Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
Wednesday 8 September 2021
Amsterdam Resident Charged with Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK - Kristen Blair Hiltunen, age 36, of Amsterdam, New York, appeared today in federal court on a charge that she received child pornography.
The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Antoinette T. Bacon and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
According to a criminal complaint, in July 2021, Hiltunen used a social media messaging application to communicate with and receive child pornography from a minor victim. The charge in the complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
If convicted, Hiltunen faces at least 5 years and up to 20 years in prison, a term of post-release supervision of at least 5 years and up to life, and a fine of up to $250,000. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
Hiltunen appeared today before United States Magistrate Daniel J. Stewart. She will remain detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for September 13.
This case was investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, along with investigators from the Schenectady Police Department. The Child Exploitation Task Force is comprised of FBI Special Agents, and state and local police investigators, including from the Rotterdam and Colonie Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Williams as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc
Aiken Man who Operated Drug Conspiracy from State Prison Sentenced to 32 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina---- Acting United States Attorney M. Rhett DeHart stated today that Eddie Brockington, 31, of Aiken County, was sentenced to 32 years in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and a quantity of heroin.
Evidence presented in court established that the Drug Enforcement Administration initiated an investigation into the narcotics distribution activities of co-defendants Eddie Brockington, a Georgia Department of Corrections inmate, and Kenneth Evans, a South Carolina Department of Corrections inmate.
Through controlled purchases and other investigative techniques, agents learned that members of the conspiracy purchased and distributed large amounts of methamphetamine and/or heroin for Brockington and Evans. Agents learned that Brockington used contraband cellphones, Facebook Messenger and other social media posting to have his co-defendants purchase, transport, and distribute large amounts of methamphetamine and/or heroin. Brockington was responsible for distributing more than 223 kilograms of methamphetamine and 3.5 kilograms of heroin throughout South Carolina while incarcerated in the Georgia Department of Corrections. The drugs were primarily sourced from Atlanta and were transported into South Carolina by various members of his organization and then sold to customers.
United States District Judge J. Michelle Childs sentenced Brockington to 32 years of incarceration, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release. Brockington will begin serving his federal sentence while also serving a state sentence in the Georgia Department of Corrections for trafficking methamphetamine.
Brockington is the eleventh defendant in the federal case to be sentenced to federal prison. Two additional defendants’ charges are still pending.
The case was investigated by agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Aiken County Sheriff's Department, and the South Carolina Department of Corrections. Assistant United States Attorney William K. Witherspoon of the Columbia office prosecuted the case.
#####
Tuesday 7 September 2021
Wilmington Man Receives 84 Months for Drug and Gun OffensesRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Wilmington man was sentenced today to 84 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. On August 27, 2020, Terry Dean Haynie, Jr. pled guilty to the charges.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Haynie, 32, was arrested during a traffic stop on June 24, 2019. Four other passengers, including two minors, were in the vehicle with Haynie at the time. Haynie had a loaded syringe sticking out of his pocket, drug paraphernalia, cash, and a safe key on him at the time of arrest. A search of the vehicle recovered a bookbag belonging to Haynie which contained a safe with a loaded firearm and ammunition, marijuana, THC oil, a digital scale and more than 28 grams of methamphetamine. Haynie later admitted to having sold more than 220 grams of methamphetamine in the months before his arrest.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Wilmington Police Department, and the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Stephany and Special Assistant United States Attorney William Van Tright prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina implements the PSN Program through its Take Back North Carolina Initiative. This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices on a sustained basis in those communities to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement.
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. 7:20-cr-00073-M.
Two Grand Jury Indictments UnsealedRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced today that two unrelated indictments returned by a federal grand jury on September 1 have been unsealed following the arrest of the defendants.
Noah Eisele, 35, Janesville, Wisconsin is charged with five counts of producing child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography. The indictment alleges that on five occasions between April and November 2020, Eisele used a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct. The indictment also charged Eisele with possessing child pornography. The indictment alleges that on March 16, 2021, he possessed a cellphone containing visual depictions of child pornography, and that at least one of the depictions involved a minor who had not attained 12 years of age.
Eisele was arrested at his home in Janesville on Thursday, September 2. He made an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Madison that day. He is being held at the Dane County Jail.
If convicted, Eisele faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in federal prison on each production charge, and a maximum of 20 years on the possession charge. The charges against him are the result of an investigation by the Rock County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor Kraus is handling the prosecution.
The second indictment charges Michelle Ales, 50, Monona, Wisconsin with two counts of making a false statement while purchasing a firearm from a federally licensed firearms dealer. Both counts allege that Ales falsely indicated she was the actual buyer of a firearm on a required Firearms Transaction Record form when she was purchasing a 9mm firearm, when she knew she was not the actual buyer of the firearm. Count 2 includes the additional allegation that the false statement was intended and likely to deceive the dealer.
Ales was arrested in Madison on Friday, September 3. Her initial appearance in U.S. District Court is not scheduled. She is being held at the Dane County Jail.
If convicted, Ales faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison on each charge. The charges against her are the result of an investigation by the Dane County Sheriff’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Pfluger is handling the prosecution.
You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Transporting over 100 undocumented aliens lands Texan in prisonRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 46-year-old Dallas resident has been ordered to federal prison for conspiracy to transport 126 undocumented aliens, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Jose Luis Ramos Jr. pleaded guilty March 15.
Today, U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo ordered Ramos to serve a 80-month sentence to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional information including his prior involvement with the smuggling organization, details of the dangerous and reckless nature of the transportation and the number of aliens he attempted to transport. In handing down the sentence, Judge Marmolejo also noted his extensive criminal history and that he was not a minor participant in the conspiracy.
On Jan. 6, Ramos drove a tractor-trailer from Laredo and stopped at a Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint when a service K-9 alerted to the vehicle. Ramos ignored instruction and exited the inspection area, but authorities soon caught and escorted him back to the checkpoint.
A physical inspection revealed a total of 126 individuals inside the trailer, including one unaccompanied minor, from various countries including Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Ecuador and El Salvador. Ramos admitted he was hired to drive the tractor trailer from Laredo to San Antonio. During the inspection of the trailer, authorities discovered that the aliens were kept in the sealed trailer with the temperature of 50.7 degrees.
Ramos has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with assistance from BP. Assistant U.S. Attorney Yoona Lim is prosecuting the case.
Tips on Avoiding Fraudulent Charitable Contribution SchemesRead the Press Release
The National Center for Disaster Fraud reminds the public to be aware of and report any instances of alleged fraudulent activity related to relief operations and funding for victims. Unfortunately, criminals can exploit disasters, such as Hurricane Ida, for their own gain by sending fraudulent communications through email or social media and by creating phony websites designed to solicit contributions.
Tips should be reported to the National Center for Disaster Fraud at (866) 720-5721. The line is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Individuals may also file complaints online at www.justice.gov/DisasterComplaintForm.
The U.S. Department of Justice established the National Center for Disaster Fraud to investigate, prosecute, and deter fraud in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, when billions of dollars in federal disaster relief poured into the Gulf Coast region. Its mission has expanded to include suspected fraud from any natural or manmade disaster. More than 30 federal, state, and local agencies participate in the National Center for Disaster Fraud, which allows the center to act as a centralized clearinghouse of information related to disaster relief fraud.
The public should remember to perform due diligence before giving contributions to anyone soliciting donations or individuals offering to provide assistance to those affected by the tornadoes. Solicitations can originate from social media, e-mails, websites, door-to-door collections, flyers, mailings, telephone calls, and other similar methods.
Before making a donation of any kind, consumers should adhere to certain guidelines, including:
- Do not respond to any unsolicited (spam) incoming e-mails, including clicking links contained within those messages, because they may contain computer viruses.
- Be skeptical of individuals representing themselves as members of charitable organizations or officials asking for donations via e-mail or social networking sites.
- Beware of organizations with copy-cat names similar to but not exactly the same as those of reputable charities.
- Rather than follow a purported link to a website, verify the legitimacy of nonprofit organizations by utilizing various Internet-based resources that may assist in confirming the group’s existence and its nonprofit status.
- Be cautious of e-mails that claim to show pictures of the disaster areas in attached files because the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from known senders.
- To ensure contributions are received and used for intended purposes, make contributions directly to known organizations rather than relying on others to make the donation on your behalf.
- Do not be pressured into making contributions; reputable charities do not use such tactics.
- Be aware of whom you are dealing with when providing your personal and financial information. Providing such information may compromise your identity and make you vulnerable to identity theft.
- Avoid cash donations if possible. Pay by credit card or write a check directly to the charity. Do not make checks payable to individuals.
Legitimate charities do not normally solicit donations via money transfer services. Most legitimate charities’ websites end in .org rather than .com.
