Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
Thursday 9 September 2021
Raleigh Investment Advisor’s 40 Year Sentence for Ponzi Scheme and Obstruction Affirmed on AppealRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – Stephen Condon Peters, a former Raleigh investment advisor and owner of Visionquest Wealth Management, lost his appeal today in a per curiam opinion issued by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. The judgment against Peters, which included a 40-year prison sentence, $15,063,624.30 in restitution, and forfeiture of assets, was fully affirmed.
Acting United States Attorney G. Norman Acker, III stated, “For years now, the many victims of former investment advisor Stephen Peters have been holding their breath, waiting for any kind of news about the outcome of his appeal, so that they can move on with their lives. Today I am pleased to report that the appeal is over. There were no dissenting votes. Stephen Peters will serve the 40 years imposed upon him. With this result, this office can now resume its efforts to liquidate assets and return them to victims as quickly as possible.”
Peters was convicted on all charges against him in a week-long trial in 2019. The evidence showed that Peters, in his role as a Registered Investment Advisor, defrauded his numerous clients by steering them into investments in which Peters had a direct financial interest. He then compounded his crimes by attempting to defraud the SEC with false documents and statements. At sentencing, the judge commented that Peters’s crimes were “breathtaking,” but were proven with a “tsunami of evidence.” In issuing its 40-year sentence, the Court also noted that Peters “quadrupled down” on the crime by, among other things, perjuring himself at trial.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement following the issuance of the judgment and opinion by the appellate court. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation investigated the case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Banumathi Rangarajan represented the United States on the appeal. Assistant United States Attorney William M. Gilmore served as the prosecutor. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Harris represented the United States with respect to forfeiture aspects of the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:17-cr-00411-D-1.
###
Pittsburgh man offers guilty plea to bank fraud, fabricating letter from former Secretary of State in his favorRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Pittsburgh man pleaded guilty in federal court today to crimes related to stealing customers’ information and money from the banks at which he was employed. The defendant also submitted a fake letter to the Court purportedly from former Secretary of State and retired four-star general Colin Powell in support of a lenient sentence for the defendant.
Keith D. O’Kelly, 51, offered a guilty plea in U.S. District Court today to bank fraud and using a false document.
According to his plea document, in 2017 and 2018, O’Kelly gained employment at various banks and used the Social Security number of another individual while applying for employment.
Once employed at the banks, O’Kelly accessed and obtained the banking information of multiple customers to initiate unauthorized payments and transactions for his own financial benefit. For example, in December 2017, while employed as a bank manager, O’Kelly used the information of two bank customers to pay $10,000 toward his own personal credit account.
In January 2020, while on pretrial release, O’Kelly applied for employment at another bank and once again falsely represented a Social Security number as his own.
In March 2021, O’Kelly submitted a fraudulent letter to the Court in relation to a contemplated sentence for his bank fraud conduct. The letter was purportedly from former Secretary of State Colin Powell and recounted a personal story and support in favor of a lenient sentence for O’Kelly. When the United States asked for a point of contact to authenticate the letter, O’Kelly purchased a new phone and provided the number to the government. The government called the number and received a call back from a person claiming to be Powell’s personal assistant of 12 years. The caller said Powell dictated the letter for him to send to O’Kelly. O’Kelly admitted to fabricating the letter and being the caller.
Bank fraud is a federal crime punishable by up to 30 years in prison. Using a false document carries a potential sentence of up to five years in prison. Congress sets the minimum and maximum statutory sentences. Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
Vipal J. Patel, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Dan Leeper, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the plea offered today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Norah McCann King. Assistant United States Attorney Brenda S. Shoemaker and Special Assistant United States Attorney Christopher N. St. Pierre are representing the United States in this case.
# # #
Pittsburgh Man Sentenced to Prison for Social Security Fraud and Failing to File Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania has been sentenced in federal court to six months in prison followed by two years of supervised release on his conviction of theft of government funds and willful failure to file tax returns, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.
Chief United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak imposed the sentence on Louis Impell, 58, of Pittsburgh, PA 15210.
According to information presented to the court, Impell filed an application for Social Security benefits falsely claiming that he was disabled and had no income. In reality, however, Impell operated a successful home improvement company and was not disabled. As a result of the fraudulent application, from August 2009 through June 2018, Impell was the recipient of $72,186.78 in Title XVI, Supplemental Security Income benefits to which he was not entitled. Additionally, for the calendar years 2015, 2016, and 2017, Impell failed to file income tax returns that would have disclosed his business income to the IRS. The tax due on his business income was $21,805.
Assistant United States Attorney Lee J. Karl prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Kaufman commended the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Impell.
Pinellas Man Sentenced to More Than Four Years in Federal Prison for Dealing Drugs and Violating Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew has sentenced Cedric Tonesy Mount (48, St. Petersburg) to 33 months in federal prison for possessing with the intent to distribute controlled substances, and 24 months in prison for violating supervised release. The Court ordered the sentences to be served consecutively. Mount was also ordered to serve an additional 6 years of supervised release.
Mount had pleaded guilty on June 2, 2021.
According to court documents, on January 9, 2019, Mount began a three-year term of supervised release after serving a federal prison sentence for distribution of cocaine. On January 26, 2020, officers from the St. Petersburg Police Department responded to an apartment complex to investigate complaints that Mount was selling drugs from a vehicle parked near the apartments. As officers approached Mount’s vehicle, another individual yelled, “Look out! Police!” Officers saw Mount holding a small box with a plastic baggie sticking out of it. Officers searched Mount, the small box, and the vehicle and found several plastic baggies containing various substances. Subsequent testing determined that the substances in the baggies contained crack cocaine, cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, methamphetamine, and marijuana. The officers also recovered two scales and a gas mask that had been converted into a marijuana bong from inside the vehicle.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the St. Petersburg Police Department, and the Pinellas County Forensic Laboratory. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Sinacore.
Philadelphia Woman Admits $100 Million Securities Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An investment fund manager today admitted orchestrating a $100 million securities fraud scheme, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Brenda Smith, 61, of Philadelphia, pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo to Count Seven of an indictment charging her with securities fraud.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Smith managed and controlled Broad Reach Capital LP, a pooled investment fund/hedge fund that was established in February 2016 and was open to accredited investors with a minimum investment of $1 million.
From February 2016 through August 2019, Smith orchestrated a scheme in which she made misrepresentations to investors and promised that she would invest their funds in particular trading strategies that Broad Reach Capital was allegedly optimally situated to execute. Smith referred to these strategies as dividend capture, VIX Convergence, and opportunistic trading.
Smith misrepresented the success and performance of Broad Reach Capital to investors and prospective investors. She touted Broad Reach Capital as a trade-focused investment fund that was highly liquid and employed a robust risk management program. Smith distributed written materials about Broad Reach Capital to investors and prospective investors that included purported historical performance information, such as claimed annual returns of over 33 percent in 2017 and positive monthly returns in 2018. In fact, the total cash and securities in the Broad Reach Capital bank and brokerage accounts decreased from approximately December 2016 through June 2019. For example, the written materials claimed that Broad Reach Capital had a 1.76 percent return in February 2018 when in reality, Broad Reach Capital’s brokerage accounts lost approximately 50 percent of their value.
To lull investors and induce them to continue investing, Smith provided monthly account statements to investors that falsely showed that their investments were safe and earning significant returns. Smith also falsely represented that she was personally invested in Broad Reach Capital and provided a fictitious account statement to at least one investor.
Over the course of the scheme, Smith collected more than $100 million of cash into Broad Reach Capital from approximately 40 investors. At its peak, however, the value of cash and securities in the Broad Reach Capital bank and brokerage accounts did not exceed approximately $32 million. Instead of investing the money as she promised, Smith transferred tens of millions of dollars out of Broad Reach Capital to entities she controlled for purposes inconsistent with the trading strategies, including more than approximately $10 million for mineral mining operations and approximately $2 million for American Express credit card bills. When investors requested redemption of their investments, Smith diverted other investors’ funds to pay the requested redemption amounts.
The securities fraud count to which Smith pleaded guilty carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $5 million fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 20, 2022.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Philadelphia Regional Office previously filed a civil complaint against Smith based on the same conduct.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the FBI Philadelphia Division, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Bradley S. Benavides, and special agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Thomas Mahoney, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. She also thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Philadelphia Regional Office, under the direction of Co-Acting Regional Directors Scott Thompson and Joy G. Thompson, for its assistance.
The government is represented by Catherine R. Murphy, Chief of the Economic Crimes Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Pekin Ice Methamphetamine Dealer Sentenced to Twenty Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. –Harold Shane Koch, 42, of Pekin, Illinois, was sentenced today to 20 years in federal prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute ice methamphetamine.
Koch, who pleaded guilty on the same day he was sentenced, admitted that he conspired with others to buy and resell methamphetamine throughout the Pekin and Peoria areas for at least a six-month period from August 2019 until his arrest in February 2020. Evidence presented in court showed that Koch sold ice methamphetamine to a police informant on at least two occasions and was also found with ice methamphetamine packaged for resale at the time of his arrest.
At the joint change-of-plea and sentencing hearing, the government stated that the investigation of Koch's criminal activity had revealed that Koch's methamphetamine trafficking dated back to 2018 and involved over seven kilos of ice methamphetamine. The ice methamphetamine specifically seized from Koch during the investigation was determined to have at least 99% purity levels.
During sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge Joe Billy McDade noted that Koch had a stable upbringing and several successful stints in drug treatment in the past. Judge McDade emphasized his hope that Koch would turn his life around after this conviction.
“The high-purity methamphetamine we are seeing in the Central District of Illinois is cheap, highly potent, and readily available,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Douglas J. Quivey. “It’s a drug that can bring out the absolute worst in people, its addictive qualities make it difficult to quit, and it wreaks havoc in our communities. Our office will continue to work with law enforcement to steadily target the drug dealers who peddle this highly addictive substance to users.”
Koch has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals since his arrest. The Drug Enforcement Administration and Pekin Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Legge represented the government in the prosecution.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF)’s National Methamphetamine Strategic Initiative, spearheaded locally out of the Pekin Police Department. The primary goal of this initiative is to address methamphetamine trafficking and its attendant consequences by using a coordinated, multi-agency approach targeting the highest levels of drug trafficking leadership. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Owner of cockfighting venue sentenced to prison for running illegal animal fighting operationRead the Press Release
AUGUSTA, GA: A Lincoln County man has been sentenced to prison after admitting that he operated a cockfighting venue.
