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24 September 2021
Federal Inmate Pleads Guilty to Possessing WeaponRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Deontae Holmes, a federal inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) at Beckley, pleaded guilty today to possessing a handcrafted weapon, commonly known as a “shank.”
According to court documents, FCI Beckley staff members found Holmes in possession of a shank on February 22, 2021. The shank was a piece of metal approximately six inches long that was sharpened to a point on one end and had a rubberized tape handle on the other end. The shank was found in Holmes’ pants pocket during a random pat search. Holmes admitted that the shank was designed and intended to be used as a weapon.
Holmes faces up to five years in prison when he is sentenced on January 14, 2022.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess is handling the prosecution.
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:21-cr-00151.
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Ex-Pastor of Orange County Church Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison for Orchestrating $33 Million Con that Defrauded InvestorsRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – The former pastor of the Westminster-based Church of the Healthy Self was sentenced today to 168 months in federal prison for orchestrating a church-based investment scam that took in more than $33 million.
Kent R.E. Whitney, 39, formerly of Newport Beach but who currently resides in Northern California, was sentenced by United States District Judge Josephine L. Staton, who also ordered him to pay $22,662,668 in restitution. Whitney pleaded guilty in November 2020 to a two-count information charging him with mail fraud and filing a false federal income tax return.
From September 2014 to April 2019, Whitney schemed to defraud investors through the Church of the Healthy Self (CHS), a non-profit corporation, and its related entities, including CHS Asset Management, Inc. Whitney founded these entities, operated them out of a strip mall in Westminster, and claimed to be the pastor of CHS.
At Whitney’s direction, CHS representatives appeared on television and at live seminars at CHS offices to solicit investments in CHS Trust, the church’s investment arm. Recordings of these appearances frequently were uploaded onto YouTube.
In these appearances, at Whitney’s direction, CHS representatives made false or misleading claims, including: CHS Trust guaranteed an annual rate of return of 12 percent; CHS Trust guaranteed a return of principal with no risk because it was federally insured; the worst return received during the previous five years was a 1.5 percent profit for the month of January 2015; traders used by CHS had not lost money in 15 years; and CHS was audited by accounting firm KPMG.
In fact, little investor money went into any trading accounts.
Relying on these false statements, victim-investors sent more than $33 million to CHS from 2014 to 2019. As part of the scheme, Whitney directed that monthly statements be sent to victims that contained false reports of investment returns. Whitney intended to lull victims into believing their money had been invested and was consistent with the false claims made by CHS representatives. Whitney also made approximately $11 million in Ponzi-type payments to investors, taken from money brought in by later victims.
Whitney also knowingly and willfully signed and filed a false federal income tax return that reported that his total income for the tax year 2018 was $17,539. In fact, as Whitney knew, his true income for that year was at least $452,872, of which approximately $435,333 was obtained via Whitney’s CHS fraud. The resulting tax loss was at least $130,808.
The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this matter. The Securities and Exchange Commission provided substantial assistance with the investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Gregory W. Staples of the Santa Ana Branch Office prosecuted this case.
Elkhart Man Sentenced to 40 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Khalil Jackson, age 25, of Elkhart, Indiana was sentenced before United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after being convicted following a four-day trial in June 2021, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.
Jackson was sentenced to 480 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release.
According to documents in this case, a jury found Jackson guilty of various federal charges arising out of conduct involving human trafficking of a minor victim: specifically, Count 1 – sex trafficking of a minor, Count 2 – production of child pornography, Count 3 – transportation of child pornography, Count 4 – possession of child pornography, and Count 5 – cyberstalking.
“This conviction holds Jackson responsible for his reprehensible conduct targeting vulnerable youth whom he abused, exploited and groomed for sex trafficking for his own benefit,” said Acting US Attorney Tina Nommay. “Today’s 40 year sentence imposed by the District Court reflects the seriousness of Jackson’s offense. This case exemplifies the dedication by law enforcement and prosecutors in protecting the rights of the victims of human trafficking activity, and I commend them for their hard work and successful resolution of this case.”
"It's imperative children are able to grow up without being offered for sale by adults who place a price tag on them and attempt to profit from their innocence,” said FBI Indianapolis Acting Special Agent in Charge Paul Holdeman. “We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to ensure we hold those who prey on our children accountable for their heinous actions.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the St. Joseph County Police Department and Elkhart Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys John Maciejczyk, Kim Schultz, and Joel Gabrielse.
Eagle River Man Arrested on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE – An Eagle River man was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Crimes Against Children and Human Trafficking Task Force on a federal complaint for child pornography offenses.
According to court documents, Daniel Brooks, 51, is charged by information with violations related to the alleged possession of and access with intent to view child pornography. As detailed in the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, the case first came to the attention of the FBI when the chief security officer where Brooks worked reported the discovery of numerous jpeg images of suspected child pornography. The FBI executed a federal search warrant at Brooks’ home for computer related devices. During an interview with FBI agents, Brooks admitted to having over 1,000 images of child pornography on a drive connected to his work computer.
If the public has any further information regarding Brook’s activities, please contact the FBI Anchorage Field Office at
(907) 276-4441.
The FBI’s Crimes Against Children and Human Trafficking Task Force, conducted the investigation leading to Brook’s arrest.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Alexander is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information. please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A criminal complaint or information is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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EDTX Indicts Two Dozen Defendants in International Multi-Scheme Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, Texas – A federal grand jury in Sherman has returned a two-count indictment charging 23 individuals in a fraud scheme in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei today.
The indictment, returned on Sep. 8, 2021, charges multiple individuals with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The indictment remained sealed until this week, when the defendants were arrested and arraigned.
“The criminal conduct alleged in this case is sophisticated in its means, expansive in its scope, and callous in its aims,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. “The indictment alleges a scheme where all manner of fraud—including romance and investment scams—was unleashed on an unsuspecting American public, including the elderly and most vulnerable, with the ill-gotten gains syphoned off and funneled overseas. The amount of loss, both financial and emotional, alleged in this case is nothing short of staggering.”
According to the indictment, beginning around January 2017, the defendants used a multitude of fraudulent schemes to obtain money from their victims, including online romance scams, business email compromise and investor fraud, and unemployment insurance fraud. The indictment further alleges that the defendants not only coordinated how to extract money from their victims, but how to disguise, disburse, and launder that money once they successfully defrauded their victims. Allegedly, the defendants obtained at least $17 million from at least 100 individual victims, companies, and government entities from across the world. The defendants are alleged to have specifically targeted elderly persons and used various schemes such as online dating sites to lure their victims. The indictment charges that once they fraudulently obtained funds from their victims, the defendants laundered the money through a network of various bank accounts and sent money to bank accounts, co-conspirators and businesses located in Africa and Asia.
Indicted individuals that have been arrested include:
- Kingsley Ita, aka “Baron” “Sifk,” 42, of Dallas;
- Irabor Fatarr Musa, aka “Fatai” “Head JJ,” 51, of Richardson;
- Solomon Esekheigbe, 48, of Katy;
- Sandra Iribhogbe Popnen, aka “General,” 46, of Allen;
- Edgal Iribhogbe, aka “Oseme,” 50, of Allen;
- Damilola Kumapayi, aka “Luke Morris,” 33, of Dallas;
- Ehiedu Onyeagwu, aka “Young,” 58, of Rosedale, Maryland;
- Mathew Okpu, 57, of Temple Hille, Maryland;
- Benedicta Atakare, 46, of Temple Hills, Maryland;
- Segun Adeoye, 47, of Pearland;
- Chidindu Okeke, aka “Steve,” 28, of Richmond;
- Ngozi Okeke, 47, of Katy;
- Nosoregbe Asemota, aka “Patrick Asemota,” 46, of Melissa;
- Chigozi Ekwenugo, 53, of Grand Prairie;
- Bukola Obaseki, 48, of Allen;
- Stella Hadome, 43, of Allen;
- Jequita Batchelor, 37, of Farmers Branch;
- Osaretin Eghaghe, aka “Biggie,” 37, of Plano;
- Ejiro Ohwovoriole, 29, of McKinney;
- Isaac Asare, aka “Asarko,” 48, of Houston;
- Gold Ude, 44, of Wylie;
- Henrietha Oziegbe, 23, of Lexington, Kentucky; and
- Kingsly Oziegbe, 25, of Edinburg.
The indictment unsealed today in the Eastern District of Texas complements indictments unsealed in the Northern District of Texas, which charged 11 defendants (including one also charged in the Eastern District of Texas) with a variety of financial crimes.
If convicted, defendants face up to 20 years in federal prison.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This U.S. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim, and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is staffed 10am-6pm Eastern Time, Monday-Friday. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office; Homeland Security Investigations; Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation; Department of Labor-Office of Inspector General; the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS); U.S. Postal Inspection Service; U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service; Allen Police Department; Denton Police Department; Dallas County Sheriff’s Office; and Texas Department of Public Safety. This case is being prosecuted by the Plano Office of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas with assistance from Northern District of Texas Assistant U.S. Attorneys.
A grand jury indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Dominican National Sentenced for Trafficking Fentanyl, Health Care Fraud, ID Theft, Misuse of a Social Security NumberRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Dominican national who operated a drug stash house and arranged for the sale of fentanyl on multiple occasions, and who used the stolen identity and Social Security number of another person to gain Rhode Island Medicaid benefits and Rhode Island driver’s licenses and permits, was sentenced today to seven years in federal prison, announced Acting United States Attorney Richard B. Myrus.
Jeurin Celado, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith to 96 months of incarceration to be followed by four years of federal supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $4,726.50 to the Rhode Island Medicaid Program. Celado pleaded guilty on April 2, 2021, to false representation of a Social Security number, aggravated identity theft, health care fraud, and conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.
At the time of his guilty plea, Celado admitted to the court that from 2010 until August 2019, he used the name, date of birth, and Social Security number of a person he does not know to obtain permits and driver’s licenses from the Rhode Island Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
In addition, Celado admitted that beginning in August 2014 and continuing through July 2018, he used the same stolen identity and Social Security number to obtain Rhode Island Medicaid benefits, health insurance that as a non-United States citizen he was ineligible to receive. Celado obtained Medicaid benefits valued at approximately $4,726.50.
Additionally, according to information presented to the court, in August and September 2019, an undercover drug investigation by the Woonsocket Police Department included arranging for four undercover purchases of fentanyl from a person known as “Tony.” On each occasion, “Tony” directed the buyer to a location where that person was met by a “runner” who delivered the drugs in exchange for cash. The investigation determined that “Tony” was, in fact, Jeurin Celado, and that he was using an apartment in Manville as a stash house and a location to cut and prepare drugs for delivery. On October 7, 2019, during a court-authorized search of the apartment, law enforcement discovered between 40 and 400 grams of fentanyl and other items consistent with a drug distribution operation.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dulce Donovan.
The various investigations into Celado’s criminal activities were conducted by the Woonsocket Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General.
Acting United States Attorney Myrus acknowledges and thanks the United States Marshals Service for its assistance in locating and assisting in the arrest of the defendant.
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Dominican National Sentenced for Drug Charges and Misuse of a Social Security NumberRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national was sentenced on Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2021 in federal court in Boston for conspiring to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl and misusing a Social Security number.
Bladimir Sanchez Soto, 29, formerly of Methuen, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Sanchez Soto will be subject to deportation proceedings upon completion of his sentence. On March 30, 2021, Sanchez Soto pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and one count of false representation of a Social Security number.
In November 2019 and January 2020, Sanchez Soto helped arrange four sales of approximately 65 grams of fentanyl. In February 2020, Sanchez Soto and a co-defendant were arrested and additional fentanyl was seized. Sanchez Soto was previously indicted in the Western District of Michigan in connection with using a false name and Social Security number to obtain a Michigan driver’s license in November 2016. The matter was transferred to the District of Massachusetts for plea and sentencing.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; United States Attorney Andrew B. Birge of the Western District of Michigan; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Vance Callender, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Detroit, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Theodore B. Heinrich of Mendell’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
Department of Justice Awards $600,000 to “Centre Safe” to Combat Domestic ViolenceRead the Press Release
HARISBURG –Acting U.S. Attorney Bruce D. Brandler announced that the Department of Justice’s Office of Violence Against Women (OVW) has awarded $600,000 to “Centre Safe” to help combat domestic violence and support survivors. “Centre Safe” is a private, not-for-profit agency located in Centre County, Pennsylvania.
OVW’s grant to Centre Safe’s Civil Legal Representation Project (CLRP) will provide legal services to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, in civil litigation including divorce, custody, support, housing, and Title IX matters. The grant will support the CLRP’s work to reduce vulnerability and mitigate the lifelong effects of domestic violence and sexual assault. These expert legal services help survivors move toward family stability and economic independence. Additionally, these funds will allow for travel throughout Centre County to assure that those in more rural areas have increased access to legal services.
“This substantial grant will improve the lives of many victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Brandler. “I am very pleased to join with OVW and Centre Safe in empowering survivors and stabilizing families.”