Tax preparer convicted for tax fraud…againRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A woman has entered a guilty plea to falsely preparing tax returns following a prior order not to engage in that business, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Marcia Angella Johnson admitted that since 2016, she had been preparing income tax returns for clients even though she had been prohibited from doing so. During this time, she prepared numerous false returns which claimed various false items on her clients’ behalf. These included false wages, salaries, tips and tax credits such as earned income credit, child tax credits and American opportunity credits.
As a result of her criminal acts, the United States suffered a loss of at least $54,545 in tax revenue. Johnson herself admitted to pocketing between $13,000 and $15,000 after preparing tax returns each year from 2016 through 2019.
Johnson previously admitted to preparing or assisting to prepare approximately 200 false tax returns. In 2011, the court banned her from conducting a tax preparation business.
U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks Jr. accepted the plea and set sentencing for Nov. 16. At that time, Johnson faces up to three years in prison and a possible $100,000 maximum fine. She has also agreed to pay restitution to the IRS.
She was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.
IRS – Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Laurence Goldman is prosecuting the case.
Target of U.S. Attorney’s Office Anti-Violent Crime Initiative Sentenced for Federal Firearms ViolationRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Port Arthur man has been sentenced to prison for a federal firearms violation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas Ganjei today.
Jarrel Jakeem Joseph, 25, pleaded guilty on June 28, 2021, to receipt of a firearm while under indictment and was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Michael J. Truncale.
“Criminal offenders living in our communities have no business possessing firearms,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas Ganjei. “Mr. Joseph’s disregard for the law—and for the safety of his fellow Port Arthur residents—is vividly illustrated by his brazen carrying of a stolen handgun, despite his criminal status.”
According to court documents, on March 31, 2021, law enforcement observed Joseph and several other individuals fighting along the 1600 block of Vicksburg Avenue in Port Arthur. Joseph left the fight on foot and was observed discarding an object, which was found by law enforcement and determined to be a stolen semiautomatic pistol. Further investigation revealed that Joseph possessed a criminal history that prohibited him from possessing or receiving a firearm.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Port Arthur Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Quinn.
###
Springfield Woman Pleads Guilty to Sex Trafficking a ChildRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Missouri, woman pleaded guilty in federal court today to her role in the sex trafficking of a child.
Danna Marie Rodriguez, 36, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to one count of the sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of the sex trafficking of a minor.
By pleading guilty today, Rodriguez admitted that she was involved in prostituting a 15-year-old female, identified in court documents as “Jane Doe 1.” Rodriguez took sexually explicit photos of Jane Doe 1, which were sold to another person. Rodriguez also admitted that she gave ecstasy to the child victim prior to the child victim meeting an unidentified man for sex at a local hotel, for which the child victim was paid $70. Rodriguez and her partner kept the rest of the payment.
Under federal statutes, Rodriguez is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, and the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Rochester Man Pleads Guilty to Producing Child Pornography via SnapchatRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Rochester man pleaded guilty today to producing sexually explicit images and videos of a minor, announced Acting U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk.
According to court documents, between November 8, 2020, and January 8, 2021, Arkady Pavlovich Pichurin, 26, sexually exploited a minor who was between the ages of nine and 10 years old at the time. Pichurin, who contacted the minor using a variety of instant messaging and texting services, including Snapchat, lied about his age and identity to carry out his sexual exploitation of the minor. Pichurin admitted to using similar tactics to sexually exploit and produce pornographic images and videos of more than twenty minors.
Pichurin is scheduled to be sentenced on January 4, 2022.
“This is a particularly egregious case involving an adult using popular social media apps to prey on and exploit dozens of children,” said Acting United States Attorney W. Anders Folk. “I commend the Olmsted County Attorney’s Office and the investigators with the Rochester Police Department and the FBI for aggressively pursuing this sexual predator and holding him accountable for the harm he caused. We continue to urge parents, teachers, caregivers, and young people alike to be vigilant in reporting these types of crimes to law enforcement.”
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
If you know of any child who may have been a victim of exploitation, please call the National Center for Missing or Exploited Children (NCMEC) at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) or visit NCMEC’s web site at www.missingkids.com.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the Rochester Police Department, with substantial assistance from the Olmsted County Attorney’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander D. Chiquoine is prosecuting the case.
Pittsburgh Man who Produced Images of His Sexual Abuse of Children Sentenced to Nearly 20 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 235 months in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, on his conviction of production of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.
Senior United States District Judge Donetta W. Ambrose imposed the sentence on Jeffrey Porch, 34, of Pittsburgh’s Summer Hill neighborhood.
According to information presented to the court, over the course of approximately two years, Porch physically, emotionally and sexually abused two children who were under his care. During this period, Porch also produced pornographic photos of the children, which were found on his cell phone. The Court was further informed that Porch has state charges pending for assaulting a third child, as well as domestic violence charges relating to his wife.
Assistant United States Attorney Lee J. Karl prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Kaufman commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Western Pennsylvania Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Porch.
Pine Ridge Man Sentenced to Life in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Pine Ridge, South Dakota, man convicted of Aggravated Sexual Abuse was sentenced on August 26, 2021, by Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court.
Robert Dowty, Sr., age 59, was sentenced to life in federal prison, lifetime of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Dowty was indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2018. He was found guilty of the charge following a jury trial in Rapid City on August 2, 2019.
The conviction stems from Dowty forcibly sexually assaulting a child under the age of 16 years between June and September of 2018 at Pine Ridge. Additional victims testified at trial regarding past sexual abuse by Dowty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen prosecuted the case.
Dowty was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Pine Ridge Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited PersonRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Pine Ridge, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person was sentenced on August 24, 2021, by Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court.
Dale Martin, Jr., age 30, was sentenced to 40 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Martin was indicted for the charge by a federal grand jury on July 23, 2020. He pleaded guilty on February 10, 2021.
The conviction stems from Martin, a previously convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing firearms, being in possession of a Savage, model 111, .270 caliber bold-action rifle. This firearm was found in Martin’s possession after the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety was called to the I-Bank in Pine Ridge on June 18, 2020. Martin ran from the I-Bank location to a nearby trailer after law enforcement instructed him to drop the firearm. After being verbally instructed to come out of the house, Martin exited the residence with the rifle slung around his back. Martin threw the firearm off the porch and re-entered the residence. Law enforcement entered the residence and took Martin into custody.
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.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco, and Explosives, and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen prosecuted the case.
Martin was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Philadelphia Man Admits Conspiring to Illegally Export Firearms Parts from United States to Turkey and Republic of GeorgiaRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Philadelphia man today admitted his role in a conspiracy to smuggle more than $200,000 worth of firearms parts out of the United States, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Ibrahim Karabatak, 35, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler in Camden federal court to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to violate the Arms Export Control Act and U.S. anti-smuggling laws.
According to the documents filed in this and other cases and statements made in court:
The Arms Export Control Act prohibits the export of defense articles and defense services without first obtaining a license from the U.S. Department of State. Karabatak admitted that from November 2018 through March 2019, he and other conspirators (including Samet Doyduk) agreed to ship firearms parts from the United States to Turkey and the Republic of Georgia. Karabatak, Doyduk and others used credit cards, Pay Pal accounts, and other forms of payment to purchase firearms parts from suppliers in the United States. Karabatak and Doyduk would then repackage the firearms parts, falsely label the contents of the package, and export the firearms parts to their customers in Turkey and the Republic of Georgia. To disguise their role in the conspiracy, the conspirators used aliases when sending the packages containing prohibited items. Upon receiving the firearms parts, the customers in Turkey and in the Republic of Georgia paid Doyduk and the other conspirators by international wire transfers or directly paid Karabatak in cash while he was in Turkey. The firearms parts included upper receivers, barrels, and magazines for several different types of Glock handguns, including Glocks in the following calibers: 9mm, .40 caliber, and .357 caliber.
During the course of the conspiracy, Karabatak, Doyduk and others purchased and directed the unlawful exportation of more than $200,000 worth of defense articles from the United States to Turkey and the Republic of Georgia without the required export license.
The conspiracy charge to which Karabatak pleaded guilty is punishable by a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 10. 2022. Doyduk pleaded guilty to the same offense on April 20, 2021 and is scheduled for sentencing on Nov. 15, 2021.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Cherry Hill Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jason J. Molina in Newark; and inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Damon Wood in Philadelphia, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. She also thanked HSI agents in Ankara, Turkey and Frankfurt, Germany; U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and U.S. Postal Inspection Services, JFK airport, for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick C. Askin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.
Packaging Company Ex-Controller Sentenced to Prison for Stealing FundsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A suburban Pittsburgh resident has been sentenced in federal court to 24 months of incarceration, followed by 3 years of supervised release, on her conviction of wire fraud, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.