Lanier Augustus Hightower Jr., 65, of Lincolnton, Ga., was sentenced to 14 months in prison after pleading guilty to Sponsoring and Exhibiting an Animal in an Animal Fighting Venture, said Acting U.S. Attorney David H. Estes. U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall also ordered Hightower to pay a fine of $500, prohibited him from owning or keeping any birds or fowl or attending any events related to birds or cockfighting, and to serve two years of supervised release after completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
“This sentence sends a strong message that animal fighting will not be tolerated in the Southern District of Georgia,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “In coordination with our law enforcement partners, we will target and eliminate these barbaric operations and hold the organizers and participants accountable.”
As described in court documents and testimony, Hightower worked with others in sponsoring a Dec. 14, 2019 cockfight on his farm in Lincoln County. The federal indictment in that case named Hightower and 38 codefendants and remained sealed until June 2020 when multiple law enforcement agencies, led by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Inspector General, raided the cockfighting venue called Little Sunset in Midville, Ga., operated by William Shannon Scott, 48. Scott operated his venture on alternating weekend schedules with another venue called The Red Barn, owned by Wendell Allan Strickland, 67, of Swainsboro, Ga.,
Scott and Strickland both have pled guilty to charges related to the cockfighting ventures and await sentencing in U.S. District Court.
As part of his plea agreement, Hightower will forfeit to the U.S. Government the 100.04 acres of land in Lincoln County where the cockfights were held. Both Scott and Strickland also face forfeiture of their farms as part of their sentences.
“The brutal practice of watching animals mutilate each other to death holds no entertainment value and will not be tolerated,” said Jason Williams, Special Agent in Charge, USDA-OIG. “This prosecution should serve as notice that our agency, in conjunction with our state and federal partners, will hold these individuals accountable for their interest in this heinous blood sport.”
Chief Judge Hall ordered Hightower to report to prison Nov. 8.
The cases are being investigated by the USDA-OIG and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Xavier A. Cunningham and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Rock.
Owner of Long Island Commercial Check Cashing Companies Pleads Guilty to Financial FraudRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, John Drago, the former owner/operator of several check cashing businesses on Long Island, pleaded guilty to illegally structuring financial transactions and payroll tax evasion. The proceeding took place before United States District Judge Gary R. Brown. When sentenced, Drago faces up to 10 years in prison, has agreed to forfeit approximately $253,000 and to pay restitution of approximately $593,000. As part of his plea, Drago is required to surrender his check cashing licenses, his federal money services business registrations and he is barred from applying for any such licenses or registrations in the future.
Jacquelyn M. Kasulis, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Thomas Fattorusso, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, New York (IRS-CI), and Shirin Emami, Acting Superintendent, New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS), announced the guilty plea.
“Drago’s guilty plea makes clear that running a check cashing business is not a license to evade financial reports to cheat the IRS or a blank check for committing fraud,” stated Acting United States Attorney Kasulis. “This Office will prosecute and hold to account defendants like Drago who, under the guise of running a legitimate business, are actually engaging in egregious schemes to avoid paying taxes.”
“Drago’s plea today acknowledges his egregious misuse of Kayla Companies as a conduit to circumvent mandatory CTR filing requirements and evade employment taxes of Kayla Company employees. Greedy tax evasion schemes such as those facilitated by Drago, critically impair the integrity of our financial system and directly impact employees, who may see future benefits such as Social Security, Medicare or Unemployment Compensation reduced or eliminated because of Drago’s willful disregard of the law. IRS Criminal Investigation works tirelessly to protect the American taxpayer and maintain public confidence in our system of taxation,” stated IRS-CI Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Fattorusso.
“John Drago breached the public trust by using his licensed check-cashing businesses to engage in illegal structuring transactions,” said Shirin Emami, Acting Superintendent of Financial Services. “DFS applauds the Eastern District of New York’s prosecution and is pleased to have been able to coordinate with the EDNY on this matter.”
According to court filings and facts presented at the plea proceeding, Drago owned and operated check cashing businesses on Long Island, including Kayla Check Cashing Corp., North Island Check Cashing Corp., South Island Check Cashing Corp., East Island Check Cashing Corp., Bay Shore Check Cashing Corp. and Brentwood Check Cashing Corp. (collectively, the “Kayla Companies”). Financial institutions are required to file a Currency Transaction Report (“CTR”) for each cash transaction in excess of $10,000. In addition, a CTR is required to be filed by the financial institution when multiple checks, the total value of which exceeds $10,000, are cashed in a single day.
From January 2010 to October 31, 2013, Drago instructed employees to cash multiple checks in excess of $10,000 in a single day for certain customers without filing required CTRs. In addition, to avoid the required CTR filings, Drago directed employees to deposit and cash checks that had been submitted together on a single day in amounts in excess of $10,000. Drago also instructed employees to tell certain customers who presented individual checks in amounts exceeding $10,000 to return with multiple checks in amounts that were less than $10,000 to avoid the reporting requirement for such financial transactions. As a result of Drago’s scheme, more than $9.5 million in check cashing transactions were concealed from the IRS.
Between April 1, 2012 and July 31, 2013, Drago paid overtime wages and commissions to employees of the Kayla Companies in cash and failed to inform the IRS of the payment of these cash wages. Drago falsely underreported to the IRS the gross wages paid to his employees to avoid paying the full amount of Federal Insurance Contribution Act taxes that the Kayla Companies owed.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Burton T. Ryan, Jr., Bradley T. King and Madeline O’Connor are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
JOHN DRAGO
Age: 57
Central Islip, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-CR-394 (S-1) (GRB)
Okmulgee County Inmate Pleads Guilty to Rioting in Federal Detention FacilityRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jason Don Rowan, 38, entered a guilty plea on August 31, 2021, to Rioting in a Federal Detention Facility, 18 U.S.C. §§ 1792, 2, punishable by imprisonment for a period of up to 10 years and/or a fine of up to $250,000.00, supervised release of not more than 3 years, and a special assessment fee in the amount of $100.00.
The Indictment alleged that on or about April 12, 2021, an FBI Task Force Officer (TFO) received a report of a disturbance in the X-Pod at the Okmulgee County Jail. The X-Pod houses Federal inmates in accordance with a contract between the U.S. Marshals Service and the Okmulgee County Criminal Justice Authority. Upon arrival, the TFO was informed the disturbance had been ongoing and had escalated into a riot situation. When additional law enforcement arrived, a team was formed to enter the pod and restore order. As the officers entered the pod, a group of inmates begin throwing pieces of concrete at the officers, which included three federal law enforcement officers. The riot lasted approximately two and one-half hours before order was restored, and a total of nine inmates (including Rowan) were charged with federal offenses.
The charges arose from an investigation by the United States Department of Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Marshals Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Okmulgee County Sheriff’s Office, the Okmulgee Police Department, the Okmulgee County Jail, and the Henryetta Police Department.
The Honorable Steven Shreder, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
Ohio man indicted on drug chargesRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Robert L. Bruce, of Groveport, Ohio, is facing drug charges, Acting United States Attorney Randolph J. Bernard announced.
Bruce, also known as “Miami,” 41, was indicted this week on one count of “Distribution of Methamphetamine” and one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.” Bruce is accused of distributing methamphetamine in July and August 2021 in Marshall County.
Bruce faces up to 20 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000 for each count. 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 Shawn M. Adkins is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Marshall County Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Ohio man indicted on drug chargesRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – LaShawn Royce Nickelson, of Newark, Ohio, is facing drug and firearms charges, Acting United States Attorney Randolph J. Bernard announced.
Nickelson, 49, was indicted this week on one count of “Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with the Intent to Distribute Cocaine Base, Cocaine Hydrochloride, Heroin, and Fentanyl,” one count of “Distribution of Cocaine Base within 1000 feet of a Protected Location,” one count of “Aiding and Abetting the Distribution of Cocaine Base,” one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin,” one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl,” one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine Hydrochloride,” one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine Base,” and one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.” “Nickelson is accused of distributing cocaine base, cocaine hydrochloride, heroin and fentanyl in Ohio County in September and October 2020. Nickelson, a person prohibited from having a firearm because of a prior conviction, is also accused of having a 9mm pistol in October 2020.
Nickelson faces up to 20 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000 for each drug count, faces at least one year and up to 40 years of incarceration and fine of up to $2,000,000 for the distribution near a protected location charge, and faces up to 10 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 for the firearms charge. 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 Shawn M. Adkins is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Ohio Valley Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Ohio County man admits to drug chargeRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Travis E. Vossen, of Wheeling, West Virginia, has admitted to a drug charge, Acting United States Attorney Randolph J. Bernard announced.
Vossen, 32, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Distribution of Fentanyl within 1,000 feet of a Protected Location.” Vossen admitted to selling fentanyl near Ritchie Elementary School in Ohio County in May 2021.
Vossen faces at least one year and up to 40 years of incarceration and fine of up to $2,000,000. 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 Clayton J. Reid is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Marshall County Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.
New York Man Sentenced for Controlled Substance OffenseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Bronx, N.Y. man was sentenced today in connection with his role in a conspiracy to distribute a fentanyl in 2019.
Jason Jimenez, 27, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel to one year and one day in prison and three years of supervised release. On May 4, 2021, Jimenez pleaded guilty to one count of use of a communication facility to commit a felony under the controlled substances act.
On July 10, 2019, Jimenez was arrested after making admissions to investigators in connection with a fentanyl transaction which he facilitated using his phone. He was indicted in August 2019 as part of a coordinated enforcement operation in the Merrimack Valley dubbed “Operation Devil’s Highway.” The operation targeted the distribution of opioids, including fentanyl and heroin, and resulted in charges against a total of 40 people for federal drug offenses, with at least a dozen more individuals facing state charges.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Lawrence Police Department and North Andover Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy Moran and Evan Panich of Mendell’s Office prosecuted the case.
New Jersey Men Admit to Drug Distribution ChargesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Two New Jersey men admitted to drug distribution charges in connection conspiring to distribute cocaine base and distributing fentanyl and cocaine base, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced today.
Tyrell Wilson, aka “Hell Rell,” 36, of Rahway, New Jersey, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo in Newark federal court to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute 280 grams or more of cocaine base and one count of possession with intent to distribute 280 grams or more of cocaine base.
