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Tuesday 27 July 2021
Former eBay Employee Sentenced for Role in Aggressive Cyberstalking CampaignRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former supervisor of security operations for eBay’s was sentenced today for his role in a cyberstalking campaign targeting a Natick, Mass. couple who published a newsletter that eBay executives viewed as critical of the company.
Philip Cooke, 56, of San Jose, Calif., a former police captain in Santa Clara, Calif., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to 18 months in prison and three years of supervised release with the first year spent in home detention. Cooke was also ordered to pay a fine of $15,000 and to perform 100 hours of community service. In October 2020, Cooke pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit cyberstalking and conspiracy to tamper with witnesses.
Cooke admitted to conspiring with six other former eBay employees. David Harville, of New York City, and James Baugh, of San Jose, Calif., were charged on June 15, 2020, with conspiracy to commit cyberstalking and conspiracy to tamper with witnesses and are pending trial. Stephanie Popp and Veronica Zea, both of San Jose, Calif., pleaded guilty on Oct. 8, 2020 and are scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 28, 2021. Stephanie Stockwell, of Redwood City, Calif., and Brian Gilbert, of San Jose, Calif., pleaded guilty on Oct. 29, 2020 and are scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 28, 2021 and Sept. 30, 2021, respectively.
According to the charging documents, the victims of the cyberstalking campaign were a Natick couple who are the editor and publisher of an online newsletter that covers ecommerce companies, including eBay. Members of eBay’s executive leadership team followed the newsletter’s posts, often taking issue with its content and the anonymous comments underneath the editor’s stories.
It is alleged that in August 2019, the defendants executed a three-part harassment campaign against the Natick couple. Among other things, several of the defendants ordered anonymous and disturbing deliveries to the victims’ home, including a preserved fetal pig, a bloody pig Halloween mask and a book on surviving the loss of a spouse.
As part of the second phase of the campaign, some of the defendants allegedly sent private Twitter messages and public tweets criticizing the newsletter’s content and threatening to visit the victims in Natick. The charging documents allege that Cooke, Baugh, Gilbert and Popp planned these messages to become increasingly disturbing, culminating with “doxing” the victims (i.e., publishing their home address). It is alleged that the same group intended then to have Gilbert, a former Santa Clara police captain, approach the victims with an offer to help stop the harassment that the defendants were secretly causing, in an effort to promote good will towards eBay.
The third phase of the campaign allegedly involved surveilling the victims in their home and community. The victims spotted the surveillance, however, and notified the Natick Police, who began to investigate.
Aware that the police were investigating, the defendants allegedly sought to interfere with the investigation. For example, Cooke and, allegedly, several of the other defendants discussed the possibility of presenting Natick Police with a false investigative lead to keep the police from discovering video evidence that could link some of the deliveries to eBay employees. As the police and eBay’s lawyers continued to investigate, the defendants allegedly deleted digital evidence that showed their involvement, further obstructing what had by then become a federal investigation.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Natick Police Chief James G. Hicks made the announcement today. eBay provided valuable assistance and cooperation with the federal investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth B. Kosto, Deputy Chief of Mendell’s Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit, is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in charging documents as to defendants Harville and Baugh are allegations. They are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Vermillion Township Clerk Sentenced to Prison for $650,000 Wire Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Hastings woman and former elected official was sentenced today to 27 months in prison for misappropriating more than $650,000 in public funds.
According to court documents, from December 2012 through October 2020, Maryann Helen Stoffel, 70, used her elected position as the Clerk of the Township of Vermillion to misappropriate more than $650,000 of Township funds. Although Stoffel had signature authority over the Township’s bank account, Township checks required at least two signatures. As part of the fraud scheme, Stoffel, at times, forged the signatures of the Township’s Treasurer and the Chairman of the Township Board on Township checks. At other times, Stoffel solicited signatures from the Township’s Treasurer and the Chairman of the Township Board on blank Township checks by falsely representing that she would use the checks to pay the Township’s bills. Instead of using the funds to pay the Township’s bills, Stoffel transferred the funds to her personal bank account for her own use and benefit. Stoffel concealed her fraud from the Township and from the State of Minnesota by excluding the unauthorized payments to herself on the Township’s annual report.
On March 16, 2021, Stoffel pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. In addition to her prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Patrick J. Schiltz ordered Stoffel to serve one year of supervised release and pay $652,674.66 in restitution.
This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Svendsen.
Former NJDCP&P Employee Sentenced to 250 Months in Prison for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – An Atlantic County, New Jersey, man who was previously employed by the New Jersey Department of Child Protection and Permanency (NJDCP&P) was sentenced today to 250 months in prison for producing images of child sexual abuse, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Kayan Frazier, 29, previously pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Joseph H. Rodriguez to one count of producing images of child pornography. Judge Rodriguez imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
After receiving a report of images of child sexual abuse distributed via Tumblr, law enforcement officers identified Frazier, who was then employed as a case worker at NJDCP&P as the sender. On April 12, 2019, the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office obtained a search warrant for Frazier’s residence and, while executing the warrant, observed Frazier in the company of an underage boy. Law enforcement officers recovered thousands of additional images of child sexual abuse on Frazier’s cellular telephone and other electronic media, which included images of the boy taken in Frazier’s apartment. Frazier admitted that he took the images with a cellular telephone.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Rodriguez sentenced Frazier to a lifetime term of supervised release. Restitution will be determined at a later date.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the FBI Atlantic City Resident Agency Human Trafficking Crimes Against Children Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr. in Newark; the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Cary Shill; the Atlantic County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Eric Scheffler; the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan, and the New Jersey Human Services Police, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Diana Vondra Carrig of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Camden office.
Defense counsel: Lisa Evans Lewis Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Camden
Former Mississippi Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Excessive Force ChargeRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that a former officer with the Meridian, Mississippi Police Department pleaded guilty to using excessive force against a man during a vehicle stop and arrest.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Daniel Starks of Meridian, Mississippi, shoved the victim twice as he was getting handcuffed by another officer and then unlawfully used his taser against the victim, even though the victim was compliant and handcuffed. As a result of the tasing, the victim immediately fell to the ground and groaned in pain, his hands restrained behind his back and unable to break his fall. While the victim was still on the ground, Starks pointed the taser at him and demanded that he stand up or else he would be tased again.
“Law enforcement officials who violate people’s federal civil rights are not above the law. This defendant is being held accountable for exceeding his authority and his power when he violated the victim’s civil rights,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division. “The Civil Rights Division will continue to investigate and prosecute cases involving police officers who willfully violate the constitutional rights of others.”
“Those who abuse their positions of power will be prosecuted according to the law,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca for the Southern District of Mississippi. “This defendant chose to violate his duty and the law, the very law he swore to uphold, by his wanton and violent act against the victim. Justice is served.”
“Law enforcement officers take an oath to serve and protect their communities,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown of the FBI Jackson Field Office. “When an officer breaks this oath and abuses the authority given to them, they must be held accountable. Investigating violations of civil rights will continue to be a priority for the FBI.”
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Oct. 26. The defendant faces a statutory maximum punishment of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
This case was investigated by the Jackson Division of the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Wansley of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Litigation Counsel Julia Gegenheimer and Trial Attorney Cameron Bell of the Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.
Former Intelligence Analyst Sentenced to 45 Months in Prison for Disclosing Classified Information to ReporterRead the Press Release
A Tennessee man was sentenced today to 45 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for illegally obtaining classified national defense information and disclosing it to a reporter.