Senior United States District Judge Donetta W. Ambrose imposed the sentence on Victoria Mazur, 54, of McKim Drive, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
According to information presented to the court, Mazur was employed as the Controller for Gateway Packaging Corporation, which was located in Export, PA. From December 2012 until December 2017, she issued herself and her husband a total of approximately 189 fraudulent credit card refunds, totaling $195,063.80, through the company’s point of sale terminal. Her thefts were so extensive, they caused the failure of the company, which is now out of business. In order to conceal her fraud, Mazur supplied the owners with false financial statements that understated the company’s true sales figures.
Assistant United States Attorney Lee J. Karl prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Kaufman commended the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, and the United States Postal Inspection Service for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Mazur.
Oklahoma Man Charged with Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Sapulpa, Oklahoma, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.
Charles Nathaniel Graves, age 35, was indicted on July 7, 2021. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Veronica L. Duffy on September 7, 2021, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, life of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that Graves, who had previously been convicted of a sex crime and required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, failed to do so September 1, 2019, and July 7, 2021.
The charge is merely an accusation and Graves is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper is prosecuting the case.
Graves was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
New York Man Sentenced for Sending Child Pornography to Liberty ManRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A New York man was sentenced in federal court today for sending images and videos of child pornography to a Liberty, Missouri, man who in turn used them to harass the child victim.
Joseph J. Balio, 36, of Utica, N.Y., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 13 years and nine months in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Balio to spend the rest of his life on supervised release after incarceration.
On Aug. 5, 2020, Balio pleaded guilty to distributing child pornography over the internet. Balio admitted that he sent a video that contained child pornography to Zachary T. Harbison, 35, of Liberty, Mo., on Dec. 25, 2017. The video file depicted a sleeping minor.
Harbison pleaded guilty to distributing child pornography and was sentenced on Nov. 5, 2020, to nine years and four months in federal prison without parole. Harbison admitted that, on the same day he received the video and images of child pornography from Balio, he texted the minor victim and sent her pornographic images and a video file he had received from Balio.
According to court documents, the image and video files Balio shared with Harbison were used to harass and stalk the minor victim, as well as an adult victim.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick D. Daly. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the New York State Police, and the Utica, N.Y., Police Department.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
New Bern Methamphetamine Trafficker Receives 10 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – Jock Bowden, 48, of New Bern, North Carolina, was sentenced to 120 months in prison for Conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture of substances that contains methamphetamine, Possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture of substances that contains methamphetamine, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
According to court documents, evidence presented in court and other documents, on April 20, 2020, the Craven County Sheriff’s Office made a controlled purchase of more than 50 grams of methamphetamine from Bowden at his residence in New Bern. On May 29, 2020, Bowden was arrested. On June 5, 2020, law enforcement received information that Bowden had several firearms at his residence. Law enforcement recovered three handguns and a stolen assault rifle and a large amount of ammunition. Bowden had previously been convicted of a felony and was prohibited from possessing a firearm. During the course of the investigation, law enforcement discovered that Bowden was responsible for distributing approximately one and half kilograms of methamphetamine. The methamphetamine was being shipped from California to the Eastern District of North Carolina for distribution.
This is part of operation Fighting Jelly Fish which is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launders, 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.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Craven County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Severo prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:20-cr-00046-FL.
Natchez Man Sentenced to 35 Years in Federal Prison for Multiple Drug Trafficking CrimesRead the Press Release
Natchez, Miss. – A Natchez man was sentenced to serve 420 months in federal prison for multiple drug trafficking crimes, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca, Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn of the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, Colonel Steven Maxwell, Director of the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, and Adams County Sheriff Travis Patten.
Kevin Singleton, 44, pled guilty on April 29, 2019, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine, possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more heroin, possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
The case is the result of an extensive investigation targeting illegal narcotics trafficking in the Natchez area that involved the distribution of cocaine and methamphetamine. During the investigation, on March 2, 2018, federal and state agents executed a search warrant at Singleton’s residence resulting in the seizure of cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine. Agents also seized approximately $1.1 million in cash from the residence. Three firearms were seized, including a DPMS A-15 .223 semi-automatic rifle loaded with a high-capacity magazine holding 44 rounds, and an additional magazine loaded with 30 rounds. Also seized was a Glock .40 caliber handgun and a Smith & Wesson .38 Special. Singleton is a previously convicted felon and is prohibited from possessing a firearm.
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.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, the Adams County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, and the U.S. Marshals Service.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carla J. Clark.
Muskegon Man Sentenced to over A Year in Prison for Embezzling Labor Union FundsRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge announced today that United States District Court Judge Paul L. Maloney sentenced Hasan Zahdeh, a former resident of Muskegon, Michigan, to 14 months in a federal prison for embezzling Michigan Union of Healthcare Workers’ (MUHW) funds. Hasan Zahdeh was also ordered to pay $140,498.03 restitution to MUHW and, following his release from prison, to serve 3 years of supervised release.
According to court documents, between approximately May 2017 to about November 2020, while serving as MUHW’s president, Hasan Zahdeh embezzled union funds by using the MUHW’s debit card and using union checks to pay for personal, unauthorized expenses such as international travel, utility bills, home maintenance, and communication bills. The Department of Labor Office of Labor-Management Standards (DOL-OLMS) began investigating Hasan Zahdeh and the accuracy of the MUHW labor organization annual report he filed as the union’s president after DOL-OLMS determined that the total amount of legal services invoiced to MUHW was much less than the amount reported and that invoices submitted in support of the report reflected expenses not related to union business. In January 2021, a Grand Jury for the Western District of Michigan returned an indictment charging Hasan Zahdeh embezzlement and theft of union funds.
In April 2021, Hasan Zahdeh entered into a plea agreement in which he admitted that he (1) falsified union records; (2) wrote four checks to MUHW’s attorney, forged the attorney’s signature on the back of each check, and then deposited each check into his personal bank account; (3) deposited MUHW dues into his personal bank accounts; (4) directed his child to deposit MUHW dues checks into his account and wire him the funds; (5) opened a personal bank account, misrepresented it to MUHW members as a bank account held by MUHW, and then directed MUHW members to direct deposit their dues into this account; and (6) used the MUHW funds he embezzled for personal expenses not authorized by MUHW.
U.S. Attorney Birge commented that “When union officers such as Hasan Zahdeh abuse their authority and line their own pockets, my office will pursue justice, including restitution where appropriate.”
This case was a cooperative effort among Department of Law Office of Labor-Management Standards and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan. Assistant United States Attorney Kristin M. Pinkston represented the United States.
###
Michigan man sentenced for his role in a drug trafficking operationRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Darius Dashawn Wade, of Gross Pointe, Michigan, was sentenced today to 57 months of incarceration for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy, Acting United States Attorney Randolph J. Bernard announced.
Wade, 27, pleaded guilty in May 2021 to one count of “Aiding and Abetting the Distribution of Fentanyl.” Wade admitted to selling fentanyl in August 2019 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
Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering Conspiracy ChargeRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Edgar Hurtado-Ramirez (52, Mexico) today pleaded guilty to conspiring to launder monetary instruments and engage in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity. Hurtado-Ramirez faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, Hurtado-Ramirez laundered money for a drug trafficking and money laundering organization (DTMLO) that shipped cocaine from California and Nevada to various points in the eastern United States, including Hillsborough County and Pinellas County, Florida. The DTMLO used couriers to conceal and transport the drug proceeds back to California and Nevada. Hurtado-Ramirez repeatedly received hundreds of thousands of dollars in cocaine proceeds from money couriers in California and concealed and disguised the nature of the funds and their ownership. Hurtado-Ramirez was arrested in Bogotá, Colombia on September 21, 2019. He was extradited to the United States from Colombia on March 19, 2021
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. 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 www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Christopher F. Murray and Josephine W. Thomas. The U.S. Embassy Bogotá, Colombian authorities, and the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs assisted with Hurtado-Ramirez’s extradition.
Marion County Man Indicted on Federal Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – A federal grand jury in Louisville returned an Indictment today charging Marion County, KY resident Jerry Lee Bright with possession with intent to distribute heroin and methamphetamine.
According to court documents, Jerry Lee Bright, 62, of Marion County, has been charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
“The allegations contained in the Indictment are serious controlled substance offenses,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett. “I commend the work and partnership of the Marion County Sheriff’s Department and HSI during the investigation of this case.”
If convicted, Bright faces a mandatory sentence of five years in prison up to a maximum of forty years in prison for each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system.
The Marion County Sheriff’s Department and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mac Shannon 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.
