U.S. citizens were required to present an immigration document to prove their work authorization — even when the new hire had already given DC Precision Machining another acceptable document that showed they were authorized to work.
“Employers must give workers the opportunity to present any acceptable document when verifying that they are authorized to work in the United States,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Civil Rights Division. “An employer that requires new employees to present particular documents based on their citizenship or immigration status has committed unlawful discrimination. The Justice Department looks forward to working with DC Precision Machining to ensure it meets its obligations to avoid employment discrimination in the future.”
Federal law allows all work-authorized individuals, regardless of citizenship or immigration status, to choose which valid, legally acceptable documentation to present to demonstrate their identity and authorization to work in the United States. The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA)'s anti-discrimination provision prohibits employers from requesting more or different documents than necessary or limiting employees’ choice of documents to prove work authorization based on the employees’ citizenship, immigration status or national origin.
Under the terms of the settlement agreement, DC Precision Machining will pay a civil penalty of $13,400 to the United States and $21,360.55 to the affected worker. Additionally, DC Precision Machining will train its employees on the requirements of the INA’s anti-discrimination provision, including an IER-provided training and be subject to monitoring for a two-year period to ensure the company is complying with the agreement.
The Civil Rights Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. The statute prohibits citizenship status and national origin discrimination in hiring, firing or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices; and retaliation and intimidation.
Learn more about IER’s work and how to get assistance through this brief video. Applicants or employees who believe they were discriminated against based on their citizenship, immigration status or national origin in hiring, firing, recruitment or during the employment eligibility verification process (Form I-9 and E-Verify); or subjected to retaliation, can file a charge. The public also can contact IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688; call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); email [email protected]; sign up for a free webinar; or visit IER’s English and Spanish websites. Subscribe to GovDelivery to receive updates from IER. View the Spanish translation of this press release here.
Justice Department Issues Statement on the Vertical Merger GuidelinesRead the Press Release
Acting Assistant Attorney General Richard A. Powers of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division issued the following statement today after the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) voted to withdraw from the 2020 Vertical Merger Guidelines, which had been issued jointly with, and remain in place at, the Department of Justice:
“The Department of Justice is conducting a careful review of the Horizontal Merger Guidelines and the Vertical Merger Guidelines to ensure they are appropriately skeptical of harmful mergers. Both documents are designed to provide increased transparency and guidance to the public on how the department makes law enforcement decisions. The department’s review has already identified several aspects of the guidelines that deserve close scrutiny, and we will work closely with the FTC to update them as appropriate.
“The department continues to collaborate with the FTC on a robust public engagement process to seek comment on ways the Vertical Merger Guidelines could be improved. Public comment, which has not yet been sought on the substantial changes made to the published version of the Vertical Merger Guidelines, will be helpful in considering a range of questions, including the following areas that staff has identified warrant consideration:
- Whether the Vertical Merger Guidelines create confusion as to the merging parties’ burden to establish that the elimination of double marginalization is verifiable, merger specific and will likely be passed through to consumers.
- Whether the Vertical Merger Guidelines unduly emphasize the quantification of price effects, which is not the only means to determine that a vertical merger is unlawful.[1]
- Whether the Vertical Merger Guidelines appropriately account for the traditional burden shifting framework applied by U.S. courts in their review of mergers.[2] For example, some have suggested that descriptions of how the department may consider offsetting incentives in determining the net effect of a transaction suggests a deviation from the prevailing legal framework in which the department may establish in court a prima facie case based on evidence of harm alone.[3]
- Whether the Vertical Merger Guidelines should more fully explain, as some have suggested would be appropriate, the range of circumstances that can lead to a concern that a merger may have anticompetitive effects.[4]
- Whether the Vertical Merger Guidelines would benefit from further elaboration of the circumstances in which mergers raise concerns of harm related to the evasion of regulation.
“The Justice Department recognizes the substantial benefit of providing transparency on these and all of the other issues touched on by the Vertical Merger Guidelines, and will work closely with the FTC as this process continues.”
[1] See United States v. AT&T, Inc., 916 F.3d 1029, 1045 (2019) (“Preliminarily, the court does not hold that quantitative evidence of price increase is required in order to prevail on a Section 7 challenge. Vertical mergers can create harms beyond higher prices for consumers, including decreased product quality and reduced innovation.”)
[2] See United States v. Baker Hughes, 908 F.2d 981, 982-83 (D.C. Cir. 1990) (cited in AT&T, 916 F.3d at 1032).
[3] See Carl Shapiro, Vertical Mergers and Input Foreclosure Lessons from the AT&T/Time Warner Case, 59 Rev. of Indus. Org. 303 (2021) (noting risks associated with requiring quantification of net harm as part of the government’s prima facie case, and benefits of the sequencing in the Baker Hughes framework in the context of vertical mergers).
[4] See Steven S. Salop, The 2020 Vertical Merger Guidelines: A Suggested Revision, Geo. L. Fac. Publications & Other Works (2021), available at https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3839768.
Justice Department Awards over $425,000 to State of Maine to Aid Victims of Sexual AssaultRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: The Department of Justice’s Office of Violence Against Women (OVW) has awarded $428,498 to the Maine Department of Health and Human Services to assist victims of sexual assault, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.
Nationwide, OVW is making 56 awards totaling $28.2 million through the Fiscal Year 2021 Sexual Assault Services Formula Program.
The SAS Formula Program directs grant dollars to states and territories to assist them in supporting rape crisis centers (including governmental rape crisis centers not in territories and tribal governmental programs) and nonprofit, nongovernmental organizations that provide core services, direct intervention, and related assistance to victims of sexual assault, regardless of age. Funds provided through the SAS Formula Program are designed to supplement other funding sources directed at addressing sexual assault on the state and territorial levels. Rape crisis centers and other nonprofit organizations, such as dual programs providing both domestic violence and sexual assault intervention services, play a vital role in assisting sexual assault victims through the healing process, as well as assisting victims through the medical, criminal justice, and other social support systems.
For more information about the SAS Formula Program, please visit this fact sheet.
OVW provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges. Learn more at www.justice.gov/ovw.
Justice Department Awards over $1 Million to State of Maine to Address Violence Against WomenRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: The Department of Justice’s Office of Violence Against Women (OVW) has awarded over $1 million to the Maine Department of Public Safety to combat violent crimes against women, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.
Nationwide, OVW is making 56 awards totaling $153.1 million through the Fiscal Year 2021 STOP (Services, Training, Officers, Prosecutors) Violence Against Women Formula Grant Program.
The STOP Formula Grant Program encourages partnerships between law enforcement, prosecution, courts, and victim services organizations to enhance victim safety and hold offenders accountable in cases of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. The goal of the grant program is to develop and strengthen law enforcement, prosecution, and court strategies to combat violent crimes against women and to develop and strengthen victim services, including community-based, culturally specific services, in cases involving domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. For more information about the STOP Formula Grant Program, please visit this fact sheet.