“We are so pleased to receive this grant from OVW,” said Anne Ard, Executive Director of Centre Safe. “Legal services are critical for survivors of domestic and sexual violence as they work to build new lives for themselves and their children and this grant will allow the CLRP to enhance and expand its assistance to those survivors.”
“The awards we are making this year will touch the lives of millions of survivors of violence and help our nation end these devastating crimes,” said Allison Randall, OVW Acting Director. “OVW is proud to be the leading federal voice in the country’s fight against sexual and domestic violence.”
OVW provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges. Learn more at www.justice.gov/ovw.
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D.C. Felon Sentenced to 30 Months in Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of A .40 Caliber "Ghost Gun" Firearm and 10 Rounds of AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis sentenced Martrel Rayshard Reeves, age 31, of Washington, D.C. to two years and six months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Timothy Jones of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; and Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department.
“The gun violence in Prince George’s County is simply unacceptable, and the proliferation of ghost guns in the region is part of the problem,” said Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner. “Working in collaboration with our federal and local law enforcement partners, we are committed to taking ghost guns off the streets and prosecuting those who illegally possess and sell them in order to make our community safer. Firearms trafficking and illegal firearms are a priority of the Department of Justice, and we hope this federal sentence will deter others from illegally possessing ghost guns.”
According to his plea agreement, on July 8, 2018, law enforcement executed a traffic stop on Reeves’ vehicle for traffic violations. The car was occupied by Reeves and a female passenger. At the time of the traffic stop, Reeves did not possess a driver’s license or other identification. A subsequent check of his driving record revealed that his license had been suspended. When officers asked Reeves to step out of the car, officers smelled alcohol on Reeves’ breath and the odor of marijuana on his person. During the search of his vehicle, law enforcement recovered a .40-caliber pistol, loaded with 10 rounds of ammunition. Reeves admitted at the scene that the firearm belonged to him, following which, he was arrested.
As detailed in Reeves’ plea agreement, the pistol was test-fired and found to function as a firearm. The gun recovered in Reeves’ car is what is known as a “ghost gun”—in that it was made from a firearm parts kit. These kits can be purchased from various kit manufacturers or secondary retailers, including Internet websites. Ghost guns frequently lack serial numbers, which generally make the firearms legally unregistrable and difficult to track.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner praised the ATF and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rajeev R. Raghavan and Erin B. Pulice, who prosecuted the case.
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Crack trafficking ring in Savannah neighborhood disrupted with arrests on federal chargesRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: Multiple defendants are in custody on drug trafficking charges after the unsealing of a federal indictment targeting an open-air drug market in Savannah.
The 56-count indictment in USA v. Fields et al. details charges against 14 defendants, primarily Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Crack Cocaine, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charge carries a statutory penalty of up to 20 years in prison and substantial financial penalties, followed by at least four years of supervised release.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“Our law enforcement partners, particularly the Savannah Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration, have done an outstanding job in identifying and disrupting drug distribution networks in our neighborhoods,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “This continuing effort will make our communities safer by removing illegal drugs and guns from our streets.”
The investigation targeted an open-air illegal drug market in a community known as “The Dips” on the west side of Savannah, alleging drug sales taking place at least as early as Oct. 1, 2020, with the 14 defendants indicted as part of a conspiracy to possess and distribute crack cocaine. Those charged in the indictment are:
- Charles Aimee Fields Jr., a/k/a “Slim,” 33, of Savannah, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Crack Cocaine; seven counts of Distribution of Crack Cocaine; and one count of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
- Anthony Pointer, 33, of Savannah, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Crack Cocaine; and three counts of Distribution of Crack Cocaine;
- Maurice Johnson, a/k/a “Bowlegs,” 36, of Savannah, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Crack Cocaine; and five counts of Distribution of Crack Cocaine;
- Trevyaughn Howard, 24, of Savannah, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Crack Cocaine; and 12 counts of Distribution of Crack Cocaine;
- Keaonte Winford, 22, of Savannah, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Crack Cocaine; and five counts of Distribution of Crack Cocaine;
- Marcus Royal, a/k/a “Stretch,” 24, of Savannah, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Crack Cocaine; and four counts of Distribution of Crack Cocaine;
- Patrick Frazier, 26, of Savannah, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Crack Cocaine; and six counts of Distribution of Crack Cocaine;
- Terry Lynch Jr., a/k/a “Stank,” 25, of Savannah, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Crack Cocaine; and three counts of Distribution of Crack Cocaine;
- Deandra Brown, a/k/a “D,” 32, of Savannah, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Crack Cocaine; and three counts of Distribution of Crack Cocaine;
- Shaqille Jones, 28, of Savannah, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Crack Cocaine; and two counts of Distribution of Crack Cocaine;
- Dominique Bostic, 27, of Savannah, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Crack Cocaine; and one count of Distribution of Crack Cocaine;
- Michael Passmore, 30, of Savannah, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Crack Cocaine; and one count of Distribution of Crack Cocaine;
- Tyree Lee, 33, of Savannah, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Crack Cocaine; and one of Distribution of Crack Cocaine; and,
- Walter Wingster, 36, of Savannah, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Crack Cocaine; and one count of Distribution of Crack Cocaine.
Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
“We have put in a substantial amount of time and investigative work on this investigation due to known drug activity and citizen safety concerns,” said Savannah Police Chief Roy Minter. “We believe the arrests of these individuals will have a direct and immediate impact on crime and safety in the Cuyler-Brownsville neighborhood.”
“All participating agencies played a crucial role in the eradication of this crack cocaine trafficking organization,” said the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division Robert J. Murphy. “These types of targeted enforcement actions are effective in fulfilling our mission of protecting and serving the citizens of Savannah.”
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Savannah Resident Office; the Savannah Police Department Strategic Investigation Unit; and the Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team, and is being prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Noah J. Abrams and Frank M. Pennington II.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to 54 Months in Prison for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal judge today sentenced a Talladega man to 54 months in prison, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Mickey French.
U.S. District Judge Corey L. Maze sentenced Armetris Lyons, 44, to 54 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Lyons pleaded guilty to the charge in April. Lyons had four prior felony convictions for attempted murder, theft, discharging a gun into an unoccupied building, and unlawful possession of a controlled substance.
“Persons with long histories of violent crime and drug offenses, like this defendant, are the focus of our firearms enforcement efforts.” U.S. Attorney Escalona said. “We are grateful for the work of ATF and the Talladega Police Department in helping to reduce violent crime in this district.”
“This court action demonstrates its commitment to law enforcement’s priority to target the illegal possession of firearms to include the use in violent criminal acts,” said SAC Mickey French. “ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence leverages technology to reduce violent firearms related crimes.”
According to testimony at the sentencing hearing, on December 31, 2019, Talladega police officers responded to a call of shots being fired in an apartment complex in Talladega. As one officer drove up to the location, he witnessed Lyons fire a pistol into the air while holding a child’s hand on the grip of the gun. After the discharge, the child ran away from Lyons. Lyons then fired about four more times and ran into an apartment as the officer approached. The officer knocked on the door and took Lyons into custody when he opened the door. Other officers recovered a Taurus .38 caliber revolver inside the apartment.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The ATF investigated the case along with the Talladega Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Baty prosecuted the case.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Kidnapping and Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
Assistant U. S. Attorney Joseph J.M. Orabona (619) 546-7951
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – September 24, 2021
SAN DIEGO – Joseph Anthony Martino, a convicted felon with a long criminal history that prevents him from legally owning guns, was sentenced in federal court today to 120 months in prison for kidnapping and possessing firearms.
In October 2020, Martino pleaded guilty and admitted that on April 1, 2019, he held three people hostage at his Lakeside home, pointing loaded guns – including a fully automatic assault rifle - at their heads and threatening them.
This case is part of the Department of Justice’s nationwide commitment to reduce gun crimes known as Project Safe Neighborhoods, or PSN. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders works together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develops comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
“The use of a gun to commit a crime changes everything,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “The victims of gun-related crimes may be forever traumatized, and we remain focused on preventing and prosecuting these crimes because the stakes are so high.” Grossman thanked prosecutor Joseph Orabona as well as agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Sheriff’s investigators for their excellent work on this case.
On April 1, 2019, Martino confined three victims at his residence in Lakeside, California, and held them at gunpoint in order to confront one of the victims about a personal relationship, according to court records.
At first, Martino brandished a loaded Heckler & Koch, model HK-91, .308 caliber rifle, which was fully automatic, at two of the victims (a male and a female). While holding the female victim hostage at gunpoint in his residence, Martino caused the male victim to drive to the third victim’s residence to bring the third victim (female) back to Martino’s residence. When the third victim arrived at Martino’s residence, the male victim escaped. Martino held a loaded handgun to the heads of the two female victims to confine and coerce them to remain in his residence. Eventually, both female victims were able to leave Martino’s residence unharmed.
According to court records, San Diego Sheriff’s deputies and detectives from the Special Enforcement Detail and Crime Suppression Team executed a search warrant at Martino’s residence on July 3, 2019. Sheriff’s deputies and detectives recovered the Heckler & Koch, model HK-91, .308 caliber rifle. In addition, law enforcement located approximately 3,500 rounds of assorted ammunition, 19 different magazines, a ballistic body armor engraved with “U.S. Navy Security Forces,” various rifle upper rails, two lower AR-15 receivers, and smoke grenades.
On August 5, 2019, a complaint was filed against Martino for being a felon in possession of a firearm. On August 6, 2019, Martino was arrested and appeared in federal court. On August 14, 2019, the court ordered Martino to be detained without bail, and he has been in continuous custody since his arrest.
On October 5, 2020, Martino was arraigned on the charges in this case. At the time, Martino entered into a plea agreement to resolve his case. That same day, Martino entered a guilty plea to kidnapping and being a felon in possession of a firearm. As part of his plea agreement, Martino admitted his criminal past, which included felony convictions for DUI, possession of a silencer, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, and assault with force likely to cause great bodily injury.
Also, as part of his plea agreement, Martino agreed to forfeit all of the firearms, ammunition, rails, receivers, smoke grenades, and body armor. At sentencing, the Court entered an order of forfeiture.
“A convicted felon in possession of a firearm, inherently presents a danger to the community,” said Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Los Angeles Field Division Monique Villegas. “While being prohibited from possessing a firearm, Martino found a way to acquire a firearm, then use it to violently terrorize his victims. The federal prosecution of this case demonstrates ATF’s dedication to reducing gun crime through Project Safe Neighborhoods and by partnering with our local and federal partners, in this case the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
“The San Diego County Sheriff's Department is grateful to our local and federal agencies who helped bring justice to the victims in this case,” said Sheriff Bill Gore. “We are extremely appreciative of the U.S. Attorney's Office for their partnership and aggressive prosecution. We look forward to collaborating with our agency partners on future investigations as we continue to address gun violence throughout our county.”
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is a nationwide commitment to reduce gun crime in American communities by networking with existing local programs that target these issues and provide these programs with additional tools necessary to be successful. PSN has operated as the U.S. Department of Justice’s primary initiative focused on reduction of gun crime since May of 2001. PSN is a collaborative effort between federal, state, and local law enforcement and prosecutors.
DEFENDANT Case Number 19CR3387-JLS
Joseph Anthony Martino Age: 47 Lakeside, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Kidnapping – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1201(a)(1)
Maximum penalty: Life in prison and $250,000 fine
Felon in Possession of a Firearm – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 922(g)(1)
Maximum penalty: Ten years in prison, $250,000 fine, and forfeiture of all firearms/ammunition
AGENCIES
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
San Diego County Sheriff’s Department
Convicted Felon Sentenced for Narcotics Trafficking and Manufacturing “Ghost Guns”Read the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A District Heights, Maryland man was sentenced today to 60 months in prison for distributing heroin and cocaine, and for his involvement in manufacturing untraceable “ghost guns” from the basement of his home.
“In addition to selling dangerous narcotics in our communities, the defendant was involved in buying, assembling, and selling ‘ghost guns’ that lack serial numbers,” said Raj Parekh, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “These unmarked and often untraceable firearms are frequently assembled from kits that are sold without background checks, making them more attractive to individuals who are prohibited from possessing them. This prosecution is another example of how we work closely with our partner agencies to mitigate public safety threats, including illegal narcotics and firearms trafficking.”
According to court documents, Keith Robert Marshall, 34, was a drug dealer who sold heroin and cocaine in the greater Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, including the Eastern District of Virginia. He sold heroin at a cost of $2,800 per ounce; a typical user amount of heroin is less than a gram. Over the course of several months in 2019, Marshall sold multiple ounces of heroin, as well as some cocaine, to an undercover officer.
“Marshall’s sentencing is an example of the exceptional collaboration and diligent work of our law enforcement and task force partners toward our shared goal of removing those who are the purveyors of instruments like ghost guns and illicit narcotics which often result in irreparable damage to our communities,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division. “Ghost guns, which are privately manufactured, are untraceable and unserialized firearms that when in the hands of criminals, present a serious danger to us all. The FBI remains steadfast in identifying and aggressively investigating those criminals who have a blatant disregard for the harm they are causing in communities around the country.”