Marvin Lagrier, aka “Black Jesus,” 39, of Newark, pleaded guilty before Judge Arleo on Aug. 12, 2021, to a superseding information charging him with one count of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. Lagrier was a Newark Housing Authority employee at the time of his arrest.
In September 2019, Lagrier and Wilson were charged in a federal criminal complaint with conspiracy to distribute heroin and cocaine and possession with the intent to distribute heroin and cocaine base. Wilson was also charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Lagrier was indicted on these charges in October 2019.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Sept. 19, 2019, law enforcement officers approached an apartment in Essex County, New Jersey, to execute a court-authorized search warrant. Wilson and Lagrier exited the apartment and attempted to flee the area but were apprehended and placed under arrest. Upon searching the apartment, as well as Wilson’s vehicle and a backpack that Wilson discarded while fleeing, law enforcement officers recovered a large amount of cocaine base, heroin, and fentanyl as well as many items of drug paraphernalia for packaging narcotics. Law enforcement officers also recovered a firearm and several rounds of ammunition as well as several cellular phones. They also recovered several brown Newark Housing Authority uniforms bearing the name tag, “Marvin,” which matched the uniform that Lagrier wore at the time of his arrest.
The cocaine base conspiracy count to which Wilson pleaded guilty carries a statutory mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years, a maximum potential penalty of life in prison, and a maximum fine of $10 million. The fentanyl possession count to which Lagrier pleaded guilty carries a statutory mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years, a maximum potential penalty of 40 years in prison, and a maximum fine of $5 million. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 16, 2021 for Lagrier and for Jan. 13, 2021, for Wilson.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the DEA, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Susan A. Gibson in Newark, and members of the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Brian O’Hara, with the investigation leading to the guilty pleas.
This case is part of the Violent Crime Initiative (VCI), which was formed in August 2017 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, and the City of Newark’s Department of Public Safety for the purpose of combatting violent crime in and around Newark. 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 Newark Department of Public Safety, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, N.J. State Parole, Union County Jail, N.J. State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center, N.J. Department of Corrections, the East Orange Police Department, the Orange Police Department and the Irvington Police Department.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracey Agnew and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kendall Randolph of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Organized Crime/Gang Unit in Newark.
Native New Yorker convicted in human transporting conspiracyRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 53-year-old man has entered a guilty plea to conspiring to transport people unlawfully in the country, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery
Carl Bernstein, Plainview, New York, admitted to his role in the transportation of 42 undocumented individuals in a commercial trailer out of Laredo to a northern U.S. location.
On June 6, 2021, local authorities stopped Bernstein for a traffic violation as he was driving a tractor-trailer on State Highway 16 near Tilden. They took him into custody upon learning of active arrest warrants.
He exited the tractor, at which time authorities opened the doors and noticed multiple people inside the trailer. All were identified as non-U.S. citizens unlawfully in the country.
Bernstein admitted he expected to be paid for driving the vehicle.
“This case was just good work by law enforcement boots on the ground from beginning to end - with great cooperation and coordination at the local and federal levels,” said sheriff Emmet Shelton of the McMullen County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO). “This is how it is supposed to work. We would like to thank and recognize our federal partners for their support, work and dedication to helping keep Texas safe.”
U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo set sentencing for Dec. 7. At that time, Bernstein faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
MCSO conducted the investigation along with Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Bajew is prosecuting the case.
Morgantown man sentenced for role in a drug trafficking operationRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Kenneth Burns, of Morgantown, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 13 months of incarceration for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy, Acting United States Attorney Randolph J. Bernard announced.
Burns, 35, pled guilty in May 2021 to one count of “Unlawful Use of Communication Facility.” Burns admitted to using a phone to help sell fentanyl, cocaine base, and heroin in March 2020 in Monongalia County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda E. Wesley prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Mon Metro Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, and the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
This case 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.
Senior U.S. District Judge Irene M. Keeley presided.
Related press release: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/seventeen-people-charged-heroin-and-crack-cocaine-distribution-operation
Missouri Man Indicted for Bank Robbery in KansasRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Kansas City, Kansas, returned an indictment charging a man from Kansas City, Missouri, with one count of bank robbery.
According to the criminal complaint preceding the indictment, on Aug. 2, 2021, Broderick Burr, 47, allegedly presented a note demanding money and indicating he had a gun to an employee at Commerce Bank on West 43rd Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas.
The FBI, the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Zabel is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###
Mississippi Man Sentenced for Smuggling Meth, Heroin Aboard TrainRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Jonesboro, Mississippi, man was sentenced in federal court today for transporting more than five pounds of methamphetamine and nearly three pounds of heroin through Kansas City, Missouri, enroute to St. Louis, Mo.
Willie Lewis Braison, 48, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to seven years and three months in federal prison without parole. Braison was remanded to federal custody immediately following today’s hearing.
On Sept. 16, 2020, Braison pleaded guilty to one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and one count of possessing heroin with the intent to distribute.
A Kansas City, Mo., Police Department detective saw Braison get off the train at a local station on Jan. 17, 2019. The detective contacted Braison and asked to search his suitcase. Braison admitted that he was carrying a suitcase that contained methamphetamine and heroin aboard a train from Los Angeles, California, for delivery in St. Louis. Inside the suitcase, five bundles that contained a total of 5.1 pounds of methamphetamine were hidden inside a cardboard box that was labeled as a variety pack of cookies. Also inside the suitcase were two bundles of heroin hidden inside a pair of size 18 high-top tennis shoes. The bundles, shaped like the insoles of the shoes, weighed a total of 2.9 pounds.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Alford. It was investigated by the Kansas City Interdiction Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Minneapolis Man and Woman Plead Guilty to Violent Twin Cities CarjackingRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Minneapolis man and woman pleaded guilty to their roles in an armed carjacking that occurred last summer, announced Acting U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk.
According to court documents, on August 28, 2020, Jeremiah Lee Ironrope, 24, and Krisanne Marie Benjamin, 25, drove a maroon SUV to a parking lot in Richfield, Minnesota, and parked next to a 2017 Audi A4. Ironrope exited the SUV and pointed a Remington 870 l2-gauge sawed-off shotgun at the driver of the Audi. Ironrope demanded the car keys and then drove off in the Audi while Benjamin followed in the SUV. The following day when law enforcement attempted to stop the solen Audi, Ironrope sped away, driving erratically through traffic. Officers lost sight of the vehicle but later found it after the defendants abandoned it. The vehicle had been partially spray-painted black and inside officers found a variety of property including a stolen wallet, bottles of spray paint, a hat, gloves, and a used 12-gauge shotgun shell under the driver’s seat.
As part of their guilty pleas, Ironrope and Benjamin admitted to two additional carjackings that occurred on July 26, 2020, in Maple Grove and August 7, 2020, in St. Paul. In both instances, the defendants physically assaulted the victims before stealing their vehicles. Ironrope also admitted to two December 2020 carjackings occurring in St. Louis Park and St. Paul. In both instances, Ironrope pointed a handgun at the victims before stealing their vehicles.
Ironrope pleaded guilty to one count of carjacking and one count of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Benjamin pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting carjacking.
“Twin Cities motorists are safer with these two off the streets,” said Acting U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk. “Over the past year we have witnessed a spike in carjackings throughout the metro area. Federal law enforcement will not tolerate this type of crime on our streets and will continue to investigate and prosecute violent perpetrators such as this.”
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Minneapolis Police Department, the St. Paul Police Department, the Maple Grove Police Department, the Richfield Police Department, the Edina Police Department, the Roseville Police Department, and the Minnesota State Patrol.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan H. Nelson.
Meriden Woman Sentenced to More Than 7 Years in Federal Prison for Child Exploitation OffenseRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that AMBER FOLEY, 33, formerly of Meriden, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 90 months of imprisonment, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for distributing sexually explicit images of a four-year old girl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, law enforcement began investigating Foley in October 2017 after she sent a sexually explicit photo of a four-year-old girl to a man with whom she was chatting on MeetMe, a mobile dating application. The investigation revealed that she had previously sent sexually explicit images of both the minor victim and a two-year-old boy to other men on MeetMe. She also initiated conversations about sexual activity involving the minor victim and asked the men to describe in explicit detail the sexual acts they would perform on the minor victim.
Investigators did not uncover any evidence that Foley and the minor victim met the men with whom Foley chatted.
Foley was arrested on January 18, 2018. On May 11, 2021, she pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography.
This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Meriden and Hartford Police Departments, with the assistance of the Connecticut Department of Children and Families. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nancy V. Gifford and Maria del Pilar Gonzalez.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
Members of a Drug Trafficking Ring That Operated in Haughville Have Been SentencedRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS - A drug trafficking ring consisting of at least 24 people have been sentenced in
federal court. The organization operated in and around the historic Haughville neighborhood in
Indianapolis from April 2018 to January 2019. A federal grand jury in Evansville indicted the
members of this organization in January of 2019.According to court documents, from April 2018 and continuing through January 2019, twenty- four
members of a drug trafficking ring would sell large quantities of illegal substances in and around
the near westside of Indianapolis. Jshane Trice and Terrence Stum directed the illegal
activities of the methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine trafficking organization. The
other members of the organization would assist Trice or Stum by distributing the drugs, purchasing
drugs for redistribution, prepare the drugs for distribution, transport the drugs for
distribution, and conceal the drugs on other members behalf.“This investigation is a great example of law enforcement working together to address citizens’
concerns about narcotics trafficking in their neighborhoods,” said Acting U.S. Attorney John E.
Childress. “Using combined resources to attack these criminal organizations works and I want to
thank our federal, state, and local partners for their help in dismantling this high-level
narcotics organization within Indianapolis.”Below are the individuals who were indicted, prosecuted, and sentenced to federal prison.