OVW provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges. Learn more at www.justice.gov/ovw.
Judge sentences Marston man for being a felon in possession of a firearmRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney's Office announced that MARCO M. DEBOSE, age 39, of Marston, Missouri, was sentenced today to serve 90 months in federal prison following his guilty plea to being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm. The sentence was imposed by United States District Judge Rodney W. Sippel at the federal courthouse in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
According to court documents, law enforcement officials executed a search warrant at Debose’s residence in September 2020. Among other things, officers discovered three firearms and various drug paraphernalia items inside the residence. During a guilty plea hearing earlier this summer, Debose admitted the firearms belonged to him. Debose was prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law because of his previous felony convictions, including convictions for domestic assault and stealing-related offenses. After serving the 90-month sentence, Debose will be placed on supervised release for three years.
This case was investigated by the Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force and the New Madrid County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant United States Attorney Jack Koester handled the prosecution for the government.
Jefferson County Man Sentenced to 8 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Jefferson County man was sentenced today for aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp, Jr.
United States District Judge Anna M. Manasco sentenced Gabriel Lopez Mathews, 27, to 8 months in prison for aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft. Mathews pleaded guilty to the charge in April.
On April 11, 2020, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Star One helicopter was assisting the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency in a nighttime operation to recover stolen firearms. While flying below an approach path for the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, the helicopter received numerous laser strikes from a residence below. The helicopter’s tactical officer was able to determine the street location of the source of the laser strikes, which was relayed to the Birmingham Police Department. Birmingham officers responded to the scene but could not locate a suspect. However, they gathered information that later assisted the Federal Bureau of Investigation in tracking down Mathews and obtaining a confession.
“Pointing a laser at an aircraft can disorient the pilot and cause the aircraft to crash,” said U.S. Attorney Escalona. “Laser strikes can be deadly, and individuals who put pilots and residents in the path of the aircraft in danger will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft is a serious matter and a violation of federal law. It is important that people understand that this is a criminal act with potentially deadly repercussions,” SAC Sharp said. “We also want to encourage people to come forward when they see someone committing this felony—one that could have terrible consequences for pilots and their passengers.”
The FBI investigated the case, along with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and the Birmingham Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Baty prosecuted the case.
Inmate who Orchestrated Two Separate Drug Conspiracies from Prison SentencedRead the Press Release
A man who orchestrated two major drug conspiracies while he was an inmate at an Oklahoma Department of Corrections facility was sentenced today in federal court, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge Claire V. Eagan sentenced Tymalk Quane Love, 31, to a total of 10 years in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. The defendant received five years for drug conspiracy and five years for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, which will be served consecutively.
“Using contraband cell phones, Tymalk Love directed the trafficking of methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl from behind prison walls. This lethal drug operation posed a continued threat in our communities but was shut down thanks to the work local, state and federal law enforcement,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to protecting Oklahomans and stands ready to prosecute any individual, living in our communities or behind bars, who directs the sale of illicit drugs in northern Oklahoma.”
In a written plea agreement, Love admitted that from January 2018 to February 2019, he conspired with Anthony Ward Irving, Casey Joe Eastwood, and others, including a Tulsa “Facilitator,” to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and an unknown quantity of heroin.
While incarcerated, the defendant organized the other members’ activities and coordinated shipments, payments, and the distribution of methamphetamine and heroin. Love did so using contraband cell phones.
Anthony Irving lived in Arizona at the time of the conspiracy and helped provide large quantities of drugs to be redistributed. Casey Eastwood lived in Arkansas and helped redistribute the drugs to end-users. Love coordinated with both men and further instructed a Tulsa Facilitator on when and where to obtain, pay for, and distribute the drugs.
Love also admitted that the Facilitator possessed a firearm to protect the methamphetamine and drug proceeds from possible theft, and that the Facilitator’s gun possession in furtherance of the drug trafficking operation was reasonably foreseeable to him.
Love further admitted that from January to February 2019, he conspired with the same Tulsa Facilitator to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. Love again used contraband cell phones to communicate with the Facilitator from prison about when and in what manner pills laced with fentanyl and shipped from Mexico would be sent to the Facilitator’s house in Tulsa. The fentanyl pills, often referred to as “Mexican Oxys,” are illicitly manufactured in Mexico to look like prescription oxycodone tablets. Users frequently believe they are taking oxycodone or a comparable opioid, but the fentanyl laced pills, which are much stronger than oxycodone, often lead to overdose and death.
Love admitted that the proceeds from his drug conspiracies totaled $201,800.
The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas E. Duncombe and Kevin C. Leitch prosecuted the case.
Havre man sentenced to nine years in prison for receiving child pornographyRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Havre man who admitted to receiving child pornography on his cell phone was sentenced today to nine years in prison to be followed by eight years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
Joshua Daniel Kaupang, 38, pleaded guilty on June 3 to receipt of child pornography.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. Chief Judge Morris also ordered $27,000 restitution to victims.
In court documents filed in the case, the government alleged that in January 2019 in Havre, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Kaupang’s cell phone looking for evidence in a theft case. While searching the phone, agents observed child pornography files. An agent applied for a second search warrant and located child pornography. The investigation determined that Kaupang used his phone to view “sets” of child pornography that were available for download.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyndee L. Peterson prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Montana Department of Justice’s Division of Criminal Investigation and the Havre Police Department.
This case was initiated under the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood initiative, which was launched in 2006 to combat the proliferation of technology-facilitated crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children. Through a network of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and advocacy organizations, Project Safe Childhood attempts to protect children by investigating and prosecuting offenders involved in child sexual exploitation. It is implemented through partnerships including the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The ICAC Task Force Program was created to assist state and local law enforcement agencies by enhancing their investigative response to technology facilitated crimes against children.
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Greenbush Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Short-Barreled ShotgunRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Greenbush man pleaded guilty today in federal court to possessing an unregistered firearm, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.
According to court records, on November 10, 2019, Lawrence Shirland, 52, was involved in an altercation at his home in Greenbush, during which he fired a warning shot from a sawed-off shotgun. The shot hit a truck windshield. When police arrived, Shirland admitted that he had fired the shotgun and provided it to officers. He explained that he had modified the shotgun himself. Specifically, he cut the barrel with a hack saw, and cut and sanded the stock and wrapped it in tape.
Shirland’s shotgun was not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record (NFRTR). Federal law prohibits the possession of a weapon made from a shotgun, if the modified weapon has a barrel less than 18 inches in length or an overall length of less than 26 inches, unless that weapon is registered to the possessor in the NFRTR.
Shirland faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative.
PSN is a nationwide initiative that brings together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement officials, prosecutors, community leaders and other stakeholders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in a community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. PSN is coordinated by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in the 94 federal judicial districts throughout the 50 states and U.S. territories. PSN is customized to account for local violent crime problems and resources. Across all districts, PSN follows four key design elements of successful violent crime reduction initiatives: community engagement, prevention and intervention, focused and strategic enforcement, and accountability.