According to court documents, Daniel Everette Hale, 33, of Nashville, began communicating with a reporter beginning in April 2013 while enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and assigned to the National Security Agency (NSA). Hale admitted to meeting with the reporter in person on multiple occasions and communicating with the reporter via phone, text message, email and, at times, an encrypted messaging platform.
In February 2014, while working as a cleared defense contractor at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), Hale printed six classified documents unrelated to his work at NGA and soon after exchanged a series of messages with the reporter. Each of the six documents printed were later published by the reporter’s news outlet.
According to court records, while employed as a cleared defense contractor for NGA, Hale printed 36 documents from his Top Secret computer, including 23 documents unrelated to his work at NGA. Of the 23 documents unrelated to his work at NGA, Hale provided at least 17 to the reporter and/or the reporter’s online news outlet, which published the documents in whole or in part. Eleven of the published documents were marked as Top Secret or Secret.
According to court records, in August 2014, Hale’s cell phone contact list included contact information for the reporter. He also possessed a thumb drive that contained a page marked “SECRET” from a classified document that Hale had printed in February 2014 and had attempted to delete from the thumb drive. In addition, Hale possessed on his home computer another document that he had stolen from NGA.
Hale pleaded guilty to retention and transmission of national defense information on March 31.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Mark J. Lesko of the Justice Department’s National Security Division made the announcement.
The FBI’s Baltimore Field Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gordon D. Kromberg and Alexander P. Berrang for the Eastern District of Virginia and Senior Trial Attorney Heather M. Schmidt of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section prosecuted the case.
Former Collegiate Wrestler Sentenced to Serve 36 Months in Federal Prison for Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – Yesterday, GUY WESLEY WHITE, 53, of Edmond, was sentenced to serve 36 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm after being convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
Public record reflects that in January 2020, law enforcement were investigating a domestic violence incident involving White and his juvenile daughter. During the investigation, law enforcement learned White possessed a firearm during the domestic violence incident in which he physically assaulted his daughter. In October 2020, a federal grand jury returned a one-count Indictment against White for possession of a firearm after a previous conviction for a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. Federal law prohibits a person who has previously been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence from possessing a firearm. On December 9, 2020, White pled guilty to the Indictment.
Yesterday, Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy D. DeGiusti sentenced White to serve 36 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Chief Judge DeGiusti also ordered White to pay a fine of $6,697.00. Judge DeGiusti ordered White’s sentence to run consecutively to White’s related five-year sentence for child abuse in Oklahoma County Case CF-2020-570. Evidence presented at sentencing indicated White was a former elite collegiate wrestler in Oklahoma. In imposing the sentence, the Court specifically noted White’s abuse of his daughter and his history of domestic violence.
This case is the result of investigations by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Edmond Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Wilson D. McGarry prosecuted the case.
This case is part of "Operation 922," the Western District of Oklahoma’s implementation of Project Safe Neighborhood, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. "Operation 922" prioritizes prosecution of federal crimes connected to domestic violence.
Reference is made to court filings for further information.
Former Camden County jail inmate sentenced to federal prison for providing drugs resulting in fellow inmate's deathRead the Press Release
BRUNSWICK, GA: A former inmate at the Camden County Detention Facility has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for providing the drugs resulting in another inmate’s death by overdose.
Joshua Swing, 36, of Kingsland, Ga., was sentenced to 240 months in prison after pleading guilty to Distribution of Fentanyl, said Acting U.S. Attorney David H. Estes. U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood also ordered Swing to pay $12,919.52 in restitution to the family of the victim, and to serve three years of supervised release after completion of his prison sentence. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Overdose deaths in the United States reached an all-time high in the past year, as fentanyl continues to be a growing, deadly threat to users of illicit drugs – particularly highly addictive opioids,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “It’s especially alarming when this dangerous drug penetrates even inside secure jail walls, in this case killing an inmate who thought he was ingesting heroin.”
The investigation of the case, conducted by the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office as an outside agency at the request of the Camden County Sheriff’s Office, began May 17, 2020, when an inmate at the Camden County Detention Facility identified as J.D. was found unresponsive in his cell. He later died, and a subsequent autopsy determined acute fentanyl toxicity as the cause of death. After interviews of other inmates and review of security camera footage, investigators determined Swing sold the fentanyl to J.D.
In his guilty plea, Swing admitted providing the fentanyl to J.D., and agreed to pay restitution to the victim’s family in the amount of J.D.’s funeral expenses. Swing has an extensive criminal record with prior felony drug convictions in state court, and just five days before J.D.’s death Swing had been booked into the Camden County Jail after being arrested on a state charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The case was investigated by the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Josephson and E. Greg Gilluly Jr.
Former Boy Scouts Leader Sentenced to 33 Years in Prison for Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former Boy Scouts Leader was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for sexually exploiting children via a social media app.
Matthew Murphy, 25, of Whitman, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Paul J. Barbadoro for the District of New Hampshire to 33 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release. In January 2020, Murphy pleaded guilty to five counts of sexual exploitation of children.
The investigation began when law enforcement learned that Murphy, posing as a teenage girl, used a Snapchat account to extort nude photographs from a Massachusetts middle school boy. Agents obtained portions of the Snapchat account Murphy had created in the fake identity and uncovered evidence of similar extortion of dozens of other minors in the area. Court records state that Murphy used five separate Snapchat accounts to sexually exploit at least 15 children. Murphy knew some of the children and their families through his connection to local Boy Scouts troops.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell and Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. The Whitman Police Department provided valuable assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne Paruti, Mendell’s Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and Deputy Chief of the Major Crimes Unit, prosecuted the case.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
Former Benton County Pastor, Coach Indicted on Child Exploitation ChargesRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Joshua Henley, 32, of Evansville, Indiana, has been indicted for using three minors to create sexual abuse material and for transporting a minor interstate to engage in criminal sexual activity. Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph C. Murphy Jr., announced the indictment today.
Henley served as pastor of the Holladay Church of Christ in Holladay, Tennessee, and as a girls’ basketball coach at Holladay Elementary School (K-8) from approximately 2017 through March 2021. He previously held similar positions in Kansas, Texas, and Oklahoma, and was working as a youth pastor in Indiana until his arrest.
Henley is charged with four counts of producing child sexual exploitation material and one count each of transporting and possessing such materials; one count of transporting a minor interstate to engage in criminal sexual activity; and one count of sending obscene material to a minor under sixteen.
If convicted on all counts, Henley could face up to 160 years in federal prison. The case, number 1:21-cr-10064, is pending before Chief Federal District Court Judge S. Thomas Anderson in Jackson, Tennessee. There is no parole in the federal system.
The FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force and the Benton County Sheriff’s Office led the investigation, with technical assistance from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Anyone with additional information on this or other cases involving sexual exploitation of minors is asked to contact investigators at the FBI Resident Agency in Jackson, Tennessee, or the Sheriff’s Office in Benton County.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations of criminal conduct, not evidence. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted through due process of law.
Assistant United States Attorney Debra Ireland is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
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Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – A Florida man pled guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca, Acting Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Mississippi, and Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
According to court documents, on May 14, 2021, Martin Gerardo Perusquia, 55, of Hollywood, Florida, was driving on I-10 in Jackson County when he was pulled over for a traffic violation by an agent with the South Mississippi Metro Enforcement Team who was also a Jackson County Sheriff’s Deputy. During the traffic stop, the agent found that Perusquia was in possession of a Smith and Wesson .357 Magnum revolver with ammunition. A search of his criminal history revealed that Perusquia had previous convictions for possession of methamphetamine, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and bank robbery. An ATF expert examined the firearm which was determined to have been manufactured outside of Mississippi, and had traveled in interstate commerce. The firearm is being forfeited to the federal government.