• Jshaun Trice – sentenced to 210 months and 5 years supervised release
• Terrence Stum – sentenced to 262 months and 5 years supervised release
• Demetrick Holder – sentenced to 72 months and 3 years supervised release
• Gerald Hoskins – sentenced to 36 months and 3 years supervised release
• Darryl Allen – sentenced to 240 months and 5 years supervised release
• Eric Bard – sentenced to 262 months and 5 years supervised release
• Dustin Manuel – sentenced to 96 months and 5 years supervised release
• Kelvin Washington – sentenced to 60 months and 4 years supervised release
• Devin Jones – sentenced to 30 months and 3 years supervised release
• Adrian Myles – sentenced to 60 months and 5 years supervised release
• Christopher Hill – sentenced to 120 months and 5 years supervised release
• Robert Hadley – sentenced to 72 months and 4 years supervised release
• Danny Jenkins – sentenced to 118 months and 4 years supervised release
• Antonio McClure – sentenced to 160 months and 5 years supervised release
• James Gibson – sentenced to 124 months and 5 years supervised release
• Carlo Payne – sentenced to 160 months and 5 years supervised release
• Thomas Acord – sentenced to 108 months and 3 years supervised release
• Alton Brown Sr. – sentenced to 121 months and 5 years supervised release
• Steven Savage – sentenced to time served and 4 years supervised release
• Derrick O’Connor – sentenced to 60 months and 3 years supervised release
• Melissa Kidwell – sentenced to time served and 4 years supervised release
• Jacqueline Huffman – sentenced to 60 months and 4 years supervised release
• Jacob Jones – sentenced to 140 months and 5 years supervised release
• Allen Brown – sentenced to time served and 4 years supervised releaseMultiple law enforcement agencies contributed to the prosecution of this case including
the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the
Drug Enforcement Administration, the Indiana State Police, and the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police
Department.Assistant U.S. Attorney’s Peter A. Blackett and Michelle P. Brady prosecuted this case for the
government.This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF)
investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug
traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the
United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages
the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Maryland Man Who Threatened Maryland Congressman Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Sidhartha Kumar Mathur, age 35, of West Friendship, Maryland to two years’ probation including eight weekends in the federal bureau of prisons and six months of home detention with electronic monitoring for making false statements to federal agents, relating to the death threats he sent to a Member of Congress representing Maryland. Judge Bennett also ordered Mathur to preform 100 hours of community service.
The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner and Chief Tom Manger of the United States Capitol Police.
According to his guilty plea, in December 2020, Mathur communicated a threat in a webmail message on a congressional representative’s website. Mathur’s threats included violent statements such as “I will kill you and blow up your office if you try to take my vote away” and “I know where you and your family lives. You will be ended.” Mathur listed the name and previous address of a former classmate and neighbor (Individual B) for the webmail contact information.
Mathur also left a threatening voice message on the same Representative’s District Office voicemail stating similar threats including, “If you even mess with my vote, I’m going to come and slit your throat and I’ll kill your family.”
During an interview with special agents of the United States Capitol Police, Mathur confirmed the phone number used to place the threatening voicemail belonged to him and that he called the congressional member out of anger.
As detailed in his plea agreement, Mathur further acknowledged that Individual B was a former neighbor and classmate. However, Mathur falsely denied responsibility for the webmail threat submitted in Individual B’s name. The agents reiterated that providing false statements to federal agents was a felony offense. Mathur continued to falsely deny responsibility for the threatening webmail messages written in Individual B’s name. When given a final opportunity to correct his false statement, Mathur again falsely denied making the webmail threat.
Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the U.S. Capitol Police for their work in the investigation. Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers who prosecuted the case.
# # #
Martinsburg man admits to drug chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Dwayne Paige, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, has admitted to a drug charge, Acting United States Attorney Randolph J. Bernard announced.
Paige, 47, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Distribution of Fentanyl and Heroin.” Paige admitted to selling heroin and fentanyl in December 2018 in Berkeley County.
Paige faces at least 10 years and up to 13 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 Timothy D. Helman is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Washington County, Maryland Task Force investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Maine Nonprofits to Receive Federal Funding for Legal Assistance to VictimsRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine—Four Maine nonprofit organizations will receive a total of over $2.3 million from the Legal Assistance for Victims (LAV) Program of the Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced. Nationally, the LAV Program is awarding nearly $36 million in victim legal assistance funding to organizations across the country.
Caring Unlimited Corporation in Sanford will receive $593,653; the Family Violence Project in Augusta will receive $596,527; the Next Step Domestic Violence Project in Ellsworth will receive $600,000; and Partners for Peace in Bangor will receive $552,131.
“Providing assistance to crime victims is one of the fundamental responsibilities of the justice system,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Clark. “I am pleased that these four organizations will receive significant funding to enhance the crucial services they provide to Maine crime victims.”
The LAV Program is intended to increase the availability of civil and criminal legal assistance needed to effectively aid adult and youth victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking by providing funds for comprehensive direct legal services to victims in legal matters relating to or arising out of that abuse or violence. Comprehensive legal services extend beyond representation in emergency and non-emergency protection order hearings to address the broad spectrum of legal issues that victims encounter, including family matters such as divorce, child custody or child support, immigration, administrative agency proceedings, and consumer or housing matters.
The Office on Violence Against Women provides federal leadership in developing the national capacity to reduce violence against women and administer justice for and strengthen services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
Madison Man Sentenced to 2 Years for Illegal Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Deshawn Robb, 29, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was sentenced yesterday by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to two years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Robb pleaded guilty to this charge on June 21, 2021.
On June 20, 2020, a Wisconsin State Patrol Trooper stopped Robb for speeding in Marathon County, Wisconsin. While speaking with Robb, the trooper smelled marijuana in the car. Robb admitted that there was a handgun in the vehicle under his seat and that he was a convicted felon. The trooper recovered a loaded .40 caliber Smith & Wesson pistol. In 2013 Robb was convicted of the felony crime of substantial battery in Milwaukee County and was sentenced to prison.
At sentencing, Judge Peterson said that Robb was not abiding by his felony firearm prohibition and was concerned that Robb was putting himself in environments where he thought he needed a gun for protection. Judge Peterson found that the sentence was necessary to punish Robb and deter him from possessing another firearm. Robb will also serve 3 years of supervised release.
The charge against Robb was the result of an investigation conducted by the Wisconsin State Patrol, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan.
Lynnwood, Washington man sentenced to 10 years in prison for gun and drug traffickingRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 39-year-old Lynnwood, Washington, man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 10 years in prison for federal charges stemming from his drug and gun trafficking, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Jose L. Casablanca and co-defendant, Jessie N. Cruz, were arrested in late July 2020, following a lengthy undercover investigation. In May 2021, Casablanca pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, possession of a machine gun, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Robert S. Lasnik said, “This is your last chance… When you come out in your 40s you will have missed many events with your daughters.” Judge Lasnik urged Casablanca to choose a new path.
“This defendant sold heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl, three of the most deadly and addictive controlled substances available, that have ravaged communities and families in Western Washington,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Gorman. “Add to that his firearms trafficking – including possessing a machine gun – and this defendant has demonstrated he is a danger to the community.”
Records filed in the case detail how two detectives with the Snohomish Regional Drug Task Force (SRDTF) posed as drug and gun buyers to gather information about the pair’s drug trafficking activity. The undercover detectives made purchases of heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl pills from Casablanca and Cruz. They also purchased a fully automatic firearm, classified as an illegal machine gun, and other firearms from the pair. Casablanca is a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing firearms, so the two discussed with undercover officers how Cruz transported the guns to the sale location so that Casablanca would not be caught with a firearm.
Casablanca and Cruz confided to the undercover detectives where they had hidden a massive amount of fentanyl in their Lynnwood home. On the day they were arrested at a regional airport, they met with yet another undercover officer who was posing as someone who could get them access to a pill press to make fentanyl tainted pills from their large stash of the potentially deadly drug. A court-authorized search warrant at the Lynnwood home resulted in the seizure of large amounts of heroin, fentanyl, multiple firearms, and ammunition, as well as body armor.
At the time of their arrest, law enforcement searched the Maserati the couple used in their drug trafficking activities and found both narcotics and a firearm.
Co-defendant Cruz was sentenced in April 2021 to 7 years in prison. Both will be on three years of supervised release following prison.
The case was investigated by the Snohomish Regional Drug Task Force and the United States Marshals Service Violent Offender Task Force, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kate Crisham.
Lynn Man Sentenced for Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lynn man was sentenced today for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy.
Patrick Dunn, 30, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to three years of supervised release. The government recommended a sentence of eight months in prison. On March 26, 2021, Dunn pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and cocaine.
Dunn was charged as part of an investigation into a drug trafficking organization distributing large quantities of fentanyl, cocaine and other controlled substances in the greater Boston area. In September 2017, Dunn distributed cocaine and fentanyl to an undercover officer in Boston.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Boston Police Acting Commissioner Gregory Long made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Corey Steinberg and John Mulcahy of Mendell’s Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Limestone Man Sentenced for Hobbs ActRead the Press Release
Greeneville, Tenn. – On September 9, 2021, Marc Kristopher Skeen, 37, of Limestone, Tennessee, was sentenced to 245 months imprisonment, followed by a five-year term of supervised release by the Honorable Clifton L. Corker, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville.
A Grand Jury issued a multi-count indictment for Skeen in October 2019, for the offenses of robbery of a convenience store in Johnson City, Tennessee and discharging a firearm during the robbery. Skeen entered a plea of guilty in June 2021.
According to the plea agreement filed with the court, on July 28, 2019, Skeen arrived at the Stop In Market on S. Roan Street, in Johnson City, Tennessee. As he arrived, he discharged a firearm through his vehicle’s windshield. He then exited his car, fired two more rounds through the glass door of the convenience store and into nearby equipment. Officers of the Johnson City Police Department responded to the location. Skeen took the convenience store clerk hostage, which resulted in a 6-hour standoff with police. During the standoff, Skeen forced the hostage to provide him with beer and cigarettes from the store. Skeen released his hostage without injury.
“This prosecution is part of the Department of Justice’s comprehensive strategy to combat violence in our communities, and an example of a just outcome resulting from the collaboration between our office and the Johnson City Police Department.” said Acting United States Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III.
The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by the Johnson City Police Department and was led by Investigator Shane Malone.
Assistant United States Attorneys B. Todd Martin represented the United States.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
###
Lexington Man Sentenced to 28 Years for Federal Drug and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. — A Lexington man, Marquis Antonio Tompkins, 42, was sentenced on Friday, by Chief U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves, to 336 months (28 years) in prison, followed by 6 years of supervised release, after being convicted of multiple counts of distributing heroin and fentanyl, as well as being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
According to evidence presented at trial, Tompkins sold a combination of fentanyl and heroin, on five separate occasions in Lexington, between February 2020 and March 18, 2020. The jury also found that Tompkins possessed a Taurus .40 caliber pistol, after having been previously convicted of a prior felony offense. Tompkins had four prior felony convictions, two for distributing cocaine, one for use of a firearm in the commission of a drug offense, and one for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Based on his prior criminal history Tompkins was determined to be a Career Offender, under federal law. Additionally, Tompkins was on supervised release from a prior conviction when he was charged with the present offenses.