Grayson County Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession and Use of Protected Health InformationRead the Press Release
PLANO, Texas – A Denison woman has been sentenced to prison for federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei today.
Lydia Henslee, 29, pleaded guilty on March 25, 2021, to conspiring to possess and use means of identification in connection with various offenses and was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Sean D. Jordan.
“Not only did the defendants’ actions in this scheme compromise sensitive information, but they also stole the peace of mind of their victims,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. “Today’s sentence represents the serious consequences of identity theft and should serve as a warning to others who seek to profit from it.”
According to information presented in court, Henslee, Amanda Lowry, and Demetrius Cervantes, were named in a federal indictment on Sept. 11, 2019 charging them with conspiracy to obtain information from a protected computer and conspiracy to unlawfully possess and use a means of identification. They are alleged to have breached a health care provider’s electronic health record (EHR) system in order to steal protected health information and personally identifiable information belonging to patients. This stolen information was then “repackaged” in the form of false and fraudulent physician orders and subsequently sold to durable medical equipment (DME) providers and contractors. The defendants obtained more than $1.4 million in proceeds from the sale of the stolen information. The defendants then used those proceeds to purchase items such as sport utility vehicles, off-road vehicles, and jet skis.
Cervantes was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison on July 8, 2021. Lowry was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison on July 22, 2021.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; U.S. Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation; and the U.S. Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service. The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathaniel Kummerfeld and Adrian Garcia.
Grant County man admits to drug chargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Wesley Allen Rohrbaugh, of Petersburg, West Virginia, has admitted to a drug charge, Acting United States Attorney Randolph J. Bernard announced.
Rohrbaugh, 47, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute of Methamphetamine.” Rohrbaugh admitted to having methamphetamine, also known as “crystal meth” and “ice,” in August 2019 in Grant County.
Rohrbaugh faces up to 20 years of incarceration and fine of up to $1,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Potomac Highlands Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, and the Grant County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Four Men Federally Charged in Transnational Wire Fraud and Identity Theft ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Karin Hoppmann announces the unsealing of two indictments charging Olufemi Odedeyi (40, London, UK), Ibrahim Davies (40, London, UK), Adetunji Adejumo (43, Oklahoma City, OK), and Ibrahim Jinadu (34, Atlanta, GA) with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, theft of public money or property, and aggravated identity theft. Odedeyi, Davies, and Jinadu were arrested on September 9, 2021 and Adejumo was arrested on September 13, 2021. Officers from the UK National Extradition Unit apprehended Odedeyi and Davies in London, United Kingdom, where they have been detained pending extradition to the United States. Agents from Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) apprehended Jinadu and Adejumo in the United States.
If convicted, Odedeyi, Davies, Adejumo, and Jinadu each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for the wire fraud count, as well as additional penalties for the remaining counts. The indictment also notifies the defendants that the United States intends to forfeit assets that are alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offense.
According to the indictments, while residing in the United Kingdom, Odedeyi and Davies obtained unauthorized access to computer servers of United States businesses and participated in stealing the personally identifying information (PII) of United States residents from those servers. Odedeyi and Davies then used that information to file with the IRS false and fraudulent U.S. Department of Treasury IRS Form 1040, U.S. Individual Income Tax Returns seeking income tax refunds. Adejumo and Jinadu, while residing in the United States, collected the fraudulent refund proceeds, which were directed to prepaid debit cards in their possession or to addresses or bank accounts that they controlled or to which they had access. Adejumo and Jinadu then transferred a share of the fraud proceeds to Odedeyi, Davies, and other conspirators.
Odedeyi and Davies used various means to obtain unauthorized access to the computer servers, including a website that was operated for years and sold access to compromised computers worldwide and also to the PII of U.S. residents. The site’s administrators strategically maintained servers throughout the world to facilitate the website’s operation.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
The investigation was led by the IRS-CI Tampa Field Office and the Tampa Division of the FBI, with assistance from the IRS-CI Cyber Crimes Unit (Washington, D.C.). Substantial assistance was also provided by the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, IRS-CI and FBI International Operations at Mission UK, the United Kingdom’s National Extradition Unit, the International Crime Coordination Centre and the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit in the United Kingdom, IRS-CI Dallas and Atlanta Field Offices, Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations Tampa Field Office, and the United States Attorney’s Offices for the Northern District of Georgia and the Northern District of Texas. The cases will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Jones.
Founder of $90 Million Cryptocurrency Hedge Fund Sentenced to More Than Seven Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Audrey Strauss, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that STEFAN HE QIN, the founder of the Virgil Sigma Fund LP (“Virgil Sigma”) and the VQR Multistrategy Fund LP (“VQR”), a pair of cryptocurrency hedge funds in New York which claimed to have over $100 million dollars in investments, was sentenced today to 90 months in prison. On February 4, 2021, QIN pled guilty to one count of securities fraud before U.S. District Judge Valerie E. Caproni, who imposed today’s sentence.
U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “According to Stefan He Qin, founder of Virgil Sigma and VQR, a pair of cryptocurrency hedge funds in New York, Virgil had a stated market strategy of ‘market neutral,’ safe investments. Qin’s investors soon discovered that his strategies weren’t much more than a disguised means for him to embezzle and make unauthorized investments with client funds. When faced with redemption requests he couldn’t fulfill, Qin doubled down on his scheme by attempting to plunder funds from VQR to satisfy his victim investors’ demands. Qin’s brazen and wide-ranging scheme left his beleaguered investors in the lurch for over $54 million, and he has now been handed the appropriately lengthy sentence of over seven years in federal prison.”
According to the Information and statements made in open court:
Background
STEFAN HE QIN is a 24-year old Australian national. Between 2017 through 2020, QIN owned and controlled two cryptocurrency investment funds, Virgil Sigma and VQR, both of which were located in New York, New York. Since its creation, Virgil Sigma purported to employ a strategy to earn profits from arbitrage opportunities in the cryptocurrency market. This strategy was touted by QIN to the investing public as “market-neutral,” meaning the fund was not exposed to any risk from the price of cryptocurrency moving up or down and therefore provided a relatively safe and liquid investment. Until recently, Virgil Sigma purported to have over $90 million under management from dozens of investors, including many in the United States. According to its public marketing materials, Virgil Sigma has been profitable in every month from August 2016 to the present, with the sole exception of March 2017. QIN also regularly participated in calls with Virgil Sigma investors and other forms of public communication where he touted the growth and success of Virgil Sigma. For example, in February 2018, QIN and his fund were profiled in the Wall Street Journal.
In or about February 2020, QIN founded VQR. VQR employed a variety of trading strategies and was poised to make or lose money based on the fluctuations in the value of cryptocurrency and was not market neutral. QIN was the sole owner of VQR’s general partner, but was not involved in VQR’s day-to-day operations. Instead, VQR had its own trading staff, including a head trader (the “Head Trader”) and other investment professionals. Until recently, VQR had at least approximately $24 million under management from investors.