###
Man Pleads Guilty to the Sexual Abuse of a Two-Year-Old and a Seven-Year-Old Child in Order to Produce Images of the AbuseRead the Press Release
A Maryland man pleaded guilty today to two counts of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography, in connection with his sexual abuse of two minor children.
According to court documents, Brian Anthony Gilbert, 33, of District Heights, uploaded and advertised at least two video files of child pornography depicting an approximately seven-year-old female victim (Victim 1) on an online bulletin board dedicated to child pornography. The videos were approximately 10 minutes and 15 minutes in length and depicted sexual acts between Gilbert and Victim 1. In Gilbert’s posts on the online bulletin board, Gilbert admits to having produced both videos.
As detailed in his plea agreement, on Sept. 11, 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Gilbert’s residence. Gilbert was in the residence at the time. Gilbert waived his rights and agreed to speak to law enforcement. Gilbert advised law enforcement that approximately five times between January 2019 and August 2020, Gilbert video recorded sexual acts between himself and Victim 1 in Gilbert’s bedroom and at Victim 1’s residence. He also stated that he had video recorded sexual acts between himself and another victim, who was approximately two-years old (Victim 2) at the time. Gilbert told law enforcement that he distributed the child sex abuse material that he produced on the Tor network, a computer network that is designed specifically to facilitate anonymous communication over the internet.
During the execution of the search warrant, law enforcement also seized a number of electronic devices from Gilbert’s bedroom. A subsequent forensic analysis of Gilbert’s electronic devices revealed over 2,000 files depicting child pornography. Among those files were six videos of Gilbert engaging in sexual acts with Victim 1 and Victim 2 in Gilbert’s bedroom or in Victim 1’s residence. Some of the child pornography located on Gilbert’s devices included pre-pubescent children under the age of 12 as well as sadistic or masochistic conduct, including the use of instruments or tools on children, and sexual acts between adults and children.
Gilbert faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years in federal prison for each of the two counts of production of child pornography and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for possession of child pornography. U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm has scheduled sentencing for Dec. 8 at 9:30 a.m.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan Lenzner of the District of Maryland; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the FBI's Baltimore Field Office; and Chief Malik Aziz of Prince George’s County Police Department made the announcement.
The FBI is investigating the case, with valuable assistance provided by the Prince George’s County Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph R. Baldwin of the District of Maryland and Trial Attorneys Alicia Bove and Jessica Urban of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Last defendant convicted in nationwide synthetic narcotics distributionRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 47-year-old man will forfeit three real properties and pay a $5 million money judgement for running a multi-million dollar synthetic narcotics distribution network, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Daniel Bowles, Phoenix, Arizona, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and analogues. He admitted to overseeing call-takers and the operation’s business finances as well as using multiple business entities to conceal the significant amount of its illegal proceeds.
In 2015, authorities began investigating a smoke shop in Laredo. During that time, they discovered a nationwide mail order business that supplied the shop with illegal synthetic cannabinoid products. Call-takers in several states took orders for the products with names such as “Brain Freeze” and “Death Grip” which was delivered to shop owners from California. Payment was set to Arizona, often into accounts Bowles controlled.
During the investigation, authorities tracked payments from multiple retail smoke shops throughout the United States and identified several bank accounts involved in the scheme. Financial records show that from February 2012 through 2019, the network received over $15.4 million in illicit proceeds.
As part of his plea agreement, Bowles also agreed to a money judgment in the amount of $5 million and the forfeiture of three real properties.
U.S. District Judge George Hanks Jr. accepted the plea and set sentencing for Nov. 16. At that time, Bowles faces up to 20 years in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. He was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.
Six others have also pleaded guilty to their involvement in the organization. Ratchanee McAuley, 50, also of Phoenix; Thirawat Athikulrat, 42, and Chuanphit Srithongrung, 44, both of Downey, California; Frank Gonzalez, 60, and Ernesto Salazar, 34, both of Mesa, Arizona; and Don Jessop, 52, Salt lake City, Utah.
McAuley, Athikulrat and Srithongrung each admitted to maintaining warehouses to manufacture the synthetic cannabinoid products. As part of their pleas, Gonzalez and Jessop acknowledged being call-takers, while Salazar admitted to assisting with manufacturing the products and travelling across the county to pick up the proceeds.
Synthetic cannabinoids are chemical compounds that mimic the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. These chemical compounds can be applied to carrier mediums such as plant material and ingested using rolling papers, pipes, vaporizers or otherwise taken orally. Synthetic cannabinoids are usually sold in small, foil or plastic bags containing dried leaves (resembling potpourri) and are marketed as incense that can be smoked. It is commonly sold and known on the street as synthetic marijuana, fake weed, legal and by its popular brand names such as Spice, K2, Kush, Klimaxx and many others.
The Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and FBI conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation dubbed Operation Brain Freeze with the assistance of Texas Department of Public Safety and sheriff’s offices in Zapata County and Maricopa County, Arizona. 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. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Graciela Lindberg and Lance Watt are prosecuting the case.
- Last defendant convicted in nationwide synthetic narcotics distribution
Hobbs man sentenced to six years in prison for federal firearms violationsRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Ruben Flores, 41, of Hobbs, New Mexico, was sentenced on Sept. 2 to six years in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. Flores pleaded guilty on April 23.
According to court records, on July 5, 2019, law enforcement responded to reports of shots fired on Dunham Street in Hobbs. Later that day, officers investigating the incident located Flores in his vehicle with a rifle on his lap. During a search of the vehicle, officers found three more firearms and several rounds of ammunition.
At the time of the incident, Flores had previously been convicted of several felonies, including forgery, trafficking a controlled substance, receiving stolen property, battery on a peace officer, possession of a controlled substance, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated fleeing of a law enforcement officer and possession of a firearm or explosive device by a felon. As a previously convicted felon, Flores cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.
Upon his release from prison, Flores will be subject to three years of supervised release.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case with assistance from the Hobbs Police Department and the Lea County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joni Autrey Stahl and Richard Williams prosecuted the case.
# # #
Hermosa Woman Sentenced to Eight Years on Gun and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Hermosa, South Dakota, woman convicted on one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance and one count of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person was sentenced on August 30, 2021, by Judge Karen E. Schreier, U.S. District Court.
Megan Smith, age 39, was sentenced to eight years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Smith was indicted for the charges by a federal grand jury on June 11, 2020, and pleaded guilty on May 7, 2021. Smith, being an unlawful user of a controlled substance, was found to knowingly be in possession of multiple firearms, some of which were stolen, and a sawed-off shotgun after she came into contact with law enforcement in March 2020 in Rapid City. Smith was also found in possession of methamphetamine and had been distributing large quantities of methamphetamine in and around Rapid City.
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
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.
Smith was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Hartford Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Fentanyl DistributionRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JABARI WALCOTT, also known as “Jabari Walcott-Greene,” 23, of Hartford was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to 18 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in the summer of 2020, Hartford Police learned that Kyle Pitts, also known as “Bark,” and others, were selling fentanyl, and that Pitts was using his apartment on Farmington Avenue in West Hartford to store fentanyl. Between August and October 2020, Hartford Police and the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force made multiple controlled purchases of fentanyl from Pitts, Walcott and Curon Johnson, also known as “Buck,” of East Hartford.
Walcott has been detained since his arrest on state charges on October 14, 2020. At the time of his arrest, he possessed distribution quantities of fentanyl and crack cocaine, a digital scale and $1060.
On June 7, 2021, Walcott pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, fentanyl.
Pitts and Johnson pleaded guilty to the same charge. On July 22, 2021, Johnson was sentenced to 37 months of imprisonment. Pitts awaits sentencing.
The FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force includes members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, New Britain Police Department, West Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian P. Leaming.
Hartford Man Sentenced to 7 Years for Distributing Synthetic Opioids on Federal Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that SETH WATSON, 36, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford to 84 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing synthetic opioids and violating the conditions of his supervised release from a prior federal conviction.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 4, 2015, Judge Chatigny sentenced Watson to 51 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of ammunition by a previously convicted felon. Watson, who had been detained since his arrest in July 2012, was released from prison in April 2016.
In 2017, the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force and Hartford Police Department received information that Watson was selling heroin and cocaine from a grocery store on Mather Street in Hartford. In February and March 2017, investigators made four controlled purchases of purported heroin from Watson. Laboratory testing of purported heroin purchased during the first two transactions determined that the substance was fentanyl, furanylfentanyl and U-47700. The substance purchased during the third transaction was fentanyl and U-47700, and the substance purchased during the fourth transaction was fentanyl and heroin.
On March 28, 2017, Watson was arrested after investigators conducted a controlled purchase of narcotics from Watson and found him in possession of approximately 781 bags containing a total of approximately 21 grams of a mixture of fentanyl and heroin.