Under federal law, Tompkins must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for six years.
“For the fifth time, this Defendant has been convicted of a felony drug trafficking or firearm offense,” said Carlton S. Shier, IV, Acting Untied States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “His drug trafficking, illegal possession of guns, continued defiance of the law, and status as a Career Offender undoubtedly justify the substantial sentence he was given.”
“This sentence sends a strong message and will protect the community by removing an armed criminal from our streets,” said R. Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF, Louisville Field Division. “We are committed to making our communities a safe place. As part of that commitment, ATF, along with our local law enforcement partners, will continue to aggressively investigate, arrest and pursue prosecution of these offenders.”
Acting United States Attorney Shier; Special Agent in Charge Morrow; and Col. Phillip Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by ATF, the Gateway Area High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HITDA) Task Force, and the Kentucky State Police. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger West.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Eastern District of Kentucky, Acting U.S. Attorney Shier coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
– END –
Leader of International Firearm Trafficking Conspiracy Pleads Guilty in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Mexican national residing in Portland pleaded guilty today for his leadership role in a conspiracy to illegally obtain high-powered semi-automatic rifles and high-grade firearms in and around the Portland area and smuggle them into Mexico for use by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).
David Acosta-Rosales, 51, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to make false statements in connection with the acquisition of firearms.
According to court documents, since at least September 2019, Acosta-Rosales served as the leader of a high-volume gun trafficking cell operating in the Portland area. In this role, Acosta-Rosales received orders and requests for high-powered semi-automatic rifles, high-grade firearms, and explosive devices from co-conspirators in Mexico affiliated with CJNG. Acosta-Rosales received hundreds of thousands of dollars to operate the scheme, recruited numerous straw purchasers to make illegal gun purchases, obliterated serial numbers on the guns, and organized the transfer and transportation of the guns from Oregon to Mexico. In total, the conspiracy involved the transfer of more than 100 guns to Mexico.
On October 6, 2020, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a 52-count indictment charging Acosta-Rosales and 10 associates with conspiracy, making false statements in connection with the acquisition of firearms, possessing and receiving firearms with obliterated serial numbers, and smuggling goods from the United States.
Acosta-Rosales faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced on December 6, 2021 before U.S. District Court Judge Karin J. Immergut.
As part of his plea agreement, Acosta-Rosales has agreed to forfeit any criminally-derived assets involved in the commission of his crimes identified by the government prior to sentencing.
Seven of Acosta-Rosales’ co-conspirators have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. The remaining three are pending trial.
Acting U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug of the District of Oregon made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
Lawrence Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing Fentanyl PillsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lawrence man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston in connection with distributing fentanyl pills.
Ruben Mejia, 28, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of fentanyl and heroin, two counts of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl and heroin and one count of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and heroin. U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for Jan. 12, 2022. Mejia was arrested and charged in September 2020.
On Aug. 13, 2020, Mejia sold an estimated 500 fentanyl pills disguised as oxycodone pills for $4,000 ($8 per pill). Mejia sold the pills, which he stored in a baby diaper, in five bags containing approximately 100 pills each. On Aug. 26, 2020, Mejia sold another estimated 500 fentanyl pills for $4,000. Mejia was arrested on Sept. 11, 2020 after he was found in possession of an estimated 5,000 fentanyl pills, which he planned to sell for $40,000.
The charge of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of fentanyl and heroin provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl and heroin provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. The charge of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and heroin provides for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Lawrence Police Chief Roy Vasque made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Estes of Mendell’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
Lafayette Firearms Store and Owner Indicted on Federal Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that two individuals from Broussard, Louisiana, and a firearms business in Lafayette, Louisiana, have each been indicted for conspiring to deal firearms without a license, making false statements in records required to be kept by a licensed firearms dealer, and failing to file sales reports in connection with their firearms business located in Lafayette.
Jeremiah Micah Deare, 37, Sarah Elaine Fogle, 30, and Dave’s Gunshop, LLC, a business owned by Deare, have been charged in an indictment with one count of conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing in firearms without a license, two counts of making false statements with respect to records of a licensed firearms dealer, and four counts of failure to file multiple sales reports. The indictment also seeks forfeiture of 619 firearms which were involved in the commission of these offenses.
Deare was the owner of Dave’s Gunshop, LLC (Dave’s) and the responsible party for Dave’s Federal Firearms License. Deare and Fogle did not hold a Federal Firearms License in their individual capacities. The indictment alleges that on or about August 13, 2019, a compliance inspection was conducted at Dave’s by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Dave’s, through Deare, was warned for numerous violations, including failing to complete an ATF-4473 (1 time), failing to accurately keep acquisition and disposition records for dispositions (67 times), failing to accurately keep acquisition and disposition records for acquisitions (62 times), transferring firearms without having a final response from the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (2 times), inaccurate completion of ATF-4473 forms (111 times), and for missing firearms. The indictment alleges that, on that same day, the ATF investigator provided an Acknowledgement of Federal Firearms Regulations to inform Dave’s and Deare of their responsibilities as a Federal Firearms License holder. The acknowledgment was signed by Deare acknowledging that he understood he was responsible for familiarizing himself with the laws and regulations governing the operation of Dave’s.
The indictment further alleges that on September 19, 2019, Deare and Fogle attended an in-person warning conference at the ATF office in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, wherein the violations were discussed. Deare was provided the opportunity to comment on the violations and articulate the corrective actions that would be taken to ensure that future violations would not occur.
The indictment also alleges that Deare and Fogle willfully engaged in the business of dealing in firearms without a license by buying and selling firearms without complying with the recordkeeping and background check requirements required by federal law. Deare and Fogle acquired large quantities of firearms and ammunition from estate sales and other means but would not document the firearms in Dave’s Acquisition & Disposition Book as required by federal law. In addition, firearms brought to Dave’s to be sold on consignment were not logged into Dave’s Acquisition & Disposition Book and were not placed for sale at Dave’s.
It is also alleged that Deare and Fogle kept firearms at their residence without logging them out of Dave’s store inventory and would travel with the firearms to gun shows conducted at various locations in Louisiana and in other states. Deare and Fogle sold firearms at gun shows to non-Louisiana residents for which no ATF-4473 or background checks were ever completed. Their failure to conduct background checks resulted in the sales of firearms to prohibited persons, including convicted felons. Additionally, the sales of firearms at gun shows outside the State of Louisiana were not done through a dealer licensed in the state where the gun show was conducted as required by law. The proceeds from the out-of-state gun sales of firearms were not included as revenue for Dave’s, but instead Deare and Fogle used it for their own personal gain.
An indictment is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The ATF is conducting the investigation and Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Ayo is prosecuting the case.
# # #
Lackawanna County Man Sentenced to Twenty-Four Months’ Imprisonment for Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jean Quinones, age 26, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on September 9, 2021, to 24 months’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion for cocaine trafficking.
According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, Quinones previously entered a guilty plea before Judge Mannion for attempting to possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine. Customs and Border Patrol Agents intercepted a package which had been mailed from the Virgin Islands to Scranton, Pennsylvania that contained a kilogram of cocaine. Homeland Security Agents and U.S. Postal Inspectors arrested Quinones shortly after he picked up the package at a post office in Scranton.
The matter was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the United States Customs and Border Patrol and the Scranton Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara prosecuted the case.
* * *
Knoxville Man Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On September 9, 2021, Dios E. Tate, 32, currently of Knoxville, Tennessee, was sentenced in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville, to serve 24 months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, by the Honorable Thomas Varlan, U.S. District Judge.
According to the plea agreement filed with the court, Tate pled guilty to one count of aggravated identity theft. Tate admitted that on November 16, 2020, he used the social security number of another person to obtain a Tennessee identification card from the Knox County Clerk in a name of another person.
This prosecution resulted from an investigation by the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Social Security Administration – Office of Inspector General.
Assistant United States Attorney T.J. Harker represented the United States.
###
Justice Department, EPA and the State of Michigan Reach Clean Air Act Settlement with Arbor Hills Energy LLCRead the Press Release
Arbor Hills Energy LLC (AHE) has agreed to significantly reduce, if not virtually eliminate, AHE’s sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions at its landfill gas-to-energy facility (Facility) in Northville, Michigan, to resolve alleged Clean Air Act and State law violations.
In a complaint filed simultaneously with the consent decree, the United States and the State of Michigan allege several Clean Air Act and State law violations, including exceedances of the Facility’s permitted SO2 emissions limits. This pollutant causes harm to human health and the environment once emitted into the air, including premature death, heart attacks, respiratory problems and adverse environmental effects.
“This settlement benefits public health and the environment by delivering deep cuts in SO2 emissions from the AHE Facility,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “The Department of Justice will continue to enforce the Clean Air Act vigorously in cooperation with our state partners.”
“The health of the citizens of the State of Michigan is a top priority of this office,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Saima S. Mohsin. “Successful efforts such as this protect and preserve the environment for current and future generations and demonstrate our ongoing dedication to that goal.”
“Illegal air pollution from landfill gas power plants can harm people’s health and the environment,” said Acting Assistant Administrator Larry Starfield for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “This settlement is an example of how EPA is working to protect our communities by ensuring that landfill gas is handled in compliance with Clean Air Act requirements.”
“This settlement makes important progress in improving air quality near the AHE Facility,” said Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. “My office is also addressing air pollution from the adjacent landfill in the case I filed on behalf of Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) in 2020 against the landfill owner. Combined, when completed, this work will dramatically improve the impact both facilities have had on the surrounding communities.”
“This agreement better protects nearby residents and the region’s air quality and is a good example of working with our partners to ensure environmental compliance and emissions reductions,” said Director Liesl Clark of EGLE.
The AHE Facility converts landfill gas (LFG), which is generated by decomposition of waste from an adjacent landfill, into electricity by burning it as fuel in four gas turbines. Under the settlement, by March 2023 AHE will either construct a renewable natural gas facility that converts LFG into pipeline quality natural gas and would virtually eliminate SO2 emissions, or install a sulfur treatment system that achieves a 64 percent reduction in SO2 emissions. Either pathway will bring AHE into compliance with the Clean Air Act and mitigate past excess SO2 emissions from the AHE Facility.