Qin’s Scheme to Steal Assets from Virgil Sigma
Since 2017, QIN engaged in a scheme to steal assets from Virgil Sigma and defraud its investors. Rather than investing the fund’s assets in a cryptocurrency arbitrage trading strategy as advertised, QIN embezzled investor capital from Virgil Sigma and used the funds for purposes other than the purported arbitrage trading strategy, including: (a) using a substantial portion of investor capital stolen from Virgil Sigma to pay for personal expenses such as food, services, and rent for a penthouse apartment in New York City; (b) using a substantial portion of investor capital from Virgil Sigma to make personal, often illiquid investments in other entities that had nothing to do with cryptocurrencies. For example, in or about October 2018, QIN invested hundreds of thousands of dollars stolen from Virgil Sigma into a real estate investment; and (c) using a substantial portion of investor capital from Virgil Sigma to invest in crypto-assets that had nothing to do with the fund’s stated arbitrage strategy. For example, in or about 2018, QIN invested funds from Virgil Sigma into certain initial coin offerings, a speculative form of investing in new issues of cryptocurrency. As a result of these and other fraudulent activities, QIN dissipated nearly all of the investor capital in Virgil Sigma. QIN also regularly lied to the fund’s investors about the value, location, and status of their investment capital, including through false account statements that QIN prepared and bogus tax documents that he circulated to his investors.
Qin Attempts to Steal Assets From VQR to pay Virgil Sigma Investors
In or about December 2020, faced with redemption requests from the Virgil Sigma fund that he could not meet, QIN demanded that the Head Trader at VQR wind down all trading positions at VQR and transfer a portion of the funds to QIN so that QIN could use that money to pay off these redemptions to Virgil Sigma investors. QIN issued the demand even though the Head Trader advised QIN that closing out VQR’s then-current trading positions, rather than holding those positions in accordance with VQR’s directional trading strategy, would result in losses to VQR’s investors. At QIN’s direction, the Head Trader accordingly closed out VQR’s positions and turned over access to VQR’s trading accounts to QIN. QIN subsequently attempted to take control of VQR’s assets in order to enable QIN to meet certain Virgil Sigma investor redemption requests.
The Virgil Sigma fund and VQR have ceased operations and the liquidation and distribution of assets is being handled by a court-appointed receiver in the matter of S.E.C. v. Qin, 20 Civ. 10849.
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QIN, 24, was also sentenced to three years of supervised release, and ordered to forfeit $54,793,532.
Ms. Strauss praised the work of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations. She further thanked the Securities and Exchange Commission for its cooperation and assistance in this investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Tracer is in charge of the prosecution.
Former Treasurer and Comptroller of the Universal Ballet Foundation Sentenced to 42 Months in Prison for Bank FraudRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Sophia Kim, the former Treasurer and Comptroller for the Universal Ballet Foundation, which operated the Kirov Academy of Ballet, was sentenced today to 42 months in prison for embezzling more than $1.5 million from the organization.
The announcement was made by Acting U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division Wayne A. Jacobs.
Kim, a/k/a “Sophia Kim Sebold” and “Sookyeong Kim Sebold,” pleaded guilty in May 2021 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to a charge of bank fraud. She was sentenced by the Honorable Rudolph Contreras. In addition to the prison term, Kim 60, of Temple Hills, Md., was ordered to pay more than $1.5 million in restitution and an identical amount in a forfeiture money judgment. Following completion of her prison term, she will be placed on four years of supervised release.
The Kirov Academy of Ballet is a non-profit organization located in the District of Columbia. According to court documents, between approximately January 2018 and September 2018, Kim misappropriated approximately $1.5 million from the organization’s bank accounts through unauthorized check, debit, and credit card transactions.
This consisted of 68 unauthorized checks to “Cash” or to “Sophia Kim,” in whole-dollar amounts ranging from $500 to $12,000, totaling approximately $377,200, 197 unauthorized debits and cash withdrawals, totaling approximately $479,283, and 139 unauthorized credit card transactions, totaling approximately $681,751. More than $1 million of unauthorized debits and withdrawals and credit card charges were at MGM National Harbor Casino in Oxon Hill, MD, totaling approximately $1,068,026.
At the time that Kim began committing these offenses, she had just completed a period of supervised release for an earlier conviction stemming from her work as a bookkeeper and treasurer of another non-profit. In that case, she was convicted in 2012 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia on charges of filing a false tax return and tax evasion and sentenced to two years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.
In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillips and Special Agent in Charge Jacobs commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Angeline Thekkumthala, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Rothstein and David Kent, who investigated and prosecuted this matter.
Former Paraprofessional at Blue Springs High School Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former paraprofessional at Blue Springs High School was sentenced in federal court today for producing and distributing child pornography.
Steven B. Allen, 46, of Independence, Missouri, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 22 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Allen to spend the rest of his life on supervised release following incarceration. The court ordered Allen to pay $5,000 to each of the 11 victims who have petitioned for restitution from every person who received or possessed pictures of their sexual abuse, or $3,000 if he can pay restitution within 30 days of his sentencing.
Allen, who has been in federal custody since his arrest on Nov. 25, 2019, was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshal immediately following today’s hearing.
On May 4, 2021, Allen pleaded guilty to two counts of producing child pornography and one count of distributing child pornography over the internet. At the time of the offenses, Allen worked as a paraprofessional teacher at Blue Springs High School.
Allen admitted that he used two minor victims to produce child pornography and distributed those images, and others, to individuals over the internet. Allen also admitted he had been sharing images of child pornography over the internet every couple of days for the past five to six years.
Allen began communicating over the internet with an undercover officer in the United Kingdom in June 2019. The undercover officer purported to be the father of a 10-year-old girl. Allen sent the undercover officer numerous images of one of the minor victims. He also discussed participating in and fantasizing about sexually abusing the undercover officer’s daughter.
On Oct. 7, 2019, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Allen’s residence and seized numerous electronic devices that contained more than 9,200 images and 89 videos of child pornography, including more than 800 images of infants and toddlers being sexually assaulted, 65 images of violent sexual acts, and two images of bestiality.
Allen also produced a number of images and videos of prepubescent girls using a waterproof camera at a community swimming pool.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth W. Borgnino. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.
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."
Former Massachusetts State Representative Sentenced to Prison for Embezzling Campaign Funds, Bank Fraud and Tax FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Former Massachusetts State Representative David M. Nangle was sentenced today for illegally using campaign funds to pay for his personal expenses, defrauding a bank to obtain loans to purchase his home and repay his personal debts, and collecting income that he failed to report to the Internal Revenue Service.