Perusquia is scheduled to be sentenced on October 28, 2021, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. A higher maximum penalty can apply if he is determined to be an Armed Career Criminal, in which case, the penalty would be enhanced to not less than 15 years to life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Jackson County Metro Enforcement Task Force, and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stan Harris is prosecuting the case.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe
Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime
reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent
crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Filipino Man Convicted of Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE – A federal jury in Anchorage has convicted a Philippine national for possessing more than 1,000 doses of pure methamphetamine and a Glock 19 semiautomatic pistol.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Anchorage Police Department (APD) officers were dispatched to a possible homicide in the early morning of August 25, 2018. Looking for possible witnesses in the area, they encountered Markanthony Sapalasan, 38, of Anchorage, who was carrying a backpack. During their conversation with Sapalasan, the officers noticed a pistol in his pants pocket. The officers removed the pistol and transported Sapalasan to APD to speak with detectives about the homicide. Sapalasan’s backpack and gun remained with the initial responding officer. At the end of his shift, the officer conducted the required inventory search of Sapalasan’s backpack prior to placing it into evidence for safekeeping. During this inventory search, the officer found a plastic shopping bag with multiple smaller bags containing methamphetamine. He applied for a search warrant to search the backpack. The search uncovered more than 124.5 grams of actual methamphetamine, which has a street value of nearly $12,000. They also found a scale, a drug ledger, multiple plastic baggies, a phone, two SIM cards, 9mm ammunition, and two pistol magazines. A forensic extraction of Sapalasan’s phone revealed hundreds of text messages coordinating sales of methamphetamine and heroin. Sapalasan was subsequently indicted on October 17, 2018, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in support of a drug trafficking crime.
“Methamphetamine continues to negatively impact the citizens of Anchorage and across Alaska. The conviction of Markanthony Sapalasan is another step forward in ridding the streets of individuals who sell this destructive drug and ruin so many Alaskan lives,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Bryan Wilson, District of Alaska.
“Individuals such as Sapalasan and the narcotics that he sold detrimentally affects the safety of our communities,” said ATF Seattle Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jonathan T. McPherson. “Added to this, the use of a firearm in the furtherance of a drug crime exponentially increases the dangers to all Alaskans. Hopefully this conviction will send a message to others that actions such as this will not be tolerated.”
Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy Burgess, who presided over the trial, ordered that Sapalasan be detained pending sentencing. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated the case, with the assistance of the Anchorage Police Department and the State of Alaska Scientific Crime Detection Laboratory.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys James Klugman and Karen Vandergaw prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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Federal Jury Convicts Fairview Man of Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Fairview man, Lonnie Burdette Porter, 59, has been convicted of being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm after a two-day trial in Billings. Porter was released on conditions pending sentencing which Judge Susan Watters set for December 15, 2021 at 1:30 p.m. in Billings.
The government presented evidence that on September 24, 2020, Porter contacted the Fairview Police Department to report that guns had been stolen from his home while he was out of town. The defendant acknowledged he was prohibited from possessing firearms due to his probation.
Later that day, Montana Probation and Parole and Fairview Police Department searched Porter’s home. The defendant again acknowledged he was in possession of firearms. Law enforcement discovered a hole in the floor under the defendant’s dryer which contained a significant amount of firearms. Additional guns were located elsewhere in the house.
In total, thirty-eight firearms, ammunition, and antique firearms were taken from Porter’s home. The following January, eight more guns belonging to the defendant were recovered by the Fairview Police Department.
Porter is prohibited from possessing firearms because of a prior criminal felony conviction in Richland County, Montana.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Colin Rubich and Thomas Godfrey prosecuted the case which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Federal Escapee Sentenced After Hitting Law Enforcement Vehicle During ArrestRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Ala. – Today, Acting United States Attorney Sandra J. Stewart announced that a Montgomery, Alabama man has been sentenced for failing to report back after his work release assignment and running his car into a U.S. Marshals’ vehicle during his arrest. On July 22, 2021, 29-year-old D’Anthony Marquez Dillard was sentenced to 27 months in prison for escaping from federal custody. Following Dillard’s prison sentence, he will serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court records, in February of 2016 Dillard was sentenced for being a felon in possession of a firearm and was placed in Bureau of Prisons custody to serve out his term of imprisonment. In June of 2020, Dillard was transferred to a halfway house in Montgomery to complete his sentence where he was allowed to work during the day, then return to the facility in the evening. On September 12, 2020, Dillard failed to report back as required and an arrest warrant was issued for him. On October 15, 2020, the U.S. Marshals Service received a tip concerning Dillard’s location and went to execute the warrant. When Marshals arrived, they spotted Dillard at a gas station in the driver’s seat of a vehicle. The Marshals surrounded Dillard’s vehicle with their own to block him in and prevent escape. Dillard placed his car in reverse and struck the law enforcement vehicle behind him, but quickly gave up when the other vehicles closed in to prevent further movement. Fortunately, no injuries were sustained and there was minimal property damage.
This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service. Assistant United States Attorneys Joel Feil and Joshua Wendell prosecuted the case.
East Pittsburgh Felon Sentenced to 15 Years for Attempting to Deal Drugs, Illegal Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A former resident of East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court to 180 months imprisonment, followed by 10 years supervised release, for his convictions for violating federal narcotics and firearms laws, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.
United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer imposed the sentence on James Folks, age 47. Folks was convicted and sentenced for (1) attempting to possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of methoxyacetyl fentanyl and (2) possessing a firearm after seven prior felony convictions.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
The United States Postal Inspection Service, the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, the Department of Homeland Security/Homeland Security Investigations, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives conducted the investigation leading to the convictions and sentence in this case.
Durham Man Sentenced for Possessing a Stolen Firearm After High-Speed ChaseRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – A Durham man was sentenced to 120 months in prison for possessing a stolen firearm. On December 8, 2020, Christopher Mandy Holder pled guilty to the charge.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Holder, 37, possessed a stolen handgun, as a convicted felon, during a high-speed chase through Wake County on January 27, 2019. Law enforcement officers found the stolen handgun after Holder crashed his vehicle and attempted to run. Holder exceeded 100 mph while trying to evade law enforcement.
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.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Wake Forest Police Department, North Carolina State Highway Patrol, Durham Police Department, Burlington Police Department, Wake County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated and assisted with the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney John Parris prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:19-cr-00377-FL.
Duquesne Felon, 22, Charged with Illegal Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Duquesne, Pennsylvania, has been arrested in West Mifflin on charges of illegal possession of a firearm, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.
The criminal complaint named Keyjuan King, 22, of Duquesne, as the sole defendant.
According to the complaint and supporting affidavit, detectives observed Mr. King walking hastily through a parking lot and quickly approaching an occupied vehicle in the street. Detectives saw that Mr. King has a firearm visible in the front pocket of his shorts and was clutching the handle of the un-holstered firearm. Fearing that Mr. King would potentially harm the individuals inside the vehicle, detectives approached him on foot and asked him to show his hands. When Mr. King noticed the detectives, he turned and fled on foot. While Mr. King was fleeing, he removed the firearm from his shorts and ran toward the wood-line behind a building. He rounded the corner behind the building and was out of detectives’ sight for a brief period of time. Shortly afterwards, detectives were able to place Mr. King in custody. A K9 then searched and found a fully loaded firearm in the hillside, wood-line area in the vicinity of Mr. King when he was not in the detectives’ sight. Mr. King is a convicted felon, so it is a violation of federal law for him to possess a firearm.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both, if Mr. King is convicted. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Mr. King is being detained pending a detention hearing.