Watson has been detained since his arrest. On April 29, 2019, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of fentanyl, furanylfentanyl and U-47700.
Judge Chatigny sentenced Watson to 72 months of imprisonment for the drug distribution offense and a consecutive 12 months of imprisonment for violating his supervised release conditions.
The FBI Task Force includes members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, New Britain Police Department, West Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey M. Stone.
Fresno Felon Pleads Guilty to Possessing AmmunitionRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Daniel Santos Galaviz, 27, of Fresno, pleaded guilty today to unlawfully possessing ammunition after being convicted of a felony crime, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, on Feb. 24, officers arrested Galaviz after he fled on foot from a vehicle during an attempted traffic stop. Officers recovered a loaded magazine from Galaviz during his arrest. Galaviz is prohibited from possessing ammunition because of his prior criminal record.
This case is the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Antonio J. Pataca is prosecuting the case.
Galaviz is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 6, 2021, by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd. Galaviz faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.
Fort Wayne Man ChargedRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – Lance Lombrana, 41, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, has been charged by way of a criminal complaint with armed credit union robbery, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tina L. Nommay.
According to documents in this case, it is alleged that, on August 30, 2021, Lombrana entered the Three Rivers Federal Credit Union in Kendallville, approached a teller, and asked to speak with a manager. Once the manager arrived, Lombrana removed what appeared to be explosives with a timing device from a red and black bag. Credit union employees later advised law enforcement that they believed the device to be a bomb. The suspect demanded cash which the manager obtained and provided to him. Lombrana then left the credit union. He was apprehended in Garrett, Indiana, a short time later by an Indiana State Police trooper and was taken into custody without incident.
Noble County Prosecuting Attorney Jim Mowery added the following comments, “After consultation with the Kendallville Police Chief Waters and lead Detective Handshoe, as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Fort Wayne, the decision has been made that the case against Lance Lombrana will be filed in U.S. federal court.” According to Prosecutor Mowery, “The decision was not easy; when criminals victimize the citizens and communities in Noble County, I want to prosecute those criminals,” but, Mowery went on to say, “We have been provided information that has led me to the conclusion that the federal court is the more appropriate venue for this case.”
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that a complaint is merely an allegation, and that all persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If convicted, any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the Judge after a consideration of federal statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Indiana State Police, and the Kendallville Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley J. Miller Lowery.
###
Former NFL Players Plead Guilty to Nationwide Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Three former National Football League (NFL) players have pleaded guilty for their roles in a nationwide scheme to defraud a health care benefit program for retired NFL players. A total of 15 defendants have pleaded guilty in connection with this scheme.
Clinton Portis, 40, of Fort Mill, South Carolina, and Tamarick Vanover, 47, of Tallahassee, Florida, pleaded guilty on Friday, Sept. 3. Robert McCune, 40, of Riverdale, Georgia, pleaded guilty on Aug. 24. The former players admitted to participating in a scheme to defraud the Gene Upshaw NFL Player Health Reimbursement Account Plan (the Plan). The Plan was established pursuant to the NFL’s 2006 collective bargaining agreement and provided for tax-free reimbursement of out-of-pocket medical care expenses that were not covered by insurance, and that were incurred by former players, their spouses, and their dependents – up to a maximum of $350,000 per player.
According to court documents, Portis caused the submission of false and fraudulent claims to the Plan on his behalf over a two-month period, obtaining $99,264 in benefits for expensive medical equipment that was not actually provided. Vanover recruited three other former NFL players into the fraudulent scheme and assisted them in causing false and fraudulent claims to be submitted to the Plan, obtaining $159,510 for expensive medical equipment that was not actually provided. McCune orchestrated the nationwide fraud, which resulted in approximately $2.9 million in false and fraudulent claims being submitted to the Plan and the Plan paying out approximately $2.5 million on those claims between June 2017 and April 2018.
Portis and Vanover pleaded guilty two days after a trial against them resulted in a hung jury and a mistrial on certain counts against Vanover. McCune, the third defendant in that trial, pleaded guilty to all charges against him on the second day of trial. A retrial on the charges against Portis and Vanover had been scheduled to begin today.
Portis and Vanover were originally indicted, along with McCune and seven other defendants, in the Eastern District of Kentucky in December 2019 for their roles in the fraud. Since the initial charges were announced, five additional retired NFL players were charged in the scheme. All 12 of the other defendants charged have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud: Joseph Horn, Correll Buckhalter, Carlos Rogers, James Butler, Etric Pruitt, Ceandris Brown, John Eubanks, Antwan Odom, Darrell Reid, Anthony Montgomery, Fredrick Bennett, and Donald “Reche” Caldwell, who passed away in June 2020.
Portis and Vanover pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and agreed to pay full restitution to the Plan. Portis is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 6, 2022, and Vanover is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 22, 2022. They each face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
McCune pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and health care fraud, 13 counts of health care fraud, 11 counts of wire fraud, and three counts of aggravated identity theft. McCune is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 19. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and health care fraud, 10 years for each count of health care fraud, 20 years for each count of wire fraud, and two years for each count of aggravated identity theft.
A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Carlton S. Shier IV for the Eastern District of Kentucky; and Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro of the FBI’s Miami Field Office made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the FBI and included efforts by various FBI Field Offices and Resident Agencies, including Augusta, Georgia; Birmingham and Mobile, Alabama; Cleveland, Ohio; Chicago, Illinois; Columbia, South Carolina; Dallas and Houston, Texas; Denver, Colorado; Jackson, Mississippi; Lexington, Kentucky; New Orleans, Louisiana; Miami, Jacksonville, and Tampa, Florida; Newark, New Jersey; Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento, and Newport Beach, California; Phoenix, Arizona; Salt Lake City, Utah; and Washington, D.C.
Trial Attorneys John (Fritz) Scanlon and Alexander J. Kramer of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew E. Smith of the Eastern District of Kentucky are prosecuting the case.
Former NFL Players Plead Guilty to Nationwide Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Three former National Football League (NFL) players have pleaded guilty for their roles in a nationwide scheme to defraud a health care benefit program for retired NFL players. A total of 15 defendants have pleaded guilty in connection with this scheme.
Clinton Portis, 40, of Fort Mill, South Carolina, and Tamarick Vanover, 47, of Tallahassee, Florida, pleaded guilty on Friday. Robert McCune, 40, of Riverdale, Georgia, pleaded guilty on August 24. The former players admitted to participating in a scheme to defraud the Gene Upshaw NFL Player Health Reimbursement Account Plan (the Plan). The Plan was established pursuant to the NFL’s 2006 collective bargaining agreement and provided for tax-free reimbursement of out-of-pocket medical care expenses that were not covered by insurance, and that were incurred by former players, their spouses, and their dependents – up to a maximum of $350,000 per player.
According to court documents, Portis caused the submission of false and fraudulent claims to the Plan on his behalf over a two-month period, obtaining $99,264 in benefits for expensive medical equipment that was not actually provided. Vanover recruited three other former NFL players into the fraudulent scheme and assisted them in causing false and fraudulent claims to be submitted to the Plan, obtaining $159,510 for expensive medical equipment that was not actually provided. McCune orchestrated the nationwide fraud, which resulted in approximately $2.9 million in false and fraudulent claims being submitted to the Plan and the Plan paying out approximately $2.5 million on those claims between June 2017 and April 2018.
Portis and Vanover pleaded guilty two days after a trial against them resulted in a hung jury and a mistrial on certain counts against Vanover. McCune, the third defendant in that trial, pleaded guilty to all charges against him on the second day of trial. A retrial on the charges against Portis and Vanover had been scheduled to begin today.
Portis and Vanover were originally indicted, along with McCune and seven other defendants, in the Eastern District of Kentucky in December 2019 for their roles in the fraud. Since the initial charges were announced, five additional retired NFL players were charged in the scheme. All 12 of the other defendants charged have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud: Joseph Horn, Correll Buckhalter, Carlos Rogers, James Butler, Etric Pruitt, Ceandris Brown, John Eubanks, Antwan Odom, Darrell Reid, Anthony Montgomery, Fredrick Bennett, and Donald “Reche” Caldwell, who passed away in June 2020.
Portis and Vanover pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and agreed to pay full restitution to the Plan. Portis is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 6, 2022, and Vanover is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 22, 2022. They each face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
McCune pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and health care fraud, 13 counts of health care fraud, 11 counts of wire fraud, and three counts of aggravated identity theft. McCune is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 19. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and health care fraud, 10 years for each count of health care fraud, 20 years for each count of wire fraud, and two years for each count of aggravated identity theft.