Nangle, 60, of Lowell, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel to 15 months in prison and two years of supervised release. Nangle was also ordered to pay restitution of $33,347 to the IRS and forfeiture of $15,650. On Feb. 24, 2021, Nangle pleaded guilty to 10 counts of wire fraud, four counts of bank fraud, four counts of making false statements to a bank and five counts of filing false tax returns.
“Former Representative Nangle was a 22-year veteran of the Massachusetts State House and former Chairman of the Ethics Committee when he illegally used campaign funds for private golf club dues, trips to casinos and expensive dinners,” said Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell. “He broke the law and violated his duty to the voters – as Chairman of the Ethics Committee, no less. This case is the latest proof that this office is intent on holding corrupt public officials accountable.”
“State lawmakers are elected by the people, to serve the people, not to serve their own financial interests like David Nangle did. Mr. Nangle betrayed his constituents’ trust and broke the law, knowing full well what he was doing was wrong. Today’s sentence shows there are serious consequences for corrupt public officials who try to undermine the integrity of our government,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Boston Division. “Citizens expect and deserve their elected officials to serve them honestly, and the FBI will not hesitate to go after others like him who willfully and maliciously abuse their office.”
“As a state lawmaker, David Nangle was less concerned about his constituents and more interested in his own personal and financial gain,” said Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division. “Today’s sentencing sends a clear message that elected office is not for sale, and those who doubt this will be held accountable for their actions. Cases involving betrayal of the public’s trust are of utmost importance and IRS-CI will continue to be a partner in these efforts.”
From 1999 to 2020, Nangle was the elected member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives for the 17th Middlesex District. Nangle, who previously served as a House Ethics Committee Chairman, used his campaign committee’s debit card to make personal purchases, including thousands of dollars in gift cards for his personal use, among other things.
During the period of the charged offenses, Nangle was heavily in debt and gambled extensively at area casinos and online, and then used thousands of dollars in campaign funds to pay for various personal expenses such as dues at a local golf club, rental cars to travel to casinos, flowers for his girlfriend, gas, hotels and restaurants. Nangle knew that using campaign funds for personal use was prohibited and subject to oversight by an independent state agency and concealed his theft by filing false reports that disguised the personal nature of the spending.
In addition, from at least 2015 to 2018, Nangle devised a scheme to fraudulently obtain loans from a bank in order to finance the purchase of his home, fund his gambling activities and repay his personal debts. Nangle did so by making false statements on multiple loan applications, misstating his income and understating his debt.
Upon learning of the investigation into his embezzlement and fraud, Nangle also obstructed justice by entering into a sham consulting agreement with a local business owner designed to make payments he received appear legitimate. In reality, Nangle never provided any legitimate services in exchange for receiving $27,000 from that business owner. Instead, Nangle helped the business owner curry favor with an important client by sponsoring legislation that benefited the business owner’s client.
Separately, Nangle filed false tax returns for tax years 2014 to 2018 by reporting fictitious business deductions for purported “consulting” work that he did for a Billerica company. Nangle also double dipped on deductible expenses arising from his work as a state legislator, fraudulently claiming thousands of dollars in false deductions for alleged charitable donations and misleading his tax preparer. Further, Nangle concealed the income he received through goods and services from business owners and other sources. This included $7,000 in kitchen and bathroom work done in Nangle’s home and $7,000 in check payments from a contractor; gambling income from a Connecticut casino; and thousands of dollars that he stole from his campaign account.
Acting U.S. Attorney Mendell, FBI Boston SAC Bonavolonta and IRS-CI SAC Simpson made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dustin Chao, Chief of Mendell’s Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kunal Pasricha prosecuted the case.
Former Georgetown Head Tennis Coach Agrees to Plead Guilty in College Admissions CaseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The former head coach of men and women’s tennis at Georgetown University has agreed to plead guilty in connection with soliciting and accepting bribes to facilitate the admission of prospective Georgetown applicants and failing to report a significant portion of those bribe payments on his federal income taxes.
Gordon Ernst, 54, of Chevy Chase, Md. and Falmouth, Mass., will plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, three counts of federal programs bribery and one count of filing a false tax return. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled.
According to the terms of the plea agreement, the parties have agreed to a sentence of at least one year and up to four years in prison, two years of supervised release and forfeiture of $3,435,053.
As set forth in the charging document, Ernst solicited and received bribe payments from William “Rick” Singer and prospective Georgetown applicants to facilitate their admission to Georgetown as student athletes. Ernst then failed to report a significant portion of those bribe payments on his federal income tax returns.
The charge of federal programs bribery provides for a sentence of up to 10 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 conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of filing a false tax return provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $100,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Case information, including the status of each defendant, charging documents, and plea agreements are available here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/investigations-college-admissions-and-testing-bribery-scheme.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; and Mark Deckett, Resident Agent in Charge of the Department of Education, Office of Inspector General made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leslie A. Wright, Kristen A. Kearney and Kriss Basil of Mendell’s Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Corporate Executive Sentenced for $30 Million Embezzlement SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The former Chief Financial Officer of Alden Shoe Co. was sentenced today for embezzling approximately $30 million from the company as part of a long-running scheme.
Richard Hajjar, 64, of Duxbury, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 70 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Hajjar was also ordered to pay restitution of $33,962,880 and forfeiture of $27,300,552. On May 5, 2021, Hajjar pleaded guilty to one count each of wire fraud, unlawful monetary transactions and filing a false tax return.
From at least 2011 through October 2019, when he was terminated by Alden Shoe Co., Hajjar embezzled money by writing checks to himself from company bank accounts and transferring funds from company accounts to his personal accounts and to another individual. In total, Hajjar embezzled approximately $30 million which he used to enrich himself and to buy gifts and luxury travel for others close to him, including private flights to the Caribbean and diamond jewelry.
In addition, between approximately 2014 and 2019, Hajjar failed to report the proceeds of his embezzlement as income on his tax returns, thereby failing to pay approximately $5,112,822 in taxes to the Internal Revenue Service.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mackenzie A. Queenin of Mendell’s Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit and Carol E. Head of Mendell’s Asset Recovery Unit prosecuted the case.
Fayette County Woman Pleads Guilty to Child Sex Trafficking ChargeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A woman from Fayette County pleaded guilty today to an offense related to sex trafficking a 17-year-old minor female. Kristen Naylor-Legg, 28, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of a minor under the age of 18.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on two separate occasions in June 2020, Naylor-Legg entered into an agreement with her co-defendant, Larry Allen Clay, Jr., to provide him with her 17-year-old minor female relative and Clay would pay Naylor-Legg to engage in sexual intercourse with the minor. At the time, Clay was an employee of the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department and the Chief of Police for the Gauley Bridge Police Department. Naylor-Legg admitted that on the first occasion she was paid $100 by Clay. On the second occasion, Naylor-Legg indicated that Clay had agreed to pay her $50 in exchange for sexual intercourse with the minor but ultimately did not give her the money.