Assistant United States Attorney Ira M. Karoll is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Allegheny County Police Department is conducting the investigation, leading to the arrest of Mr. King.
A criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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.
Dominican National Pleads Guilty to Two Fentanyl ConspiraciesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national previously residing in Lawrence pleaded guilty today to the second of two fentanyl distribution conspiracies.
Guillermo Aybar-Guerrero, 29, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to one count of conspiring to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and one count of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
In August 2020, Guillermo Aybar-Guerrero was indicted with his brother, Luis Aybar-Guerrero, after investigators conducted controlled purchases of fentanyl from Guillermo on June 10 and 17, 2020. On June 25, 2020, investigators set up a third controlled purchase, at which time Guillermo was arrested in possession of approximately 30 grams of suspected fentanyl. It is alleged that Guillermo retrieved the fentanyl for each of these transactions from Luis. A search of Luis’ residence resulted in the seizure of an additional 223 grams of acetyl fentanyl (a fentanyl analogue) as well as a scale, baggies and other drug distribution paraphernalia.
Luis Aybar-Guerrero pleaded guilty on July 15, 2021 and is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 18, 2021 by Judge Stearns.
Guillermo previously pleaded guilty in June 2021 to one count of conspiring to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and two counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl for his role in a separate fentanyl conspiracy.
In this conspiracy, investigators conducted controlled purchases of fentanyl pills from Guillermo on April 24 and May 5, 2019. The transactions were coordinated by co-conspirator Francis Jimenez Minyetty. Minyetty pleaded guilty to his involvement in the conspiracy and was sentenced in May 2021 to eight years in prison.
Guillermo’s two cases will be consolidated for purposes of sentencing. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for Sept. 29, 2021.
The charges of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and possession with intent to distribute of 40 grams or more of fentanyl provide for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release and a fine of $5 million. The charges of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Graber of Mendell’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the cases.
Daytona Man Sentenced to More Than 15 Years for Selling A Firearm and MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton has sentenced Lascelles Peter Francis, III (30, Daytona) to 15 years and 10 months in federal prison for possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Francis had pleaded guilty on March 15, 2021.
According to court documents, on October 28, 2020, Francis sold approximately 4.8 grams of methamphetamine and a handgun to a confidential informant in the Daytona Beach area. At the time of the offense, Francis had multiple prior felony convictions, including aggravated assault with a dangerous weapon, aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, and selling methamphetamine within a 1,000 feet of a park.
“Reducing violent crime and protecting the public we serve is a priority for ATF,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Craig W. Saier. “We will continue to work vigorously with our law enforcement partners to make sure that violent career criminals in possession of firearms are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Daytona Beach Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda Daniels.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Danby Man Charged with Distribution of Heroin, Fentanyl, and Cocaine BaseRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that a federal grand jury, sitting in Rutland, charged Andersen Benoit, 39, of Danby, Vermont with three counts of distribution of heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine base in July and September of 2019. Benoit is a citizen of Haiti and is also currently facing state drug trafficking charges in New York.
At his arraignment, Benoit pled not guilty to the charges. Upon the Government’s motion for detention, U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle ordered Benoit detained pending trial.
The Indictment is an accusation only, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The penalties for each of the charges is up to 20 years of imprisonment, a $1,000,000 fine, and a mandatory three years of supervised release. Any sentence will be formulated through consultation of the United States Sentencing Guidelines and consideration of Benoit’s personal history and characteristics.
Acting United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt commended the investigation of the Vermont State Police Narcotics Investigative Unit and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Perella. Benoit is represented by Rich Bothfeld, Esq.
Boise Man Sentenced to over 11 Years in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine and Firearms CrimesRead the Press Release
BOISE – Charles R. Jorgensen, 43, of Boise, was sentenced to 140 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael M. Gonzalez, Jr. announced today. Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye also ordered Jorgensen to serve five years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
According to court records, Jorgensen was arrested at a residence in Boise during a probation search. He was found to be in possession of a backpack that contained 333.4 grams of methamphetamine, 2.38 grams of heroin, two 9mm pistols, 39 rounds of ammunition, and $20,485. Jorgensen was interviewed after his arrest and admitted that he intended to distribute the methamphetamine to others, the $20,485 was proceeds from his prior drug sales, and that he knew he was prohibited from possessing the firearms. Jorgensen pleaded guilty to the charges on March 11, 2020.
Jorgensen has previously been arrested 39 times and convicted of offenses including aggravated assault, domestic battery, possession of a controlled substance, grand theft, and eluding a police officer. At the time of this offense, Jorgensen was on out on parole for two separate offenses: grand theft and possession of a controlled substance.
Acting U.S. Attorney Gonzalez credited the cooperative efforts of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boise Police Department, Ada County Sheriff’s Office, and Idaho Department of Correction, which led to charges.
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Bandera Resident Sentenced to 50 Years in Federal Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A federal judge today sentenced 63-year-old Michael Dewayne Sheeds to 50 years in federal prison followed by 20 years of supervised release for the production and possession of child pornography.
In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge David A. Ezra ordered Sheeds to pay $100,000 in restitution to each of the two victims and pay two $5,000 assessments per the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act.
Sheeds was arrested in Laredo on January 7, 2019, on an arrest warrant from Bandera County Sheriff’s Office. A Samsung Galaxy phone was seized from him. A forensic data extraction from the phone showed it contained images and videos depicting the sexual assault of children, including child abuse images and videos Sheeds produced.
“The defendant’s abuse forever altered his victims’ lives and was only discovered when one of them bravely preserved evidence of his horrific conduct,” said U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff. “I am convinced the action undertaken by this victim prevented additional harm. While the impact to the victims in this case can never be undone, my hope is that the lengthy prison sentence assists in their healing process while serving to further protect our community.”
On January 6, 2020, the Bandera resident pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. Sheeds has remained in custody since his arrest on January 7, 2019.
“Today’s sentencing sends a strong message to those who would harm the children of our community,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs. “For years, the defendant in this case committed despicable and heinous acts. Thanks to the exemplary efforts of the Bandera County Sheriff’s Office, he will finally be held accountable for his actions. The FBI is committed to preventing violent crimes against children and to bring those who harm them to justice. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and use every investigative tool to protect the public from acts of violence.”
This investigation was initiated by the Bandera County Sheriff’s Office and then proceeded as a joint investigation with the San Antonio FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Thompson prosecuted this case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Art Dealer Arrested on Federal Charges Alleging He Embezzled Funds from Miracle Mile Art Gallery’s Bankruptcy EstateRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A noted art dealer was arrested today on federal charges accusing him of embezzling more than $260,000 from the bankruptcy estate of Ace Gallery, a Miracle Mile-based art gallery, while acting as the estate’s trustee and custodian.
Douglas J. Chrismas, 77, of the Mid-Wilshire area of Los Angeles, surrendered without incident this morning to special agents of the FBI. A federal grand jury charged Chrismas via indictment with three counts of embezzlement against a bankruptcy estate. Chrismas was ordered released on $50,000 bond. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges and a September 21 trial date has been scheduled in this matter.