The investigation into Marshall revealed that he had been frequenting a firearms store in Virginia. There, Marshall, a previously convicted felon, had been purchasing AR-15 pistol kits and Polymer 80 kits to make AR-15 pistols and Glock-style pistols. These kits are used to make guns without serial numbers and may be legally sold to anyone, regardless of whether they are prohibited from possessing firearms.
In December 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Marshall’s residence in Maryland. There, agents recovered a fully functional .40-caliber Polymer 80 Glock-style firearm with a 50-round agazine, as well as an AR-15 rifle. Agents also seized another five high-capacity magazines, various other gun magazines, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition for both rifles and pistols. Agents additionally discovered that Marshall’s workspace, tools, and parts were dedicated to turning the gun kits into the fully functional weapons found in his residence.
Raj Parekh, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division; Peter Newsham, Chief of Prince William County Police; and Malik Aziz, Chief of Prince George’s County Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine E. Rumbaugh prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This prosecution is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation Operation Optima Prime. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This case was investigated by the FBI WFO’s Northern Virginia Safe Streets/HIDTA task force, which is composed of FBI agents and agents from HSI, the U.S. Marshals Service, and task force officers from Northern Virginia counties. The task force is charged with investigating and disrupting the most egregious and violent gang and narcotics distributors operating in Northern Virginia.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:21-cr-119.
Convicted Felon Sentenced for Illegal Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal judge today sentenced a convicted felon for illegally possessing a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp, Jr.
U.S. District Court Judge Corey L. Maze sentenced Jack David “Jackie” Stovall, II, 73, of Anniston, to 36 months in prison followed by 36 months supervised release for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Additionally, a fine of $40,000.00 was also imposed. Stovall pleaded guilty to the charge in July.
“The Anniston area is a focus of our ongoing efforts to reduce violent crime, and especially gun crimes, in this district,” U.S. Attorney Escalona said. “We are grateful for the work of the Anniston Police Department and FBI on this important case.”
“Today's sentence is the culmination of a great law enforcement cooperative effort to bring Stovall to justice,” SAC Sharp said. “I want to thank the Anniston Police Department, my agents, and all of our partners for their tireless work in this case.”
According to the plea agreement, on April 9, 2021, Stovall unlawfully possessed a Mossberg Model 715P .22 caliber semi-automatic rifle, a North American Arms .22 caliber magnum revolver, and approximately 500 rounds of ammunition. Stovall is prohibited from possessing firearms due to prior felony convictions. In December 1997, he pleaded guilty to attempted murder for hire and unlawful possession of a firearm in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama.
FBI investigated the case along with the Anniston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristen Osborne and Kristy Peoples prosecuted the case.
Coffee County Nonprofit Receives $549,500 in Federal Funding to Aid Safe Families ProjectRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The nonprofit Coffee County Drug Court Foundation will receive $549,500 from the Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) to support its Safe Families Project, announced Acting United States Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III.
Coffee County’s Safe Families Project will bring together local stakeholders, including the public defender’s office, sheriff’s office, police departments, probation office, batterer intervention providers, and substance abuse prevention providers, in a three-year program that will serve at least 60 families in Coffee County’s Family Treatment Court who will simultaneously be working to overcome the impact of domestic violence, addiction, and custody challenges.
“Helping families recover from the devastating impact of domestic violence and drug addiction is an essential function of the Department of Justice,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Hamilton. “Our office is pleased to announce this significant grant that will assist the important work being undertaken by the Coffee County Drug Court Foundation to overcome the destructive impact of domestic violence and drug addiction on families in our community.”
This award is one of many that OVW is distributing in 2021 to support projects that meaningfully address the needs of underserved and marginalized survivors, improve access to justice, enhance survivor safety, hold offenders accountable, and build a coordinated community response to violence against women.
“The awards we make this year will touch the lives of millions of survivors of violence and help our nation end these devastating crimes,” said Allison Randall, OVW Acting Director. “OVW is proud to be the leading federal voice in the country’s fight against sexual and domestic violence.”
The Office on Violence Against Women provides federal leadership in developing the national capacity to reduce violence against women and administer justice for and strengthen services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
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Cincinnati Man Sentenced to 192 Months for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky.— A Cincinnati, Ohio, man, Kevin Villamar, 29, was sentenced to 192 months on Friday, by U.S. District Judge David L. Bunning, after previously pleading guilty to the production of child pornography.
According to his plea agreement, Villamar admitted to traveling from Ohio to Boone County, Kentucky, on August 8, 2020, to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor. Villamar filmed the sexual conduct on his iPhone and sent the video of the conduct over Instagram to the victim, who was a minor.
Villamar pleaded guilty in June 2021.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; and Edward J. Gray., Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; and Sheriff Michael A. Helmig, Boone County Sheriff’s Office, announced the sentencing.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and Boone County Sheriff’s Ofice. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Winslow.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Charleston Felon Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Federal Gun and Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
Morris has previous convictions for attempted murder and wanton endangerment with a firearm
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Keith Morris, 35, of Charleston, was sentenced yesterday to 120 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and possessing with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, which carries a five-year mandatory minimum.
According to the plea agreement and statements made in court, on January 23, 2020, after responding to a two-vehicle crash on January 23, 2020, officers with the Charleston Police Department located 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and a loaded Glock, model 26, 9mm semi-automatic pistol in a locked safe in Morris’s car. Again on August 7, 2020, law enforcement officers seized approximately 176 grams of fentanyl and a loaded SCCY CPX-1 9mm caliber handgun from inside the glovebox of Morris’s car during a traffic stop in Charleston. Morris admitted to law enforcement officers that he intended to distribute the controlled substances that had been seized from him. Morris further admitted that he knew he was prohibited from possessing firearms because he previously had been convicted in Kanawha County Circuit Court of attempted murder and wanton endangerment with a firearm.
“This case demonstrates the significant results achieved as a result of the strong partnership forged between the ATF and the Charleston Police Department,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston. “I applaud the work of our law enforcement partners to remove repeat offenders and violent drug traffickers from the community. Through Project Safe Neighborhoods we are collectively focusing our efforts and resources on making the community safer by addressing the drivers of violent crime.”
“Drug dealers with guns are criminals who pose an increased threat to the safety of our communities,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the Louisville Field Division. “Yesterday’s sentencing is another example of the ongoing efforts of ATF and the Charleston Police Department working together to take a violent repeat offender off the streets and make our communities safer for everyone.”
“The teamwork you see in this collaborative effort has saved the lives of many by addressing two of our biggest threats to society, gun violence and illegal drugs,” said Chief James “Tyke” Hunt of the Charleston Police Department. “Project Safe Neighborhoods enables federal agencies like the ATF and our United States Attorney’s Office to exponentially enhance the enforcement efforts of the Charleston Police Department and our Kanawha County Prosecutor’s Office. These joint operations eliminate jurisdictional restrictions and enhance penalties in the areas needed to keep our communities safe.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), and the Charleston Police Department conducted the investigation.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Negar M. Kordestani handled the prosecution.
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.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:20-cr-00167.
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Catoosa Woman Halts Jury Trial and Instead Pleads Guilty to Fraudulently Applying for $1M in LoansRead the Press Release
A Catoosa woman halted her own jury trial and pleaded guilty Wednesday to a 28-count indictment charging her, in part, with submitting false loan applications totaling $1 million, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. At the time of her plea, a jury had been selected and federal prosecutors were set to proceed with their case.
Pamela Kathryn Conley, 59, pleaded guilty to 24 counts of bank fraud and four counts of aggravated identity theft.
“Pamela Conley made fraud her full time job when she lied on loan applications at 10 Oklahoma financial institutions, forged signatures, and received $800,000 in loan proceeds,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “Conley’s web of lies caught up with her after Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rick Cella and Melody Nelson and IRS and Secret Service agents meticulously and thoroughly investigated her conduct. They are to be commended for their work that led to Conley’s conviction.”
As part of her scheme, Conley falsified and submitted documents to apply for approximately $1 million in loans, securing more than $800,000 in loan proceeds, which gave Conley access to cash, boats, and cars to support her lifestyle. As part of her scheme, Conley submitted forged earning statements suggesting that she held high level positions at various companies and earned approximately $200,000 annually.
Sometimes lying on applications was the full extent of Conley’s fraud. On other occasions, when loans were secured with collateral, Conley forged fictitious lien releases for bank collateral using the notarized signature of bank or credit union employees. Conley then caused the bogus lien releases to be filed with the Oklahoma Tax Commission. This allowed Conley to obtain clear title to the collateral without paying off her loans. This aspect of the scheme gave rise to the aggravated identity theft counts alleged in the indictment.
Chief U.S. District Judge John F. Heil III set sentencing for March 29, 2022.
IRS-Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Secret Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard M. Cella and Melody Noble Nelson prosecuted the case.
California Tobacco Executive Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Evade Federal Excise Taxes on Dominican CigarsRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – A California tobacco company executive on Thursday admitted his participation in a fraudulent scheme to avoid the payment of millions of dollars in excise taxes on imported tobacco products.
Akrum Alrahib, 43, of Los Angeles, California, was the President of Trendsettah USA, Inc. (“Trendsettah”), a California tobacco company authorized to transact business in Florida. Trendsettah sold various tobacco products, such as large cigars, and marijuana paraphernalia, such as “blunt wraps,” most of which were imported from the Dominican Republic through Miami.
As part of his guilty plea, Alrahib admitted that he partnered with Gitano Pierre Bryant, Jr., a tobacco importer authorized by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), to import large cigars. Alrahib and Bryant agreed to lower their costs by underreporting the Federal Tobacco Excise Tax that was due and owing on the imported cigars. They consistently evaded Federal Tobacco Excise Tax by concealing the price Alrahib actually paid for the cigars.
During the course of the scheme, Alrahib paid over $21 million for Dominican tobacco products and received over $700,000 in kickbacks from Bryant.
Alrahib also admitted his participation in a witness tampering scheme, in which he sought to prevent a witness from testifying before a South Florida Grand Jury.
Alrahib pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371. Alrahib can be sentenced to up to five years’ imprisonment and ordered to pay restitution. Sentencing has been scheduled before District Judge Rodney Smith in Fort Lauderdale on December 3, 2021.
Bryant, Alrahib’s partner, was charged in a separate case (16-cr-20838). He pled guilty, was sentenced to four years in prison, and ordered to pay over $9 million in restitution.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Carrie May, Acting Assistant Administrator for Field Operations, Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), and Darrell J. Waldon, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Washington, DC Field Office, made the announcement.
TTB and IRS-CI investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Browne and Jerrob Duffy of the Justice Department’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Grosnoff is handling the asset forfeiture component of the case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 19-cr-20165.
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Butler Contracting Company Pleads Guilty to OSHA Violation that Resulted in a Worker’s DeathRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A Butler County-based company pleaded guilty in federal court to willfully violating an OSHA regulation that resulted in the death of a worker, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.
Insight Pipe Contracting, LLC, located in Harmony, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that federal regulations require that any vehicle or mechanical equipment capable of having any part of its structure elevated near energized power line must maintain a clearance of 10 feet. On April 12, 2018, an Insight Pipe crew was installing pipe-liner at a work site in Johnstown, PA. The crew was using a telehandler, a piece of equipment that has the features of a forklift and crane, to remove liner from a box truck. Energized power lines were located above the site. At one point, the telehandler removed a large roll of liner from the truck and attempted to place it into an open manhole. The liner got stuck. As the telehandler’s operator attempt to reposition the machine’s forks, the forks made contact with the overhead lines, causing the machine to become energized. While this was taking place, one Insight Pipe’s employees had his hand on the telehandler’s door and was apparently trying to tell something to the operator. The worker was electrocuted and died at the scene.
Under the terms of its plea agreement, Insight Pipe has agreed to pay a fine of $20,000 and serve a probationary term of three years. Earlier this year, Insight Pipe paid a fine of $180,000 in civil penalties in an OSHA administrative case stemming from the worker’s death.
Judge Haines scheduled sentencing for October 28, 2021. The law provides for a total sentence of five years’ probation, a fine of $500,000, or both.
Assistant United States Attorney Michael Leo Ivory is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Occupational Health and Safety Administration of the United States Department of Labor conducted the investigation of Insight Pipe.
Baltimore Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Federal Prison for Bank FraudRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis sentenced Allen Lamin, a/k/a “Allen Simon”, age 33, of Baltimore, Maryland, to seven years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for bank fraud.
The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner and Postal Inspector in Charge Daniel A. Adame of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division.
Lamin pled guilty to the indictment, which charged him with five counts of depositing fraudulently altered postal money orders at financial institutions. As proven by the Government at sentencing, between February 2019 and April 2020, Lamin stole blank postal money orders from at least five different Maryland United States Post Offices and one Georgia United States Post Office on at least seven occasions. After each theft, Lamin used printers to alter the money orders to reflect high-dollar amounts, most frequently in the amounts of $800 and $1,000. Then, Lamin deposited the fraudulent money orders into accounts that he controlled at financial institutions. These bank accounts were in the names of real persons or fictitious entities.