Naylor-Legg faces up to life in prison when she is sentenced on December 9, 2021. She will also be required to register as a sex offender.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the West Virginia State Police, and the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald is handling the prosecution.
Co-defendant Larry Allen Clay, Jr., is charged with conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of a minor via coercion and sex trafficking of a minor via coercion. Clay’s trial is set for November 9, 2021. Note: Charges contained in indictments are allegations and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-00062.
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Essex County Man Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Illegally Possessing Firearm and NarcoticsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 36 months in prison for illegal possession of a firearm and possession of methamphetamine and marijuana, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael Honig announced.
Kevon A. Anderson, 25, of Newark, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Katharine S. Hayden, who imposed the sentence today by videoconference.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Sept. 10, 2019, while investigating a shooting from the previous evening near Hawthorn Avenue, Newark police officers approached a group of men sitting in an adjacent park to ask them whether they had any information about the shooting. Officers detected the smell of marijuana, and one of the men, later identified as Anderson, abruptly stood up and walked away from the officers. One of the officers saw a bulge in Anderson’s front pants pocket, which the officer believed could be a weapon, and asked Anderson to sit back down. Anderson disregarded the officer and ran across the park. The officers pursued Anderson and caught up with him. As the officers approached him to pat him down, Anderson told them he had a gun on him. In addition to the gun, the officers recovered ecstasy pills and large quantities of marijuana packaged for sale from a fanny pack around Anderson’s waist, as well as a black bag he was carrying. There were also additional live rounds of ammunition in the fanny pack.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Hayden sentenced Anderson to three years of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Brian O’Hara, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sammi Malek of the U.S. Attorney’s Office National Security Unit in Newark.
Essex County Man Admits Firearms and Narcotics OffensesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man today admitted firearms and marijuana distribution offenses, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Shatuwan McCall, 20, of Newark, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty by videoconference to an information charging him with one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Dec. 4, 2020, at approximately 11:00 p.m., law enforcement officers were patrolling locations that had been the site of recent shootings and homicides while conducting a narcotics investigation in the vicinity of South 17th Street in Newark. They observed a vehicle, occupied by McCall and another individual, engaged in traffic violations. As the officers approached the vehicle and illuminated the occupants with their flashlights, they observed a large plastic bag containing a green leafy substance, suspected to be marijuana, on McCall’s lap. Law enforcement officers also observed McCall moving his right arm and hand as though adjusting something in the vicinity of the passenger-side floorboard and noticed a handgun in McCall’s right hand. Law enforcement ultimately recovered approximately 15 bags of suspected marijuana, narcotics proceeds, and a .22 caliber Llama revolver loaded with six rounds of ammunition.
The count of being a felon in possession of a firearm is punishable by a maximum of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana is punishable by a maximum of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of the narcotics trafficking offense carries a mandatory minimum prison term of five years and a maximum of life in prison, and a fine of up to $250,000, which must run consecutively to any other term of imprisonment imposed on the other two counts. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 24, 2022.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited members of the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Brian O’Hara, and special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey L. Matthews, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Angelica M. Sinopole of the Organized Crime & Gangs Unit in Newark.
Essex County Man Admits Conspiring to Steal Mail and Commit Bank FraudRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man today admitted his role in a conspiracy to steal check books and credit cards from the mail, deposit fraudulent checks, including pandemic relief checks, and use stolen credit cards without authorization, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced
Jeffrey Bennett, 27, of Irvington, New Jersey, pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From February 2019 to May 2020, Bennett conspired to fraudulently obtain money from victim financial institutions by depositing counterfeit checks and checks stolen from the mail into accounts at these financial institutions and withdrawing funds before the financial institutions identified the fraudulent checks and blocked further withdrawals. Bennett and his conspirators arranged for U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employees to steal credit cards and blank check books from the mail in exchange for cash payments. USPS employees provided the checks to Bennett and his conspirators, who forged the signatures of the accountholders and negotiated the checks by making them payable to individuals, some of whom were New Jersey high school students, who had given Bennett and his conspirators access to their accounts, also in exchange for cash. Bennett and his conspirators obtained and attempted to obtain approximately $366,000 from victim financial institutions.
Two of Bennett’s conspirators, Tashon Ragan, 22, of Hillside, New Jersey, and Jahaad Flip, 22, of Newark, previously pleaded guilty before Judge Wigenton to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and are awaiting sentencing. Charges are still pending against another conspirator, USPS employee Janel Blackman, 42, of Newark. The charges against Blackman are merely accusations, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The conspiracy charge is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 19, 2022.
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; special agents with the U.S. Postal Service – Office of Inspector General, Northeast Area Field Office under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Matthew Modafferi; special agents with IRS – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael Montanez; and special agents with the Office of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Andrew McKay, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. She also thanked the Summit Police Department, the New Providence Police Department, the Piscataway Police Department, the Newark Police Department, the South Orange Police Department, and the Little Falls Police Department for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Fayer and Elaine K. Lou in Newark.
El Departamento de Justicia llega a un acuerdo con una compañía que fabrica materiales médicos que resuelve unas denuncias de discriminación relacionada con la inmigraciónRead the Press Release
El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que ha llegado a un acuerdo con DC Precision Machining, Inc., una compañía que fabrica partes para dispositivos médicos radicado en Morgan Hill, California. El acuerdo resuelve las acusaciones de que la compañía había discriminado a trabajadores al requerir, dependiendo del estatus de ciudadanía de cada trabajador, que presentasen documentos específicos de autorización para trabajar. Asimismo, el acuerdo resuelve una acusación de que la compañía había retirado una oferta de trabajo de una trabajadora cuando ella se había negado a presentar un documento adicional para demostrar que podía trabajar legalmente en los Estados Unidos, a pesar de haber ya presentado suficiente documentación.
La investigación del Departamento comenzó después de que una ciudadana de los EE. UU. presentó una demanda de discriminación contra DC Precision Machining ante la División de Derechos Civiles. Con base en su investigación, el Departamento determinó que la compañía había rechazado la tarjeta de seguro social sin restricciones de la trabajadora, la obligó a presentar un documento adicional innecesario antes de poder comenzar a trabajar y, posteriormente, retiró la oferta de trabajo cuando ella no estaba dispuesta a cumplir con la solicitud de la compañía. La investigación del Departamento también halló que la compañía, de forma rutinaria, pedía documentos de autorización para trabajar innecesarios y específicos de todo empleado nuevo y restringía la selección de documentos para cada empleado recién contratado según el estatus de ciudadanía del trabajador. En concreto, se requería que ciudadanos estadounidenses presentasen un pasaporte estadounidense o acta de nacimiento, mientras que a los no ciudadanos estadounidenses se les requería presentar un documento migratorio para demostrar su autorización para trabajar, incluso cuando la recién contratada empleada ya había entregado otro documento aceptable a DC Precision Machining que demostraba su autorización para trabajar.
