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Thursday 12 August 2021
Justice Department Announces Expansion of Firearms Technical Assistance Project to Strengthen Community Response to Domestic Violence Incidents Involving FirearmsRead the Press Release
Today, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) announced the expansion of its Firearms Technical Assistance Project (FTAP) to help communities across the country reduce domestic violence homicides and injuries committed with firearms. OVW will award an estimated $6 million for up to 12 sites and $4 million for training and technical assistance on firearms and domestic violence.
“Enforcing gun laws and keeping firearms from the hands of perpetrators of domestic violence is crucial to keeping victims safe,” said OVW Acting Director Allison Randall. “The FTAP expansion is another example of the department’s commitment in its efforts to reduce violent crime. The funding will help our grantees develop and implement community-based and culturally specific strategies to enforce firearms laws and is an important part of preventing homicides.”
In 2019, OVW and the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges launched FTAP, which was designed to help communities implement policies, protocols and promising practices to prevent abusers from having access to firearms in domestic violence cases. As part of the announcement, OVW released a solicitation to fund six new FTAP sites in addition to the six existing FTAP sites, which include: Birmingham, Alabama; Muscogee (Creek) Nation; Columbus, Ohio; Brooklyn, New York; the state of Vermont; and Spokane, Washington. The deadline for applications in Grants.Gov is Sept. 20, 2021, and the JustGrants deadline is Sept. 22, 2021. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit a non-binding Letter of Intent by Sept. 7, 2021.
The FTAP expansion will provide direct financial support for all sites, as well as new technical assistance designed to help each site incorporate community partners, particularly partner organizations that center underserved populations, into their efforts to implement effective responses to firearms and domestic violence. Training and technical assistance projects will include $2 million to help the sites implement an effective firearms response. Of particular importance will be an additional $2 million to train and support the sites on the cultural context of domestic violence in underserved communities. Additionally, OVW will award $750,000 to continue a domestic violence and firearms national resource center.
This solicitation supports the Justice Department’s comprehensive strategy for reducing violent crime. Under federal law, individuals with domestic violence misdemeanor and felony convictions, as well as individuals subject to domestic violence protective orders, are prohibited from possessing firearms. The data shows that offenders with domestic violence in their past pose a high risk of homicide. In fact, domestic violence abusers with a gun in the home are five times more likely to kill their partners.
About the Office on Violence Against Women
The Office on Violence Against Women provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges. Learn more at www.justice.gov/ovw.
Justice Department Announces Expansion of Firearms Technical Assistance Project to Strengthen Community Response to Domestic Violence Incidents Involving FirearmsRead the Press Release
Today, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) announced the expansion of its Firearms Technical Assistance Project (FTAP) to help communities across the country reduce domestic violence homicides and injuries committed with firearms. OVW will award an estimated $6 million for up to 12 sites and $4 million for training and technical assistance on firearms and domestic violence.
“Enforcing gun laws and keeping firearms from the hands of perpetrators of domestic violence is crucial to keeping victims safe,” said OVW Acting Director Allison Randall. “The FTAP expansion is another example of the Department’s commitment in its efforts to reduce violent crime. The funding will help our grantees develop and implement community-based and culturally specific strategies to enforce firearms laws and is an important part of preventing homicides.”
In 2019, OVW and the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges launched FTAP, which was designed to help communities implement policies, protocols and promising practices to prevent abusers from having access to firearms in domestic violence cases. As part of the announcement, OVW released a solicitation to fund six new FTAP sites in addition to the six existing FTAP sites, which include: Birmingham, Alabama; Muscogee (Creek) Nation; Columbus, Ohio; Brooklyn, New York; the state of Vermont; and Spokane, Washington. The deadline for applications in Grants.Gov is Sept. 20, 2021, and the JustGrants deadline is Sept. 22, 2021. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit a non-binding Letter of Intent by Sept. 7, 2021.
“In homes where domestic abusers have access to firearms, women are five times more likely to be killed and there is increased risk of multiple homicides,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “The Muscogee Nation has a strong reputation for working to protect and serve families endangered by domestic violence. This FTAP funding is another avenue in which they have sought to protect victims. I appreciate their work and encourage other communities to apply for these critical resources.”
“The Muscogee Nation’s resolve to address and put full commitment to eradicating family violence on our reservation has never been stronger,” Principal Chief David Hill said. “With more resources and these type of partnerships we can realize the dreams we’ve always had, for a safe and prosperous future for our people.”
The FTAP expansion will provide direct financial support for all sites, as well as new technical assistance designed to help each site incorporate community partners, particularly partner organizations that center underserved populations, into their efforts to implement effective responses to firearms and domestic violence. Training and technical assistance projects will include $2 million to help the sites implement an effective firearms response. Of particular importance will be an additional $2 million to train and support the sites on the cultural context of domestic violence in underserved communities. Additionally, OVW will award $750,000 to continue a domestic violence and firearms national resource center.
This solicitation supports the Justice Department’s comprehensive strategy for reducing violent crime. Under federal law, individuals with domestic violence misdemeanor and felony convictions, as well as individuals subject to domestic violence protective orders, are prohibited from possessing firearms. The data shows that offenders with domestic violence in their past pose a high risk of homicide. In fact, domestic violence abusers with a gun in the home are five times more likely to kill their partners.
About the Office on Violence Against Women
The Office on Violence Against Women provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges. To learn more about this grant visit: /media/1160536/dl?inline.
Jury Convicts Belleville Man of Attempting to Arrange Sex with Young GirlRead the Press Release
East St. Louis, Ill. – A Belleville man is facing at least 10 years in prison after a federal jury
found him guilty today of attempting to arrange sexual activity with a minor.According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Sean P. Van Horn, 49, responded on
April 29, 2020, to a Craigslist ad placed by FBI agents advertising incest. Van Horn
then began exchanging emails with an undercover agent who portrayed himself as the father of a
10-year-old girl. Over the course of roughly one month, Van Horn sent the agent multiple messages
that described in graphic terms the specific sexual acts that he wished to perform on the girl. Van
Horn also asked to meet up with the agent and the fictitious girl so that he could have sex with
her.FBI agents arrested Van Horn on May 28, 2020, when he showed up at the prearranged location in
O’Fallon, Illinois.Graphic messages sent by Van Horn to the undercover agent were shown to the jury during the two-
day trial held at the federal courthouse in Benton, Illinois. Jurors also heard a recorded call
that Van Horn made to his girlfriend while he was in custody in which he admitted to being on
Craigslist “doing things I shouldn’t have been doing.”Sentencing has been scheduled for Nov. 16, 2021, in front of United States District Judge Stacie M.
Yandle. Attempted enticement of a minor is punishable by at least 10 years and up to life in
prison.FBI-Springfield conducted the investigation.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karelia Rajagopal and Casey Bloodworth.
Jamaican national sentenced to prison in illegal Canada border crossingRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Jamaican national who admitted to illegally crossing into Montana from Canada and was arrested with others near Whitefish after a car chase was sentenced today to two years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
Christopher White, 45, also known as Gregory White, Jahnyi Foster and Raymond White, pleaded guilty on April 12 to illegal reentry of a deported or removed alien.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.
In court documents filed in the case, the government alleged that White, a Jamaican national, was removed from the United States in March 2020 through New York to Canada. White did not have permission from Department of Homeland Security to re-enter the United States. On Jan. 23, White returned to the United States near West Kootenai, near Eureka, and not a port of entry. White, who was a passenger along with two others in a vehicle, was arrested after a 75-mile car chase in which a defendant, Rastesfaye Neil, was the driver. Neil pleaded guilty to charges and is pending sentencing.
Border Patrol agents located a Nissan Sentra leaving the area where three subjects had illegally crossed over the international boundary. The agents attempted to stop the vehicle, and the Nissan eventually pulled to the side of the road. As agents approached the vehicle on foot, the Nissan sped away and headed southeast on Highway 93. Law enforcement ultimately deployed a vehicle immobilization device, and the Nissan came to a stop down a small embankment off the highway north of Whitefish. Law enforcement arrested the four occupants.
The Border Patrol, Flathead County Sheriff’s Office, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, Eureka Police Department, Whitefish Police Department and Montana Highway Patrol investigated the case.
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Jackson Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Firearms in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking CrimesRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Jackson man pled guilty to possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Paul Brown, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Mississippi.
According to court documents, on January 24, 2020, agents with the FBI, Jackson Police Department and Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics executed a search warrant at a Jackson residence, and Javarius Jones, 20, was taken into custody during the execution of the warrant. Several hundred grams of marijuana, multiple firearms, ammunition, and United States currency was seized from the residence. Jones admitted during a recorded interview that he regularly sold marijuana and that he possessed multiple firearms for protection.
Jones will be sentenced on December 2, 2021, and faces a minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum of life. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charles W. Kirkham.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Internet predator admits coercing children to provide sexual imagesRead the Press Release
STATESBORO, GA: A Bulloch County man faces substantial time in federal prison after admitting he persuaded children to send him sexual images and photos.
Jasiri Hutchison, 20, of Statesboro, is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty in U.S. District Court to Production of Child Pornography and Possession of Child Pornography. The plea consolidates charges brought in both the Southern District of Georgia and the Middle District of Georgia. The plea agreement subjects Hutchison to minimum 15-year prison term, up to 30 years, along with substantial financial penalties and restitution, followed by up to a life term of supervised release and registration as a sex offender.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“Jasiri Hutchison’s predatory behavior represents a nightmarish victimization of innocent children,” said Acting U.S. Attorney David H. Estes. “Through the persistence of our law enforcement partners in Homeland Security Investigations, he now will be held accountable for his crimes.”
As described in court documents and testimony, as early as April 2019 through December 2020, Hutchison typically portrayed himself as a young girl in online interactions with children via various messaging applications, at first persuading them to send innocuous photos of themselves and later threatening to share those photos with their friends unless the victim sent increasingly sexualized images or videos of themselves and/or siblings. In his plea, Hutchison admitted possessing more than 600 sexually explicit images of children.
“The Internet provides a wealth of information and endless entertainment, but it also offers predators the anonymity they need to victimize innocent children with their perverse schemes. We all must be constantly aware of what our children do online as well as who they interact with because you never truly know who is lurking in the shadows,” said Special Agent in Charge Katrina W. Berger, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Georgia and Alabama. “HSI and its law enforcement partners will relentlessly pursue, arrest and prosecute those looking to exploit our children.”
Anyone with information on suspected child sexual exploitation can contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 800-843-5678, or https://report.cybertip.org/.
The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer J. Kirkland and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator Tara M. Lyons.
Illinois Man Ordered to Pay over $82,000 in RestitutionRead the Press Release
HAMMOND-Mohammed Shahbaz Khan, age 46, of Bourbonnais, Illinois, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to making false claims related to mortgage assistance from the Hardest Hit Fund, a federal mortgage assistance initiative offered by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Troubled Asset Relief Program, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.