According to the indictment returned on March 16 and unsealed today, Chrismas was the president and CEO of Art and Architecture Books of the 21st Century, which did business as Ace Gallery and was located on the Miracle Mile in the City of Los Angeles.
In February 2013, Ace Gallery filed a Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition in Los Angeles and continued to operate as a bankruptcy estate with Chrismas acting as the gallery’s president, trustee, custodian and overseer of its operations. In this role, Chrismas also had access to the gallery’s property. Chrismas remained in control over Ace Gallery until April 2016, when an independent bankruptcy trustee was appointed to run the bankruptcy estate and Chrismas was removed as trustee and custodian.
In late March and early April of 2016, Chrismas allegedly embezzled approximately $264,595 that belonged to the Ace Gallery bankruptcy estate, including a $50,000 check that Chrismas signed, was drawn against the estate and was paid to a separate corporation that Chrismas owned and controlled.
Chrismas allegedly also embezzled $100,000 owed to Ace Gallery by a third party for the purchase of artwork but the funds instead were paid – at his direction – to his separate corporation. Finally, Chrismas embezzled approximately $114,595 owed to the gallery by a third party that purchased artwork, but which he instead had paid to a creditor of his separate corporation, according to the indictment.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted of all charges, Chrismas would face a statutory maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison.
The FBI’s Art Crime Team and the Office of the United States Trustee investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Valerie L. Makarewicz of the Major Frauds Section is prosecuting this case.
Albany Felon Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Dewey K. Sims, age 32, of Albany, pled guilty today to illegally possessing a .25 caliber pistol as a felon.
The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Antoinette T. Bacon and John B. DeVito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
As part of his plea, Sims admitted that on March 7, 2020, he possessed a loaded .25 caliber pistol on his person when he was pulled over for a speeding violation in the Town of Colonie. A prior felony conviction for armed robbery prevented Sims from legally possessing the firearm in New York.
Sims faces up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of up to 3 years when he is sentenced on November 30, 2021 by United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino.
A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
This case was investigated by the ATF and the Colonie Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmet J. O’Hanlon.
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.
34 indicted for expansive drug trafficking operationRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Arrests were made this morning after 34 people were indicted on July 20 for a drug trafficking conspiracy that spans several states, Acting United States Attorney Randolph J. Bernard announced.
The 30-count indictment charges 34 people from West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and the Dominican Republic for allegedly conducting a drug trafficking operation that included large amounts of heroin, fentanyl, cocaine base, and cocaine hydrochloride from Hagerstown, Maryland to locations in Berkeley County, West Virginia from August 2020 to June 2021. The drugs seized during the investigation amounted to 8.6 kilograms of cocaine, 1.02 kilograms of heroin, and 12 ounces of cocaine base “crack,” with a street value of approximately $471,000. Those charged are:
- Lenin Erasmo Luna Mota, also known as “Papi,” 48, of Hagerstown, Maryland and the Dominican Republic
- Juan Manuel De La Rosa-Tejeda, also known as “Little Papi,” 35, of Hagerstown, Maryland and the Dominican Republic
- Daniel Inoa-Rodriguez, also known as “Danny,” 21, of Hagerstown, Maryland
- Shawn Gorsira, 50, of Hagerstown, Maryland
- Ana Ercilia Luna, 36, of Hagerstown, Maryland and the Dominican Republic
- Stephany Rodriguez, 32, of Hagerstown, Maryland
- Dominick Mickens, 38, of Hagerstown, Maryland
- Jackie Devon Thompson, 41, of Frederick, Maryland
- Tyrone Lewis, Aka Roc, 42, of Hagerstown, Maryland
- Alan Clark Tolliver, 41, of Hagerstown, Maryland
- Miguel Angel Santiago Caraballo, 30, of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania
- Carl Lomax Wynn, 56, of Hagerstown, Maryland
- Marcus Deon Longus, 40, of Hagerstown, Maryland
- Thomas Moore, 38, of Hagerstown, Maryland
- Samuel Rose, 48, of Martinsburg, West Virginia
- Dandre Trayham, 32, of Martinsburg, West Virginia
- Branden Watson, 38, of Martinsburg, West Virginia
- Caleb Sinclair, 35, of Martinsburg, West Virginia
- Destiny Dabbs, 29, of Martinsburg, West Virginia
- Felicia Johnson, 34, of Martinsburg, West Virginia
- Brian C. Dixon, 49, of Martinsburg, West Virginia
- Christina Anders, 25, of Hagerstown, Maryland
- Edwin Orrillio, also known as “J Money,” 34, of Hagerstown, Maryland
- Paul David Fairburn, 26, of Hagerstown, Maryland
- Edson Velasquez-Lopez, 50, of Martinsburg, West Virginia
- Chelsea Nicole Pinkcett, 33, of Martinsburg, West Virginia
- Daniel Hardy, 33, of Martinsburg, West Virginia
- Eliseo Rozas, 43, of Berkeley Springs, West Virginia
- Ron Bowers, 52, of Martinsburg, West Virginia
- Angela Dawn Gregory, 47, of Martinsburg, West Virginia
- Demitre Mccoy White, 40, of Martinsburg, West Virginia
- Devron Jerel Brown, also known as “Country,” 33, of Martinsburg, West Virginia
- Lester Luna, 27, of Hagerstown, Maryland
- Carlos M. Nunez-Arias, also known as “Charlote,” 51, of Hagerstown, Maryland
“This case is, once again, a prime example of the excellent work being performed by the Assistant United States Attorneys in the Northern District of West Virginia, members of the task force and our state and local law enforcement partners. The drug enterprise run by the defendants involved a sophisticated operation including the use of a purported business to act as a front for drug trafficking and the laundering of hundreds of thousands of dollars in drug proceeds. The fact that a good portion of the investigation occurred during the pandemic makes the results even more impressive. The message for those engaged in the trafficking of drugs, especially heroin and fentanyl, within the Northern District of West Virginia remains the same; you will be caught and the United States will seek lengthy prison terms to protect the citizens of West Virginia from the danger you present,” said Bernard.
It is alleged that Luna Mota, the owner of Top 3 Sources, a business in Hagerstown, Maryland, was using his business on West Washington Street for the purpose of having and selling controlled substances.
The indictment also lists items requested for forfeiture that include more than $400,000 in cash, a .22 caliber pistol, ammunition, and six vehicles, all believed to be proceeds from the drug trafficking conspiracy.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The FBI; U.S. Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; The Drug Enforcement Administration; the West Virginia Air National Guard, the Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative (agencies included are the West Virginia State Police, Berkeley County Sheriff’s Department, Jefferson County Sherriff’s Department, Ranson Police Department, Charles Town Police Department, and Martinsburg City Police Department); West Virginia State Police; Customs and Border Protection; the Hagerstown Police Department; the National Resources Police Department; FBI-New York Safe Streets Task Force; the New York Police Department; the New Jersey State Police; the Washington County (Maryland) Drug Task Force; the Maryland State Police; the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland; and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania investigated.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Monday 26 July 2021
Virginia Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Sex Trafficking Charge Defendant Coerced and Sexually Exploited Three Women in Northwest WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Michael Jabaar Wilkins, 38, of Norfolk, Va., has pleaded guilty to a federal sex trafficking charge stemming from his sexual exploitation of three women – sometimes using violence - between 2011 and 2019 for his own financial gain.