Based on an evaluation of the company’s limited ability to pay, AHE also will pay a civil penalty of $750,000, split equally between the United States and the State of Michigan. The proposed decree, lodged in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, resolves EPA’s and Michigan’s Clean Air Act and State law claims against AHE. The settlement is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval. It will be available for viewing at www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.
Information about EPA Region 5's air enforcement program is at http://www.epa.gov/region5/air/enforce/index.html.
Potential environmental violations may be reported at http://www.epa.gov/compliance/complaints.
Justice Department Sues Texas over Senate Bill 8Read the Press Release
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced today that the Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit to prevent the State of Texas from enforcing Senate Bill 8 (SB8), which went into effect on Sept. 1 and effectively bans most abortions in the state. The complaint seeks a declaratory judgment that SB8 is invalid under the Supremacy Clause and the Fourteenth Amendment, is preempted by federal law, and violates the doctrine of intergovernmental immunity. The United States also seeks an order, preliminarily and permanently, enjoining the State of Texas, including its officers, employees and agents, including private parties who would bring suit under the law, from implementing or enforcing SB8.
“The Act is clearly unconstitutional under longstanding Supreme Court precedent,” said Attorney General Garland. “The United States has the authority and responsibility to ensure that no state can deprive individuals of their constitutional rights through a legislative scheme specifically designed to prevent the vindication of those rights.”
According to the complaint, Texas enacted SB8 in open defiance of the Constitution by banning abortion at approximately six weeks in nearly all cases. The law violates individuals’ rights to have an abortion procedure prior to viability, which is usually around 24 weeks. Additionally, the law contains no exceptions for pregnancies that result from rape, sexual abuse, incest or for pregnancies involving a fetal defect incompatible with life after birth.
The prohibitions in SB8 apply to anyone who performs or induces a prohibited abortion, anyone who “knowingly” “aids or abets” the performance or inducement of a prohibited abortion, and even anyone who “intends” to perform or aid a prohibited abortion. Additionally, instead of relying on the state’s executive branch to enforce the law, as is the norm in Texas and elsewhere, the state has deputized ordinary citizens to serve as bounty hunters, statutorily authorized to recover at least $10,000 per claim from individuals who facilitate a woman’s exercise of her own constitutional rights. The complaint challenges that this unprecedented scheme is designed to evade judicial review.
Jacksonville Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Child Sex Abuse VideosRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced Marshall Tyler Sills (27, Jacksonville) to 10 years in federal prison, followed by a 15-year term of supervised release, for distributing child sexual abuse materials. Sills is also required to register as a sex offender.
Sills had pleaded guilty on June 2, 2021.
According to court documents, in May 2020, agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) began investigating a lead from the Clay County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) about the uploading and sharing of files depicting the sexual abuse of children from a residence in Jacksonville Heights. CCSO reported that an agent with the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation had also commenced an investigation into an upload and distribution of files of child sexual abuse material from the same residence around the same time period. HSI learned that the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office had also been investigating the sharing of depictions of the sexual abuse of children from the same residence in July 2020, and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office had begun an investigation of the upload of files depicting sexual abuse from the residence in September 2020. HSI, working with CCSO and the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, executed a federal search warrant at the residence on December 3, 2020. However, HSI discovered that Sills had recently moved from the residence in Jacksonville Heights to an apartment in the Ortega area. HSI determined that the same file-sharing program that had been used at Sills’s former residence was being used at Sills’s new address. Agents located internet activity consistent with the upload of depictions of child sex abuse.
On December 17, 2020, HSI executed a federal search warrant at Sills’s Ortega apartment and interviewed Sills, who admitted to receiving, downloading, and viewing images and videos of child sexual abuse. Sills acknowledged that he has a sexual interest in children. Agents seized Sills’s desktop computer, which contained more than 1,900 files depicting children being sexually abused.
“Every time child pornography is shared, it victimizes a child again,” said HSI Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent in Charge K. Jim Phillips. “HSI special agents and our partners with the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office have made sure this predator will account for his victimization of our most vulnerable.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, along with information from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, and the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly S. 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.
Irondequoit Woman Sentenced for Forging Motor Vehicle Documents for Classic CarsRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. — U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Marcella Samuels, 44, of Irondequoit, NY, who was convicted of mail fraud, was sentenced to serve two years’ probation by U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who handled the case, stated that between 2015 and 2020, the defendant created and sold forged State of Maine vehicle titles and registration documents to individuals attempting to title and register classic cars. As part of the scheme, Samuels advertised under the pseudonym “Titleman” in the periodical “Old Cars Weekly,” offering title and registration services for owners of classic cars. The defendant used the U.S. Mail to send payment and advertising applications to Old Cars Weekly. Individuals seeking to title or register vehicles would mail payments of $300 to $350 to the defendant, who would then forge and mail the documents back to customers. Over the course of the scheme, Samuels is believed to have collected approximately $292,000 in proceeds from the fraud.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Boston Division Acting Inspector-in-Charge Joshua W. McCallister, the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, under the direction of Commissioner Mark J.F. Schroeder; and the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Barry Chase.
# # # #
Inmate indicted in connection with inmate deathRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Joenell L. Rice, an inmate currently housed at USP Allenwood in Pennsylvania, is facing a voluntary manslaughter and assault charges in the death of another inmate, Acting United States Attorney Randolph J. Bernard announced.
Rice, 34, was indicted on one count of “Voluntary Manslaughter” and one count of “Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury.” Rice, formerly housed at USP Hazelton in Bruceton Mills, West Virginia, is accused of assaulting inmate D.G. by striking him in the head multiple times, killing him. The crime occurred at USP Hazelton in October 2017.
Rice faces up to 15 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 for the manslaughter charge and faces up to 10 years of incarceration and fine of up to $250,000 for the assault charge. 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 Brandon S. Flower is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Prisons, Special Investigative Services investigated.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Indianapolis Man at East Side Shootout Sentenced to Six Years in Prison After a Jury Finds Him Guilty of Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS – An Indianapolis man, Jalen Howard, 29 was indicted in August of 2019 for felon in
possession of a firearm. In May 2021, a jury found Howard guilty, and he was sentenced to 6 years
in prison for his crime.According to court documents, in June 2019, officers with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police
Department responded to several different calls of gunshots around 16ᵗʰ Street and
Tacoma Avenue. Each time, officers were unable to locate any suspects, but determined there were
several males with guns in the area. On the fourth call to the same area, a witness indicated that
the shooters were in front of a vacant house. Officers located the individuals and immediately saw
firearms on two of the suspects. In total, four firearms were located on four people. One of the
individuals in possession of a firearm was Jalen Howard. Howard had previous felony convictions for
theft and battery.Two other individuals with Howard at the scene previously plead guilty to illegally possessing a
firearm and have been sentenced in federal court.• Brandon Alexander, 32, Indianapolis
• Tyler Guigere, 28, Indianapolis“Gun related crime is devastating the neighborhoods throughout Indianapolis,” said Acting U.S.
Attorney John E. Childress. “Crimes like these not only put innocent bystanders in harm’s way but
also tear at the very fabric of the community. We will continue to work with IMPD and our federal
partners to address the problem with convicted felons with guns and utilize the rule of law to
ensure they face the greatest penalty possible.”“ATF is committed to combating gun violence in our communities,” said Roland H. Herndon, Jr.,
Special Agent in Charge for the Columbus Field Division. “We will continue to work with our law
enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute those using firearms to cause violence in our
community, with the goal of a safer Indianapolis for us all.”“We want to recognize the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers who ran toward the
gunfire during this incident in June 2019, not knowing the dangers they would face. We also must
recognize the residents and innocent bystanders who witness gun violence right outside their front
doors and called the police. IMPD along with our federal and state partners will continue to do all
we can until the cycle of violence ends,” said IMPD Chief Randal Taylor.This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lawrence D. Hilton and Kyle M. Sawa prosecuted the case.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project
Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime
reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at
reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify
the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive
solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most
violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Illinois Defendant Sentenced to 10 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Corey Harris, age 26, of Danville, Illinois was sentenced before United States District Court Chief Judge Jon E. DeGuilio upon his plea of guilty to conspiracy to distribute over one kilogram of heroin, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.
Harris was sentenced to 120 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.
According to documents in this case, Corey Harris conspired with multiple individuals to sell heroin in the South Bend and Mishawaka area. During the investigation, purchases of heroin were made from members of the conspiracy on numerous occasions. The conspirators used shared cellphones that customers called to arrange to purchase heroin, which involved over 80,000 contacts during the time of the conspiracy.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the St. Joseph County Drug Investigations Unit, with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office, Indiana State Police, South Bend Police Department, and Elkhart Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joel Gabrielse and Molly E. Donnelly.
###
Identity Thief and Tax Fraudster on Way to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – A South Florida federal district judge sentenced a 29-year-old North Miami man yesterday to 38 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in a sophisticated tax-fraud scheme that victimized hundreds of taxpayers and cost the U.S. Treasury over $450,000.
From 2012 to 2015, Wesly Divers, used the stolen information of hundreds of victims to electronically file fraudulent tax returns in their names. In several instances, Divers filed fraudulent returns year after year in the names of the same victims. He masked his identity through sophisticated means, including using virtual private networks (VPNs) to hide his internet protocol (IP) address from IRS servers. During the course of the scheme, through thousands of fraudulent tax returns, Divers claimed roughly $1.5 million in tax refunds. Although the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) was able to detect and stop roughly $1 million of the fraudulent payouts, Divers received $454,121.72. His co-conspirator, 28-year-old Rony Dorismond, received $58,232 in tax refunds from the U.S. Treasury in the name of these victims.
The majority of the fraudulent refunds were deposited into bank accounts that Divers admitted were opened in the names of victims of identity theft. Divers admitted to controlling these accounts and withdrawing funds for his own benefit.
In addition to sentencing Divers to prison and supervised release terms, U.S. District Judge Robert N. Scola ordered him to pay $454,121.72 in restitution. Divers pled guilty on June 28, 2021, to conspiracy, access device fraud, and aggravated identity theft.
Diver’s co-defendant, Rony Dorismond, 28, was sentenced last year to 25 months’ imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. He was ordered to pay $58,232 in restitution.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, Acting United States Attorney, Southern District of Florida, and Darrell J. Waldon, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”), Washington DC Field Office, announced the sentence.