Khan was sentenced to 12 months’ probation and ordered to pay $29,926.46 in restitution to the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority; $25,753 to the Indiana Department of Employment Security and $26,880.18 to the United States Department of Agriculture.
According to documents in this case, the purpose of the Hardest Hit Fund was to help stabilize communities in States that were “hardest hit” by the 2008 economic and housing market downturn. In Indiana, the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority administers the fund. Only Indiana homeowners with one home in which they lived could receive Hardest Hit funds.
Khan knowingly submitted false residency statements to obtain mortgage assistance on an Indiana property while living elsewhere. Khan received mortgage assistance for 17 months, to which he was not entitled.
“Today the defendant was sentenced after conviction as one of 462 defendants prosecuted for crimes that the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief (SIGTARP) investigated,” said Special Inspector General Christy Goldsmith Romero. “Mohammad Khan repeatedly lied to government agencies to defraud the Hardest Hit Fund out of federal funding intended to help unemployed homeowners stay in their home. We commend the U.S. Attorney’s office for standing united with SIGTARP to protect this program from crime.”
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (SIGTARP). This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Molly Kelley and Toi Houston.
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Houstonian sentenced for firearm smugglingRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 50-year-old Houston resident has been ordered to federal prison for smuggling goods from the United States and making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Leonel Avalos-Santoyo pleaded guilty June 6.
Today, U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana ordered him to serve a 46-month sentence to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release.
On April 25, 2020, Avalos-Santoyo traveled as a passenger in a commercial van from the United States into Mexico at the Lincoln Juarez Bridge in Laredo. Law enforcement stopped the vehicle and performed an inspection. During the search, they discovered five firearms, ammunition and firearm accessories inside Avalos-Santoyo’s luggage.
Upon further investigation, authorities determined that between Sept. 21, 2019, and Nov. 5, 2020, Avalos-Santoyo purchased 41 firearms at three federal firearms dealers in Harris County. During each transaction, he falsely claimed he was the actual buyer.
Previously released on bond, Avalos-Santoyo was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Bowling prosecuted the case.
Gulfport Man Pleads Guilty to Drug and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – A Gulfport man pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Brad L. Byerley, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”).
According to court documents and proceedings, on March 16, 2021, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle being driven by Joshua Taylor, 23, in Gulfport. During the stop, officers found heroin, methamphetamine, other drugs, and, in the center console of the vehicle, a Glock 19, 9mm handgun, loaded with 16 rounds of ammunition. Pursuant to a search warrant, officers subsequently conducted a search of Taylor’s residence where they discovered additional controlled substances.
A drug analysis indicates that Taylor possessed heroin, fentanyl, and more than 50 grams of methamphetamine.
Taylor pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. He also pleaded guilty to knowingly possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Taylor is scheduled to be sentenced on November 18, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. He faces a minimum sentence of 5 years in prison and a maximum of 40 years in prison for the methamphetamine charge. For possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, he faces a minimum of 5 years in prison and a maximum of life, which must be served consecutively to the sentence on the methamphetamine charge. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Buckner is prosecuting the case.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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Grand Jury Indicts Arapahoe Man on Assault with a Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Bob Murray announced today that RONALD BLAISE JENKINS, 25, of Arapahoe Wyoming, was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 22, 2021, for assault with a firearm resulting in serious bodily injury. The Indictment alleges that on January 5, 2021, Jenkins did knowingly carry, and discharge a firearm during and in relation to a federal crime of violence, namely, assault, resulting in serious bodily injury to the victim.
Jenkins appeared on August 10, 2021, before Chief United States Magistrate Judge Kelly H. Rankin and pleaded not guilty to the indictment. A jury trial is set for September 27, 2021, in Casper before Chief United States District Judge Scott W. Skavdahl. The maximum penalty upon conviction is not less than 10 years nor more than Life imprisonment; 5 years of supervised release; up to a $250,000 fine and a $300 special assessment.
The investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Wind River Police Department, with assistance from the Riverton Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Kerry J. Jacobson is prosecuting the case.
The charges against Jenkins are merely accusations, and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Fresno Man Indicted for Illegally Possessing AmmunitionRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment today against Marc Davis, 48, of Fresno, charging him with being a felon in possession of ammunition, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, on March 21, 2021, Davis engaged in an argument with another man in Fresno. Davis had a loaded, unserialized AR-15 style rifle in his hand during the argument. Police found Davis a short time later, and found an AR-15 style rifle along a path Davis had walked. Davis has multiple prior felony convictions, including convictions for infliction of corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant and second degree burglary.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Davis faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would 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. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Fourteen Individuals Charged in Multi-State Unemployment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
DETROIT - An indictment and criminal complaints unsealed by the United States Attorney’s Office today charge 14 people with wrongfully obtaining pandemic unemployment assistance benefits in multiple states, announced Acting United States Attorney Saima Mohsin.
Mohsin was joined in the announcement by Irene Lindow, Special Agent-in-Charge, Chicago Region, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, Timothy Waters, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Liza Estlund Olson, acting director of the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency, Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity.
Charged in the indictment are:
- Sharodney Harrison, 36, of Detroit;
- Seandrea Crawford, 27, of Detroit;
- Sharrell Harrison, 33, of Eastpointe;
- Sha-Ron Harrison, 31, of Harper Woods;
- Sharease Harrison, 35 of Detroit;
- Edward Taylor, 36, of Detroit;
- James Mayfied, 36, of Detroit;
- Frank Jennings, 43, of Dearborn Heights; and
- Sharonda Griffin, 31, of Center Line.
Criminal complaints in related cases charge:
- Brandi Randall, 35, of Detroit, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud;
- Eric Matthews, 27, of Detroit, with wire fraud;
- Lenora Calliway, 35, of Highland Park, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud;
- Steven Johnson, 32, of Detroit, with wire fraud; and
- Tyshia Coleman, 37, of Detroit, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
- Another criminal complaint charges Sharodney Harrison with being a felon in possession of firearms.
The indictment alleges that nine defendants conspired together to commit wire fraud by filing fraudulent unemployment insurance claims in the names of people who were not aware their names were being used, or who were not eligible for benefits, often in several states for the same person.
“These defendants are charged with exploiting the pandemic to steal unemployment benefits earmarked for the people of the State of Michigan for their own personal gain. These allegations are serious, and my office is committed to prosecuting any person who attempts to use the Covid-19 crisis to defraud the people of Michigan or the United States,” stated Acting United States Attorney Saima Mohsin.
"An important mission of the Office of Inspector General is to investigate allegations of unemployment insurance fraud. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate these types of allegations," stated Special Agent-in-Charge Irene Lindow, Chicago Region, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.
“Since the beginning of the pandemic, the FBI has investigated criminals from Michigan and across the country who found ways to steal from unemployment insurance programs,” said Timothy Waters, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “Unfortunately, the conduct alleged in these indictments is not unique and resulted in the loss of millions of dollars meant for Americans throughout the country. The FBI and its law enforcement partners will continue to devote significant resources to prevent unemployment insurance fraud and to hold accountable those who have already stolen taxpayer dollars meant for out-of-work Americans.”
“Many Michiganders have had to rely on unemployment benefits during these difficult economic times due to the pandemic and taking those benefits illegally hurts the workers who need them the most,” said Liza Estlund Olson, acting director of the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency. “We will continue to work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and all our partners to investigate and identify suspected fraud in Michigan and hold the people who commit these acts accountable.”
The charges in this case are the result of a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Labor—Office of Inspector General, and the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Meghan Sweeney Bean and Mark Chasteen.
Since June 2020, a total of 37 defendants have been charged in the Eastern District of Michigan with federal crimes relating to fraudulently seeking pandemic unemployment insurance benefits. Six defendants have entered guilty pleas; the remaining 31 cases are still pending. Collectively, these defendants are alleged to have submitted over $20 million in fraudulent pandemic unemployment insurance claims to the workforce agencies in Michigan and other states.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Each defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Similarly, a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Trial cannot be held on felony charges in a complaint. When the investigation is completed a determination will be made whether to seek a felony indictment.
For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form
Four Defendants Arrested in Multimillion-Dollar Counterfeit Goods Trafficking SchemeRead the Press Release
A 14-count indictment was unsealed yesterday in federal court in Brooklyn charging seven defendants with participating in a counterfeit goods scheme in which they imported generic goods into the United States from China, applied brand labels to those goods in workshops, some of which were controlled by the defendants, and then sold those counterfeit-branded goods to retail and wholesale purchasers. The charges against the defendants include conspiracy to traffic and trafficking in counterfeit goods and money laundering. Four defendants were arraigned yesterday before United States Magistrate Judge Sanket J. Bulsara and each was released on a $200,000 bond. Three additional defendants remain at large.
Jacquelyn M. Kasulis, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Peter C. Fitzhugh, Special Agent-in-Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI), and Dermot Shea, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the arrests and indictment.
“As alleged, the defendants trafficked in counterfeit merchandise that they fraudulently branded as genuine to pass off to purchasers in the United States at a purported retail value of more than $130 million,” stated Acting United States Attorney Kasulis. “This Office and its law enforcement partners are committed to protecting consumers from paying retail prices for phony merchandise and to holding defendants accountable for their greed.” Ms. Kasulis extended her grateful appreciation to the HSI Intellectual Property Group, the HSI Border Enforcement Security Task Force and the NYPD. Ms. Kasulis also extended her thanks to U.S. Customs and Border Protection for its assistance.
“HSI New York’s Border Enforcement Security Taskforce stands at the forefront of the fight against criminal organizations who identify weaknesses in our supply chain and infiltrate them for their personal financial gain,” stated HSI Special Agent-in-Charge Fitzhugh. “In addition to their detrimental effect to our economy, counterfeiting networks such as this one poses a threat to our national security and public safety by introducing products that often contain harmful materials and substances. HSI and CBP are uniquely positioned to combat these organizations and, along with our partners at the New York City Police Department, will work tirelessly to protect New York City and the Homeland.”
As alleged in the indictment, between October 2019 and July 2021, the defendants participated in an international scheme to traffic counterfeit goods. The defendants first imported the goods in generic form from China into the Port of New York and New Jersey. The goods were then delivered to workshops and storage facilities controlled by some of the defendants in Queens and on Long Island. In those workshops, insignias, emblems, trademarks and other brand signifiers were applied to the generic goods, converting them into purported brand name merchandise. These counterfeit goods were then sold as a part of the scheme directly to consumers and to wholesale buyers. The estimated retail value of the counterfeit-branded goods, had they been genuine, was in excess of $130 million.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Dylan A. Stern and Benjamin L. Weintraub are in charge of the prosecution. Assistant United States Attorney Tanisha Payne of the Office’s Asset Recovery Section is handling forfeiture matters in the case.