A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Carlton S. Shier IV for the Eastern District of Kentucky; and Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro of the FBI’s Miami Field Office made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the FBI and included efforts by various FBI Field Offices and Resident Agencies, including Augusta, Georgia; Birmingham and Mobile, Alabama; Cleveland, Ohio; Chicago, Illinois; Columbia, South Carolina; Dallas and Houston, Texas; Denver, Colorado; Jackson, Mississippi; Lexington, Kentucky; New Orleans, Louisiana; Miami, Jacksonville, and Tampa, Florida; Newark, New Jersey; Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento, and Newport Beach, California; Phoenix, Arizona; Salt Lake City, Utah; and Washington, D.C.
Trial Attorneys John (Fritz) Scanlon and Alexander J. Kramer of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew E. Smith of the Eastern District of Kentucky are prosecuting the case.
###
21-XXX
Former Monahans Businessman Pleads Guilty to Failure to Pay over $1 Million in Payroll TaxesRead the Press Release
ALPINE – A former Monahans businessman pleaded guilty today to 12 counts of failure to pay withholding taxes.
According to court documents, George Wayne Johnson, 73, of Lawrenceburg, TN, was the owner of Wayne’s Welding Services (WWS) in Monahans. From 2015 to 2018, WWS withheld tax payments from its employees’ paychecks but failed to pay $1,308,797 in required payroll tax to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Through his company, Johnson spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on his salary and personal expenses.
Johnson faces a maximum penalty on each count of five years in prison. A sentencing date has not been set. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff of the Western District of Texas and IRS Special Agent in Charge Richard D. Goss, Houston Division, made the announcement.
The IRS is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lance Kennedy is prosecuting the case.
###
Former Inmate Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Jailhouse COVID-19 Unemployment Benefits FraudRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Christina Smith, 38, who was formerly incarcerated at the Central California Women’s Facility (CCWF) in Chowchilla, was sentenced today to five years in prison for conspiracy and aggravated identity theft charges for the submission of fraudulent unemployment insurance claims to the California Employment Development Department (EDD) in the names of current CCWF inmates, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, another CCWF inmate sent Smith her own and several other inmates’ personally identifiable information (PII) to submit the unemployment insurance claims in their names. The underlying applications represented that the inmates had been working various jobs, which was untrue because they were incarcerated and therefore ineligible for benefits. The intended loss to the EDD and the United States was over $250,000. Smith split the proceeds with her co-conspirators.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s Investigative Services Unit, and the EDD. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Barton is prosecuting the case.
The CARES Act is a federal law enacted March 29 that is designed to provide emergency financial assistance to millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act is the authorization that expands states’ ability to provide unemployment insurance for many workers impacted by COVID-19, including for workers who are not ordinarily eligible for unemployment insurance benefits.
Former Federal Corrections Officer Pleads Guilty in Connection with Plan to Smuggle Drugs into PrisonRead the Press Release
Ocala, FL – Wayne Grant, Jr. (27, Orlando) has pleaded guilty to receipt of a bribe by a public official. He faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
Grant had been indicted on March 31, 2021.
According to court documents, Grant worked as a corrections officer at the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex (FCC Coleman) in Sumter County. In December 2020, Grant agreed to smuggle methamphetamine into the prison for an inmate in exchange for money. Once federal authorities were notified, Grant unwittingly began communicating with an undercover agent to complete the transaction. Federal agents mailed approximately 70 grams of fake methamphetamine and $2,000 in money orders to Grant. Agents observed Grant retrieving the package from his post office box. Grant subsequently deposited the money orders into his bank account. During his assigned shift on February 4, 2021, Grant smuggled the contraband into FCC Coleman and provided it to an inmate.
This case was investigated by the Department of Justice – Office of the Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tyrie Boyer.
Final Member of Armed Drug Trafficking Organization SentencedRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Wilson man was sentenced today to 216 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 280 grams or more of cocaine base (crack) and 500 grams or more of cocaine, and possession with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base (crack) and a quantity of cocaine.
Jerry Andre Melton was the leader of an armed drug trafficking organization that operated in Wilson and Nash Counties, and he was the final member of the organization to be sentenced.
According to court documents, Melton, was named in an Indictment filed on May 13, 2020. On February 25, 2021, Melton entered a plea of guilty.
In June 2018, members of the Wilson Police Department learned that Melton was the leader of a drug trafficking organization that was distributing cocaine and crack cocaine in the Wilson area. Other members of the organization included Demetrius Tyree Allen, Laquan Javon Allen, and Vanderbilt Johnson.
From July 2018 to March 2019, law enforcement conducted multiple controlled purchases of drugs from Melton, Demetrius Allen, Laquan Allen, and Vanderbilt Johnson.
Law enforcement also seized drugs and firearms from members of the Melton drug trafficking organization. On October 29, 2017, the Wilson Police Department responded to a night club after Laquan Allen entered the club and fired shots. Allen was arrested in the parking lot, and agents seized crack cocaine, cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and a stolen .40 caliber handgun from Allen.
On September 6, 2018, Laquan Allen was arrested at a convenience store in Wilson, North Carolina on an outstanding arrest warrant. He was found in possession of crack cocaine, cocaine, and a stolen .380 caliber handgun.
On January 23, 2019, agents conducted a traffic stop of Melton’s vehicle in Wilson, North Carolina and seized crack cocaine, marijuana, and currency. A search warrant was executed at Melton’s and Demetrius Allen’s residence in Wilson, where agents seized crack cocaine and cocaine.
On June 26, 2019, agents executed a search warrant at Laquan Allen’s apartment on Chase Road in Wilson and seized crack cocaine, digital scales, and a .45 caliber handgun.
From February 2020 through March 2020, the Nash County Sheriff’s Office conducted controlled purchases of crack cocaine and two firearms from Vanderbilt Johnson.
In total, the Melton drug trafficking organization was responsible for distributing more than three kilograms of crack cocaine and more than three kilograms of cocaine.
Below are the results of the other cases in this investigation:
- Laquan Javon Allen, 5:20-CR-234-D-2:
- Convicted of: conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base (crack) and cocaine; possession with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base (crack); and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
- Sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment.
- Demetrius Tyree Allen, 5:20-CR-234-D-3:
- Convicted of: conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base (crack) and cocaine.
- Sentenced to 70 months’ imprisonment.
- Vanderbilt Johnson, 5:20-cr-00248-FL-1:
- Convicted of: conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base (crack) and cocaine; distribution of a quantity of cocaine base (crack); possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
- Sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment.
Norman Acker, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Wilson Police Department and Nash County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott A. Lemmon prosecuted the case.
This case is part of the United States Attorney’s Office’s Take Back North Carolina Initiative. This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices on a sustained basis in those communities to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement. For additional information about this initiative, click here https://www.justice.gov/usao-ednc/tbnc.
This effort is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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 Nos. 5:20-CR-234-D and 5:20-cr-00248-FL.
- Laquan Javon Allen, 5:20-CR-234-D-2:
Ex-Montebello Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Bribery ChargeRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A former Montebello Police officer pleaded guilty today to a federal bribery charge for accepting at least $14,000 in cash from a drug trafficker in exchange for escorting narcotics shipments and searching a police database to supply the trafficker information on people suspected of cooperating with law enforcement.
Rudolph Petersen, 34, pleaded guilty to a single-count information charging him with bribery.
Petersen served as a Montebello Police officer for nearly four years, and from December 2018 to August 2020, according to his plea agreement, Petersen solicited and received numerous cash bribes from a gang member and drug trafficker identified in court document as “Co-Schemer 2.”
In mid-2018, Co-Schemer 2 had dinner with Petersen and stated he could put Petersen “on his payroll,” and, through an intermediary, gave Petersen $500.
Co-Schemer 2 met again with Petersen in December 2018. During that meeting, Co-Schemer 2 offered – and Petersen agreed to accept – a $10,000 bribe to escort a vehicle containing a shipment of narcotics and protect it from law enforcement and would-be robbers.
Three months later, Petersen – who was armed and wearing a security guard uniform that resembled an official police uniform – successfully escorted a white U-Haul truck containing what Petersen believed was illegally grown marijuana from Fontana to a location off California State Route 60 near Rowland Heights. Petersen returned to the residence of Co-Schemer 2, who gave him a paper bag filled with $10,000 in cash. Petersen admitted to escorting at least one additional drug shipment for Co-Schemer 2.
Petersen also admitted to accessing a law enforcement database to search for information on an individual whom Co-Schemer 2 believed was a “snitch” who had helped law enforcement intercept a cocaine shipment. In exchange for bribes of $500 to $1,000 per database search, Petersen reported to Co-Schemer 2 the information on the individual, as well as others suspected of cooperating with law enforcement.