IRS-CI, Washington D.C. Field Office, – in particular, its Cyber Crimes Unit – investigated the case. IRS-CI’s Cyber Crimes Unit investigates internet-based technologies that enable criminals to engage in illegal activity. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sajjad Matin and Deputy Chief Frederic “Fritz” Shadley are prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 19-CR-20503.
###
Honduran Man Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Return After RemovalRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. - A Honduran national pleaded guilty to the federal felony offense of unlawful return of an alien after deportation, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Jason E. Schneider, Chief Patrol Agent of the U.S. Border Patrol’s New Orleans Sector.
According to court documents, Melquisedec Jonas Melgar-Garcia, 33, of Honduras, was arrested on July 13, 2021, after a Border Patrol Agent conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle he was driving on Interstate 10 in Harrison County. Melgar-Garcia did not have a driver’s license and was determined to be illegally present in the United States. He was transported to the Gulfport Border Patrol Station, where his identity was positively confirmed. Official records revealed that Melgar-Garcia had been previously removed from the United States on July 11, 2013 and had illegally returned.
Melgar-Garcia is scheduled to be sentenced on December 7, 2021. He faces a maximum penalty of two years in prison and a $250,000 fine. After completing any sentence of incarceration, he also is subject to Department of Homeland Security proceedings to remove him from the United States. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Border Patrol.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stan Harris is prosecuting the case.
Highlands County Drug Traffickers Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – Several Highlands County men have been sentenced in South Florida federal district court to prison terms for their roles in a powder and crack cocaine drug trafficking ring that had become entrenched in the Lake Placid neighborhood of Highway Park, Florida. A law enforcement operation handled by the Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Federal Bureau of Investigation; Florida Department of Law Enforcement; and Highlands County Sheriff’s Office dismantled the drug trafficking organization, leading to the prosecution of members at all levels of the criminal enterprise -- from top leaders, to people who cooked crack, to street-level dealers. In the past three months, the following federal defendants have been sentenced in this matter:
Markyrie McCray, Jr., 24, was sentenced on September 8, 2021, by U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks, to 30 months’ imprisonment after being convicted of conspiracy to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base, commonly known as “crack cocaine.” (Case No. 21-CR-14002).
Takaria Vashon McCray, 47, was sentenced on August 25, 2021, by Judge Middlebrooks, to 188 months’ imprisonment after being convicted of conspiracy to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base and conspiracy to distribute cocaine. (Case No. 21-CR-14002). Takaria Vashon McCray has a prior conviction from the Southern District of Florida for possession with intent to distribute cocaine base and was sentenced as a career offender under the federal sentencing guidelines.
Markyrie McCray, Sr., 46, was sentenced on August 25, 2021, by Judge Middlebrooks, to 72 months’ imprisonment after being convicted of conspiracy to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base. (Case No. 21-CR-14002). Markyrie McCray, Sr. has a prior conviction from the Southern District of Florida for conspiracy to distribute cocaine base.
Coy Lee Bellamy, Jr., 34, was sentenced on August 17, 2021, by Judge Middlebrooks, to 96 months’ imprisonment after being convicted of conspiracy to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base and conspiracy to distribute a cocaine. Coy Lee Bellamy, Jr. was sentenced as a career offender under the federal sentencing guidelines. (Case No. 21-CR-14002).
Terrance Mactavias Sholtz, 43, was sentenced on August 17, 2021, by U.S. District Judge Robin L. Rosenberg, to 24 months’ imprisonment after being convicted of distribution of cocaine base. (Case No. 20-CR-14021).
Marquis Sharod Bellamy, 28, was sentenced on July 1, 2021, by Judge Middlebrooks, to 180 months’ imprisonment after being convicted of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm as a convicted felon. Marquis Sharod Bellamy was sentenced under the Armed Career Criminal Act. (Case No. 21-CR-14002).
Mykel Laron Treadwell, 34, was sentenced on June 2, 2021, by Judge Middlebrooks, to 24 months’ imprisonment after being convicted of conspiracy to distribute hydromorphone. (Case No. 21-CR-14003).
Kenneth Jamal Deveaux, 39, was sentenced on May 26, 2021, by U.S. District Judge Jose E. Martinez, to 151 months’ imprisonment after being convicted of distribution of cocaine base. (Case No. 20-CR-14022). Kenneth Jamal Deveaux has a prior conviction from the Southern District of Florida for possession with intent to distribute cocaine base and was sentenced as a career offender under the federal sentencing guidelines.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, La Verne J. Hibbert, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, Miami Field Division, Robert Cekada, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, Miami Field Office, George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Miami Field Office, Troy Walker, Special Agent in Charge, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and Paul Blackman, Sheriff, Highlands County Sheriff’s Office made the announcement. The State Attorney’s Office for Florida’s 10th Judicial Circuit assisted greatly with this operation.
These cases were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Porter.
The prosecution was part of Operation Triple Play, which is a result of the ongoing efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, and other priority transnational criminal organizations that threaten the citizens of the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence driven, multi-agency approach to combat transnational organized crime. The OCDETF program facilitates complex, joint operations by focusing its partner agencies on priority targets, by managing and coordinating multi-agency efforts, and by leveraging intelligence across multiple investigative platforms.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
###
Gulfport Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking in Contraband CigarettesRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – A Gulfport man pled guilty today to trafficking in contraband cigarettes, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jack Staton of Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans.
According to court documents, Sadeq Saif Farea a/k/a Sadeq Saif Qaid Farea, 43, knowingly purchased for resale 42,000 cigarettes and 36,000 cigarillos, which bore no evidence of the payment of cigarette taxes in the State of Mississippi, constituting contraband cigarettes.
Farea is scheduled to be sentenced on November 29, 2021, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Homeland Security Investigations is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Jones is prosecuting the case.
Former Tallahassee City Commissioner and Business Partner Sentenced for Years-Long Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
Former Tallahassee City Commissioner Scott Maddox and his former business partner Paige Carter-Smith were sentenced today in the Northern District of Florida to five years and two years in prison, respectively, for their roles in a multi-year scheme to use Maddox’s power as a sitting City Commissioner to extract bribes from Tallahassee companies with business in front of the City Commission. Maddox and Carter-Smith were also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $76,763 and $115,619, respectively, and ordered to pay a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $70,000.
In December 2018, a federal grand jury charged then-City Commissioner Maddox and Carter-Smith in a 44-count indictment for conspiring to operate a racketeering enterprise that engaged in acts of bank fraud, extortion, honest-services fraud, and bribery. That indictment also charged Maddox and Carter-Smith with bank fraud, making false statements to financial institutions, extortion, honest-services fraud, use of interstate facilities to facilitate bribery, making false statements to federal officers, conspiracy to interfere with the lawful function of the IRS, and filing false tax returns. In May 2019, a federal grand jury returned a 47-count superseding indictment adding a third defendant, John Thomas Burnette, and charging him with participating in the racketeering conspiracy and extortion, honest services mail fraud, the use of facilities in interstate commerce to facilitate bribery, and making false statements to federal officers.
Maddox and Carter-Smith each subsequently pleaded guilty to two counts of honest-services fraud and one count of conspiring to interfere with the lawful function of the IRS. According to court documents, while serving as a sitting, voting City Commissioner, Maddox received payments from Governance, a government consulting and lobbying company based in Tallahassee that he started in 1999 and sold to Carter-Smith in 2010. The payments were made to Governance by several companies in either monthly installments or lump sums, which companies sought favorable votes on City of Tallahassee issues. Specifically, the defendants pleaded guilty to Maddox’s acceptance and Carter-Smith’s facilitation of payments from a rideshare company in exchange for favorable treatment on issues it had before the City Commission, and payments from another company in exchange for his favorable treatment on issues that were anticipated before the Commission. The defendants also admitted to tax fraud that resulted in losses of more than $76,000 in total to the IRS.
In accordance with their plea agreements, both Maddox and Carter-Smith testified in the trial against Burnette, who was convicted on one count of extortion, two counts of honest services mail fraud, one count of the use of a facility in interstate commerce to facilitate bribery, and one count of making false statements, and who is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 28.
“Today’s sentences are a result of our tireless efforts to pursue justice for those who put their trust in their elected representatives,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “We will never cease working to ensure that both public officials who fail the citizens of their community by accepting bribes, and those who pay bribes, are held accountable.”
“The democratic system on which our country was founded relies on the consent and trust of the governed,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Jason R. Coody for the Northern District of Florida. “Our citizens deserve and expect that their elected representatives will honor their oath - acting in the public’s interest, rather than accepting bribes and payments out of fear or favor. Today’s sentences acknowledge betrayal of the public trust, the resulting erosion of confidence in our democratic process, and should serve as a significant deterrent to those who would seek to illegally profit from public service. With our law enforcement partners, we remain committed to ensuring that anyone who violates the public’s trust is held accountable.”
“The individuals sentenced today abused Maddox's public office for their own private gain,” said Assistant Director Calvin A. Shivers of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “Actions like this erode the trust that Americans place in our governmental institutions, and the FBI will not tolerate such contemptable disregard of public’s trust by elected officials who promise to serve them. The FBI and our law enforcement partners are committed to protecting the government’s integrity by bringing corrupt officials and their cohorts, like Maddox and Carter-Smith, to justice, and we will never stop working to uncover others who think they are beyond the reach of the law.”
“Maddox and Carter-Smith brazenly filed fraudulent tax returns to cheat the government, perhaps because they thought their political ties made them above the law,” said Special Agent in Charge Brian Payne of IRS-Criminal Investigation. “Those Americans who file accurate, honest, and timely returns can be assured that the government will hold accountable those who don’t.”
The FBI Jacksonville Field Office and IRS-Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Deputy Chief Peter M. Nothstein and Trial Attorney Rosaleen T. O’Gara of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen M. Kunz and Andrew J. Grogan of the Northern District of Florida prosecuted the case.
Former Tallahassee City Commissioner and Business Partner Sentenced for Years-Long Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
Former Tallahassee City Commissioner Scott Maddox and his former business partner Paige Carter-Smith were sentenced today in the Northern District of Florida to five years and two years in prison, respectively, for their roles in a multi-year scheme to use Maddox’s power as a sitting City Commissioner to extract bribes from Tallahassee companies with business in front of the City Commission. Maddox and Carter-Smith were also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $76,763 and $115,619, respectively, and ordered to pay a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $70,000.