The Defendants:
HAI LONG ZHOU (also known as “Zangkun Zhou”)
Age: 53
Queens, New YorkSAIYIN HOU
Age: 25
Brooklyn, New YorkYAN XUE HUANG (also known as “Yan Xue Zhou” and “Yan Xue Li Ming”)
Age: 50
Queens, New YorkJIAN FEN YANG
Age: 57
Queens, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 21-CR-417 (SJ)
Former Procurement Director at Broward Health Sentenced to 42 Months in Prison for Bribery ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – Today, Brian Bravo, 46, of Pembroke Pines, Florida a former procurement director at Broward Health, was sentenced to 42 months in prison and to pay a forfeiture money judgment of $427,000. On June 1, 2021, Bravo pled guilty in federal district court in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida to a federal conspiracy charge, admitting that he accepted kickbacks from vendors and a consultant in exchange for awarding them lucrative government contracts.
From 2005 through 2015, Brian Bravo worked as the Corporate Procurement Officer and Director of Materials Management of North Broward Hospital District, known in the community as Broward Health. As Procurement Director, one of Bravo’s responsibilities was to decide which vendors would provide goods and services to Broward Health, including health care products, linens, compression sleeves, and printer repairs. During his change of plea hearing, Bravo admitted to accepting approximately $427,000 in kickback payments ($150,000 of it in cash) from two vendors and a consultant for two additional vendors in exchange for awarding them Broward Health goods and services contracts. In 2015, Bravo steered kickback payments to designated bank accounts in order to conceal the illegal activity.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, announced sentence.
FBI Miami investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey N. Kaplan is prosecuting it.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 20-cr-60125.
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Former Manager at Fort Leonard Wood Pleads Guilty to TheftRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The former general manager of the hospital dining facility at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, pleaded guilty in federal court today to stealing more than $69,000 from the cash registers.
Gregory Arthur Norton, 53, of Springfield, Mo., pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to one count of theft of public money.
Norton was employed by Sodexo, Inc., which was contracted to provide food services to the patients and staff of the General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital, from August 2015 to July 2018. Norton’s duties as general manager included managing payroll for the employees, managing the budget, reviewing financial statements and tracking operating expenses for the hospital dining area, the close out of all cash drawers, and the preparation and verification of the daily cash deposit.
Significant cash discrepancies totaling $78,320 were discovered during an audit in November 2018. These discrepancies were identified as being related to large unexplained voids conducted at the cash register Point of Sale (“POS”) systems, which began in November 2015 and ended in March 2018. The report concluded the voids were conducted by one or more Sodexo managers in an attempt to defraud the government. The report further concluded Norton was present and working in the dining facility during the loss of at least $69,025. Multiple witnesses stated that Norton worked unusual hours, often staying at work longer than would be considered normal for someone in his position.
Norton admitted he conducted fraudulent voids at the POS systems from August 2015 to March 31, 2018. Norton used his manager code to authorize the voids and stole the voided amount of cash. Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Norton must pay $69,025 in restitution to the government.
Under federal statutes, Norton is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years 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 Shannon T. Kempf. It was investigated by the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command at Fort Leonard Wood.
Former DEA Special Agent Sentenced to over 13 Years in Prison for Corruption-Related ChargesRead the Press Release
A former Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent was sentenced today to 160 months in prison for nine crimes related to official misconduct, including perjury, obstruction of justice, and theft.
According to court documents, Chad Allan Scott, 53, of Covington, Louisiana, perjured himself and directed others to commit perjury to obtain a conviction against an alleged drug dealer. He also falsified forms so that he could take possession of a truck bought for him by a drug dealer. When he and two other law enforcement officers began to worry that they would be investigated, Scott and the others conspired to throw evidence of their wrongdoing into the swamps outside New Orleans. Scott also stole money and possessions from defendants his DEA group had arrested. Scott was found guilty in August 2019 and June 2021 after his case was severed into two separate federal trials by Federal District Court Judge Milazzo.
“Chad Scott wielded his police powers to victimize the very citizens he had sworn to serve and protect, eroding the community’s trust in law enforcement and undermining the rule of law,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L. McQuaid of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s sentencing shows that law enforcement officers who betray the public’s trust will be held accountable and punished accordingly.”
“Chad Scott took an oath to serve his community with integrity, but rather than use his badge to protect his community, he used it to break the law,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “This goes against everything that the Drug Enforcement Administration stands for. Scott betrayed the very people he was entrusted to protect and today he is being held accountable for his crimes.”
“Corrupt officials who break the law and breach their oaths will be prosecuted and sent to prison, even if they come from within the ranks of federal law enforcement,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas A. Williams Jr. of the FBI’s New Orleans Field Office. “Today’s sentencing demonstrates that Chad Scott will be held responsible and that no one is above the law. We thank our partners at DOJ, DEA-OPR, and DOJ-OIG for their strong partnership and unrelenting pursuit of justice.”
“While he was a law enforcement agent, Scott compromised cases and conspired to steal from the people he arrested,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas B. Bruce of the Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General (DOJ-OIG) Denver Field Office. “His actions were antithetical to the oath he swore to uphold. Now, he will rightly serve time for his many crimes.”
This case was initially investigated by the Louisiana State Police and later by the FBI, DEA Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR), and DOJ-OIG.
Assistant Deputy Chief Timothy A. Duree of the Justice Department’s Fraud Section and Trial Attorney Charles A. Miracle of the Justice Department’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section prosecuted the case.
Felon Sentenced to More Than 3 Years in Prison for Illegally Possessing Handgun in New HavenRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ALLEN LUSMAT, 30, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 37 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for unlawfully possessing a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 10, 2019, Tyrell Cox-Henderson entered a convenience store in New Haven and placed a Smith & Wesson .357 caliber revolver behind some merchandise on a shelf. Approximately one hour later, Lusmat entered the store and retrieved the firearm from the shelf. Later that day, after New Haven police officers had reviewed the convenience store’s surveillance video, officers stopped a car in which Lusmat was a passenger. As officers approached the vehicle, Lusmat threw a black plastic bag out of the window. A search of bag revealed the firearm that Lusmat retrieved from the store. Lusmat was arrested at that time.
Prior to April 2019, Lusmat was convicted in state court of firearm, assault and burglary offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
Lusmat has been detained since his arrest. On November 18, 2020, he pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon.
Cox-Henderson pleaded guilty to the same charge on September 14, 2020, and awaits sentencing. He also has been detained since April 10, 2019.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the New Haven Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel J. Gentile.
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.
Felon Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing Firearms on Two Occasions, Including One When He Attempted to Run from the PoliceRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Anthony Dwayne White, age 29, of Suitland, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The guilty plea 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 Robert J. Contee III of the Metropolitan Police Department (D.C. MPD); and Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD).
According to his guilty plea, on June 20, 2014, White was convicted of attempted distribution of cocaine in the District of Columbia Superior Court and was sentenced to 20 months imprisonment, with all but 6 months suspended. Upon his conviction, White became ineligible to possess a firearm.
Since his 2014 conviction, White has illegally possessed firearms on at least two separate instances.
For example, on September 24, 2020 law enforcement officers conducted a search of White’s District Heights, Maryland residence, pursuant to a lawfully issued search warrant, and recovered one .40 caliber handgun with one round of ammunition, a magazine containing fourteen rounds of ammunition, two digital scales, one glass measuring cup with heroin residue, three boxes of buprenorphine and naloxone sublingual film, and other identifying information in White’s name. After White was advised of his rights, White admitted that the handgun was in his possession.
On January 30, 2021, in Washington D.C., a Metropolitan Police Department officer conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle that failed to come to a complete stop at a stop sign. White was identified as the driver of the vehicle and was asked to step outside the vehicle. After processing White’s license and registration, the officer discovered that White had an active arrest warrant related to the September 24, 2020 offense. When the officer asked White to put his hands behind his back, White attempted to flee on foot.
In the process of capturing White, the officers and White fell to the ground. During the conflict, an officer observed a handgun in White’s jacket pocket. The handgun was identified as a .45 caliber pistol loaded with thirteen rounds of ammunition.
White faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for each count followed by up to three years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm has scheduled sentencing for November 17, 2021 at 2:30 p.m.
Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the HSI, D.C. MPD, and the PGPD for their work in the investigation. Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin B. Pulice, Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brendan Woods, and Brian W. Lynch, who are prosecuting the case.
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Federal Jury Finds Registered Sex Offender Guilty of Possessing of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A federal jury found a Minneapolis man guilty of possessing images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of minors, announced Acting U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk.
Following a four-day trial before Judge Eric C. Tostrud, Gene Paul Schave, 50, was convicted of one count of possession of child pornography.
According to the evidence presented at trial, Schave is a registered sex offender who was convicted in 2010 in Minnesota state court for possessing child pornography. On October 3, 2019, while on supervised release for his previous conviction, Schave was found to be in possession of an Asus tablet that contained more than 3,000 images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of minors.
This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI, the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the Minneapolis Police Department.
This case was tried by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Miranda E Dugi and Emily A. Polachek.
Federal Jury Convicts St. Paul Man in Target Headquarters ArsonRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A federal jury found a St. Paul man guilty of arson and riot after looting, damaging, and burning businesses in downtown Minneapolis, announced Acting U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk.
Following a four-day trial before Judge Joan N. Ericksen, Victor Devon Edwards, 32, was convicted of one count of riot and one count of arson.
According to the evidence presented at trial, on the evening of August 26, 2020, Edwards joined a large crowd that had gathered in downtown Minneapolis following false rumors regarding police involvement in the death of a man on Nicollet Mall earlier that evening. Throughout the course of the evening, Edwards engaged in acts of rioting, looting, and other property damage. Beginning around 9:00 p.m., Edwards and his co-defendant Shador Tommie Cortez Jackson worked together to steal women’s purses and other items from Saks Off Fifth. Edwards sent text messages to various acquaintances telling them, “I got M[ichael] K[ors] purses.” In response to a text message from one acquaintance asking why he was downtown, Edwards simply replied, “Lootin.”
Shortly before 11:00 p.m., Edwards and Jackson were captured on video surveillance using a construction sign to break into the Target Corporation’s headquarters building. Once inside, Jackson started a fire inside the mailroom while Edwards added a liquid accelerant to fuel the fire.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the FBI, the Minneapolis Fire Department, and the Minneapolis, Bloomington, and Richfield Police Departments.
This case was tried by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan H. Nelson and Chelsea A. Walcker.
Federal Jury Convicts South Bay Man of Child Pornography and Child Enticement ChargesRead the Press Release
SAN JOSE – A federal jury today convicted Johnny Ray Wolfenbarger of attempted production of child pornography, the attempted coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in child pornography production, and the receipt of child pornography, announced Acting United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds and Federal Bureau of Investigation Craig D. Fair. The verdict follows a one week trial before the Honorable Lucy H. Koh, United States District Judge.