As part of his scheme to defraud, Lamin commonly entered post office locations posing as a customer in need of general mail services. For example, on December 3, 2019, Lamin entered the post office and asked for a forwarding card. Lamin then returned to the counter, said that he would not be submitting the forwarding card, and asked to purchase a $20 money order with cash. After purchasing the postal money, Lamin asked the employee if there were any moving boxes in the back. Once the employee left, Lamin stole blank postal money orders from behind the counter. The witness employee noticed the theft an hour later when a customer came in and requested to purchase a postal money order. Lamin was caught on surveillance camera employing the same scheme on two separate occasions at another post office in Maryland.
Law enforcement executed search warrants at two of Lamin’s residences located in Baltimore City and Gwynn Oak, Maryland. Following execution of these two search warrants, Lamin fled Maryland and was subsequently arrested in Dallas, Texas, on May 20, 2020. During searches of Lamin’s two Maryland residences and his Dallas residence, agents recovered several pieces of evidence, including stolen postal money orders with misprinted fraudulent information, blank stolen money orders, and receipts for the deposit of blank stolen money orders, that tied Lamin to other postal money order thefts at post offices in Maryland and Georgia. At the residences, agents also recovered bank statements, fraudulent drivers’ licenses displaying Lamin’s photograph and the personal identifying information of victims, and credit and debit cards in the names of victims.
During the course of the conspiracy, Lamin and his coconspirators negotiated $392,500.72 in stolen money orders.
Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the USPIS for their work in the investigation. Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Rajeev R. Raghavan, who prosecuted the case.
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Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Announces Appointment of David Neal as Director of the Executive Office for Immigration ReviewRead the Press Release
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland today announced the appointment of David L. Neal as the Director of the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) at the Department of Justice.
“The Justice Department’s commitment to a fair and efficient immigration court system, governed by due process and the rule of law, is exemplified by recent policy changes and our pursuit of significant additional resources,” said Attorney General Garland. “David Neal brings invaluable experience that will help further EOIR’s mission.”
The EOIR director is responsible for the supervision of the Chairman of the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), the Chief Immigration Judge, the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer and all agency personnel. EOIR has more than 2,300 employees in its 69 immigration courts nationwide, at the BIA and at EOIR headquarters in Falls Church, Virginia. As provided in the President’s Budget Request for FY 22, EOIR anticipates increasing its immigration judge corps from 535 today to 734 by the end of the next fiscal year.
Most recently, Mr. Neal was a consultant specializing in immigration policy and practice. Previously, he held positions at EOIR over two decades. From 2009 to 2019, he served as Chairman of the BIA at EOIR, where he was chief judge of the appeals board and managed judicial and administrative operations. Mr. Neal served in multiple other capacities at EOIR, including as Vice Chairman of the BIA, Chief Immigration Judge, Assistant Chief Immigration Judge, Immigration Judge and Assistant to the Director.
Prior to his tenure with EOIR, Mr. Neal served in the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee as chief counsel of the Subcommittee on Immigration. Mr. Neal began his legal career as the Director of Policy Analysis at the American Immigration Lawyers Association and also worked for a law firm in Los Angeles, representing immigration cases before the former Immigration and Naturalization Service, the State Department, the Department of Labor and EOIR.
Mr. Neal received his Bachelor of Arts from Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Indiana, Master of Divinity from Harvard University’s School of Divinity and his Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School. Mr. Neal is a member of the District of Columbia and New York bars.
15 Defendants Indicted for Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Kansas City returned an indictment charging 15 people with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.
According to court documents, the defendants allegedly intentionally conspired to distribute cocaine in the state of Kansas and elsewhere between January 2019 and September 2021.
The defendants include Santiago Gamboa-Saenz, 34, Maria Cota, 32, Efrain Garcia-Perez, 37, Dimas Calixto-Filho, 41, Juan Avarez-Perez, 35, Bryan Dominguez-Green, 20, Irlanda Grajeda, 31, Vladimir Blanco-Garciga, 49, Miguel Vazquez-Rodriguez, 35, Eduardo Ramirez-Ochoa, 32, Jesus Gonzalez-Rodriguez, 30, Homero Baca-Marquez, 23, Jaime Ocampo, 57, Jose Cera-Acosta, 35, and Frank De La Cruz, 36.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Kansas City and the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Northeast Kansas Drug Task Force are investigating the case.
“Drug trafficking organizations are all about making money,” said Assistant Agent in Charge Rogeana Patterson-King, DEA lead for the state of Kansas. “This joint federal and state investigation stopped more than a million dollars’ worth of cocaine from reaching our communities, and more than $730,000 of proceeds from returning to the organization. This is particularly satisfying because this illegal industry jeopardizes public safety with these dangerous drugs.”
“HSI special agents, working with their state and federal law enforcement partners, were able to prevent a substantial amount of dangerous narcotics from reaching the streets and jeopardizing the safety of people who live there,” said HSI Kansas City Special Agent in Charge Katherine Greer. “Our communities are safer when we, law enforcement officers and individuals in the communities we serve, work together collectively to end drug trafficking in our neighborhoods.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tristram Hunt and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Zabel are prosecuting the case.
OCDETF
This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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11 Romance Scammers Charged with Money Laundering, Wire Fraud ConspiraciesRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury has indicted 11 defendants in the Northern District of Texas for defrauding elderly victims in romance schemes, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Prerak Shah.
The 11 defendants, all arrested during a large-scale operation Wednesday morning, are charged with a variety of financial crimes, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. The majority of the defendants charged in this investigation have ties to a transnational organized crime syndicate originating in Nigeria, law enforcement revealed Friday.
According to court documents, these defendants allegedly preyed on elderly victims, many of whom were widowed or divorced. They assumed fake names and trolled dating sites like Match.com, ChistianMingle, JSwipe, and PlentyofFish, searching for targets.
Once they had ingratiated themselves with their victims, they allegedly concocted sob-stories about why they needed money – i.e., taxes to release an inheritance, essential overseas travel, crippling debt, etc. – and then siphoned money from victim’s accounts, tens of thousands of dollars at a time.
“Crimes like these are especially despicable because they rely not only on victims’ lack of internet savvy, but also, their isolation, their loneliness, and sometimes their grief. As the victims open their hearts, the perpetrators open their wallets,” Acting U.S. Attorney Prerak Shah said at a press conference announcing the charges. “The only mistake these victims make is being generous to the wrong people.”
“The crimes allegedly committed by these defendants hit close to home. Your neighbors, parents, friends and family would be targets of this organization. The fraudsters intimidated and berated their victims, ruined their lives, really, and then disappeared,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. DeSarno. “We’re confident this investigation will have a significant impact on this region and beyond.”
The indictments unsealed today in the Northern District of Texas complement a related indictment unsealed in the Eastern District of Texas, which charges 23 defendants (including one also charged in the Northern District of Texas) with a variety of financial crimes.
Those charged in the Northern District of Texas include:
- David Animashaun, 38 – arrested in DFW, charged with wire fraud conspiracy
- Oluwalobamise Michael Moses, 40 – arrested in DFW, charged with wire fraud conspiracy
- Irabor Fatarr Musa, 51 – arrested in the Eastern District of Texas, charged by the Northern District of Texas wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy
- Ijeoma Okoro, 31 – arrested in DFW, wire fraud conspiracy fraud, money laundering conspiracy
- Chukwemeka Orji, 36 – arrested in DFW, charged with wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy
- Emanuel Stanley Orji, 35 – arrested in DFW, charged with wire fraud conspiracy
- Frederick Orji, 37 – arrested in Dallas, charged with wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy
- Uwadiale Esezobor, 36 – arrested in Lubbock, charged with mail & wire fraud conspiracy
- Victor Idowu, 36 – arrested in Los Angeles, charged with mail & wire fraud conspiracy
- Afeez Abiola Alao, 37 – wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy
- Ambrose Sunday Ohide, 47 – wire fraud conspiracy
Indictments are merely allegations of criminal conduct, not evidence. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
If convicted, the defendants face up 20 years in federal prison on the wire fraud conspiracy counts and up to 10 years in federal prison on the money laundering conspiracy counts.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, Homeland Security Investigations, and IRS – Criminal Investigation led the investigation with assistance from the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Texas Rangers, the U.S. Marshals, U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services, and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS). Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mary Walters, George Leal, and Erica Hilliard are prosecuting the cases for the Northern District of Texas, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorneys in the Eastern District of Texas.
The FBI estimates that more than 20,000 people lost more than $600 million in romance scams in 2020 alone. For tips on how to protect yourselves and your loved ones, visit the Federal Trade Commission’s romance scam webpage. To report a suspected romance fraud, file a report via the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.
23 September 2021
Wilmington Man Receives 56 Months for Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Wilmington man was sentenced today to 56 months in prison for bank robbery. On June 9, 2021, Glenn Alin Martinoff pled guilty to the charge.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Martinoff, 68, entered the Dogwood State Bank in Wilmington on January 10, 2021 while brandishing a large screwdriver and wearing a surgical mask, gloves, sunglasses, and baseball cap. Martinoff went behind the teller counter, stated that it was a robbery and took $6,460 before fleeing. Investigators responded and obtained surveillance video, including that of Martinoff’s getaway vehicle, and were able to determine that the car was for sale at a nearby dealership. At the dealership, investigators found the getaway vehicle and a copy of Martinoff’s license, which he had provided when he took the vehicle for a test drive earlier that day. Investigators then obtained a search warrant for Martinoff’s apartment and upon executing the same, recovered the stolen cash, along with clothing items worn by Martinoff during the robbery, and the screwdriver. Martinoff has two prior federal bank robbery convictions from 1991 and 1996.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Wilmington Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Stephany prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina implements the PSN Program through its Take Back North Carolina Initiative. This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices on a sustained basis in those communities to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:20-CR-00186-BO.
White Supremacist Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Violent Crime in Aid of RacketeeringRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Daniel Donofrio a/k/a “Q-Ball” (46, Chipley) has pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit an aggravated assault in aid of racketeering. He faces up to three years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, Donofrio was a member of The Unforgiven, a racketeering enterprise that engaged in acts of murder, kidnapping, robbery, obstruction of justice, and other offenses, including the use of “Florida Department of Corrections Officials to smuggle. . . controlled substances.”
According to Donofrio’s plea agreement, victim B.L. violated the code of conduct of The Unforgiven and was considered a “rat.” The leadership of The Unforgiven authorized Donofrio “to order B.L. killed, or merely assaulted.” Donofrio ordered an “S.O.S.,” meaning “stab on sight,” for B.L., who was later stabbed.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the St. Petersburg Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Natalie Hirt Adams.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Virginia man sentenced for sex offender chargeRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Eddie Reese Cason, of Buckingham, Virginia, was sentenced today to 21 months of incarceration for a sex offender charge, Acting U.S. Attorney Randolph J. Bernard announced.
Cason, 37, pled guilty in May 2021 to one count of “Failure to Update Sex Offender Registration.” Cason, a person required to register as a sex offender, admitted to failing to update his sex offender registration from October 2020 to January 2021 in Randolph County after traveling from Virginia to West Virginia.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah E. Wagner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The U.S. Marshal Service and the West Virginia State Police investigated.
U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
United States Returns to Iraq Rare Tablet Bearing Portion of the Epic of GilgameshRead the Press Release
The United States has returned to the Republic of Iraq a rare cuneiform tablet bearing a portion of the Epic of Gilgamesh, a Sumerian poem considered one of the world’s oldest works of literature.
The repatriation ceremony was held today at the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. Known as the Gilgamesh Dream Tablet, the artifact originated in the area of modern-day Iraq and entered the United States contrary to federal law. An international auction house (the Auction House) later sold the tablet to Hobby Lobby Stores Inc. (Hobby Lobby), an arts-and-crafts retailer based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, for display at the Museum of the Bible (the Museum). Law enforcement agents seized the tablet from the Museum, pursuant to a judicially-authorized seizure warrant, in September 2019.
Acting Executive Associate Director Steve K. Francis of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Iraq’s Ambassador to the United States Fareed Yasseen signed a ceremonial certificate transferring ownership of the artifact from the United States to Iraq. Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Stacy White of the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs; Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Joey Hood; Minister of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities Hassan Nadhem; Director-General Audrey Azoulay of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization; and Ambassador-at-large Richard Kurin for the Smithsonian Institution also participated in the repatriation ceremony.
“We hope that returning the Gilgamesh Dream Tablet to the Republic of Iraq is a message to the people of Iraq, and to the world, that the United States government will take action to seize and repatriate antiquities and other significant items of cultural heritage that have been unlawfully brought into the United States,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
“This office is proud to have played a central role in making this rare and ancient cuneiform tablet available for repatriation to its country of origin and the people of Iraq,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jacquelyn M. Kasulis for the Eastern District of New York. “We will continue to use our civil forfeiture laws to combat the illegal sale of cultural treasures so that they may be restored to their rightful place in a country’s history.”