«Los empleadores deben dar a los trabajadores la oportunidad de presentar cualquier documento aceptable que quieran a la hora de verificar que cuentan con la debida autorización para trabajar en los Estados Unidos. Un empleador que requiere que sus empleados nuevos presenten documentos particulares con base en su estatus migratorio o de ciudadanía ha cometido un acto ilegal de discriminación», afirmó Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles. «El Departamento de Justicia está deseando trabajar con DC Precision Machining para garantizar que cumpla con sus obligaciones para evitar futuros incidentes de discriminación en el empleo».
Las leyes federales permiten a todo individuo con autorización para trabajar, independientemente de su estatus de ciudadanía, elegir los documentos válidos y legalmente aceptables que desea presentar para demostrar su autorización para trabajar en los Estados Unidos. La ley de Ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad («INA», por sus siglas en inglés) prohíbe que los empleadores pidan documentos adicionales o diferentes a los que sean necesarios o que restrinjan la selección de documentos que un empleado puede mostrar para probar que tiene autorización para trabajar, con base en el estatus migratorio o de ciudadanía del empleado o bien por su nacionalidad de origen.
Conforme los términos del acuerdo conciliatorio, DC Precision Machining pagará una sanción civil a los Estados Unidos que asciende a $13,400 y $21,360.55 al trabajador afectado. Asimismo, DC Precision Machining capacitará a sus empleados en cuanto a los requisitos de la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA, incluyendo una capacitación dirigida por la Sección de Derechos de Inmigrantes y Empleados («IER», por sus siglas en inglés), y será supervisado durante un período de dos años para garantizar que la compañía esté cumpliendo con el acuerdo.
La Sección de Derechos de Inmigrantes y Empleados de la División de Derechos Civiles es responsable de hacer cumplir la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA. La ley prohíbe la discriminación por motivos de estatus de ciudadanía y nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido o reclutamiento o recomendación por comisión, prácticas documentales injustas y represalias e intimidación.
Para aprender más sobre la labor de la IER y cómo conseguir ayuda, vea este vídeo corto. Aquellos aspirantes o empleados que creen haber sido discriminados por motivos de su estatus de ciudadanía o nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido, reclutamiento o verificación de la elegibilidad para trabajar (Formulario I-9 e E-Verify) o sujetos a represalias pueden presentar una denuncia. El público también puede llamar a la línea directa de la IER para trabajadores al 1‑800-255-7688; llamar a la línea directa de la IER para empleadores al 1-800-255-8155 (1‑800‑237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); enviar un correo electrónico a [email protected]; inscribirse a un seminario en línea gratuito; o visitar los sitios web de la IER en inglés o español. Para recibir las últimas noticias de la IER, inscríbase a GovDelivery.
Des Moines Shooter Found Guilty of Federal Robbery and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
Federal Charges Brought Following Probationary Sentence in Polk County Court
DES MOINES, IA – Yesterday a federal jury convicted Darreon Earl Wright, age 25, of Des Moines, for conspiracy to interfere with commerce through robbery; interference and attempted interference with commerce through robbery; and possessing, brandishing, and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Wright faces a sentence of up to 20 years on each of the robbery charges and a mandatory minimum term of consecutive imprisonment of 10 years, and up to life, on the firearm count. Wright was ordered to remain detained pending his sentencing in federal court.
According to court documents and evidence presented at the two-day trial, shortly before 9:00 p.m. on February 19, 2020, Wright and his co-conspirator lured the victim to an apartment complex in Des Moines under the false promise of selling the victim marijuana; however, Wright and his co-conspirator did not intend to sell the victim marijuana and, instead, planned to rob him. Upon the victim’s arrival at the apartment complex, Wright’s co-conspirator led the victim to an enclosed stairwell within the apartment complex, where Wright was waiting with a loaded gun to ambush and rob the victim of the $6,900 in cash he brought to purchase the marijuana. When the victim entered the enclosed stairwell, Wright’s co-conspirator grabbed the victim, and Wright shot the victim two times—once in the arm, and once in the chest. Wright fled the shooting scene with his pistol. The victim survived.
Wright was indicted in federal court in November 2020. The federal indictment followed a prosecution by the Polk County Attorney’s Office where Wright entered an Alford plea in Polk County District Court to Willful Injury, a Class D Felony. In September 2020, a Polk County judge sentenced Wright to a deferred judgment and three years’ probation.
Acting U.S. Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement.
The investigation was conducted by the Des Moines Police Department’s Crimes Against Persons Section. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, 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.
Dark Web Child Pornography Facilitator Sentenced to 27 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Advertise Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang today sentenced Eric Eoin Marques, age 36, of Dublin, Ireland, to 27 years in federal prison, followed lifetime supervised release, for conspiracy to advertise child pornography on the dark web. Marques, a dual national citizen of the United States and Ireland, pleaded guilty to that charge on February 6, 2020, after he was extradited by Irish authorities. Marques arrived in the United States on March 23, 2019, to face federal criminal charges filed in Maryland on August 8, 2013.
According to his plea agreement, between July 24, 2008 and July 29, 2013, Marques conspired to advertise child pornography by operating a free, anonymous web hosting service (AHS) located on the “dark web”, an area of the Internet that is only accessible by means of special software, allowing users and website operators to remain anonymous or untraceable. The defendant’s hosting service hosted websites that allowed users to view and share images documenting the sexual abuse of children, including the abuse of prepubescent minors, violent sexual abuse, and bestiality. The investigation revealed that the hosting service contained over 200 child exploitation websites that housed millions of images of child exploitation material. Over 1.97 million of these images and/or videos involved victims that were not previously known by law enforcement. Many of these images involved sadistic abuse of infants and toddlers to include bondage, bestiality and humiliation to include urination, defecation and vomit.
The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and Assistant Director Calvin Shivers of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division.
“Eric Marques was one of the largest facilitators of child pornography in the world,” said Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner. “This is an egregious case where one individual facilitated the abuse of more than a million new child victims and attempted to keep the abuse hidden on the dark web. We are grateful to our law enforcement partners here and abroad for helping us to bring Eric Marques to justice. We will continue to do everything we can to find and prosecute those who use the anonymity of the Internet to perpetuate the cruel and heartless business of the sexual abuse of children for personal gain, in order to keep our children safe.”
“The defendant’s web service anonymously hosted hundreds of insidious criminal communities dedicated to the sexual exploitation of children, which openly and notoriously spread millions of images of child sexual abuse across the globe,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This complex, global investigation, lengthy and successful extradition, and substantial jail sentence are proof of the Department’s steadfast and unwavering commitment to identifying and bringing to justice criminals who hide behind anonymous networks to abuse and exploit the world’s children.”
“Today’s sentencing of Eric Marques sends a clear message to perpetrators of this egregious crime that no matter where you are in the world, law enforcement will hold you accountable and bring you to justice,” said FBI Assistant Director Calvin Shivers. “The FBI combats crimes against children and stands up for vulnerable children across the globe.”