Wolfenbarger, 64, of the South Bay, proceeded to trial for the offenses charged in a February 6, 2020, superseding indictment, that is, one count of the attempted production of child pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2251(a) and (e); one count of the attempted coercion and enticement of a minor (defined as an individual under 18 years of age) to engage in attempted child pornography production, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2422(b); and the receipt of child pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252(a)(2). The jury returned guilty verdicts on all counts.
According to the evidence presented at trial to the federal jury, the FBI received a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). A web services provider earlier had notified NCMEC of child pornography that was attached to an email and identified the user of the e-mail address as a person receiving or distributing child pornography. In 2016, FBI agents were granted a federal search warrant to examine the contents of the email account for child pornography. The email account was determined to belong to Wolfenbarger. Upon executing the warrant, the FBI identified numerous additional images of child pornography that had been sent to Wolfenbarger by other people. The search warrant further revealed evidence that, in 2013, Wolfenbarger solicited and paid individuals in the Philippines to create custom-made child pornography at his direction, which was transmitted to him live via webcam.
Among further evidence presented to the jury, records indicated that Wolfenbarger traveled to the Philippines throughout 2015 and early 2016. Wolfenbarger returned to the United States on August 2, 2016. Upon his arrival at San Francisco International Airport, he was referred for a customs inspection and met with an FBI Special Agent. Wolfenbarger was interviewed, and he admitted requesting and watching sex acts carried out by children between the ages of three and twelve years old during his webcam viewing sessions. Wolfenbarger stated that he would typically request that the children masturbate, perform oral sex on each other or an adult, or request adults use sex toys on the children. Wolfenbarger admitted he watched these sex acts on a desktop and laptop computer at his home. Wolfenbarger stated that he paid for the child pornography transmissions via Western Union and by using the tip function of the webcam service. Western Union records produced at trial documented over $25,000 in money transfers from Wolfenbarger to individuals in the Philippines.
Further evidence presented at trial indicated that on August 25, 2016, Wolfenbarger called the FBI Special Agent and requested another meeting. The meeting occurred on August 31, 2016, and the conversation was recorded. During the meeting, Wolfenbarger provided additional information about his email accounts and passwords.
The total evidence presented by the government at trial included Wolfenbarger’s recorded statements, his chats and e-mails, the images of child pornography attached to the e-mails Wolfenbarger received and sent, and records of the Western Union money transfers sent by Wolfenbarger to pay for the child pornography that was created at his direction.
The statutory sentences are as follows:
• for attempted production of child pornography in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2251(a) and (e): imprisonment for a minimum term of 15 years and a maximum term of 30 years, a maximum fine of $250,000, and a minimum term of supervised release of 5 years and a maximum of life;
• for attempted coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in the charged attempted child pornography production in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2422(b): imprisonment for a minimum term of 10 years and a maximum term of life, a maximum fine of $250,000, and a minimum term of supervised release of 5 years and a maximum of life; and
• for the receipt of child pornography in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252(a)(2): imprisonment for a minimum term of 5 years and a maximum term of 20 years, a maximum fine of $250,000, and a minimum term of supervised release of 5 years and a maximum of life.Any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the Court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
United States District Judge Lucy H. Koh scheduled a sentencing hearing on December 8, 2021, at 9:15 a.m. Wolfenbarger was remanded into the custody pending sentencing.
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 http://www.justice.gov/psc.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marissa Harris and Maia Perez prosecuted the case with the assistance of paralegal Mimi Lam and legal assistants Susan Kreider and Sahib Kaur. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and United States Customs and Border Protection.
Federal Indictment Charges Four Men for a Drug Distribution Conspiracy Involving Cocaine, Heroin and FentanylRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging four men for a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl. The indictment was returned on August 11, 2021. The defendants were arrested on a related criminal complaint on August 10, 2021. Charged in the indictment are:
Pedro Luis Ramos-Diaz, a/k/a “Rafael Antoni Regalado-Jiminez” and “Angel Diaz,” age 38, of
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;
Nelson Antonio Serrano-Munoz, a/k/a “Victor Santiago,” age 36, of Landover, Maryland;
Erick Vonsander, a/k/a “Erick Vonsander-Jimenez,” “Julio Alcantara,” and “Eddie Vonsander,”
age 54, of Chillum, Maryland; and
William Calderon, age 43, of York, Pennsylvania.The indictment was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Division; Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Department of Police; Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department; Chief Robert J. Contee III of the Metropolitan Police Department; Colonel Robert Evanchick, Commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police; Commissioner Danielle Outlaw of the Philadelphia Police Department; and Commissioner Michael Muldrow of the City of York, Pennsylvania Police Department.
According to the indictment and related court documents, law enforcement obtained information that between December 2020 and about August 10, 2021, Vonsander was allegedly supplying cocaine to a confidential source for approximately $1,400 per ounce. As detailed in the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, further investigation revealed that Ramos-Diaz, Serrano-Munoz, and Calderon were also part of the conspiracy.
If convicted, the defendants each face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Vonsander, Serrano-Munoz, and Calderon each had an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt on the criminal complaint. Vonsander was detained; Serrano-Munoz was detained pending a detention hearing on August 13, 2021, and Calderon was released under the supervision of U.S. Pre-Trial Services. Ramos-Diaz is expected to have his initial appearance on August 13, 2021.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
This case is 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 that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the DEA, the Montgomery County Department of Police, the Prince George's County Police Department, the Metropolitan Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Philadelphia Police Department, and the City of York Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erin B. Pulice and Rajeev R. Raghavan, who are prosecuting 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 https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Ex-Marine Again Convicted of Using Drugs and Force to Sexually Abuse Young Girls in CambodiaRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – At the end of a re-trial prompted by appellate court reversal, a federal jury today convicted a retired Marine Corps captain who traveled to Cambodia in 2005 for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with minors.
Michael Joseph Pepe, 67, a former resident of Oxnard who has been in federal custody since 2007, was found guilty of four felony offenses – two counts of traveling in foreign commerce with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and two counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child.
United States District Judge Dale S. Fischer is scheduled to sentence Pepe on December 6, at which time he will face a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison. The two counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child each carry mandatory minimum sentences of 30 years in prison.
During the seven-day trial, jurors heard testimony from eight minor victims who were as young as 9 when they were sexually abused. Each of the victims testified that Pepe sexually abused them, and several explained that Pepe drugged, bound, beat and raped them.
Prosecutors also presented evidence corroborating the victims’ testimony, including homemade child pornography.
Pepe was initially charged in this case in 2006. After being brought to the United States in early 2007, he was subsequently tried, convicted and sentenced to prison. The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the conviction in 2018, and prosecutors decided to retry the defendant.
The investigation in this case was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and the Cambodian National Police.
Chief Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie S. Christensen, AUSA Damaris Diaz of the Violent and Organized Crime Section, and AUSA Lynda Lao of the General Crimes Section are prosecuting this case.
Eagle River Man Charged with Child Pornography CrimesRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that an indictment was unsealed today charging Ryan Shelton, 29, Eagle River, Wisconsin, with receiving and possessing child pornography. The indictment was returned yesterday by a grand jury sitting in Madison.
The indictment alleges that on February 12, 2021, Shelton received a live stream video via Omegle that depicted a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The indictment also alleges that on May 26, 2021, Shelton possessed visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, and that at least one of the depictions involved a minor who had not attained 12 years of age.
Shelton was arrested this morning at his home and appeared in U.S. District Court in Madison this afternoon. He was ordered detained pending further proceedings.
If convicted, Shelton faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison on the charge of receiving child pornography, and a maximum of 20 years on the possession charge. He is also subject to a lifetime period of supervised release.
The charges against Shelton were the result of an investigation conducted by the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation assisted by the Vilas and Oneida County Sheriffs’ Offices. Assistant U.S. Elizabeth Altman 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.
District Woman Pleads Guilty to Two Assaults, Including One Prosecuted as Hate CrimeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Nicole Gogan, 41, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty this week to charges stemming from two assaults that took place this spring, including one that was prosecuted as a hate crime, Acting U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced today.
Gogan pleaded guilty on Aug. 9, 2021, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to one count of bias-related assault and one count of simple assault. She was sentenced by the Honorable Neal E. Kravitz to a total of 180 days in jail, with all but 90 days suspended on the condition that she complete a year of probation.
According to the government’s evidence, the first incident took place on April 6, 2021. At approximately 9:30 that night, Gogan assaulted a U.S. Postal Service worker who was making deliveries in the vicinity of the 400 block of 4th Street NE. Gogan shoved the worker, who is a Black female, while using racial slurs against her. The worker tried to flee, but Gogan pursued her and continued her assault by repeatedly shoving her while using racial slurs.
The second incident took place on May 7, 2021. That evening, at about 7:15, Gogan initiated an encounter with a woman at 12th and H Streets NE, and then assumed a fighting stance while yelling, “Do you want to fight?”
Gogan was arrested on May 7 and has been detained ever since.
In announcing the plea and sentencing, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of those who investigated the cases from the Metropolitan Police Department. He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the cases from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Travis Wolf, who investigated and prosecuted both matters.
Corrected Release: Final Defendant in Video Gambling Machine Tax Evasion Case Sentenced to 14 MonthsRead the Press Release
This release corrects an earlier version which indicated that James Donker cooperated with the government. That was incorrect.
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that James Donker, 63, Eagle River, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 14 months in federal prison and fined $25,000 for conspiracy to the defraud the Internal Revenue Service. Donker pleaded guilty to this charge on June 4, 2021.
Donker is the sixth defendant to be charged and convicted of tax crimes relating to a federal tax investigation into video gambling machine (VGM) vendors and bar owners who skimmed VGM cash receipts and failed to pay federal and state income taxes, as well as state sales taxes on the gambling revenues. The other defendants include:
Defendant
Charge
Tax Loss
Prison Sentence Imposed
Fine Imposed
Restitution Ordered to IRS and WI Dept. of Revenue
Cherie Hellenbrand
Filing False Tax Return
$268,852
6 months
$350,191
Dudley Hellenbrand
Filing False Tax Return
$268,852
6 months
$350,191
Tom Laugen
Tax Evasion
$580,220
1 year and 1 day
$548,416
Mary Lavine
Filing False Tax Return & Conspiracy to Defraud the IRS
$3,028,930
1 year and 1 day
$75,000
$2,762,622
Colin Albany
Conspiracy to Defraud the IRS
$146,337
1 year of probation
$146,337
This investigation began when an IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent working undercover posed as a buyer for Middleton Sports Bowl (MSB), which had been listed for sale by the owners, Dudley and Cherie Hellenbrand in late 2017. The undercover agent met with the Hellenbrands, Tom Laugen, and Colin Albany at MSB on May 31, 2018. At that meeting, the Hellenbrands admitted to the agent that they skimmed the cash receipts from the VGMs and did not report the skim on their tax returns. They told the agent they stored the skimmed VGM cash receipts at a safe in their home and used the cash to pay for various things, including a car, spending money for vacation, $40,000 in landscaping, and cash wages to some of their employees.