“Today, Iraq is reclaiming a piece of its cultural history,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Peter C. Fitzhugh of HSI New York. “We are honored to have played a role in the repatriation of this rare tablet that was pillaged from Iraq, only to be sold without a valid provenance and any regard for his cultural value. HSI New York’s Cultural Property, Arts and Antiquity Investigations program will continue to work tirelessly to interrupt the criminal activities of those who loot antiquities and seek to profit off the theft of a country’s rich history.”
As alleged in the government’s amended complaint, in 2003, a U.S. antiquities dealer (the Antiquities Dealer) purchased the Gilgamesh Dream Tablet, encrusted with dirt and unreadable, from a family member of a coin dealer in London. The Antiquities Dealer and a U.S. cuneiform expert shipped the Gilgamesh Dream Tablet to the United States without declaring formal entry. After it was imported and cleaned, experts in cuneiform recognized it as bearing a portion of the Gilgamesh epic in which the protagonist describes his dreams to his mother. The protagonist’s mother interprets the dreams as foretelling the arrival of a new friend. She tells her son, “You will see him and your heart will laugh.” The names of the hero, Gilgamesh, and the character who becomes his friend, Enkidu, are replaced in the Gilgamesh Dream Tablet with the names of deities Sin and Ea. The Gilgamesh Dream Tablet measures approximately 6-inches by 5-inches and is written in the Akkadian language, which was spoken in ancient Mesopotamia.
In 2007, the Antiquities Dealer sold the Gilgamesh Dream Tablet with a false provenance letter that stated that the tablet had been among miscellaneous ancient bronze fragments purchased in a 1981 auction. This false letter traveled with the Gilgamesh Dream Tablet as it was sold several times in different countries, and a later owner provided the letter to the Auction House in London. In 2014, the Auction House sold the Gilgamesh Dream Tablet to Hobby Lobby in a private sale and an Auction House employee carried it on a flight from London to the United States and then transferred it to New York. Hobby Lobby consented to the tablet’s forfeiture based on the tablet’s illegal importation into the United States in 2014.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS) worked with HSI to forfeit the tablet in July. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided assistance.
The government’s case was handled by Senior Trial Attorney Ann Brickley of MLARS and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sylvia Shweder of the Eastern District of New York.
United States Returns to Iraq Rare Cuneiform Tablet Bearing Portion of the Epic of GilgameshRead the Press Release
Today, the United States has returned to the Republic of Iraq a rare cuneiform tablet bearing a portion of the epic of Gilgamesh, a Sumerian poem considered one of the world’s oldest works of literature, at a repatriation ceremony at the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. Known as the Gilgamesh Dream Tablet, the artifact originated in the area of modern-day Iraq and entered the United States contrary to federal law. An international auction house (the “Auction House”) later sold the tablet to Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. (“Hobby Lobby”), a prominent arts-and-crafts retailer based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, for display at the Museum of the Bible (the “Museum”). Law enforcement agents seized the tablet from the Museum in September 2019.
Acting Executive Associate Director Steve K. Francis of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Iraq’s Ambassador to the United States Fareed Yasseen signed a ceremonial certificate transferring ownership of the artifact from the United States to Iraq. Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Stacy White of the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs; Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Joey Hood; Minister of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities Hassan Nadhem; Director-General Audrey Azoulay of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization; and Ambassador-at-large Richard Kurin for the Smithsonian Institution also participated in the repatriation ceremony.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the Department of Justice’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS) worked with HSI to forfeit the tablet in July 2021.
“This Office is proud to have played a central role in making this rare and ancient cuneiform tablet available for repatriation to its country of origin and the people of Iraq,” stated Jacquelyn M. Kasulis, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. “We will continue to use our civil forfeiture laws to combat the illegal sale of cultural treasures so that they may be restored to their rightful place in a country’s history.”
“We hope that returning the Gilgamesh Dream Tablet to the Republic of Iraq is a message to the people of Iraq, and to the world, that the United States government will take action to seize and repatriate antiquities and other significant items of cultural heritage that have been unlawfully brought into the United States,” stated Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
“Today, Iraq is reclaiming a piece of its cultural history,” stated HSI New York Special Agent-in-Charge Peter C. Fitzhugh. “We are honored to have played a role in the repatriation of this rare tablet that was pillaged from Iraq, only to be sold without a valid provenance and any regard for his cultural value. HSI New York’s Cultural Property, Arts and Antiquity Investigations program will continue to work tirelessly to interrupt the criminal activities of those who loot antiquities and seek to profit off the theft of a country’s rich history.”
Background
As alleged in the government’s amended complaint, in 2003, a U.S. antiquities dealer (“the Antiquities Dealer”) purchased the Gilgamesh Dream Tablet, encrusted with dirt and unreadable, from a family member of a coin dealer in London. The Antiquities Dealer and a U.S. cuneiform expert shipped the Gilgamesh Dream Tablet to the United States without declaring formal entry. After it was imported and cleaned, experts in cuneiform recognized it as bearing a portion of the Gilgamesh epic in which the protagonist describes his dreams to his mother. The protagonist’s mother interprets the dreams as foretelling the arrival of a new friend. She tells her son, “You will see him and your heart will laugh.” The names of the hero, Gilgamesh, and the character who becomes his friend, Enkidu, are replaced in the Gilgamesh Dream Tablet with the names of deities Sin and Ea. The Gilgamesh Dream Tablet measures approximately 6-inches by 5-inches and is written in the Akkadian language, which was spoken in ancient Mesopotamia.
In 2007, the Antiquities Dealer sold the Gilgamesh Dream Tablet with a false provenance letter that stated that the tablet had been among miscellaneous ancient bronze fragments purchased in a 1981 auction. This false letter traveled with the Gilgamesh Dream Tablet as it was sold several times in different countries, and a later owner provided the letter to the Auction House in London. In 2014, the Auction House sold the Gilgamesh Dream Tablet to Hobby Lobby in a private sale and an Auction House employee carried it on a flight from London to the United States and then transferred it to New York. Hobby Lobby consented to the tablet’s forfeiture based on the tablet’s illegal importation into the United States in 2014.
The government’s case was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Sylvia Shweder and Senior Trial Attorney Ann Brickley of MLARS.
E.D.N.Y. Docket No.: 20-CV-2222 (AMD)
Ulster County Man Sentenced to 35 Months for Failing to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Delbert Tibbs, age 28, was sentenced today to 35 months in prison, to be followed by a 5-year term of supervised release, for failing to register in New York as a sex offender after he fled Tennessee and relocated to Ellenville, New York.
The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Antoinette T. Bacon and United States Marshal David L. McNulty.
On April 9, 2021, Tibbs pled guilty to one count of failure to register as a sex offender. During his plea hearing, Tibbs acknowledged that, due to two sexual assault convictions in 2015 in Tennessee, he is required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act and to keep that registration current. Tibbs also acknowledged that, following his departure from Tennessee, which he accomplished by removing a court-required GPS tracking device, he did not timely register his change of address with authorities in either Tennessee or New York.
This case was investigated the United States Marshals Service and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily C. Powers.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces More Than $3.5 Million in Justice Department Grants to Fight Crime in South CarolinaRead the Press Release
Charleston, South Carolina --- Acting United States Attorney M. Rhett DeHart announced today awards of more than $3.5 million in Department of Justice grants to fight crime in the District of South Carolina. The grants were awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) and received by the South Carolina Department of Public Safety.
“Crime across our nation and here in South Carolina has risen over the past year,” said Acting U.S. Attorney DeHart. “While our office continues to vigorously prosecute those responsible for crime, we also are grateful for the Department of Justice’s commitment to supporting our state and local partners in their work to make our communities safer places.”
The grant funds were distributed as part of the Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant Program to support state and local initiatives including law enforcement programs, prosecution and court programs, prevention and education programs, drug treatment and enforcement programs, and crime victim and witness programs.
More information about the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Program and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
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U.S. Attorney Seeking Victims Advertised on CityXGuide.comRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas is seeking individuals who were trafficked on CityXGuide, a commercial sex website shut down by the federal government in June 2020, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Prerak Shah.
Prosecutors are requesting that victims — who are afforded rights under the Crime Victims’ Rights Act (CRVA) and may be eligible for restitution — visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndtx/united-states-v-wilhan-martono-cityxguide to submit their information.
The U.S. Attorney’s questionnaire will allow victims to outline any physical or mental health injuries they sustained as a result of human trafficking (information that is critically important to request court-ordered victim compensation at sentencing) and to share their thoughts on the sentence the judge should impose on CityXGuide owner Wilhan Martono.
Mr. Martono, 47, was arrested on June 19, 2020, the same day his websites were seized by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. He pleaded guilty on Aug. 24, 2021 to one count of promotion of prostitution and reckless disregard of sex trafficking and one count of conspiracy to engage in interstate transportation in aid of racketeering enterprises - facilitating prostitution. His plea is the first ever entered under the Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (FOSTA), a 2018 law that allows the federal government to prosecute websites that facilitate sex trafficking.
In plea papers, Mr. Martono admitted that he created, owned, and operated CityXGuide and a suite of related websites. He registered the domain names for several of the sites on April 8, 2018 — just one day after the feds shut down Backpage.com, then the internet’s leading source of commercial sex advertisements. Like Backpage, Mr. Martono’s sites allowed users, including traffickers, to post hundreds of thousands of commercial sex advertisements worldwide.
Mr. Martono admitted that he turned a blind eye to the illegal sex trafficking occurring on CityXGuide. Despite receiving numerous emails from federal, state, and local law enforcement informing him that CityXGuide and its companion websites were being used to facilitate sex trafficking and child exploitation, he continued to operate those sites in the United States and around the world. In court documents, prosecutors estimated that Mr. Martono netted more than $21 million off his websites, which users described as “taking over from where Backpage left off.”
Law enforcement has already identified numerous trafficking victims in CityXGuide advertisements, including a 13-year-old Jane Doe identified in North Texas in November 2019 and a 16-year-old Jane Doe identified in North Texas in March 2020. Prosecutors are engaged in an ongoing effort to notify all survivors of sex trafficking who were advertised on CityXGuide.
Potential victims include minors who were advertised on Cityxguide.com or a related website (including Cityxguide.net, Cityxguide.co, Cityxguide.be, Bodyrubshop.com, CAPleasures.com, or Backpage.co), as well as adults subjected to force, threats of force, fraud, and/or coercion at the time they were advertised on CityXGuide or a related website. Individuals do not need to reside in the Northern District of Texas to be considered victims in this case.
Under the CVRA, victims are entitled to reasonable, accurate, and timely notice of public court proceedings, the right to be treated with fairness and respect for their dignity and privacy, and the right to be reasonably heard at any public sentencing proceeding. For a more detailed description of victims' rights under the law, click here.
The North Texas Trafficking Task Force conducted the investigation, led by Homeland Security Investigations’ Dallas Field Office, the United States Secret Service, and the Colleyville Police Department, with assistance from HSI’s El Paso and San Jose Field Offices as well as the Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant United States Attorneys Sid Mody, Rebekah Ricketts, and John de la Garza are prosecuting the case.
U.S. Attorney Announces a $823,616 Award from the U.S. Department of Justice to Address Crime Victim Services in the U.S. Virgin IslandsRead the Press Release
ST. THOMAS, USVI – U.S. Attorney announced today that the U.S. Virgin Islands Law Enforcement Planning Commission has received a $823,616 grant from the Department of Justice in support of crime victim assistance programs.
The award from the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) supports the critical work of the U.S. Virgin Islands Law Enforcement Planning Commission’s efforts to enhance services to victims of crime in the Territory.
“The Law Enforcement Planning Commission provides victims of crime assistance funds to non-profit victim services and government agencies in the U.S. Virgin Islands,” Shappert said. “These funds support direct services to assist crime victims in their recovery from victimization.”
The award is one of 26 totaling $597,916,462 made nationwide by OVC’s State and Territorial Victims of Crime Program. The full list of awards for this program can be found here.
Each year, OVC awards formula and discretionary grants to enhance the delivery of crime victim services throughout the Nation. Funds are for the purposes of assisting crime victims and to providing leadership in changing attitudes, policies, and practices to promote justice and healing for all crime victims. OVC’s funding supports victims of tribal communities, state and territory victim compensation and assistance programs, training and technical assistance and information resources, victims of international terrorism and mass violence, federal agencies’ provision of victim services, survivors of human trafficking, and demonstration of service projects.
Established in 1988 through an amendment to the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) of 1984, OVC is charged by Congress with administering the Crime Victims Fund. Through OVC, the Fund supports a broad array of programs and services that focus on helping victims in the immediate aftermath of crime and continuing to support them as they rebuild their lives. Millions of dollars are invested annually in victim compensation and assistance in every U.S. state and territory, as well as for training, technical assistance, and other capacity-building programs designed to enhance service providers’ ability to support victims of crime in communities across the Nation. Learn more at www.ovc.ojp.gov
U.S. Attorney Announces a $270,782 U.S. Department of Justice Award to Address Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault in the U.S. Virgin IslandsRead the Press Release
ST. THOMAS, USVI – U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced today that the Virgin Islands Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Council has received a $270,782 grant from the Department of Justice in support of its domestic violence and sexual assault programs.