During 2012 and 2013, FBI special agents and employees using computers in Maryland downloaded more than one million files from that website. As part of the investigation, those files were reviewed and nearly all of the files depict children who are engaging in sexually explicit conduct with adults or other children, posed nude and/or in such a manner as to expose their genitals, in various state of undress, or depict child erotica. A substantial majority of the images downloaded by the FBI depict prepubescent minor children who are fully or partially nude or engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Marques admitted in his guilty plea that this offense also involved the distribution of child pornography, which involved minors who were less than twelve years old, to include infants and toddlers, and sadistic or masochistic material or depictions of violence. Marques further admits that he willfully obstructed or impeded the administration of justice with respect to the investigation into this offense.
The Marques prosecution was a part of a path-marking global investigation that targeted thousands of users of more than 200 websites operating on the Tor network and dedicated to the trade of child pornography. The Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), FBI, and Europol conceived of and executed a globally coordinated criminal investigation of then-unparalleled scope, which pooled resources of over a dozen countries who deployed over 70 law enforcement agents to Europol, which served as the hub for operational support, facilities and information sharing. Through this investigation, more than 200 child sexual exploitation websites were taken offline (along with hundreds of other sites sponsoring or facilitating criminal activity); the activities of tens of thousands of online child pornographers were disrupted; over four million images and videos of child sexual abuse were seized (including more than 100 previously unknown series of child abuse images and new images from more than 50 existing series); and dozens of offenders were identified and prosecuted throughout the world.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "Resources" tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner and Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. commended the FBI’s Violent Crime Section, Child Exploitation Operational Unit and Violent Crimes Against Children International Task Force with significant assistance from the Legal Attaché London Office, Irish law enforcement authorities, An Garda Síochána and EUROPOL. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in bringing Marques to the United States and procuring foreign evidence during the investigation.
Mr. Lenzner and Mr. Polite thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas M. Sullivan, and Deputy Chief Keith A. Becker and Trial Attorney Ralph Paradiso of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, who prosecuted the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Council Bluffs Man Sentenced to Prison for Crop Insurance FraudRead the Press Release
COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – A Council Bluffs man, Andrew J. Fischer, age 55, was sentenced on September 10, 2021, by United States District Court Judge Stephanie M. Rose to five months in prison for False Statements in Connection with Federal Crop Insurance. His term of imprisonment is to be followed by five years of supervised release. Fischer was ordered to pay $399,725 in restitution.
Fischer obtained crop insurance for the crop years 2012, 2014, and 2017 through the United States Department of Agriculture Risk Management Agency’s Federal Crop Insurance Program. Fisher then submitted fraudulent insurance claims which resulted in indemnity payments of approximately $399,725 to which he was not entitled. According to court documents, Fischer pleaded guilty to False Statements in Connection with Federal Crop Insurance in May of 2021.
Acting United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General and the Risk Management Agency Special Investigations investigated the case.
Corbin Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky. — A Corbin, Ky., man, Andrew J. Kerr, 32, was sentenced on Tuesday, to 25 years in federal prison, by U.S. District Judge Claria Horn Boom, for production of child pornography.
From August 2020 through November 2020, Kerr recorded multiple videos of himself engaging in sexual acts with a minor victim. Kerr further transmitted the explicit images of the victim on Snapchat, a social media platform. Finally, Kerr saved and stored images and videos of the minor victim on his cell phone. In 2008, Kerr was convicted by the Commonwealth of Kentucky of Criminal Abuse in the First Degree for abusing a 12-year-old child.
Kerr pleaded guilty in June 2021.
Under federal law, Kerr must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence; and upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for Life.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jerry Templet Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations; and Col. Phillip Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police, announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the Department of Homeland Security-HSI and Kentucky State Police Electronic Crimes Branch. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenna E. Reed.
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Convicted Felon Sentenced to Prison Resulting from Family Pet Finding Meth BagRead the Press Release
VALDOSTA, Ga. – A Thomas County, Georgia, dog found a bag containing a large quantity of methamphetamine, sparking a chain of events resulting in a Southwest Georgia resident with a lengthy criminal history being sentenced to prison after admitting the methamphetamine belonged to him and that he intended to distribute the drug.
Timothy Bernard Reese, 44, of Meigs, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 75 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Hugh Lawson after Reese pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. There is no parole in the federal system.
“The unusual facts in this case do not diminish the serious consequences repeat offenders face when caught trafficking methamphetamine in the Middle District of Georgia,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Our office, working alongside our law enforcement partners, will work to bring to justice those who repeatedly break the law and endanger citizens by their criminal actions.”
According to facts admitted by Reese in open court, a resident of Ochlocknee (Thomas County), Georgia, called authorities on December 13, 2019, regarding a suspicious brown satchel found by his dog. The dog’s owner reported that his dog had come home that day carrying the bag. When the owner opened the bag to check for identification, he found what appeared to be large quantities of illegal narcotics and immediately called the Thomas County Sheriff’s Office. The contents tested positive for 154.78 grams of methamphetamine. Lottery tickets were also found inside of the bag.
Thomas County-Thomasville Narcotics/Vice agents were able to pinpoint the exact location and time that the lottery tickets had been purchased. Pulling surveillance video from the Susie Q's Foods in Meigs, officers observed Reese purchasing the lottery tickets; on December 16, 2019, the police obtained an arrest warrant for Reese. The next day, a woman filed a report with the Cairo Police Department alleging that on December 13, 2019, Reese came into her room at the Grady Lodge and punched her in the face, fracturing her eye socket, and demanded to know where his methamphetamine was located. Reese was taken into custody on December 19, 2019, and he subsequently admitted that the brown bag belonged to him, and he planned to distribute the methamphetamine.
Reese has prior felony convictions for burglary and possession of firearm by a convicted felon, both in the Superior Court of Tift County.
The case was investigated by the Thomas County-Thomasville Narcotics & Vice Unit.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sonja Profit prosecuted the case.
Convicted Felon Sentenced for Possession with Intent to Distribute Kilogram of CocaineRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Clinton man previously convicted in federal court of cocaine conspiracy was sentenced yesterday for cocaine offenses.
Emmanuelli Rojas-Moraza, 40, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 87 months in prison and four years of supervised release. On May 26, 2021, Rojas-Moraza pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and one count of use of a communications facility in connection with a narcotics offense.
In January 2020, agents seized approximately one kilogram of cocaine inside a package sent from Puerto Rico and addressed to Rojas-Moraza’s residence in Clinton. After picking up the package from the local post office, Rojas-Moraza was arrested and taken into federal custody. During a search of Rojas-Moraza’s residence following his arrest, agents recovered drug packaging tools and materials. In addition, in April 2019, agents seized another package addressed to the Rojas-Moraza that contained approximately one kilogram of cocaine.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Joshua McCallister, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Clinton Police Chief Bryan W. Coyne made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Mulcahy of Mendell’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.