In September 2020, Co-Schemer 2 paid Petersen $1,000 to investigate whether tracking devices found on vehicles that he and another co-schemer used were part of a state or federal law enforcement investigation.
Petersen admitted to accepting at least $14,000 in bribes.
United States District Judge Stanley Blumenfeld Jr. has scheduled a January 11, 2022 sentencing hearing, at which time Petersen will face a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Ian V. Yanniello of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering and Racketeering Section is prosecuting this case.
Erie Woman Sentenced to Prison for Meth Distribution SchemeRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 24 months home incarceration on her conviction of violating federal drug laws, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.
United States District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter imposed the sentence on Lindsey Michelle Thompson, 37 of Erie, Pennsylvania.
According to information presented to the court, on or about December 19, 2019, Thompson and a co-defendant conspired to distribute and distributed fifty grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.
Assistant United States Attorney Paul S. Sellers prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Kaufman commended the Drug Enforcement Administration, Erie County Detective Bureau, Erie Police Department and the Millcreek Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Thompson.
EDVA Commemorates the 20th Anniversary of 9/11Read the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Raj Parekh, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia (EDVA), announced today that the U.S. Attorney’s Office will commemorate the 20th anniversary of September 11, 2001 with events reflecting on that tragic day, the aftermath of the terrorist attacks, and EDVA’s role in the prosecution of Zacarias Moussaoui, the only individual to date to have ever been convicted in a U.S. court in connection with the 9/11 attacks.
“As we approach the somber 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, we will never forget the nearly 3,000 innocent lives that were lost, the countless individuals who suffered injuries or have experienced devastating effects from the aftermath of the attacks, and the families of victims and survivors who continue to endure unimaginable pain arising from the horrific events that day,” said Raj Parekh, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Our Office continues to reflect on the tragic events of 9/11, which have shaped us as Americans, as public servants, and as individuals. In addition to the loved ones that our staff members, families, and friends lost in New York, Virginia, and Pennsylvania on 9/11, as the attack on the Pentagon took place within EDVA, these tragedies are deeply personal for our community. In our sadness we also find the resolve to stand together against terror, hatred, and fear. We join with our neighbors in remembering those whom we lost, thanking those who responded to save lives, and honoring those who gave their last full measure of devotion following the attacks to protect and defend our country.”
EDVA’s history relating to 9/11 includes the prosecution of Zacarias Moussaoui, who remains the only individual to date to have ever been convicted in a U.S. court in connection with the September 11, 2001 attacks. As he admitted in an EDVA courtroom, Moussaoui knew of al Qaeda’s plan to fly airplanes into prominent buildings in the United States and he agreed to travel to the United States as a member of al Qaeda to participate in the terrorist operation. Moussaoui was arrested weeks before 9/11 on immigration charges after he engaged in suspicious behavior at a flight training school in Minnesota. At the time of his arrest, Moussaoui was in possession of knives, fighting gloves, and shin guards, along with flight manuals for the Boeing 747-400, a hand-held aviation radio, and other items. Moussaoui provided a series of false statements to federal agents to conceal his involvement in the plot and ensure his al Qaeda “brothers” could go forward with the operation. Moussaoui was sentenced on May 4, 2006 to life in prison without parole.
EDVA’s 9/11 20th anniversary commemoration will include the following events:
- On September 7, Acting U.S. Attorney Parekh will host a virtual fireside chat with Michael J. Morell, the former Acting Director and Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Mr. Morell served for 33 years in the CIA, worked for six different U.S. presidents, and is the only person who was both with President Bush on September 11, 2001 and with President Obama on May 1, 2011 when Osama bin Laden was brought to justice. Mr. Morell will discuss the period leading up to 9/11, share his eyewitness accounts on the day of the attacks, describe the U.S. Government’s response leading up to the Bin Laden operation, and reflect upon counterterrorism efforts since then and going forward.
- On September 9, Acting U.S. Attorney Parekh will host a virtual panel discussion titled, “Behind the Scenes of the Moussaoui Prosecution,” featuring U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema, who presided over the case; former Assistant U.S. Attorney Rob Spencer, EDVA’s lead prosecutor on the case; and Edward MacMahon, Moussaoui’s lead defense attorney. The participants will share stories from both inside and outside the courtroom and reflect on the historic nature of the case in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.
- On September 10, EDVA will host an internal virtual remembrance program during which staff members district-wide will have the opportunity to voluntarily share their personal stories and recollections about 9/11, honor the memory of their loved ones, and describe the impact the tragedy had on their decision to enter or continue public service.
- On September 11, a team from EDVA will participate in the annual Arlington Police, Fire, Sheriff and Emergency Communications Center (ECC) 9/11 Memorial 5K Race. Members from all four of EDVA’s Divisions will participate in either the in-person event in Arlington, Virginia or virtually from other locations. The event raises funds for charities that focus on the healing of military personnel and civilians directly affected by the 9/11 attacks.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
- On September 7, Acting U.S. Attorney Parekh will host a virtual fireside chat with Michael J. Morell, the former Acting Director and Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Mr. Morell served for 33 years in the CIA, worked for six different U.S. presidents, and is the only person who was both with President Bush on September 11, 2001 and with President Obama on May 1, 2011 when Osama bin Laden was brought to justice. Mr. Morell will discuss the period leading up to 9/11, share his eyewitness accounts on the day of the attacks, describe the U.S. Government’s response leading up to the Bin Laden operation, and reflect upon counterterrorism efforts since then and going forward.
District Heights Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges for the Sexual Abuse of a Two-Year-Old and a Seven-Year-Old Child in Order to Produce Images of the AbuseRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Brian Anthony Gilbert, age 33, of District Heights, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to federal charges for two counts of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography, in connection with his sexual abuse of two minor children.
The plea was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr.; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department.
“Brian Gilbert is a predator who sexually abused young children for his personal gain,” said Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner. “This conduct is reprehensible and criminal, and tragically Gilbert’s crimes will impact these vulnerable victims for the rest of their lives. This case sends a clear message that we will bring to justice those who victimize innocent children.”
According to his guilty plea, in August 2020, Gilbert uploaded and advertised at least two video files of child pornography depicting an approximately seven-year-old female victim (Victim 1) on an online bulletin board dedicated to child pornography, which was hosted over the Tor network, a computer network that is designed specifically to facilitate anonymous communication over the Internet. The videos were approximately 10 minutes and 15 minutes in length and depicted sexual acts between Gilbert and Victim 1. In Gilbert’s posts on the online bulletin board, Gilbert admits to having produced both videos.
As detailed in his plea agreement, on September 11, 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Gilbert’s residence. Gilbert was in the residence at the time. Gilbert waived his rights and agreed to speak to law enforcement. Gilbert advised law enforcement that approximately five times between January 2019 and August 2020, Gilbert video recorded sexual acts between himself and Victim 1 in Gilbert’s bedroom and at Victim 1’s residence. He also stated that he had video recorded sexual acts between himself and another victim, who was approximately two-years old (“Victim 2”) at the time. Gilbert told law enforcement that he distributed the child sex abuse material that he produced on the Tor network.
During the execution of the search warrant, law enforcement also seized a number of electronic devices from Gilbert’s bedroom. A subsequent forensic analysis of Gilbert’s electronic devices revealed over 2,000 files depicting child pornography. Among those files were six videos of Gilbert engaging in sexual acts with Victim 1 and Victim 2 in Gilbert’s bedroom or in Victim 1’s residence. Some of the child pornography located on Gilbert’s devices included prepubescent children under the age of 12 as well as sadistic or masochistic conduct, including the use of instruments or tools on children, and sexual acts between adults and children.
Gilbert faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years in federal prison for each of the two counts of production of child pornography; and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for possession of child pornography. U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm has scheduled sentencing for December 8, 2021 at 9:30 a.m.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "Resources" tab on the left of the page.
Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner and Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite commended the FBI and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Lenzner and Mr. Polite thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph R. Baldwin and Trial Attorneys Jessica Urban and Alicia Bove from the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section who are prosecuting federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
# # #
Detroit man sentenced for his role in a drug trafficking operationRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Alonzo Travis, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced today to 57 months of incarceration for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy, Acting United States Attorney Randolph J. Bernard announced.
Travis, 28, pled guilty in March 2021 to one count of “Aiding and Abetting Distribution of Heroin.” Travis worked with another to distribute one to three kilograms of 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
Derry Man Sentenced to 65 months for Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
CONCORD - Michael Lynch, 30, of Derry, was sentenced to 65 months in federal prison for possession of fentanyl and methamphetamine with intent to distribute, Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 2, 2020, a Derry police officer responded to an apartment complex for a report of a fight in progress. Lynch was seen driving away from the area at a high rate of speed. The officer knew Lynch had a suspended driver’s license. Further investigation disclosed that Lynch had assaulted an individual at the apartment complex. Lynch later was arrested for domestic violence assault and operating under suspension. A search of his vehicle yielded over 118 grams of fentanyl, 18 grams of methamphetamine, a telephone, and $3,143 in cash. A search of Lynch’s telephone disclosed numerous messages consistent with drug distribution.