The award from the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) supports the critical work of the U.S. Virgin Islands Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalition’s efforts to end domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
“The Virgin Islands Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Council (VIDVSAC) provides invaluable support to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault-related offenses here in the Territory,” Shappert said. “VIDVSAC also sponsors important training and outreach initiatives to educate everyone about the consequences of these serious crimes.”
The award is one of 87 totaling $15 million made nationwide by OVW’s State and Territorial Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Coalitions Program. The full list of awards for this program can be found here.
The program provides grants to each state and territorial domestic violence coalition and sexual assault coalition. Funds are for the purposes of coordinating victim services activities and collaborating and coordinating with federal, state, and local entities engaged in addressing violence against women. Statewide and territory-wide sexual assault coalitions provide direct support to member rape and crisis centers through funding, training and technical assistance, public awareness activities, and public policy advocacy. Statewide and territory-wide domestic violence coalitions also provide comparable support to member battered women’s shelters and other domestic violence service providers.
OVW provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges. Learn more at www.justice.gov/ovw .
Two defendants charged in tax conspiracyRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – A federal grand jury returned a 15-count indictment on July 15, 2021, which was unsealed on September 9, 2021, charging two individuals with conspiring to defraud the United States, filing false tax returns, and money laundering.
According to the indictment, from 2015 to 2019, Hannah Heart, Sook Young Jung and another individual allegedly conspired to defraud the United States by seeking fraudulent refunds from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) based on false claims that they had paid sizeable tax withholdings. The conspirators allegedly filed a false 2014 amended individual income tax return that claimed a refund of $464,904 and a false 2015 individual income tax return that claimed a refund of $1,134,902. The indictment further alleges that the conspirators took steps to prevent the IRS from recovering the fraudulently obtained refunds, and that Heart and Jung laundered the fraudulently obtained refunds through a series of financial transactions.
Jung was arrested on September 4 and made her initial court appearance on September 7 before U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Kate Vaughan of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. Jung’s matter was ordered transferred to the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii.
Heart was arrested on September 18 and made her initial court appearance on September 21 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Rom Trader of the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii.
If convicted, Heart and Jung each face a maximum sentence of ten years in prison for each count of money laundering. Heart and Jung each face a maximum sentence of three years for filing a false tax return and a maximum sentence of five years for conspiracy to defraud the United States. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Judith A. Philips for the District of Hawaii made the announcement.
The IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Sarah A. Kiewlicz and Valerie G. Preiss of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregg Paris Yates of the U.S. Attorney’s Office are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Two South Florida Women Sentenced to Federal Prison for Roles in Orchestrating Credit Card Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Miami, FL – Two south Florida women were sentenced yesterday for their roles in a conspiracy to fraudulently obtain credit cards that they and other individuals used to purchase over $100,000 of personal cosmetic services.
Sheena Ceasar, 35, of Coconut Creek, and Dekita Bellamy, 37, of Coral Springs, were each sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roy K. Altman to terms of imprisonment of 44 months and 32 months, respectively, with each term of imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release. Judge Altman ordered forfeiture and restitution of $82,151.50 as to Ceasar and $94,968 as to Bellamy. Both defendants previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit access device fraud and aggravated identity theft, as charged in an indictment.
Bellamy and Ceasar carried out the conspiracy by purloining personally identifiable information (PII) of unsuspecting victims, including names, social security numbers, and dates of birth, to apply for and receive credit cards. In addition to using the credit cards to purchase cosmetic services for themselves, defendants reaped ill-gotten gains by supplying the cards to co-conspirators so they could purchase expensive cosmetic services in exchange for a fee, which was typically half the value of the desired service. Seven other co-conspirators have been charged with, and pleaded guilty to, federal felonies in connection with this criminal activity:
- Shenika Denise Myers, 37, of Lauderhill, Florida pleaded guilty on September 3, 2021 to aggravated identity theft and is awaiting sentencing.
- Sayyada Samira Whiters, 33, of Coconut Creek, Florida, pleaded guilty on August 13, 2021 to conspiracy to commit access device fraud and aggravated identity theft and is awaiting sentencing.
- Trenasha Lashay Johnson, 36, of Cape Coral, Florida pleaded guilty to August 3, 2021 to conspiracy to commit access device fraud and aggravated identity theft and is awaiting sentencing.
- Janiqua Oliphant, 31, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft and was sentenced on October 14, 2020 to 24 months’ imprisonment.
- Sheena White, 35, of Pompano Beach, Florida pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft and was sentenced on September 24, 2020 to 24 months’ imprisonment.
- Nikki Butler, 40, of Pompano Beach, Florida pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit access device fraud and was sentenced on September 15, 2020 to time served with 3 years of supervised release that included 360 days of home detention.
- Lucretia Ford, 31, of Coconut Creek, Florida pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit access device fraud and was sentenced on June 3, 2020 to 3 years’ probation.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Brian Swain, Special Agent in Charge, United States Secret Service (USSS), Miami Field Office, made the announcement. USSS Miami investigated the cases, with assistance from the Fort Lauderdale Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Snider is prosecuting the cases.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case numbers 19-cr-60380 (United States v. Dekita Bellamy et al.), 21-cr-60063 (United States v. Shenika Denise Myers), 21-cr-60062 (United States v. Sayyada Samira Whiters), 20-cr-60079 (United States v. Trenasha Lashay Johnson), 19-cr-60361 (United States v. Sheena White),19-cr-60356 (United States v. Nikki Butler), and 19-cr-60357 (United States v. Lucretia Ford).
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Two Men Plead Guilty to Federal Firearm and Drug Trafficking Charges Stemming from Their Participation in a Winter Shootout at a New Orleans HotelRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today, that CHRIS ROSS, age 20 from Slidell and TREJON HOWARD, age 20 from New Orleans pled guilty on September 22, 2021 to various firearm and drug charges. Their guilty pleas stem from participation in a December 28, 2020 shootout on the 15th floor of the Jung Hotel on Canal Street.
Earlier this year the federal Grand Jury handed down two related Indictments charging a total of seven individuals with various violations of the Federal Gun Control Act and Federal Controlled Substances Act. ROSS and HOWARD are the first of the defendants to plead guilty in connection with these cases. Both ROSS and HOWARD pled guilty to Counts 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the Indictment pending against them.
In their the five (5) count Indictment, the grand jury charged ROSS, Tiquan EVERSON, HOWARD, and Blake BATISTE. Count 1 charged each with conspiracy to use and carry firearms during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime and a crime of violence, in Violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(o). Count 2 charged each with attempting to commit a Hobbs Act Robbery, in violation of Title 18, United Stated Code, Section 1951. Count 3 charged each with carrying and discharging firearms during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime and a crime of violence, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(iii). Count 4 charged each with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(1)(D). Count 5 charged EVERSON with being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1).
Counts 1 and 2 carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a $250,000.00 fine, and up to 3 years supervised release. Count 3 carries a consecutive sentence of 10 years to life in prison, a $250,000.00 fine, and up to 5 years supervised release. Count 4 carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a $250,000.00 fine, and at least 2 years supervised release. Count 5 carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a $250,000.00 fine, and up to 3 years supervised release. Both ROSS and HOWARD, individually, must pay a mandatory $100 special assessment fee for each count.
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.
The case was investigated by the New Orleans Police Department and the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorneys Maurice Landrieu and Elizabeth Privitera are in charge of the prosecution.
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Two Drug Dealers Convicted of Conspiring to Murder Federal WitnessRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—After almost two weeks of trial, a federal jury has found two drug dealers guilty of their involvement in conspiracy that resulted in the murder of a federal informant. Don Smith, 38, of Malvern, Arkansas, and Samuel Sherman, 38, of Batesville, Arkansas, were found guilty when the jury returned their verdict late Tuesday evening. Chief United States District Judge D. Price Marshall, Jr., presided over the trial, and Judge Marshall will sentence Smith and Sherman later.
Both Smith and Sherman were convicted of conspiracy to cause witness tampering resulting in death. Smith was also convicted of witness tampering resulting in death, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime resulting in first degree murder.
Smith and Sherman were originally charged in September 2019 in connection with the death of Susan Cooper, who had bought methamphetamine from Sherman but had begun working as an informant for law enforcement. In May 2016, Sherman was arrested and charged with selling methamphetamine to Cooper. As his case progressed, Sherman was released and permitted to work as an informant himself.
Though Sherman was supposed to be working as an informant, he had not provided enough information to help his case, and in September 2016, Sherman learned he was facing a significant federal prison sentence. Evidence at trial showed that upon learning this, Sherman called Smith, who was a methamphetamine dealer in the Malvern area. Smith had sold drugs to Rachael Cooper, who was Susan Cooper’s sister-in-law (they were married to brothers).
Cellular tower data presented at trial showed that shortly thereafter, Smith drove from Malvern to Batesville, where Sherman lived, and stayed in Batesville for approximately 40 minutes before returning to Malvern. On the way back to Malvern, Smith called Rachael. Rachael had been communicating with Susan about making arrangements for Susan to trade some hydrocodone pills for methamphetamine. Susan did not know the trade was with Smith.
That night, Rachael picked Susan up and drove her to meet Smith for the drug exchange. Rachael testified at trial that as they waited, she heard a gunshot followed by Susan crying out “I’m shot—get me out of here!” Rachael jumped in the driver’s seat and saw Smith shoot Susan several more times. Smith pulled Susan from the truck as Rachael sped away.
For a year and a half, Susan Cooper’s body had not been found. In July 2018, Smith was charged in state court with the murder, and after his arrest, a witness came forward to disclose Smith had demanded he help bury the body. This witness took federal agents to the location of Cooper’s body.
“Rest assured that any attempt to harm a federal witness will be met with swift and forceful justice,” said Jonathan D. Ross, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas. “Our entire system of justice is based on the ability of witnesses to speak truthfully in open court. Any attempt to prevent a witness from doing so—especially an attempt that results in a witness’s death—will be investigated and prosecuted. We appreciate the work of the many agencies who collaborated to bring this brutal crime to a resolution.”
“The conviction of Sherman and Smith sends a clear message to all who conspire to commit murder in our district: we will work together with our federal, state, and local and law enforcement partners to see that anyone involved in this type of horrific crime is brought to justice. This case highlights the impact multiple agencies can have when they join forces,” said DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jarad Harper.
“Smith and Sherman callously planned the brutal execution of Susan Cooper in an effort to protect their criminal activity,” said FBI Little Rock Special Agent in Charge James Dawson. “In response to the murder of a federal informant, FBI agents joined forces with DEA investigators, Malvern police detectives, and Hot Spring County Sheriff’s deputies to bring Smith and Sherman to justice. This case highlights the value of law enforcement partnerships and proves that the FBI and our partners will use every available resource to investigate and pursue criminals who harm or intimidate federal witnesses.”
The statutory penalty for conspiracy to cause witness tampering resulting in death is life imprisonment, as is the penalty for witness tampering resulting in death. Neither Smith nor Sherman will be eligible for release.
The investigation was conducted by the Hot Springs County Sheriff’s Office, Malvern Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the FBI. The case involved significant collaboration between the Hot Spring County Prosecutor’s Office and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Arkansas. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Anne Gardner and Bart Dickinson.
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This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
Twitter:
@EDARNEWS
Tulsa Man Charged for Nightclub ShootingRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury this week handed down an indictment charging a 21-year-old Tulsa man with a nightclub shooting that occurred on Aug. 21, 2021, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
Jaden Perez was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm in Indian Country and carrying, using, brandishing, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
According to court documents, Perez punched a security guard at closing time near an exit door of Midnight Rodeo nightclub in Tulsa. Perez was forced outside by the security guard, and a physical altercation ensued. After the fight was broken up, Perez and his friends were escorted to their silver Honda.
The men eventually moved the car to another area of the parking lot as the crowd dispersed and security walked away. Perez then exited the car, ran across the parking lot and allegedly began shooting back toward security guards and the remaining crowd. Surveillance footage showed the suspect with arm extended and muzzle flashes coming from him. A security officer returned fire. Perez was hit and ran east on 46th Street until picked up by his friends in the silver car.
The security guard felt a pain in his chest during the shooting when he was apparently grazed by a bullet. Upon examination, he suffered bruising and redness to the left side of his chest.
A Tulsa police officer conducted a traffic stop on the silver vehicle in the area of 4800 S. Memorial Drive and found Perez suffering from gunshot wounds. Perez was transported by ambulance to St. Francis Hospital for treatment.
According to court documents, officers located a .45 caliber pistol and Glock 19 handgun in the car during the traffic stop. Officers also recovered spent .45 caliber bullet casings from the nightclub’s parking lot where Perez was seen running. They further located a Taurus 9mm pistol. Surveillance video showed the suspect possibly drop something in the area where the gun was found.
The defendant faces a maximum of 10 years in prison if convicted of count 1 in the indictment and a minimum of 10 years in prison to run consecutively to any other sentence if convicted of Count 2 in the indictment
Perez is a citizen of the Muscogee Nation, and the crime took place within the boundaries of the Muscogee Nation reservation.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The Tulsa Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney George Jiang is prosecuting the case.