The guilty plea was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips, Robert E. Bornstein, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division, and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Wilkins pleaded guilty on July 21, 2021, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to a charge of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion. The charge carries a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison. Wilkins remains detained pending his sentencing on Dec. 2, 2021, by the Honorable Rudolph Contreras.
According to the government’s evidence, over the course of a decade, Wilkins separately induced and coerced the women to travel from Virginia to the District of Columbia to engage in commercial sex acts for his own financial benefit. He took sexually explicit photographs of two of the women that he used in online advertisements for commercial sex. The activities took place in the 1300 block of 12th Street NW and other locations in the Logan Circle neighborhood of Northwest Washington. According to the evidence, Wilkins physically assaulted two of the women, knocking one of them unconscious in one confrontation.
Wilkins was arrested on Nov. 5, 2019, following an investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, which is composed of FBI agents and local, state, and federal partners. He has been detained ever since. He pleaded guilty less than a week before his trial was scheduled to begin.
In announcing the plea, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillips, Acting Special Agent in Charge Bornstein, and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI and MPD. also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by Trial Attorney Jessica Arco of the Justice Department’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit. They acknowledged the efforts of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Kenny Nguyen and Alexis Spencer-Anderson, Victim Witness Program Specialist Yvonne Bryant, Victim Witness Service Coordinator Tonya Jones, and Witness Security Specialist Lesley Slade. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amy E. Larson and Janani Iyengar, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Vallejo Man Sentenced to over 6 Years in Prison for Bank Fraud and Identity Theft SchemeRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Matthew Core, 39, of Vallejo, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller to six years and three months in prison for committing bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and possession of reproduced U.S. Postal Service keys, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, between February and August 2018, Core participated in a scheme to defraud banks in which he and others used counterfeit U.S. Postal Service keys to break into residential mailboxes throughout Northern California. The scheme’s participants stole mail from these mailboxes and harvested bankcards, personal and business checks, and government-issued IDs, all belonging to the mail-theft victims. They then altered some of the checks and bankcards with the intent to use them to defraud financial institutions.
In one instance, in April 2018, Core deposited an altered check issued by JP Morgan Chase Bank into his own bank account at an ATM in Vallejo. By depositing the altered check, Core knowingly used the identity of a mail-theft victim without legal authority. Core committed these acts with the intent to defraud JP Morgan Chase, which was insured by FDIC. Similarly, on Aug. 29, 2018, when Core and others were arrested in Granite Bay, Core knowingly possessed at least four counterfeit U.S. Postal Service keys and two U.S. Postal Service locks. He possessed these items with the intent to commit identity theft and bank fraud, including using them to steal U.S. Mail. On that same date, Core also possessed at least fifteen unauthorized bankcards.
In April 2020, after pleading guilty, Core sought pretrial release pending his sentencing based on his condition as a cancer survivor and vulnerability to contracting the COVID‑19 virus in jail. He was shortly released and admitted to a residential drug treatment program. Two months later, however, Core absconded from the drug treatment facility without permission, and a federal warrant was issued for his arrest. In July 2020, the defendant was arrested in South Lake Tahoe after he fled from police. During a search of his car, law enforcement officers found an assault rifle and an empty 15-round magazine for a Springfield .45‑caliber handgun in the trunk.
This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Placer County Sheriff’s Office, the Vallejo Police Department, and the South Lake Tahoe Police Department. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Artuz is prosecuting the case.
Core has been in custody since his July 2020 rearrest and will begin serving his sentence immediately.
US Attorney’s Office Settles ADA Dispute Involving Service Animals at Westborn MarketsRead the Press Release
Detroit, MI – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan announced today that it has reached a settlement with Westborn Inc., owner and operators of Westborn Markets in Plymouth, Dearborn, Livonia, and Berkley, MI, to resolve an allegation that it improperly interrogated an individual with a disability accompanied by a service animal. The investigation began after the US Attorney’s Office received a complaint through its Civil Rights Hotline from a man with a disability who uses a service animal who alleged that an Westborn employee demanded written proof that his dog was a service animal and was asked to leave the market when he refused.
“People with disabilities who use service animals should not have to suffer through invasive questions or provide written documentation for their dogs in order to go grocery shopping or engage in other activities of daily living,” said Saima Mohsin, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan. “If it is not obvious that a dog is a service animal, a store may ask only two questions: 1) Is the animal required because of a disability? and 2) What work or tasks has the animal been trained to perform? Anything beyond that is a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.”
Under the settlement agreement, Westborn Inc. will adopt a non-discrimination policy with specific service animal provisions, train all of its employees on the ADA, and prominently display in each store a notice indicating that service animals are welcome.
The ADA prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities by public accommodations, such as grocery stores and retail markets. Public accommodations must allow people with disabilities the full and equal enjoyment of their goods, services, and facilities, which includes making reasonable modifications of their policies, practices, and procedures to permit people with disabilities to be accompanied by service animals.
The Civil Rights Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan was established in 2010 with the mission of prioritizing federal civil rights enforcement. For more information on the Office’s civil rights efforts, including a copy of settlement agreement with Westborn Inc., please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-edmi/programs/civil-rights. ADA complaints may be emailed to [email protected] or by contacting the U.S. Attorney's Office’s Civil Rights Hotline at (313) 226-9151.
More information about the ADA is available at the Justice Department’s toll free ADA Information line at (800) 514 0301 or (800) 514 0383 (TTY) and on the ADA website at www.ada.gov.
Two SCI Inmates, Two Allegheny County Residents Charged in Schemes to Smuggle Synthetic Cannabinoids into State Prisons and to Obtain Pandemic Unemployment BenefitsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - Two residents of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, and two individuals incarcerated at Pennsylvania State Correctional Institutions (SCIs), have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of shipping drugs into a prison and pandemic unemployment fraud, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.
The three-count drug-related Indictment, returned on July 20, 2021 and unsealed today, named Rodney Howard, 36, who is currently incarcerated at SCI Mahanoy; Dustin Hill, 34, who is currently incarcerated at SCI Benner; and DeAndre Jackson, 28, of Skyline Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15227.
The one-count pandemic unemployment fraud-related Indictment, also returned on July 20, 2021 and unsealed today, named DeAndre Jackson, 28, of Skyline Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15227, Rodneka Howard, 27, of Greensburg Pike, North Versailles, PA 15137; and Rodney Howard, 36, who is currently incarcerated as SCI Mahanoy. Rodney and Rodneka Howard are siblings with each other and half-siblings with DeAndre Jackson.
Acting U.S. Attorney Kaufman said, “Introducing illicit drugs into the prison system endangers inmates and employees. Illegally obtaining pandemic unemployment benefits hurts real Pennsylvania workers struggling to cope with job loss. Both types of crimes violate federal law and will be swiftly and justly prosecuted.”
“The PA Department of Corrections maintains a zero tolerance policy toward individuals who engage in criminal activity while housed in our facilities, particularly those who put staff and others at risk by attempting to smuggle dangerous drugs into prisons,” said PA Department of Corrections (PADOC) Secretary John Wetzel. "The charges announced today are the result of months of exemplary work from members the PADOC’s Bureau of Investigations and Intelligence, the DOJ, and our other state and federal law enforcement partners, and I applaud them for their efforts.”
Inspector in Charge Lesley Allison, Pittsburgh Division said, “Postal Inspectors, federal prosecutors and our law enforcement partners have diligently worked to identify and disrupt the activities of drug trafficking and mail fraud. Postal Inspectors will continue to tirelessly investigate these types of crimes that utilize the U.S. Postal Service to facilitate illicit transactions.”