Laugen told the agent that his company, Global Vending, prepared false collection tickets and false machine generated tickets that underreported the true gross receipts and profits generated from the VGMs. Laugen stated, “you got to steal in this business or you ain’t going to make any money.” Laugen later admitted to investigators that Donker supplied the false machine generated tickets.
Albany told the agent that his company, Bullseye, would report whatever VGM income number the bar owner wanted them to report. Bullseye's owner, Mary Lavine, later told the Hellenbrands she would underreport the VGM cash receipts by whatever number the Hellenbrands desired.
Search warrants executed at MSB and at the homes of Laugen and the Hellenbrands resulted in the seizure of ledgers and business records showing the evasion of federal and state taxes on VGM cash receipts going back to 2010. All six defendants pleaded guilty and four of the six - but not Donker - agreed to cooperate with the government in enforcing tax compliance with their bar customers who operated VGMs.
At today's sentencing, Judge Peterson explained that Donker’s sentence was 2 months more than Laugen’s, his colleague at Global Vending, because Donker destroyed his business records after being served with a federal grand jury subpoena demanding the production of the records. Judge Peterson emphasized that Donker committed a serious crime that involved a significant tax loss. As a result, Donker needed a sentence that was punitive and would send a message to the business community that "if they evade taxes this is the price they will pay. There is a cost to it and the cost is a prison term."
Judge Peterson ordered Donker to report to prison on September 17, 2021. The judge also ordered Donker to pay total restitution of $540,619, which consists of $224,733 to the IRS, $42,411 to the Wisconsin Department of Revenue for Donker's state income taxes, and $273,475 to the Wisconsin Department of Revenue for the state sales taxes due and owing by Global Vending. Judge Peterson noted that Donker's restitution order may be moot because Donker paid $540,619 last month to settle these tax debts.
The case against these six defendants is the result of an investigation by IRS Criminal Investigation and the Wisconsin Department of Revenue, Office of Criminal Investigation. The prosecution of this case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Graber and Chadwick Elgersma.
Convenience Store Robber is Sentenced to 10 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Acting U.S. Attorney William T. Stetzer announced today that James Edward Massey, 27, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell, for the robbery of a Circle K convenience store.
Robert R. Wells, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join Acting U.S. Attorney Stetzer in making today’s announcement.
According to filed court documents and statements made in court, on August 24, 2020, at approximately 4:04 a.m., Massey approached the Circle K convenience store located at 4801 Central Avenue, in Charlotte. Inside the Circle K were a store employee and a vendor making a delivery. Court records show that the store employee saw Massey standing outside and unlocked the front door, thinking that Massey was a customer. Massey entered the store brandishing a semi-automatic handgun, pointed the firearm at the store employee and ordered him to hand over cash from the register. Massey threatened to shoot the employee and the vendor if the employee did not comply. The employee handed Massey approximately $70 from the register and Massey fled the scene on foot.
On August 27, 2020, CMPD’s Armed Robbery Unit received two Crime Stopper tips identifying Massey as the suspect in the Circle K robbery. Following an investigation, law enforcement arrested Massey in connection with robbery of the convenience store.
On April 16, 2021, Massey pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery and Hobbs Act Robbery.
Massey is currently in custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
In making today’s announcement, Acting U.S. Attorney Stetzer thanked the FBI and CMPD for handling the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hess, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.
Constable of Claiborne Parish, Louisiana Pleads Guilty to Misbranding Illegal SupplementsRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – William Earl Maddox, 73, of Haynesville, Louisiana, the Constable of Claiborne Parish, Louisiana, pleaded guilty today before United States District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to misbranding an illegal supplement, Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced.
Maddox was charged in a superseding indictment in September 2020 with selling and misbranding illegal supplements online and in stores. At today’s hearing, he pleaded guilty to a felony charge of misbranding of a drug while held for sale after shipment in interstate commerce. In connection with his guilty plea, Maddox agreed to a forfeiture judgment not to exceed $50,000 to the United States and agreed to sell real property in Homer, Louisiana to satisfy that judgment.
According to information presented at the hearing, Maddox formed Middle Marketing, LLC in 2011. Shortly thereafter, he began operating two websites, www.sexassurance[.]com and www.middlemarketing[.]com, wherein he advertised for sale capsules called “Sex Assurance.” Maddox described the capsules on his websites as a “natural male enhancement solution.”
In 2017, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection intercepted a package that was shipped from Hong Kong and addressed to Maddox at his residence in Homer, Louisiana. The parcel was inspected and found to contain 2,000 unlabeled blister-packaged green capsules. The parcel was then referred to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA sent two letters to Maddox advising that the parcel had been detained for non-compliance with the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and advising him of his right to respond regarding the admissibility of the capsules. Maddox did not respond to either letter, and so the capsules were surrendered.
In January 2018, FDA agents conducted a controlled purchase of two packs of Sex Assurance from Maddox’s website. An online receipt was issued that identified Middle Marketing as the seller and provided the email address and phone number associated with Maddox. A few days later, agents received a package shipped from Haynesville, Louisiana, that contained a business card in the name of “William Maddox” along with the two packs of Sex Assurance that were ordered. Both packs of Sex Assurance were labeled “100% natural herbs.” The Sex Assurance capsules were submitted to the crime lab for analysis and tested positive for sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra. The packs did not list sildenafil as an ingredient of the product, nor did it list any identifying information of the manufacturer, packer or distributor.
In March 2019, agents executed a search warrant at Maddox’s residence. Agents found thousands of green blister-pack capsules, Sex Assurance labels, packaged Sex Assurance capsules, a computer, and other items to suggest Maddox packaged the product from his home. Maddox is not a licensed practitioner, nor has he ever registered with the Secretary of Health and Human Services to manufacture and distribute drugs as required by 21 U.S.C. § 360.
“The regulations put in place by the FDA are to be taken seriously. When individuals decide to purchase medications from outside of the United States and sell to unknowing victims, it could result in serious complications,” stated Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook. “Cases such as these will continue to be brought against those who choose to abuse these regulations.”
"Misbranded prescription drugs that are disguised as dietary supplements and smuggled from overseas can present a serious health risk to those who buy and use them,” said Special Agent in Charge Justin C. Fielder, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Miami Field Office. “The drugs often contain undisclosed active pharmaceutical ingredients and are made under unknown conditions. We will continue to investigate and bring to justice those who attempt to traffic in misbranded prescription drugs.”
The defendant, William Earl Maddox, faces a sentence of not more than three years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Sentencing has been set for December 10, 2021.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Cassidy is prosecuting the case.
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Columbia Woman Pleads Guilty to Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, Miss. – A Columbia, Mississippi woman pled guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of health care fraud.
According to court documents, beginning in 2016 and continuing for well over two years, Joy Beth Harden, 51, executed a scheme to defraud Medicare and other health care benefit programs. Specifically, Harden submitted fraudulent bills for durable medical equipment on behalf of her business, BZB LLC doing business as Duracare Home Medical Equipment in the Hattiesburg area. As a result, Medicare and other benefits programs paid Harden for durable medical equipment that was never prescribed for patients and for medical equipment that was never delivered to the patients.
Harden pled guilty on Tuesday, August 10, 2021. She will be sentenced on November 23, 2021, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Harden remains in federal custody awaiting sentencing.
The announcement was made by Acting U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca, Acting Special Agent in Charge Paul W. Brown of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Mississippi, Special Agent in Charge Derrick L. Jackson of U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS OIG) Atlanta Regional Office, Special Agent in Charge Cynthia A. Bruce of the DoD OIG, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) Southeast Field Office, and Inspector General Martin J. Dickman of U.S. Railroad Retirement Board, Office of Inspector General (RRB OIG).
The case was prosecuted by Deputy Criminal Chief Dave Fulcher.
Columbia Man Receives Maximum Federal Prison Sentence for Firearm and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina --- Acting United States Attorney M. Rhett DeHart announced that Eric Jahann Nixon, 39, of Columbia, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison on firearm and drug charges, after having been convicted following a three-day trial in April. Nixon was convicted on being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, as well as possession of crack cocaine.
Evidence presented in court showed that at approximately 7pm on Friday, October 16, 2020, Columbia Police Department officers responded to Wash City Laundromat off Broad River Road after receiving a number of 911 calls about a man brandishing a firearm and assaulting a 65-year-old female attendant at the laundromat.
At the scene, officers were approached by witnesses who provided a detailed description of the man and also provided officers with a cellphone video taken of him during the incident. A screenshot of the man from that cellphone video was distributed to other officers who were canvassing the area in search of him. A short time later, an officer encountered the man, identified as Eric Jahann Nixon, walking nearby and placed him in investigative detention. During a lawful pat-down search of Nixon, officers recovered a loaded Hi-Point .380 caliber handgun in the man’s waistband of his shorts. A further search revealed a pill bottle containing a baggie of 3 grams of crack cocaine and a razor blade.
Surveillance video from the Laundromat confirmed that Nixon was the man who pulled a handgun from his waistband and assaulted the laundromat attendant, as well as pointed the firearm at others in the parking lot.
Nixon is a felon and prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law based upon prior state and federal convictions. Nixon’s prior adult convictions include: possession of a stolen motor vehicle (1998 in Lexington County), conspiracy to commit money laundering (2005 federal conviction in Columbia), assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature (2005 in Lexington County), throwing bodily fluid on correctional officer (2005 in Lexington County), indecent exposure to adult while in the Federal Bureau of Prisons in West Virginia (2010 federal conviction), forgery (2013 in Lexington County), distribution of crack cocaine near a school (2016 in Richland County), driving under the influence, (2016 in Calhoun County), and unlawful carrying of a pistol, stemming from a shooting outside of a Waffle House (2018 in Richland County).
During the sentencing hearing, in addition to hearing a summary of Nixon’s prior criminal history since age 12, the court was presented evidence showing that, since being in custody on these charges, Nixon had accumulated dozens of disciplinary violations within the local detention center, including possessing a handmade weapon and threatening correctional officers. On one occasion, Nixon told a female correctional officer, “Bitch, when you write me up, I’m going to know your whole name. I will shoot your head off, blow your brains out. I will have your whole family dead by tonight, you better ask about me. Bitch, I’m important.” On another occasion, Nixon told a correctional officer that he has beat all his cases and that he will beat this one and google her to blow her head off and kill her kids. The court was also presented evidence outlining the numerous disciplinary violations Nixon accumulated while in federal prison on an earlier federal conviction.
Senior United States District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie sentenced Nixon to the maximum of 120 months imprisonment on the firearm charge and the maximum of 24 months on the possession of crack cocaine charge, with those sentences to be served concurrently with one another. Once Nixon is released from prison, he will be on federal supervised release for 3 years. There is no parole in the federal system. In pronouncing the sentence, the Court noted that Nixon had a “significant criminal history” and his conduct has been “out of control and inappropriate” in prison, the local detention center, and in the courtroom.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Columbia Police Department.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey D. Haynes, as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.
PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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Clairton, PA Man Indicted on Federal Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A resident of Clairton, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal narcotics and firearms laws, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.
The four-count Indictment named Darryl Craig, 41, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on July 14, 2021, Craig possessed with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine and a quantity of crack cocaine, possessed a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon, possessed a firearm in furtherance of the drug trafficking offense, and possessed with intent to distribute a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a public elementary school. Craig was previously charged by criminal complaint on July 15, 2021.
According to the complaint and supporting affidavit, investigators obtained a search warrant for Craig’s residence. When they were executing the search warrant, they encountered Craig leaving the residence from a basement stairwell. They took Craig into custody for an active bench warrant from the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas. In the course of their search, investigators found two semi-automatic handguns, several live rounds of ammunition for various different calibers, magazines, boxes for both a weapon mounted light and optic, body armor, approximately thirteen ounces of mixtures and substances that field-tested positive for cocaine some of which was suspected to be powder cocaine and some of which was suspected to be cocaine base in the form commonly known as crack, approximately 12 ounces of suspected marijuana, approximately six grams of suspected ecstasy pills, several pieces of indicia addressed to Darryl Craig at this residence, $58,351 in US currency, eight cellular telephones, keys to a Mercedes Benz belonging to Darryl Craig, and copious amounts of drug paraphernalia associated with processing, manufacturing, and packaging of both cocaine and crack cocaine for sale. Craig has prior felony convictions in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas for carrying a firearm without a license and for the manufacture, delivery, or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance.
For the drug charge, the law provides for a sentence between five and 40 years in prison, a fine of up to $5,000,000 or both. For possessing the firearm in furtherance of that drug trafficking offense, the law provides for an additional sentence of at least five years in prison to be served consecutive to any other sentence. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Craig has been detained at the Allegheny County Jail since his arrest on July 14, 2021.
Assistant United States Attorney Ira M. Karoll is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Allegheny County Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case and has been assisted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Clairton Police Department, and the Elizabeth Township Police Department in conducting the investigation.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Chicago Man Sentenced to 15 Years of ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Lavelle Hatley, 26, of Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon to 180 months of imprisonment following his guilty plea to possessing a firearm as a felon, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tina L. Nommay.
According to documents in the case, on January 9, 2020, Hatley was driving in Gary, Indiana, when police performed a traffic stop. Hatley exited his vehicle, fled on foot, and was apprehended a short time later while possessing a firearm. Hatley has an extensive criminal history which includes ten prior felony convictions; eight prior convictions for robbery affecting commerce, one prior conviction for battery, and one prior conviction for attempted escape.
This case is the result of the investigative efforts of the ATF/HIDTA Task Force and the Lake County Sheriff’s Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caitlin M. Padula and David E. Hollar.
Charleston Hotel Employees Charged in 21-Count Federal Indictment for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
Charleston, South Carolina --- Acting United States Attorney M. Rhett DeHart stated today that a Federal Grand Jury has returned a 21-count indictment charging Star Barkley, 39, of Ladson, and Audrina Lincoln, 30, of Charleston, for wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
The indictment alleges that, from at least September 2017 through June 2019, while employees at the Days Inn hotel on Meeting Street in downtown Charleston, Barkley and Lincoln conspired to devise a scheme to defraud and obtain money by means of false and fraudulent pretenses. Namely, the indictment alleges that Barkley and Lincoln would re-open guests accounts that were checked out and with zero balances, typically one to four months after the stay, and adjust various revenues posted to the account during the stay. These revenue adjustments would result in a credit balance on the account. To check-out and close the account, the remaining credit balance would have to be issued to some method of payment.
The indictment further alleges that Barkley and Lincoln would refund the credit balances to debit cards and bank accounts they controlled as well as debit cards and bank accounts of other parties who would transfer money back to the defendants. Additionally, the indictment alleges that Barkley and Lincoln would provide false guest satisfaction complaints and other false representations in the hotel electronic database to justify the revenue adjustments.
It is alleged in the indictment that, at a minimum, $153,000 was unlawfully obtained in the scheme.
Barkley and Lincoln face up to 20 years of imprisonment on the charges.
The case is being investigated by the United States Secret Service and the City of Charleston Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Allessandra E. Stewart is prosecuting the case.
Acting United States Attorney DeHart stated that all charges in indictments are merely accusations and that all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Bullhead Man Sentenced on Assault ChargesRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Bullhead, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault Resulting In Serious Bodily Injury was sentenced on August 09, 2021, by Judge Charles B. Kornmann, U.S. District Court.
Leland Brown, age 45, was sentenced to 12 months plus one day in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Brown was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 9, 2020. He pled guilty on May 11, 2021.
On April 20, 2020, in Bullhead, Brown was arguing with his significant other. As the argument escalated, Brown assaulted the victim with shod feet and the assault resulted in serious bodily injury.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs - Standing Rock Agency - Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley prosecuted the case.
Brown must self-report to prison by August 31, 2021.
Buffalo Man Arrested Following Months of Surveillance Pleads Guilty to Cocaine ChargeRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that James Terrell, 36, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. The charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 40 years, and a $5,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Adler, who is handling the case, stated that in the summer of 2019, investigators learned that the defendant was involved in bulk currency money drops. On August 20, 2019, Terrell was observed exchanging a bag. Subsequently, a traffic stop was conducted on the defendant’s vehicle, which he was operating. Investigators seized $80,110 and two cellular telephones from inside the center console of the vehicle. On April 9, 2020, Terrell was observed leaving an Earl Place residence with a package, which contained a kilogram of cocaine.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly; the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Timothy Howard; and the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Byron Lockwood.
Sentencing is scheduled for December 9, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. before Judge Sinatra.
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Bristol, Tennessee Man Sentenced in $499,000 Unemployment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – A Bristol, Tennessee man was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for conspiring with others to defraud the government of more than $499,000 and to commit mail fraud.
According to court documents, Jared Mitchell, 31, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to defraud the United States and one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud with respect to benefits authorized and paid in connection with a presidentially declared major disaster or emergency.
Mitchell participated in a conspiracy to commit fraud against the United States in connection with a scheme involving the filing of fraudulent claims for pandemic unemployment benefits.
According to court documents, Mitchell, and others, conspired to collect personal identification information of more than 35 co-conspirators, including 15 inmates in the custody of the Virginia Department of Corrections, and to file fraudulent claims of pandemic-related unemployment benefits.
Over the course of nine months, the conspiracy filed fraudulent claims for at least 37 individuals, with a total actual loss to the United States of at least $499,000.
Acting United States Attorney Daniel P. Bubar of the Western District of Virginia, Darrell J. Waldon, IRS-CI Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Washington DC Field Office, and Syreeta Scott, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge, Philadelphia Region, U. S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General announced the sentence today.
The Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Norton Police Department, and the Russell County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant United States Attorney Daniel J. Murphy prosecuted the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Brazilian National Pleads Guilty to Armed RobberyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brazilian man, previously residing in Chelsea, pleaded guilty today in connection with the April 21, 2020 armed robbery of Lanzilli’s Grocery in Boston.
Diego Evangelista DaSilva, 33, pleaded guilty to one count of armed robbery. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel scheduled sentencing for Nov. 23, 2021. DaSilva was charged in May 2020 and has been detained since.
Between Jan. 4, 2020 and April 20, 2020, a series of armed robberies occurred at commercial establishments in the Boston area, including pharmacies, gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. The suspect in each of the robberies appeared to be the same individual based on consistent characteristics recorded on video surveillance and described by witnesses. In many of the robberies, the robber entered the establishment, passed a demand note, made verbal demands for money and displayed what appeared to be a firearm tucked into the waistline of his pants.
On April 21, 2020, at 8:20 p.m., an armed robbery occurred at Lanzilli’s Grocery in Boston. During the robbery, the robber was observed wearing a gray knit cap, a flesh-colored mask and a gray hooded sweatshirt. Video and photo surveillance showed a red garment/jacket under the robber’s gray sweatshirt, the robber exiting the area, going in between two buildings and later emerging wearing a red jacket. The robber then left the area in a cab. The cab company’s records revealed that the robber was dropped off near Washington Park in East Boston.
On April 26, 2020, law enforcement officers surveilled the area of Washington Park and observed an individual, who fit the physical description of the robber, wearing similar clothing worn by the robber during the April 21, 2020, robbery. Law enforcement observed the individual drive away in a car, conducted a motor vehicle stop, determined that the driver – DaSilva – did not possess a driver’s license and detained him. A black semi-automatic BB gun and a gray knit cap were recovered from the car.
DaSilva’s home was searched and personal papers in his name, a red jacket, and various items of clothing and hats were recovered. DaSilva was later interviewed and admitted his involvement in the string of robberies.
The charge of armed robbery provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. DaSilva will also be subject to deportation. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins; Boston Police Acting Commissioner Gregory Long; Everett Police Chief Steven A. Mazzie; Chelsea Police Chief Brian Kyes; and Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth G. Shine of Mendell’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Birmingham Man Sentenced to 37 Months in Firearms CaseRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Birmingham man was sentenced today to 37 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, Thomas Edison Douglas, 27, was arrested in September 2020 by police in Saraland, Alabama. Officers had responded to a local hotel in response to a 911 call regarding a domestic dispute involving Douglas. When police encountered Douglas outside the hotel, they recovered a loaded Glock 9mm pistol equipped with an extended magazine, which he had concealed in his waistband. Douglas admitted to officers that he had the gun for his protection and that he previously had been convicted of felony robbery. As a result of his prior felony conviction, Douglas admitted that he knew he was prohibited from possessing firearms.Senior United States District Court Judge Callie V.S. Granade ordered Douglas to serve a three-year term of supervised release upon his release from prison, during which time he will undergo testing and treatment for substance abuse. The court did not impose a fine, but the judge ordered Douglas to pay $100 in special assessments.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Saraland Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.Birmingham Man Pleads Guilty to KidnappingRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Birmingham man pleaded guilty today to kidnapping and collecting ransom money, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona, Federal Bureau of Investigation Johnnie Sharp, Jr., and United States Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Patrick Davis.
Matthew Amos Burke, 35, pleaded guilty to kidnapping, bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit bank fraud. He entered his plea pursuant to a binding plea agreement with the government in which the parties jointly recommended Burke be sentenced to 204 months in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for November 2, 2021, before U.S. District Judge Abdul K. Kallon.
According to the plea agreement, on September 11, 2020, Burke unlawfully entered the home of the victim. Burke then abducted the victim and transported him to Burke’s residence, where the victim was forced to transfer $250,000 from his bank account into another bank account as directed by Burke. Once $250,000 was transferred, Burke drove the victim back to his residence and released him. The victim then contacted the Birmingham Police Department and the Mountain Brook Police Department.
The FBI and Secret Service investigated the case along with the Birmingham Police Department and the Mountain Brook Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys John Camp and William Simpson are prosecuting the case.