Lynch previously pleaded guilty on May 24, 2021.
"Fentanyl and methamphetamine are very dangerous drugs that have caused grave damage to communities throughout New Hampshire,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley. “In order to protect the citizens of the Granite State, we are working closely with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute the drug dealers who seek to profit from distributing these deadly substances. As this case demonstrates, those who sell drugs in New Hampshire will be caught and will face significant consequences for their unlawful actions.”
This matter was investigated by the Derry Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joachim H. Barth.
###
Dayton man sentenced to federal prison for fraudulently obtaining Social Security, COVID relief funding in his deceased father’s nameRead the Press Release
DAYTON, Ohio – A 55-year-old Dayton man was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 15 months in prison for fraudulently obtaining Social Security and COVID-19 relief funding in his deceased father’s name.
After a recent Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General audit caused the benefit payments to stop in summer 2020, Jon Devol, also known as John Atkins, called the SSA office pretending to be his elderly mother whom he had fraudulently named as the payee.
According to court documents, Devol impersonated his mother throughout the 30-minute, recorded phone call. During the call, Devol provided his parents’ Social Security numbers and when asked if his father was deceased, he said no. When the customer service representative reiterated that Devol’s father was listed as deceased in the SSA database, the defendant said, “That’s a mistake.”
In total, from 2015 until the 2020 audit, Devol received nearly $59,000 in Social Security benefits. Throughout those five years, Devol returned questionnaires to the SSA pretending to be his mother and stating the money was being used to care for his father’s needs.
In May 2020, Devol also received a $1,200 COVID-19 relief stimulus payment in his dead father’s name.
As part of his sentence, Devol was ordered to repay the $58,782 to Social Security and $1,200 to the IRS.
Vipal J. Patel, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, announced the sentence imposed by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Thomas M. Rose. Special Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Landry is representing the United States in this case. The SSA-OIG and United States Secret Service investigated the case.
# # #
Crownsville Man Sentenced to Six Years in Federal Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher today sentenced Jared Johnson, age 36, of Crownsville, Maryland, to six years in federal prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release, for possession of child pornography. Judge Gallagher also ordered Johnson to pay $45,000 in restitution to the victims. Finally, Judge Gallagher ordered that, upon his release from prison, Johnson must register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Chief Amal E. Awad of the Anne Arundel County Police Department; and Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess.
According to his guilty plea, from May 2020 to August 2020, an internet cloud storage service provider sent the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children five cybertipline reports detailing hundreds of child pornography images uploaded to an account within its internet platform. The account was associated with Johnson’s cellular number and IP address located at Johnson’s Crownsville, Maryland residence. Over the course of five reports, the internet storage provider reported over 2,500 images of child pornography uploaded to Johnson’s account.
During a search of Johnson’s residence on July 24, 2020, Anne Arundel County detectives recovered Johnson’s cell phone and computer. The devices were hidden in the basement, submerged underwater within the basement’s sump pump system. A forensic analysis of the computer revealed that Johnson possessed over 12,000 images and videos of child pornography on the computer system.
After examination of Johnson’s online cloud account, Anne Arundel County Police detectives discovered thousands of images and videos containing child pornographic material, including a 38-minute video compilation depicting prepubescent children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "Resources" tab on the left of the page.
Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the HSI, the Anne Arundel Police Department, and the Anne Arundel State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Duey who prosecuted the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
# # #
Craven County Armed Drug Trafficker Sentenced to More Than 28 YearsRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – A Dover man was sentenced today to 340 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and a quantity of cocaine, and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and a quantity of heroin.
According to court documents, Terrence Denon Miller, 31, also known as “Wank,” was named in a two-count Indictment filed on October 3, 2018. On August 20, 2020, the Defendant was convicted at trial on both counts.
Beginning in 2014, the Craven County Sheriff’s Office began receiving information regarding the drug trafficking activities of Miller at his residence on Sand Hill Road in Dover.
On August 14, 2014, members of the Craven County Sheriff’s Office executed a search. In the living room, deputies recovered hydrocodone and oxycodone pills, cocaine, electronic scales, drug packaging material, currency, and an empty .45 caliber handgun case.
On August 27, 2014, a second search warrant was executed at the same residence. Deputies seized cocaine and $7,565 in currency.
On September 28, 2016, the Craven County Sheriff’s Office used confidential informants to purchase 27.97 grams of cocaine from Miller at his residence on Harding Avenue in Kinston.
On June 16, 2017, North Carolina Probation and Parole conducted a search of Miller’s residence, and two firearms were seized. Investigators also recovered baggies containing residue that tested positive for illegal drugs.
On June 22, 2017, the Duplin County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop of Miller’s vehicle as he drove away from a known drug location. Miller consented to a search of the car, but he appeared to be very nervous. In the trunk, deputies found a 9mm handgun in a backpack. Miller admitted that he had purchased and then distributed more than a dozen kilograms of cocaine over the prior year.
In January 2018, the Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office used confidential informants to purchase methamphetamine from two individuals who were supplied by Miller.
On April 6, 2018, North Carolina Probation and Parole conducted a search of Miller’s residence on Sweet Amy Lane in La Grange. In the kitchen, officers located a bag containing 81.88 grams of crystal methamphetamine with a purity of 95% and 4.69 grams of heroin.
Deputies then obtained a search warrant and seized cocaine, marijuana, digital scales, $2,039 in currency, a grinder, and a loaded handgun magazine.
Miller agreed to speak with investigators, and he admitted that he had been distributing kilogram quantities of cocaine and more than a kilogram of methamphetamine.
Norman Acker, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Craven County Sheriff’s Office, Duplin County Sheriff’s Office, Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office, and the Drug Enforcement administration (DEA) investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dena J. King and Scott A. Lemmon prosecuted the case.
This case is part of the United States Attorney’s Office’s Take Back North Carolina Initiative. This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices on a sustained basis in those communities to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement. For additional information about this initiative, click here https://www.justice.gov/usao-ednc/tbnc.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:18-cr-00054-FL-1.
Citrus Springs Man Pleads Guilty to Producing Child Sex Abuse ImagesRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Dustin Shane Sandiford (31, Citrus Springs) has pleaded guilty to using a minor to produce child sex abuse images. He faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, and up to 30 years, in federal prison. He had been indicted on June 30, 2021. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 21, 2022.
According to the plea agreement, agents seized a cellphone from Sandiford on December 2, 2020, pursuant to a search warrant. The phone contained a cloud storage application tied to accounts that Sandiford used to hoard more than 17,000 images and videos depicting children being sexually abused. Further investigation revealed that Sandiford had enlisted another Citrus County resident to produce child sexual abuse images of an underaged relative and send them to Sandiford. This material was also found on one of Sandiford’s cloud storage accounts.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William S. Hamilton.
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.
Charleston Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston man was sentenced today to 16 months in prison for a federal gun crime.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Antoine Miller, 37, of Charleston, pleaded guilty earlier this year to being a felon in possession of a firearm and admitted that he possessed a stolen Ruger 9 mm handgun at Renaissance Circle in Charleston on April 28, 2020. Miller is prohibited from possessing firearms as a result of a prior felony conviction.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Charleston Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Steve Loew handled the prosecution.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:20-cr-00092.
###
California Man Sentenced to Eleven Years in Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A California man was sentenced to 132 months in prison for a federal drug crime. Troyvon Lewis, also known as “B.C.,” 32, of Los Angeles, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine in June 2021.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Lewis traveled from Los Angeles to Huntington to sell methamphetamine and marijuana. Lewis arranged the drug deal over the telephone and agreed to deliver approximately seven pounds of methamphetamine and two pounds of marijuana to an individual in Huntington. On March 28, 2021, the day the drug deal was to take place, Troopers with the West Virginia State Police conducted a traffic stop on I-64 in Cabell County on a vehicle in which Lewis was a passenger. The car was searched and Troopers seized seven pounds of methamphetamine and two pounds of marijuana from the trunk of the vehicle. Lewis admitted he intended to sell the controlled substances to the individual in Huntington.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and praised the collaborative work of the law enforcement agencies in the Southern and Northern Districts of West Virginia that conducted the investigation. The agencies that were involved in the investigation were the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Potomac Highlands Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, the Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West, and the West Virginia State Police.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie S. Taylor handled the prosecution.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:21-cr-00054.
###