In December 2018, a federal grand jury charged then-City Commissioner Maddox and Carter-Smith in a 44-count indictment for conspiring to operate a racketeering enterprise that engaged in acts of bank fraud, extortion, honest-services fraud, and bribery. That indictment also charged Maddox and Carter-Smith with bank fraud, making false statements to financial institutions, extortion, honest-services fraud, use of interstate facilities to facilitate bribery, making false statements to federal officers, conspiracy to interfere with the lawful function of the IRS, and filing false tax returns. In May 2019, a federal grand jury returned a 47-count superseding indictment adding a third defendant, John Thomas Burnette, and charging him with participating in the racketeering conspiracy and extortion, honest services mail fraud, the use of facilities in interstate commerce to facilitate bribery, and making false statements to federal officers.
Maddox and Carter-Smith each subsequently pleaded guilty to two counts of honest-services fraud and one count of conspiring to interfere with the lawful function of the IRS. According to court documents, while serving as a sitting, voting City Commissioner, Maddox received payments from Governance, a government consulting and lobbying company based in Tallahassee that he started in 1999 and sold to Carter-Smith in 2010. The payments were made to Governance by several companies in either monthly installments or lump sums, which companies sought favorable votes on City of Tallahassee issues. Specifically, the defendants pleaded guilty to Maddox’s acceptance and Carter-Smith’s facilitation of payments from a rideshare company in exchange for favorable treatment on issues it had before the City Commission, and payments from another company in exchange for his favorable treatment on issues that were anticipated before the Commission. The defendants also admitted to tax fraud that resulted in losses of more than $76,000 in total to the IRS.
In accordance with their plea agreements, both Maddox and Carter-Smith testified in the trial against Burnette, who was convicted on one count of extortion, two counts of honest services mail fraud, one count of the use of a facility in interstate commerce to facilitate bribery, and one count of making false statements, and who is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 28.
“Today’s sentences are a result of our tireless efforts to pursue justice for those who put their trust in their elected representatives,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “We will never cease working to ensure that both public officials who fail the citizens of their community by accepting bribes, and those who pay bribes, are held accountable.”
“The democratic system on which our country was founded relies on the consent and trust of the governed,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Jason R. Coody for the Northern District of Florida. “Our citizens deserve and expect that their elected representatives will honor their oath - acting in the public’s interest, rather than accepting bribes and payments out of fear or favor. Today’s sentences acknowledge betrayal of the public trust, the resulting erosion of confidence in our democratic process, and should serve as a significant deterrent to those who would seek to illegally profit from public service. With our law enforcement partners, we remain committed to ensuring that anyone who violates the public’s trust is held accountable.”
“The individuals sentenced today abused Maddox's public office for their own private gain,” said Assistant Director Calvin A. Shivers of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “Actions like this erode the trust that Americans place in our governmental institutions, and the FBI will not tolerate such contemptable disregard of public’s trust by elected officials who promise to serve them. The FBI and our law enforcement partners are committed to protecting the government’s integrity by bringing corrupt officials and their cohorts, like Maddox and Carter-Smith, to justice, and we will never stop working to uncover others who think they are beyond the reach of the law.”
“Maddox and Carter-Smith brazenly filed fraudulent tax returns to cheat the government, perhaps because they thought their political ties made them above the law,” said Special Agent in Charge Brian Payne of IRS-Criminal Investigation. “Those Americans who file accurate, honest, and timely returns can be assured that the government will hold accountable those who don’t.”
The FBI Jacksonville Field Office and IRS-Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Deputy Chief Peter M. Nothstein and Trial Attorney Rosaleen T. O’Gara of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen M. Kunz and Andrew J. Grogan of the Northern District of Florida prosecuted the case.
Former TSA Official Sentenced to Federal Prison for Stealing from Federal Worker’s Compensation ProgramRead the Press Release
Florence, South Carolina --- Acting United States Attorney for the District of South Carolina M. Rhett DeHart announced today that Emmanuel Papas, 52, of Myrtle Beach, a former lead transportation security officer with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), has been sentenced to more than one year in federal prison after pleading guilty to stealing from the Department of Labor’s Office of Workers Compensation Program.
“Federal employees should always respect the trust given to them, be it as a current or former employee,” said Acting United States Attorney DeHart. “Betraying that trust and stealing from the federal government never pays.”
Evidence presented in court established that Papas was injured on the job in 2004, when he served with the TSA at the Newark International Liberty Airport. Due to these injuries, Papas began receiving federal worker’s compensation benefits.
A subsequent federal investigation by TSA agents revealed that Papas was improperly receiving benefits because he was actively working at granite shops in the Myrtle Beach area from March 2009 through February 2020. Surveillance showed Papas working, interviews with various granite business employees confirmed that he worked at three Myrtle Beach-area retail granite shops, and deposits into Papas’s bank account showed income from Myrtle Beach-area granite businesses. The investigation also revealed that Papas disguised his income by having his earnings either paid in cash or with checks made payable in his family members’ names. Papas, who ultimately confessed, also completed at least eight federal forms attesting that he had no outside income and was, thus, eligible to continue to receive his benefits. The total loss to the federal government was just under $150,000.
United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon sentenced Papas to one year and one day of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Additionally, Papas was ordered to pay restitution of $148,982.42.
The matter was investigated by TSA-Investigations, Atlanta Field Office, with the assistance of the U.S. Department of Labor.
Assistant United States Attorney Derek A. Shoemake prosecuted the case.
#####
Former Michigan Police Officer Sentenced to Three Years for Using Unreasonable Excessive Force During an ArrestRead the Press Release
A former Hamtramck, Michigan, Police Department officer was sentenced today in federal court in the Eastern District of Michigan for using unjustified and unreasonable excessive force during an arrest of a civilian and violating that civilian’s civil rights. As a result of the assault, the victim, identified in court documents only as D.M., suffered broken facial bones and lacerations requiring stitches, among other injuries.
Ryan McInerney, 45, of Grosse Ile Township, Michigan, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gershwin A. Drain to three years in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. McInerney pleaded guilty on Jan. 8 to one count of deprivation of rights under color of law. As part of the plea agreement, McInerney also voluntarily relinquished his law enforcement license.
“The defendant abused the trust given to him as a law enforcement officer when he pistol-whipped two arrestees on two separate occasions,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will vigorously prosecute law enforcement officials who violate federal civil rights laws to ensure that the rights of all individuals, including those being taken into custody, are protected.”
“The vast majority of police officers are decent, caring and honorable men and women who are dedicated to protecting and serving the public and safeguarding civil rights,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Saima Mohsin for the Eastern District of Michigan. “We live in a nation governed by the rule of law and no one is above the law. Police officers like McInerney who use unreasonable and excessive force and who inflict harm on the very citizens they are sworn to protect will be vigorously prosecuted and brought to justice.”
“The sentencing today is an example of the FBI’s dedication to Civil Rights through its investigations of police officers who abuse their authority under color of law to violate the constitutional rights of those they swore to serve and protect,” said Special Agent in Charge Timothy Waters of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “This case should not diminish the work conducted every day by the vast majority of men and women in law enforcement, but the few, like Ryan McInerney, who abuse their official capacity in dereliction of duty, will be prosecuted like any other criminal.”
During the plea hearing, the defendant admitted that on the night of June 22, 2014, while he was on duty as a Hamtramck Police Department (HPD) officer, he initiated a traffic stop on D.M. After D.M. stopped his car, the defendant approached the driver’s side door and ordered D.M. to put his hands up, and D.M. complied. Regardless, and without justification, the defendant used his service firearm to pistol-whip D.M. several times in the face, through the open window of D.M.’s car door. D.M. did not present a danger to the defendant, and there was no lawful reason for the pistol-whipping. The strikes caused D.M. to suffer broken facial bones, among other injuries. The defendant further admitted that he intentionally memorialized a false account of this incident in an official HPD use of force form in order to cover up his excessive use of force against D.M. and to impede any further investigation of this incident. The defendant also admitted that, later that same night during a different arrest, he pistol-whipped a second civilian, identified as J.M., also without justification, breaking J.M.’s teeth.
This case was investigated by the FBI and was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Risa Berkower of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Frances Lee Carlson of the Eastern District of Michigan.
Former Florida Department of Corrections Officer Sentenced for Civil Rights Conspiracy to Assault Youthful OffendersRead the Press Release
Former Florida Department of Corrections Officer Terrance Reynolds, 31, was sentenced yesterday to 33 months in prison and two years of supervised release. Reynolds was convicted following a fourteen-day trial for conspiring to assault youthful offender inmates at the South Florida Reception Center, a prison located in Doral, Florida. A second former officer previously pleaded guilty in this case and was sentenced in federal court.
Evidence presented at trial established that on March 27, 2017, Reynolds and former Sergeant Brendan Butler, 31, conspired to physically assault and intimidate youthful offender inmates for being disruptive and disrespectful earlier that morning. Reynolds and Butler then instructed three of the inmates to exit their housing unit and took them into a mop closet. Once inside the mop closet, Reynolds and Butler assaulted one of the inmates with a stick, causing him bodily injury, while the other two inmates stood nearby. The following day, Reynolds and Butler assaulted one of the other inmates to punish him for being disrespectful. Inmates may be classified as youthful offenders by a court or the Department of Corrections, and are generally twenty-four years old or younger. Butler previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate the inmates’ civil rights.
“Corrections officers who use unjustified force against inmates in their custody violate the Constitution, and the Justice Department will not tolerate that,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We are committed to ensuring the safety of prisoners and prosecuting officers who break the public’s trust in this way.”
“The corrections officer sentenced violated not only the Constitution, but also the public’s trust,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez for the Southern District of Florida. “Seeking justice for victims whose civil rights are violated by those in positions of power has always been, and will continue to be, a top priority of this office.”
“The actions of former corrections officer Terrance Reynolds are inexcusable and undercut the public’s trust in our institutions and officials,” said Deputy Special Agent in Charge Denise M. Stemen of the FBI Miami Field Office. “The FBI’s Miami Area Corruption Task Force was assembled and designed to root out this type of reprehensible conduct. I commend the professionalism and hard work of the Florida Department of Corrections Office of the Inspector General and their close cooperation with FBI for this investigation.”
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Miami Area Corruption Task Force and the Florida Department of Corrections Office of the Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Senior and Brian Dobbins of the Southern District of Florida and Special Litigation Counsel Samantha Trepel of the Civil Rights Division.