Birmingham Man Sentenced for Unlawful Dealing in FirearmsRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal judge today sentenced a Birmingham man for unlawful dealing of firearms, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Mickey French.
U.S. District Court Judge R. David Proctor sentenced Jecorey Tyshawn Edwards Allen, 26, to 21 months in prison followed by three years supervised release on one count of dealing in firearms without a license, one count of traveling interstate to acquire firearms for the purpose of dealing without a license, and seven counts of falsifying information on firearm acquisition records. Allen pleaded guilty to the charges in April.
“One of the most common ways criminals get guns is through straw purchase sales, where someone who may not legally acquire a firearm has another person buy it on their behalf,” U.S. Attorney Escalona said. “It is a priority of my office to stop the illegal flow of firearms used to commit violent crime in our cities.”
“ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence partnerships is effective in reducing the potential for violent firearms related crimes,” Special Agent in Charge Mickey French stated. “The illegal purchase and transfer of firearms negatively impacts our communities across the country.”
According to court documents, from November 2018 through July of 2019, Allen traveled from the Washington, D.C. area to Birmingham, and purchased at least 19 pistols from several licensed Birmingham firearm dealers. Allen falsified the ATF form 4473, Firearms Transaction Record, specifically stating that he was the actual buyer when in fact he was buying the firearms for other people. Allen then traveled back to the D.C. area, where he sold the illegally purchased guns. One of the guns purchased by Allen in Birmingham in February 2019, was used in a shooting in Washington, D.C. four months later.
The ATF investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Cross prosecuted.
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.
Bates City Man Sentenced for Meth Trafficking, Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Bates City, Missouri, man who was responsible for distributing nearly 100 kilograms of methamphetamine, has been sentenced in federal court after law enforcement officers seized nearly two dozen firearms and illegal drugs from his residence.
Daniel Dewayne Gregg, 58, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough on Wednesday, Aug. 11, to 10 years and 10 months in federal prison without parole.
On April 8, 2021, Gregg pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
According to court documents, Gregg was responsible for distributing 98 kilograms of methamphetamine. Law enforcement officers identified Gregg as a major supplier of methamphetamine trafficking following several controlled drug purchases. Officers executed a search warrant at Gregg’s residence on Sept. 11,2020, and placed him under arrest.
Gregg told officers that he had been dealing crystal methamphetamine continuously for at least the past six months. Gregg stated that he was a kilogram-level dealer of crystal methamphetamine and had sold, at a conservative minimum, at least 12 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine per month for the past six months (and had been selling large amounts of methamphetamine for at least a year and a half).
Gregg stated he had several large-scale customers who purchased at least a half-kilogram of methamphetamine from him at a time. One customer, said Gregg, purchased one or two kilograms of methamphetamine each week. Gregg said he purchased methamphetamine for $12,000 per kilogram and sold it for about $13,000 per kilogram.
Officers located a large firearms safe in the basement of Gregg’s residence that contained 22 firearms and a large amount of cash; in total, officers seized $22,240 from Gregg’s residence, which has been forfeited to the government.
Officers also searched Gregg’s vehicle and found 151.6 grams of methamphetamine, 436.5 grams of marijuana, and 207 prescription pills that were identified to be either Xanax, Alprazolam, Clonazepam, or Amphetamine and Dextroamphetamine pills, which were in unlabeled prescription pill bottles. Officers seized a total of 318 pills of scheduled controlled pharmaceutical prescriptions not in Gregg’s name. Officers also found methamphetamine inside a fanny pack. They found a loaded Smith and Wesson .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol on top of the fanny pack. Gregg told officers he had the firearm because he had been threatened by individuals wanting to do him harm, and Gregg stated he had the firearm in case those individuals came to his residence to harm him.
According to court documents, Gregg was on supervised release at the time of this offense after serving a sentence of 100 months in federal prison for a conviction of conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. Gregg has numerous prior convictions, including multiple controlled substances convictions.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Alford. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Operation LeGend
Operation LeGend is a federal partnership with local law enforcement to address the increase in homicides and violent crime in Kansas City, Mo., in 2020. The operation honors the memory of four-year-old LeGend Taliferro, one of the youngest fatalities during a record-breaking year of homicides and shootings. Additional federal agents were assigned to the operation from the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the U.S. Marshals Service.
Anchorage Kidnapper and Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 50 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE – An Anchorage man was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Sharon Gleason to 50 years in prison for kidnapping and drug trafficking.
According to court documents, Macauther Christmas Vaifanua, 35, aka “Mac” and his brother, Faamanu Vaifanua, 31, aka “Junior” distributed heroin in the Anchorage area through the kidnapped victim between January 2015 and August 2017.
Believing that the victim had stolen from their residence, he was lured to Vaifanua’s home on August 13, 2017. As the victim was leaving the residence, he was led into the garage where he was forcibly bound and gagged. The victim was then beaten and tortured for nearly an hour by Vaifanua and his co-defendants in an assault that was captured on Vaifanua’s home video surveillance system. Vaifanua and his co-defendants used an aluminum baseball bat, a metal broom stick and their hands and feet to beat the defendant into unconsciousness, causing severe injuries and permanent disability. After a certain point, believing that the victim was either dead or near death, Vaifanua and his co-defendants then placed the victim inside a metal dog kennel while still bound and gagged.
Vaifanua and several of his co-defendants then threatened a person in the area at gunpoint to back his pickup truck to the garage door. The group loaded the kennel into the back of the truck with the victim still in it. The driver was told at gunpoint to leave and never be seen again. After driving away from the area, the driver stopped to see what had been loaded into his truck. Upon seeing the victim, he immediately drove to a hospital emergency room where the victim received life-saving medical attention including brain surgery.
Vaifanua pleaded guilty to federal kidnapping and drug trafficking charges in March 2020.
“This was not a random act of violence but a calculated act of savagery against another human being and a complete disregard for human life,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Bryan Wilson, District of Alaska. “Mr. Vaifanua will serve the next five decades in federal prison where there is no possibility of parole. The citizens of Alaska will not tolerate drug trafficking and the violence that is an integral part of that activity. We will work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to ensure justice is served.”
“Such brutality and indifference to human life is unacceptable,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Adam Pierce of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “This vicious assault and kidnapping were criminal acts that happened in a residential neighborhood, a place where Alaskans should feel safe. Know that the FBI and our partners on the Safe Streets Task Force will always be relentless in our efforts to identify, locate and apprehend dangerous offenders who threaten the safety of our communities.”
“Violent crime will not be tolerated,” said Chief Kenneth McCoy with the Anchorage Police Department. “This investigation highlights the strength of our federal partnerships to keep violent offenders off the street.”
Co-defendants in this case are “Junior” Vaifanua, 35, Jeffrey Ahvan, 33, Rex Faumui, 28, and Tamole Lauina, 25. They are currently in custody awaiting their separate hearings.
The Anchorage Police Department (APD), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephan A. Collins and Adam Alexander prosecuted the case.
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.
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Amarillo Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 35+ Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
An Amarillo man has been sentenced to 35 years and five months in federal prison for gun and drug crimes, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Prerak Shah.
In April, a federal jury in Amarillo convicted Jeffrey Rene Lopez, 52, of two counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes, and one count of felon in possession of firearms. He was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk.
According to evidence presented at trial, Mr. Lopez was dealing meth out of two residences in Amarillo.
On October 19, 2020, law enforcement recorded a confidential informant calling Mr. Lopez to schedule a $1,000, two-ounce meth buy. Two days later, equipped with an audio/video recording device, the CI knocked at the door of Mr. Lopez’s residence.
Once inside, the CI watched Mr. Lopez pull out a large bag of crystal meth and scoop about an ounce into smaller plastic baggie. When the CI said the substance looked “shaky” (low quality), Mr. Lopez promised to get the second ounce from another location. Mr. Lopez retrieved additional meth from his brother’s residence and handed it off to the CI at a local laundromat.
About a month later, the CI informed law enforcement that Mr. Lopez was traveling back from California with a load of methamphetamine. DEA agents spotted him on Interstate Highway 40 near Amarillo, and called in Texas DPS troopers to place him under arrest pursuant to a warrant. When law enforcement searched his vehicle, they found two bundles of meth hidden inside a spare tire in the trunk. Agents also searched two residences in Amarillo, where they found a total of nine guns: seven pistols, an AR-15 style rifle, and a .22 rifle with an extended magazine.
In an interview a short while later, Mr. Lopez confessed to possession of both the guns and the drugs, stating that he got the meth from a source in California who had previously “ripped him off.”
Due to his prior felony convictions, Mr. Lopez was prohibited by law from possessing – including buying, borrowing, carrying, storing, or shooting – firearms. His former convictions include three counts of possession of a controlled substance for sale, two counts of transportation of a controlled substance, one count of unlawful possession of a controlled substance, two counts of felon in possession of a firearm, and obliterated firearm violation, all in California.
“This defendant smuggled drugs across state lines to distribute to Texans struggling with addiction, using firearms in furtherance of his crimes,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Prerak Shah. “Amarillo is safer today because he is behind bars. And I expect he will spend his decades in prison regretting his choices.”
“The arrest and conviction of Mr. Lopez has undoubtedly made our Amarillo safer,” said Eduardo A. Chavez, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Dallas Field Division, which is responsible for the Amarillo area. “This is a clear example of the marriage of drugs and guns and something that the men and women of DEA Amarillo and our law enforcement partners will tirelessly work to destroy.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division, Amarillo Resident Office conducted the investigation with assistance from the Amarillo Police Department, the Randall County Sheriff’s Office, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey Haag and Meredith Pinkham prosecuted the case with the help of Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Marie Bell.
Albert City Woman Pleads Guilty to Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
A woman who laundered funds from her illegal business pled guilty August 9, 2021, in federal court in Sioux City. Yesenia Ledesma-Ledezma, age 23, from Albert City, Iowa, was convicted of money laundering and agreed to forfeit property she acquired with proceeds from her illegal business.
At the plea hearing, Ledesma-Ledezma admitted that on April 9, 2020, she engaged in money laundering by purchasing a home for approximately $65,000 with proceeds derived from her extensive business operations which involved smuggling counterfeit goods into the United States and trafficking those counterfeit goods. The counterfeit goods known to law enforcement had an approximate domestic value of over $370,000, and defendant took in a profit of at least $65,000 from her counterfeit trafficking and smuggling activities.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Ledesma-Ledezma remains free on bond pending sentencing. Ledesma-Ledezma faces a possible maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons and was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21-4063.
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31 Indicted in Cross-State Drug Trafficking RingRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, PA – Thirty-one people – 29 residents of Cambria, Indiana, Allegheny, Philadelphia and Montgomery Counties in Pennsylvania, one resident of Long Beach, California, and one resident of Middletown, Delaware, - have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Johnstown on a charge of violating federal narcotics laws, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.