Three Men Charged for Illegally Leaving the Brooks Falls Viewing Platform and Wading into the Brooks RiverRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE – Three men have been federally charged for illegally leaving the Brooks Falls viewing platform and entering a closed area of the Brooks River at Brooks Falls, Katmai National Park on August 9, 2018. The men are all charged with creating a hazardous condition in a closed area and approaching within 50 yards of brown bears.
The information alleges that David Engelman, 56, of Sandia Park, New Mexico, and Ronald J. Engelman II, 54, and Steven Thomas, 30, both of King Salmon, Alaska, left the authorized Brooks Falls viewing platform and waded into the Brooks River below Brooks Falls. The three men created a hazardous condition as brown bears were feeding on the falls and in the Brooks River just below the falls. As they waded into the Brooks River the three men came within 50 yards of the brown bears.
If convicted, they each face a maximum penalty of six months in prison, a $5,000 fine and a year of probation. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Katmai National Park and Preserve in southwestern Alaska protects over 4 million acres of land and coastal resources including the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes and the Brooks River area which is particularly notable for a rich habitat that supports one of the world’s highest concentrations of salmon and brown bears. The park and preserve also protects 9,000 years of human history integrated on the landscape and offers unique opportunities to explore vast wilderness and immense volcanoes, watch brown bears, fish for salmon and trout, and many other activities.
The National Park Service is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Steve Skrocki is prosecuting the case.
The charges in the information are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Three California Residents Charged with Conspiring to Defraud Unemployment Insurance ProgramRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California filed a criminal complaint against Ratha Yin, Amanda Yin, and Steven Mavromatis charging the defendants with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud for their respective roles in a scheme to defraud the State of California by filing unemployment claims in the names of other people, announced Acting United States Attorney Stephanie Hinds and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Craig D. Fair.
According to the criminal complaint indictment, Ratha Yin, 34, was an inmate at Centinela State Prison located in Imperial County, on October 16, 2020, when he and his cellmate were found to be in possession of two cell phones and two SD cards. The contraband electronics contained a trove of information about communications Ratha Yin and his co-defendants—his wife, Amanda Yin, 31, of Indio, Calif., and Stephen Mavromatis, 26, of San Leandro, Calif.—as well as with the California Employment Development Department (EDD) and the Bank of America. Subsequent investigation uncovered evidence that Ratha Yin used at least one of the cell phones to communicate from prison with Mavromatis to file fraudulent claims for unemployment insurance made available through EDD under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act of 2020 (“CARES Act”). Amanda Yin allegedly knew about the fraud, assisted with the collection of the proceeds, and disposed of some of the ill-gotten gains.
The complaint alleges that the defendants accessed the dark web to obtain personally identifying information for hundreds of individuals and then created email accounts for many of the victims to be used in connection with the scheme. Ratha Yin and Mavromatis then used the personal information and emails to file fraudulent unemployment claims. The complaint explains that when the EDD issues unemployment insurance benefits under the unemployment insurance program, it contracts with Bank of America which sends the recipient a pre-loaded Bank of America debit card with a set cash balance. Ratha Yin and Mavromatis allegedly used this system by requesting benefits and requesting the EDD to mail the prepaid debit cards to a post office box controlled by Mavromatis. The complaint estimates that an analysis revealed that of 91 fraudulent claims filed by Ratha Yin and Mavromatis at least $1.9 million of cash withdrawals were made from fraudulently obtained debit cards. In addition, the complaint alleges Ratha Yin and other co-conspirators filed claims and withdrew at least an additional $132,000 from accounts developed using similar methods.
The complaint further alleges that Amanda Yin collected funds from Mavramatis, assisted in deciding where and how to deposit the funds, and deposited some of the illegally obtained funds in accounts in her own name and in a joint account with Ratha Yin. In addition, Amanda Yin allegedly used the proceeds of the scheme to purchase personal items; for example, according to the complaint, Amanda Yin used a straw purchaser to obtain a $71,000 Audi sport utility vehicle and, in May of 2021, she allegedly used the proceeds for a down payment on a home in Indio, Calif.
In sum, the complaint charges all three defendants with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § § 1341, 1343, and 1349. A criminal complaint merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the defendants each face a maximum sentence of 20 years of prison, 3 years of supervised release following incarceration, and a fine of $250,000. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Amanda Yin and Mavromatis were arrested on September 21, 2021. Amanda Yin made her initial federal court appearance on September 21, 2021, before a magistrate judge in the Central District of California. She will appear in the Northern District of California on September 28, 2021. Mavromatis made his initial appearance before a magistrate judge in the Northern District of California on September 22, 2021. He will appear next on September 24, 2021, before United States Magistrate Judge Sallie Kim.
The case is being prosecuted by the Special Prosecutions Section of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California. This case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the U.S. Department of Labor-Office of the Inspector General, the California EDD, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Bay Area Special Service Unit, and the Centinela State Prison Investigative Service’s Unit.
Three Brothers Charged in Multi-District Scheme to Defraud the United States Postal Service, UPS, and Citizens BankRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that brothers Zumar Dubose, age 32, of Atlantic City, NJ; Abdush Dubose, age 34, of Boynton Beach, FL; and Kariem Dubose, age 40, of Philadelphia, PA; were charged by Superseding Indictment on charges of mail fraud, wire fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The charges arose out of a scheme to defraud the United States Postal Service, United Parcel Service, and Citizens Bank of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The Superseding Indictment alleges that between October 2018 and April 2020, the defendants submitted over 1,200 fraudulent insured-parcel claims with USPS and UPS, and received almost $300,000 in ill-gotten gains. As part of the scheme, the Dubose brothers sent parcels to themselves using insured USPS postage and UPS tracking labels. They then filed fraudulent claims with USPS and UPS, claiming that these parcels were lost or damaged in transit, and attached sham proofs of value. The defendants used numerous e-mails, addresses and postboxes, bank accounts and bank cards, fake individual names, and fictitious corporations, including “Urmajesty Banktruckfit Solutions,” “Miworld Three Incorporated,” and “4 Entertainment Corporation,” which were incorporated in the State of New Jersey, and “Seeds of Beauty Incorporated,” which was incorporated in the State of Florida. The claim checks that the brothers received as part of this fraud scheme were deposited into Citizens Bank accounts opened in the names of these fake companies through ATMs in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and elsewhere.
The brothers also used the court system to perpetrate their fraud by filing false lawsuits against the victims. When USPS and UPS refused to issue or deliver some of the fraudulently-obtained claim checks, and when Citizens Bank placed a hold on a bank account that was used to deposit the fraud proceeds, the Dubose brothers were undeterred. The brothers repeatedly contacted USPS and UPS using fake names; defendant Zumar Dubose even filed lawsuits against UPS in various counties in New Jersey, using fake plaintiff names and falsely claiming that UPS did not pay him funds that he was owed. The defendants also filed a lawsuit against Citizens Bank, again pretending to be a different individual, in an effort to obtain the funds from their fraud scheme.
“These three brothers were allegedly brazen in their efforts to defraud businesses and the United States government via the postal services,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Williams. “According to the Superseding Indictment, it wasn’t enough simply to perpetrate a direct fraud by lying about insured parcels – when the companies suspected something wasn’t right, the defendants turned around and had the nerve to file lawsuits against the victim companies. We will vigorously investigate and prosecute this type of unabashed fraud.”
“Many people might be surprised to learn that the Post Office and United Parcel Service often work together moving millions of parcels and mail. Today however, I have the unfortunate role of announcing that they were victimized together,” said Damon Wood, Postal Inspector in Charge of the Philadelphia Division of the Postal Inspection Service. “The brothers Dubose devised an elaborate scheme to take advantage of the Post Office’s and UPS’s parcel insurance. Setting up fake email addresses, sending empty parcels, and filing bogus lawsuits, were among the tactics that demonstrate the lengths to which these brothers went to steel money from a private company and a government agency. A company and an agency, I might add, who have both worked tirelessly over the last 18 months to support our community and nation through the pandemic. Thanks to the detailed investigation of Inspectors from the Postal Inspection Service and by agents of Post Office Inspector General, this theft was stopped and the brothers behind it have been charged.”
“The United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General is committed to protecting the sanctity of the United States Mail,” said Kenneth Cleevely, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General. “I wish to commend our partners at the United States Postal Inspection Service and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania for their teamwork in bringing these subjects to justice”.
If convicted, defendant Zumar Dubose faces a maximum possible sentence of 340 years in prison, five years of supervised release, and a $5 million fine. Defendant Abdush Dubose faces a maximum sentence of 310 years of in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $3.75 million fine. Defendant Kariem Dubose faces a maximum possible sentence of 130 years of in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $2.25 million fine.
The case was investigated by the United States Postal Service Office of the Inspector General and United States Postal Inspection Service, and is being prosecuted by Deputy United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen and Assistant United States Attorney J. Jeanette Kang.
An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Tax preparer convicted of multiple counts of tax fraud for filing false tax returnsRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 58-year-old resident of Pacific, Washington, was convicted late yesterday in U.S. District Court in Seattle, of 14 counts of aiding and abetting the filing of false tax returns, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Jean Mpouli worked for 25 years as an aviation inspector for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), while on the side he ran a tax preparation business with hundreds of clients, offering his services primarily to African immigrants. At the 3-day trial prosecutors showed how Mpouli falsely increased deductions for unreimbursed business expenses and educational expenses to boost his clients’ tax refunds. Mpouli took a percentage of the refund as his fee, so the higher the refund, the larger the fee. On his personal tax returns, Mpouli hid over $200,000 of revenue generated from his illegal side business. The jury deliberated less than two hours before returning the guilty verdicts.
Mpouli faces up to 3 years in prison per count of conviction when sentenced by U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour on January 11, 2022.
“Even as he was employed by the federal government, this defendant sought to cheat the government out of tax revenue,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Gorman. “He drew his clientele from his community, which consisted of hard-working immigrants from Africa and their children. He filed the false returns largely without the knowledge of the immigrants who sought his help – leaving them to deal with the IRS when the false entries were uncovered.”
According to records filed in the case and testimony at trial, in late 2016 an analyst with the IRS noted that an unusually large number of returns prepared by Mpouli claimed deductions for unreimbursed business expenses. In 2017, the IRS Criminal Investigation Division sent an undercover officer into the business to get an up-close look at how Mpouli prepared tax returns. Using the W-2 information the undercover officer supplied, Mpouli rightly determined the agent owed approximately $800 in taxes. However, Mpouli then offered to enter in approximately $34,000 in fraudulent expenses in order to boost the undercover officer’s refund to more than $5,600. Mpouli explained that the undercover officer should consider the refund as a “loan” in the event the officer was audited by the IRS. Mpouli then accepted $250 in cash as his fee for preparing the fraudulent return.
When agents executed court authorized search warrants on the business in September 2017, they found more than 1,200 personal tax returns on Mpouli’s computers. Hundreds of the tax returns show suspiciously high amounts of unreimbursed business expenses and education expenses. In one example, Mpouli claimed a client had driven more than 33,000 miles for business in one year. However, the client did not own a vehicle, did not have a driver’s license, and had never driven a vehicle in the U.S.
When investigators contacted a random sampling of the clients who had used Mpouli’s services, they said they were not aware of the extent of the deductions he had claimed on their behalf. Many did not own vehicles even though Mpouli listed unreimbursed car expenses. Others never attended the educational institution listed on the returns. In some instances, he claimed children were attending the secondary education institution, even though the children were actually enrolled in daycare or elementary school. The clients said Mpouli did not discuss the returns with them before filing, and when they were notified that they were being audited, he refused to assist them.
“Mpouli brazenly ripped off taxpayers while simultaneously collecting a paycheck from the tax-paying public. As a tax return preparer, he had an obligation to his clients to prepare accurate tax returns that comply with the law. Instead, he took advantage of their trust and pocketed a percentage of each fraudulent refund,” said IRS Criminal Investigation’s Special Agent in Charge Bret Kressin. “Return preparer fraud is a top priority for IRS Criminal Investigation and special agents will continue to investigate tax preparers who defraud the government, their clients, and the tax-paying public.”
According to financial records, during the time period of the fraud, Mpouli was sending more than $300,000 to his native Cameroon to pay for the construction of an apartment building.
The case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service: Criminal Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lyndsie Schmalz and Frances Franze-Nakamura.
Shipping Company Fined $2M in a Multi-District Case for Concealing Illegal Discharges of Oily Water into the Atlantic OceanRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Diana Wilhelmsen Management Limited (DWM), a Cyprus-based company that operates several commercial vessels, was sentenced today in federal court before U.S. District Court Judge Rebecca Beach Smith in Norfolk, Virginia, after pleading guilty to violations of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships that had occurred on the Motor Vessel (M/V) Protefs.
DWM pleaded guilty to two felony offenses in two judicial districts – the Eastern District of Virginia and the Eastern District of Louisiana. DWM was sentenced to pay a fine of $2 million placed on probation for a period of four years, and ordered to implement a comprehensive Environmental Compliance Plan as a special condition of probation.