“An important part of the mission of the Office of Inspector General is to investigate allegations of fraud related to unemployment insurance programs. We will continue to work with the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry and our law enforcement partners to
investigate these types of allegations”, stated Syreeta Scott, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Philadelphia Region, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.According to the drug-related indictment, Rodney Howard, Hill, and Jackson conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute ADB-BUTINACA, which is a Schedule I controlled substance. The indictment also charges Jackson with distributing that drug and with using the mails to aid this unlawful activity.
According to the pandemic unemployment fraud-related indictment, Jackson, Rodneka Howard, and Rodney Howard conspired to commit mail fraud by applying for or causing applications for pandemic benefits on behalf of three incarcerated individuals who were ineligible for those benefits. One of those cards was mailed to Rodneka Howard’s home address and another was mailed to an address that Jackson has used as his shipping and billing address in other contexts.
According to affidavits filed in support of search warrants that have been unsealed, on January 29, 2021, a manilla envelope was mailed from a post office in Pittsburgh to Hill at SCI Dallas with a return address at the Court of Common Pleas in Pittsburgh. The package contained approximately 30 sheets of cotton fiber paper that appeared to be a docket for a criminal case against Dustin Hill in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas. Later lab testing concluded that the sheets had been soaked in a synthetic cannabinoid named ADB-BUTINACA.
Postage for that envelope was paid using a pandemic unemployment benefits card in the name of inmate Z.E. who was on the same cell block at SCI Dallas as Rodney Howard and Hill.
In early February 2021, the envelope arrived at SCI Dallas and was treated as legal mail. Under the protocols at that time, the envelope was delivered to Hill by multiple corrections officers who opened it in front of Hill. The officers realized that the envelope’s content had been soaked in suspected synthetic cannabinoids, so they took the envelope to the Security Office for further inspection. At the Security Office, two corrections officers became ill from exposure to the envelope’s contents.
The sheets of paper in the envelope were altered to look like Hill had a criminal case in Allegheny County, so the package would appear to be legitimate legal mail shipped from Pittsburgh. But Hill has no criminal cases in Allegheny County.
Additionally, the affidavits describe recorded jail calls and photos of handwritten notes in DeAndre Jackson’s phone that further connect Rodney Howard, Jackson, and Hill to the envelope and the drug-soaked sheets inside. For example, Jackson’s personal credit card was used to make payments to Hill, consistent with jail calls between Rodney Howard and Jackson, as well as consistent with a photo of a handwritten note in Jackson’s phone.
As explained in the affidavits, there is a market in prison for sheets of paper soaked in synthetic cannabinoids. An inmate will generally cut such a sheet into small pieces to sell to other inmates who ingest the paper for the psychedelic effects. It is common to soak the synthetic cannabinoids in parchment paper because the thicker cotton paper is absorbent. Such contraband is typically introduced into state prisons under the guise of legal mail, which may be addressed to a different inmate to avoid detection if the mail is intercepted. During the coronavirus pandemic, the prices for these sheets of drug-soaked paper have increased dramatically. Although the prices fluctuate, at relevant times, a full sheet of paper with synthetic cannabinoids could sell in an SCI, once divided into separate pieces, for a total of approximately $8,000, $10,000 or $14,000. Jackson’s emails include notifications for hundreds of Cash App transactions, including transactions that indicate they are on behalf of individuals at “SCI Dallas” or “in the Dallas prison.”
The pandemic benefit card that Jackson was using is connected to two other pandemic benefits cards in the names of incarcerated individuals, including Rodney Howard. The Rodney Howard card was shipped to Rodneka Howard’s home address in North Versailles, and she used this card to make purchases. Another of the cards was shipped to the Amato Drive address in North Versailles that Jackson has used, and there is evidence of Jackson using that card.
For the drug charges, the law provides for a maximum total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $1,000,000, or both. For the mail fraud conspiracy, the law provides for a maximum total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Ira M. Karoll is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Postal Inspection Service, Pennsylvania Department of Corrections- Bureau of Investigations and Intelligence, and United States Department of Labor-Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation leading to the Indictments in this case, with assistance from the United States Drug Enforcement Administration and Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry—Internal Audits Division.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Two Nigerian Nationals Indicted for Romance and Pandemic Unemployment Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Two Nigerian nationals were indicted on Tuesday, July 20, 2021, in connection with their roles in expansive online fraud schemes targeting individuals in the United States, including romance scams and pandemic unemployment assistance fraud.
Osakpamwan Henry Omoruyi, 36, and Osaretin Godspower Omoruyi, 34, who previously resided in Canton, were each indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud, three counts of wire fraud and one count of engaging in unlawful monetary transactions. In March 2021, the defendants were charged by criminal complaint.
According to the charging documents, the defendants, along with other co-conspirators, allegedly participated in a series of romance and other online scams designed to defraud victims into sending money to accounts and debit cards they controlled. Romance scams occur when a criminal adopts a fake online identity to gain a victim’s affection and trust. The scammer then uses the illusion of a romantic or close relationship to manipulate and/or steal from the victim.
To carry out the schemes, the defendants allegedly used fake passports in the names of others to open numerous bank accounts and directed victims to send money to these accounts. They allegedly used the accounts to collect fraudulent pandemic unemployment benefits in the names of beneficiaries who did not apply for such benefits.
The charge of conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release, a fine of up to $1 million or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater, and forfeiture. The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater, and forfeiture. The charge of unlawful monetary transactions provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000, or twice the value of the criminally derived property, whichever is greater, and forfeiture. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Joshua McCallister, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and Jonathan Davidson, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara Miron Bloom and Ian Stearns of Mendell’s Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Two Men Charged in Connection with 11 Robberies and Attempted Robberies of Luxury Watches in New York City, New Jersey, and Long IslandRead the Press Release
Audrey Strauss, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Dermot Shea, Police Commissioner for the City of New York (“NYPD”), announced the unsealing of a Superseding Indictment charging VICTOR RIVERA, 30, and JOHAN ARAUJO, 40, with conspiracy to commit robbery, robbery, attempted robbery, attempted extortion, interstate transportation of stolen property, money laundering, and firearms offenses. ARAUJO was arrested on July 23 and presented and arraigned before United States Magistrate Judge Katharine H. Parker. RIVERA was previously charged in an Indictment in November 2020 and is currently in custody. This case is assigned to United States District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein.
U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “As alleged in the Indictment, the defendants committed a series of armed robberies and attempted robberies of jewelers and other owners of luxury watches in and around New York City. In one of these robberies, a victim was shot. Thanks to the outstanding work of the NYPD and Special Agents of our Office, time ran out on the defendants, who now face federal charges for their alleged crimes.”
NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea said: “The charges show that while criminals often believe they can operate in plain sight with apparent impunity, the NYPD and our law enforcement partners exist to shatter that notion and bring those responsible to justice. I thank our colleagues at the United States Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York for their dedication and hard work building this case and ensuring these two alleged dangerous criminals will be held to account.”
As alleged in the Indictment unsealed last Friday in Manhattan federal court and based on statements made in court proceedings and filings[1]:
From at least in or about October 2019 up to and including November 2020, RIVERA, ARAUJO, and others known and unknown agreed to rob victims of luxury watches worth up to hundreds of thousands of dollars each. The watches owned by victims targeted in the robberies included Richard Mille, Rolex, Audemars Piguet, and Patek Philippe as part of the jewelers’ businesses based in Manhattan’s Diamond District. RIVERA used guns to commit several of the robberies, and in one robbery, shot a victim, who survived.