The one-count Indictment, returned on August 10 and unsealed today, named:
Mikal Davis, 44, of Philadelphia, PA;
Darren Alston, 29, of Johnstown, PA;
Anthony Andrews, 40, of Johnstown, PA;
Debra Bailey, 58, of Johnstown, PA;
Sandra Box, 55, of Johnstown, PA;
Jonathan Brunson, 50, of Johnstown, PA;
Hector Concepcion, 32, Johnstown, PA;
Willette Cooper, 39, of Johnstown, PA;
James Dotson, 43, of Johnstown, PA;
Joshua Edmonds, 28, of Johnstown, PA;
Azheem Ellis, 45, of Johnstown, PA;
Ruby Gil, 30, of Indiana, PA;
Shawn Howard, 47, of Johnstown, PA;
Kevin Johnson, 35, of Johnstown, PA;
Rashim Kennedy-Williams, 41, of Philadelphia, PA;
Perry King, 45, of Johnstown, PA;
Amber Lingafelt, 38, of Johnstown, PA;
Dwight Logan, 42, of Johnstown, PA;
Jeffrey Mann, 43, of Philadelphia, PA;
George Mazey, 50, of Johnstown, PA;
Timothy Mollett, 40, of Turtle Creek, PA;
Mary Lou Nelson, 58, of Johnstown, PA;
James Pearcy, 57, of Philadelphia, PA;
Gina Petrucci, 51, of Conshohocken, PA;
Derrick Polk, 58, of Long Beach, CA;
Paul Smith, 43, of Middletown, DE;
Rodney Smith, 65, of Johnstown, PA;
Joseph Thornton, 31, of Johnstown, PA;
Amanda Weidner, 37, of Johnstown, PA;
Jessica Wilson, 35, of Johnstown, PA; and
Blake Young, 32, of Johnstown, PA.The Indictment charges all defendants with conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of heroin, five kilograms or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine, 280 grams or more of a mixture and substance continuing a detectable amount of cocaine base, in the form commonly known as crack, 400 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, from April 2019 to July 2021, in the Western District of Pennsylvania.
“Through this indictment, we have dismantled a major drug trafficking organization operating in Johnstown and beyond,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Kaufman. “Restoring safe and drug-free neighborhoods for the law-abiding citizens in our communities remains our singular goal. Today we took another important step in that effort.”
“The suspects arrested today thought they could come into a small community like Johnstown, set up shop and then leave without a trace,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Mike Nordwall. “The FBI’s Southwest Pennsylvania Safe Streets Task Force is combining all our strengths to tackle the drug problem as a team. Groups that have been a menace for years are being stopped so our neighborhoods can reclaim their identities.”
“Drugs ruin families, communities and lives. The defendants preyed on drug addicts in Pennsylvania for their own greed without any remorse for the lives they destroyed,” said David Abbate, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations – Pittsburgh. “Today's arrests send a resounding message that HSI Special Agents are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to aggressively uncover, dismantle and disrupt criminal organizations who conspire to distribute illicit drugs.”
“Drug trafficking is a dangerous and violent enterprise,” said Attorney General Shapiro. “These traffickers were in possession of multiple deadly firearms while peddling more than 150,000 doses of fentanyl/heroin and other drugs for a profit. Thanks to the collaborative work with our local and federal law enforcement partners, 37 arrests warrants were issued to take down this drug trafficking operation. My office will continue to work with our partners to shut down these organizations -- wherever they’re found.”
Cambria District Attorney Greg Neugebauer added, “This is a perfect example of the critical partnership between federal, state, and local law enforcement. The collaborative work between agencies helps protect the citizens of Cambria County, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the United States as a whole. I thank the men and women who worked tirelessly and effectively used resources to orchestrate this operation that holds individuals who pollute our streets with drugs accountable. We will continue to fight every day to make our community the safest possible place to live, work and play. I am tremendously proud of this effort and look forward to seeing the dividends that are paid for our area.”
“Each and every day, members of our county are negatively impacted by the scourge of narcotics trafficking,” said Indiana County District Attorney Robert Manzi. “Crimes such as thefts, DUIs, assaults and even murder are committed for the sole purpose of obtaining money to buy more drugs. Cooperative efforts between local, state and federal law enforcement that focus our collective efforts on stopping large scale drug trafficking operations help everyone in our community. My office is committed to working with our partner agencies to stop these drug trafficking operations. We thank Acting U.S. Attorney Steve Kaufman, Cambria County District Attorney Greg Neugebauer, members of the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, ATF, Pennsylvania State Police, Indiana Borough Police and the Indiana County Drug Task Force for working together to make our county safer.”
The statue calls for a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years of incarceration. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendants.
Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Laurel Highlands Resident Agency and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case. Additional agencies participating in this investigation include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, Pennsylvania State Police, Cambria County District Attorney’s Office, Indiana County District Attorney’s Office, Cambria County Sheriff’s Office, Cambria Township Police Department, Indiana Borough Police Department, Johnstown Police Department, Upper Yoder Township Police Department, Richland Police Department, Ferndale Police Department and other local law enforcement agencies.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Wednesday 11 August 2021
Will County Man Arrested on Federal Charges for Allegedly Transporting a Minor from Iowa to Engage in Criminal Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A Will County man has been arrested on federal charges for allegedly transporting a minor to Illinois from Iowa to engage in criminal sexual activity.
RYAN ZELEK, 28, of Wilmington, Ill., is charged with one count of production of child pornography and one count of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. The FBI on Tuesday arrested Zelek and conducted a court-authorized search of his residence. A detention hearing in federal court in Chicago is set for Friday at 1:00 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gabriel A. Fuentes.
The arrest and charges were announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. Valuable assistance was provided by the Wilmington, Ill., Police Department. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate McClelland.
According to a criminal complaint filed in federal court, Zelek communicated with the 13-year-old girl on the social media application Snapchat. On July 30, 2021, Zelek drove to Iowa, picked up the girl outside of a movie theatre, and drove her to his home in Illinois, where he sexually abused her, the complaint states. Zelek allegedly used his cell phone to record part of the sexual encounter. Zelek then drove the victim back to Iowa, the complaint states.
If convicted on the count of producing child pornography, Zelek faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison and a maximum of 30 years. If convicted on the transportation count, Zelek faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years and a maximum of life.
The public is reminded that a complaint is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
If you believe you are a victim of sexual exploitation, you are encouraged to contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by calling 1-800-843-5678 or logging on to www.cybertipline.com.
Wichita Falls Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing MachinegunRead the Press Release
A Wichita Falls man pleaded guilty today to possessing devices that convert semi-automatic weapons into machineguns, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Prerak Shah.
Paul David Shaw Jr., 30, was charged via criminal complaint in May and indicted in July. He pleaded guilty on Wednesday to one count of possession of an unregistered firearm.
According to plea papers, Mr. Shaw admitted that he used Snapchat to advertise the sale of Glock “switches.” Also known as “auto sears,” switches are small, easy-install devices designed to convert semi-automatic pistols into fully automatic firearms, classified under federal law as machineguns.
A federal agent, acting in an undercover capacity, purchased two Glock switches from Mr. Shaw for $600 each. Investigators test-fired the Glock switches, and confirmed that they functioned as designed, causing the gun to fire more than one round of ammunition with a single depression of the trigger.
Law enforcement also conducted a search of a commercial building Mr. Shaw used, where they found several additional switches.
“Switches allow criminals to fire off multiple rounds with a single squeeze of a trigger,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Prerak Shah. “Unfortunately, we’re seeing an influx of switches on our streets, where they are inflicting serious harm. ATF and the U.S. Attorney’s Office are committed to keeping our communities safe by keeping these dangerous items out of the wrong hands.”
“Someone selling tools that make firearms fully automatic is one of law enforcement’s greatest fears. Automatic weapons in the hands of those aiming to cause harm is what keeps cops up at night. The fact that Mr. Shaw was selling these on social media should cause us all grave concern. I applaud the efforts of all of those involved in the arrest of this reckless individual,” stated ATF Dallas Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey C. Boshek II.
Mr. Shaw now faces a maximum of ten years in prison, as well as possible fines.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division conducted the investigation with assistance from the Wichita Falls Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rob Boudreau prosecuted the case.
Visit to Parole Officer Leads to Arrest and Conviction for Illegal Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - Sirtajro Tourei Heard, 31, of Shreveport, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to 69 months (5 years, 9 months) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced.
On October 1, 2019, Heard reported to his parole officer and was subsequently arrested and taken to the Caddo Correctional Center (CCC). Once at CCC, Heard made a phone call instructing an unknown individual to go to the residence where Heard was living and pick up a backpack and the thing on top of the kitchen cabinet. The next day, his parole officers went to that residence and obtained permission to search the residence from the owner. Officers located a Nike backpack containing a large quantity of clear baggies, digital scales an envelope filled with marijuana, and two baggies of marijuana. Also found on top of the kitchen cabinet was a pistol with a Glock switch attached and an extended magazine loaded with 19 rounds of ammunition. Heard admitted to possessing the firearm and knowing that as a convicted felon he was prohibited from doing so.
Heard’s prior felony convictions are for simple criminal damage to property (2008); possession of narcotics (2011); possession of marijuana (2012); possession of a narcotics (2016); and possession with intent to distribute narcotics and felon in possession of a firearm (2018).
The ATF and Louisiana State Probation and Parole conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tennille Gilreath prosecuted the case.
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Vandergrift, PA Man Charged with Robbing North Apollo BankRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A Westmoreland County resident has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on a charge of bank robbery, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Bradley Mondi, age 34, formerly of Vandergrift, PA 15690, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on or about July 12, 2021, Mondi robbed the Apollo Trust Bank in North Apollo, PA of $6,666.00.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Christopher M. Cook is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the North Apollo Police conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
U.S. Attorney’s Office plans Medicolegal Symposium to discuss the case against Reta Mays, convicted VA hospital murdererRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – The U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of West Virginia, is teaming up with Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, the FBI, and West Virginia University to hold a symposium discussing the cutting-edge methods used to convict a serial killer who preyed on veterans at the veteran’s hospital in Clarksburg.
In May 2021, Reta Mays, a former nursing assistant at the veteran’s hospital in Clarksburg, was sentenced to seven life terms in prison plus 20 years for murdering seven patients with insulin and attempting to murder an eighth veteran. The two-year investigation that preceded the July 2020 guilty pleas was highly complex.
The symposium consists of examining the clinical, forensic, psychiatry, and legal prosecution techniques used to ensure justice for Mays’ victims and their families. The prosecution team, investigators, and experts from around the globe will be presenting during this dynamic event. The symposium has been approved for CLE and CME credits. Credits for LE in-service are pending.
“The Medicolegal Symposium on the Serial Murder Case of Reta Mays” will be held at the WVU College of Law on Thursday, October 14 from 9:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. The training will also be available virtually via the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of West Virginia’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/usaondwv. Medical professionals and medical students, attorneys and law students, criminal investigators and criminal justice students are welcome to attend.