In pleading guilty, DWM admitted that crew members onboard the M/V Protefs, a 40,230 gross-ton, 738-foot ocean-going commercial bulk carrier, knowingly failed to record in the vessel’s oil record book the overboard discharge of oily bilge water from mid-April 2020 until before the vessel arrived in Newport News, VA, on June 10, 2020. The vessel also arrived in New Orleans, Louisiana on June 1, 2020 with a knowingly false oil record book.
DWM admitted that the crew on the vessel used an emergency de-watering system to illegally discharge oily water directly into the ocean from the vessel’s bilge holding tank, duct keel and bilge wells. Those discharges were not recorded in the oil record book as required. The Chief Engineer, Vener Dailisan, pleaded guilty to making a false statement to U.S. Coast Guard inspectors about the existence of a Sounding Log which is routinely sought by inspectors in order to ascertain the accuracy of the oil record book. Dailisan was sentenced to a fine of $3,000 and placed on probation for two years.
“The United States will vigorously enforce laws that protect our ocean resources,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Holding shipping companies to account when wastes are unlawfully discharged overboard, and covered up through falsified documents, is vital to protecting our environment.”
“We are firmly committed to enforcing federal environmental laws and will not tolerate conduct that pollutes our water, imperils natural ecosystems, and endangers our wildlife,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Raj Parekh for the Eastern District of Virginia. “As this case demonstrates, those who contaminate our most precious natural resources by illegally dumping hazardous waste into the ocean will be held accountable, especially when they falsify their records to avoid detection.”
“The commercial shipping industry is essential to commerce in this region, but their work must ensure they do not neglect their professional and legal obligations,” said U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans for the Eastern District of Louisiana. “Today’s announcement emphasizes that our office along with our federal partners are committed to holding accountable all parties whose criminality jeopardizes our environment and places the public and the ecosystem at risk.”
Senior Trial Attorney Kenneth Nelson of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section, with the assistance of Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Kosky of the Eastern District of Virginia and Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia Evans of the Eastern District of Louisiana, prosecuted the case. This prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Coast Guard Investigative Service Chesapeake Region and Coast Guard Sector Virginia.
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Shipping Company Fined $2 Million in a Multi-District Case for Concealing Illegal Discharges of Oily Water into the Atlantic OceanRead the Press Release
Diana Wilhelmsen Management Limited (DWM), a Cyprus-based company that operates several commercial vessels, was sentenced today in federal court before U.S. District Court Judge Rebecca Beach Smith in Norfolk, Virginia, after pleading guilty to violations of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships that had occurred on the Motor Vessel (M/V) Protefs.
DWM pleaded guilty to two felony offenses in two judicial districts – the Eastern District of Virginia and the Eastern District of Louisiana. DWM was sentenced to pay a fine of $2 million placed on probation for a period of four years, and ordered to implement a comprehensive Environmental Compliance Plan as a special condition of probation.
In pleading guilty, DWM admitted that crew members onboard the M/V Protefs, a 40,230 gross-ton, 738-foot ocean-going commercial bulk carrier, knowingly failed to record in the vessel’s oil record book the overboard discharge of oily bilge water from mid-April 2020 until before the vessel arrived in Newport News, Virginia, on June 10, 2020. The vessel also arrived in New Orleans, Louisiana, on June 1, 2020 with a knowingly false oil record book.
DWM admitted that the crew on the vessel used an emergency de-watering system to illegally discharge oily water directly into the ocean from the vessel’s bilge holding tank, duct keel and bilge wells. Those discharges were not recorded in the oil record book as required. The Chief Engineer, Vener Dailisan, pleaded guilty to making a false statement to U.S. Coast Guard inspectors about the existence of a Sounding Log which is routinely sought by inspectors in order to ascertain the accuracy of the oil record book. Dailisan was sentenced to a fine of $3,000 and placed on probation for two years.
“The United States will vigorously enforce laws that protect our ocean resources,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Holding shipping companies to account when wastes are unlawfully discharged overboard, and covered up through falsified documents, is vital to protecting our environment.”
“We are firmly committed to enforcing federal environmental laws and will not tolerate conduct that pollutes our water, imperils natural ecosystems, and endangers our wildlife,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Raj Parekh for the Eastern District of Virginia. “As this case demonstrates, those who contaminate our most precious natural resources by illegally dumping hazardous waste into the ocean will be held accountable, especially when they falsify their records to avoid detection.”
“The commercial shipping industry is essential to commerce in this region, but their work must ensure they do not neglect their professional and legal obligations,” said U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans for the Eastern District of Louisiana. “Today’s announcement emphasizes that our office along with our federal partners are committed to holding accountable all parties whose criminality jeopardizes our environment and places the public and the ecosystem at risk.”
Senior Trial Attorney Kenneth Nelson of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section, with the assistance of Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Kosky of the Eastern District of Virginia and Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia Evans of the Eastern District of Louisiana, prosecuted the case. This prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Coast Guard Investigative Service Chesapeake Region and Coast Guard Sector Virginia.
Shelton Doctor Charged with Selling Prescriptions for Cash, Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, and Phillip Coyne, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), announced that Dr. DAVID CIANCIMINO, 62, of Trumbull, was arrested today on a federal criminal complaint charging him with health care fraud and controlled substances offenses related to the illegal distribution of prescription medication.
Ciancimino appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert M. Spector and was released on a $500,000 bond.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, Ciancimino has been a sole practitioner practicing psychiatry and neurology/psychiatry from an office located at 4 Corporate Drive in Shelton. Since October 2020, law enforcement has been investigating Ciancimino’s prescribing practices of various benzodiazepines, such as Xanax, and stimulants, such as Adderall. The investigation, which has included the use of federal task force officers acting in an undercover capacity, revealed that Ciancimino was providing prescriptions for Adderall or Xanax to numerous individuals in exchange for $200 in cash, typically with little to no medical examination of his patients. Many of Ciancimino’s patients used Medicaid to pay for the prescriptions Ciancimino wrote for them.
It is alleged that between July 2020 to September 2021, Ciancimino deposited approximately $356,000 in cash into his bank account. Ciancimino also received dozens of payments of $200 through his Venmo account.
Ciancimino is charged with making false statements relating to health care matters, health care fraud, and distribution of controlled substances outside the scope of professional practice and not for legitimate medical purpose.
Acting U.S. Attorney Boyle stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This investigation is being conducted by the DEA New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad and HHS-OIG’s Office of Investigations, with the assistance of the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection – Drug Control Division and the Middlebury Police Department. The DEA’s Tactical Diversion Squad includes personnel from the DEA and the Bristol, East Windsor, Glastonbury, Hamden, Manchester, New Britain, Newington, Watertown and West Haven Police Departments.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather L. Cherry.
Ruston Man Receives 20 Year Sentence for Possession of Methamphetamine and a FirearmRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Gerald Thompson, 37, of Ruston, Louisiana, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Terry A. Doughty to 240 months (20 years) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for illegally possessing drugs and a firearm.
The charges in this case are the result of a search warrant which was executed at Thompson’s residence in Ruston on March 12, 2020. Law enforcement agents entered the residence and found approximately 417 grams of methamphetamine, oxycodone tablets, and a large amount of cash in a safe in Thompson’s bedroom. Agents also found an ounce of methamphetamine on his person and a pistol and ammunition next to his bed.
Thompson’s girlfriend and three minor children were present in the residence when agents executed the search warrant. His girlfriend admitted to law enforcement agents that Thompson was her methamphetamine supplier.
The total amount of methamphetamine that was seized and considered as relevant conduct in this case was 733 grams. Thompson pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute at least 50 grams of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on March 10, 2021.
The DEA, ATF, Louisiana State Police, and Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert F. Moody prosecuted the case.
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Roundup man sentenced to prison for defrauding banks with stolen checks, identitiesRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — a Roundup man who admitted defrauding banks in Billings using stolen checks and stolen identities was sentenced on Wednesday, Sept. 22, to 30 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
Tucker James McCune, 27, pleaded guilty on April 30 to bank fraud and to aggravated identify theft.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
The government alleged in court documents that McCune was involved in a scheme to defraud local banks and credit unions by passing stolen and forged checks using stolen identity. On Feb. 18, McCune cashed a stolen check belonging to a victim, identified as John Doe 1, at Western Security Bank. The check had been forged as payable to a victim identified as John Doe 2. McCune had obtained the stolen California driver’s license of John Doe 2 and presented it to the teller to trick the teller into believing he was John Doe 2. The deception was successful, and McCune left with the money. Two days later, McCune successfully cashed another stolen and forged check at Valley Credit Union using John Doe 2’s stolen driver’s license. In another attempt to cash a stolen check at Western Security Bank, bank officials called the police, who detained McCune. Police learned that McCune was on state probation and notified his probation officer, who instructed the officer to search McCune’s car. The search located stolen identifications, stolen checks, 15 cell phones, stolen documents containing personal identifying information, syringes loaded with methamphetamine and other drug paraphernalia. McCune told law enforcement that most of the stolen documents and checks found in his vehicle were probably stolen out of the mail and that he knew a lot of people who stole mail. McCune also told law enforcement he obtained the personal documents and checks from those people.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin M. Rubich prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI and Billings Police Department.
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Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation resident admits trafficking fentanyl pillsRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation resident accused of helping a Michigan fentanyl supplier distribute pills from his Box Elder residence admitted a trafficking crime today, Acting U.S Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
Larry Albert Bernard, 37, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. Bernard faces a maximum 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine and at least three years of supervised release.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. Chief Judge Morris set sentencing for Jan. 20, 2022. Bernard was released pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that in the fall of 2020, the FBI received reports that Bernard was housing and helping an out-of-state fentanyl supplier. Other FBI sources reported buying various illegal pills at Bernard’s residence. In December 2020, the FBI executed a search warrant on Bernard’s residence after receiving information that a supplier was at the residence with pills. Bernard and an individual from Michigan were present, and officers found a bag containing pills.
Bernard admitted to housing at least one out-of-state fentanyl supplier in exchange for cash and pills. He also admitted to helping that supplier connect with local users and buyers of fentanyl and said that the bag of pills located in his residence belonged to the supplier.
In an analysis of the bag of pills, the Drug Enforcement Administration identified multiple types of pills. The largest group contained two types of controlled substances: fentanyl and para-Fluorofentanyl, which is a fentanyl analogue. Another group of pills contained two controlled substances: fentanyl and methamphetamine. The smallest group contained fentanyl and no other controlled substances.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan R. Plaut is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI, Tri Agency Task Force, Chippewa Cree Law enforcement and Bureau of Indian Affairs.
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Rensselaer County Businessman Sentenced for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Daren Arakelian, age 53, of Rensselaer, New York, was sentenced today to three months in jail for a wire fraud scheme to import Chinese goods into the United States and then causing his company, Great 4 Image, Inc., to deceptively market and sell those goods to federal agencies as U.S.-made.
The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Antoinette T. Bacon; Patrick J. Hegarty, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Northeast Field Office; Joseph Dattoria, Special Agent in Charge of the General Services Administration, Office of the Inspector General (GSA-OIG); Brian C. McCarthy, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Department of Homeland Security, Office of the Inspector General (DHS-OIG); and Larry S. Moreland, Special Agent in Charge, Mid-Atlantic Fraud Field Office, U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division.
Arakelian owned and operated Great 4 Image, a company that contracted with various federal agencies to produce backpacks, duffle bags, cinch bags, hydration packs, t-shirts and individual suspension trainers. Each of his company’s contracts required Great 4 Image to comply with the Buy American Act and/or the Trade Agreements Act, laws that Congress enacted for the purposes of promoting the United States’ trade interests.
The Buy American Act restricts the federal government’s purchase of goods that are not domestic end products. The Trade Agreements Act establishes additional restrictions on purchases of products made outside the United States, and generally prohibits government contracting officials from purchasing products that are not entirely from, or substantially transformed in, the United States or a designated country. The Trade Agreements Act effectively waives the requirements of the Buy American Act for designated countries. China is not a designated country.
As part of his March 2020 civil settlement with the United States and his guilty plea, Arakelian admitted that he devised and implemented a scheme to defraud the federal government by causing Great 4 Image to import goods, including thousands of backpacks and suspension trainers that were made in China, into the United States and then passing them off as compliant with the Buy American Act and the Trade Agreements Act. In carrying out this scheme, Arakelian made various verbal and written statements to federal officials falsely claiming to have domestically manufactured the goods that he knowingly imported from China.
Chief United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby also ordered Arakelian to serve a 2-year term of supervised release, to begin after Arakelian is released from prison, as well as perform 100 hours of community service. Arakelian went into custody immediately after his sentencing.
The investigation was the result of a coordinated effort among the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York, GSA-OIG, DCIS, DHS-OIG, and the U.S. Army Criminal Investigative Command. The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Inspector General also provided investigative support. The criminal case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joshua R. Rosenthal. The civil case was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Katz.