The 11 robberies and attempted robberies included the following:
- On October 3, 2019, RIVERA and a co-conspirator robbed a jeweler in Long Island City, New York, of, among other things, a Richard Mille watch worth over $250,000.
- On October 25, 2019, RIVERA and a co-conspirator robbed a jeweler in Jamaica, New York, of, among other things, a Rolex watch worth over $150,000.
- On December 10, 2019, RIVERA, ARAUJO, and a co-conspirator robbed a jeweler in Brooklyn, New York, of, among other things, a Patek Philippe watch worth over $160,000 and a diamond necklace worth over $77,000. During the robbery, a firearm was shown to the victim.
- On January 14, 2020, RIVERA and a co-conspirator robbed of a jeweler in Rego Park, New York, of, among other things, a Richard Mille watch worth over $500,000.
- On February 16, 2020, RIVERA and ARAUJO robbed a jeweler in Jamaica Estates, New York, of, among other things, an Audemars Piguet watch worth over $28,000.
- On February 20, 2020, RIVERA and a co-conspirator robbed an individual in Long Island City, New York, of, among other things, an Audemars Piguet watch worth over $125,000.
- On June 11, 2020, RIVERA and ARAUJO robbed a jeweler in Brooklyn, New York, of, among other things, a Richard Mille watch worth over $148,000. During the robbery, a firearm was shown to the victim and a victim was shot.
- On July 6, 2020, RIVERA and a co-conspirator robbed a jeweler in Hoboken, New Jersey, of, among other things, a Richard Mille watch worth over $81,000. Following the robbery, RIVERA and others transported the stolen watch from New Jersey to New York.
- On July 20, 2020, RIVERA and a co-conspirator participated in an attempted robbery of a jeweler in Queens, New York, attempting to steal a Richard Mille watch worth over $180,000.
- On August 2, 2020, RIVERA and a co-conspirator robbed an individual in the vicinity of Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, of, among other things, a Richard Mille watch worth over $250,000. During the robbery, a firearm was shown to a victim. Following the robbery, RIVERA and others transported the stolen watch from New Jersey to New York.
- On October 27, 2020, RIVERA and a co-conspirator robbed a jeweler in the vicinity of Woodbury, New York, of, among other things, an Audemars Piguet watch worth over $26,000 and assorted jewels and gold links worth over $60,000. During the robbery, a firearm was shown to a victim.
* * *
A chart containing the names, charges, and maximum and minimum penalties for the defendants is set forth below. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding investigative work of the New York City Police Department and the Special Agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. Ms. Strauss also thanked the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, the Englewood Cliffs Police Department, the Weehawken Police Department, and the Nassau County Police Department for their assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Mathew Andrews, Andrew K. Chan, and Celia Cohen are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
COUNT
CHARGE
DEFENDANTS
MAX. PENALTY
Count One
Hobbs Act Robbery Conspiracy
18 U.S.C. § 1951
VICTOR RIVERA
JOHAN ARAUJO
20 years in prison
Count Two
Money Laundering Conspiracy
18 U.S.C. § 1956(h)
VICTOR RIVERA
20 years
Count Three
Hobbs Act Robbery
18 U.S.C. §§ 1951 and 2
VICTOR RIVERA
20 years
Count Four
Hobbs Act Robbery
18 U.S.C. §§ 1951 and 2
VICTOR RIVERA
20 years
Count Five
Hobbs Act Robbery
18 U.S.C. §§ 1951 and 2
VICTOR RIVERA
JOHAN ARAUJO
20 years
Count Six
Firearms offense
18 U.S.C. §§ 924(c) and 2
VICTOR RIVERA
Life in prison
Mandatory minimum of seven years in prison
Count Seven
Hobbs Act Robbery
18 U.S.C. §§ 1951 and 2
VICTOR RIVERA
20 years
Count Eight
Hobbs Act Robbery
18 U.S.C. §§ 1951 and 2
VICTOR RIVERA
JOHAN ARAUJO
20 years
Count Nine
Hobbs Act Robbery
18 U.S.C. §§ 1951 and 2
VICTOR RIVERA
JOHAN ARAUJO
20 years
Count Ten
Firearms offense
18 U.S.C. §§ 924(c) and 2
VICTOR RIVERA
Life in prison
Mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison
Count Eleven
Attempted Hobbs Act Robbery
18 U.S.C. §§ 1951 and 2
VICTOR RIVERA
20 years
Count Twelve
Interstate Transportation of Stolen Property
18 U.S.C. §§ 2314 and 2
VICTOR RIVERA
10 years
Count Thirteen
Attempted Hobbs Act Robbery and Extortion
18 U.S.C. §§ 1951 and 2
VICTOR RIVERA
20 years
Count Fourteen
Hobbs Act Robbery
18 U.S.C. §§ 1951 and 2
VICTOR RIVERA
20 years
Count Fifteen
Firearms offense
18 U.S.C. §§ 924(c) and 2
VICTOR RIVERA
Life in prison
Mandatory minimum of seven years in prison
Count Sixteen
Interstate Transportation of Stolen Property
18 U.S.C. §§ 2314 and 2
VICTOR RIVERA
10 years
Count Seventeen
Hobbs Act Robbery
18 U.S.C. §§ 1951 and 2
VICTOR RIVERA
20 years
Count Eighteen
Firearms offense
18 U.S.C. §§ 924(c) and 2
VICTOR RIVERA
Life in prison
Mandatory minimum of seven years in prison
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment, the description of the Indictment, and the statements made in related court filings and proceedings set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Two Individuals Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug and Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Two of the 15 individuals charged as a result of the long-term investigation dubbed the “Woo Boyz” have been sentenced to federal prison for federal drug and gun crimes. Erica Ratliff, 36, of Charleston, was sentenced to six years in prison for possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine. Devonte Andrews, 28, of Charleston, was sentenced to 37 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, Ratliff met her drug source of supply at the Family Dollar store on Bigley Avenue on November 24, 2020 and purchased three ounces of methamphetamine. After Ratliff left the parking lot of the Family Dollar store, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop on her vehicle. The officers recovered the methamphetamine that Ratliff had just purchased as well as other controlled substances she had on her person. Ratliff admitted that she intended to distribute the methamphetamine.
Court documents indicate that Andrews was walking on Hale Street on January 24, 2021 when he was stopped by officers with the Charleston Police Department. At the time, Andrews had a loaded Taurus PT 738 .380 ACP firearm behind his back. Andrews admitted that he has a 2016 felony conviction for distribution of heroin and is prohibited from possessing firearms.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Charleston Police Department, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the U.S. Marshals Service and the West Virginia State Police.
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Monica D. Coleman handled the prosecutions.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
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 Nos. 2:21-cr-00046 (Andrews) and 2:21-cr-00033 (Ratliff).
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Two Columbia Men Sentenced to Multi-Year Prison Terms for Role in Sale of Cocaine Base to Undercover Law Enforcement OfficerRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina --- Acting United States Attorney M. Rhett DeHart announced today that two Columbia men were sentenced to federal prison after pleading guilty to aiding and abetting the possession with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine base. Jamil Shamond Brennan, 26, of Columbia, was sentenced to more than 9 years in prison. Tevin Brosia, 27, of Columbia, was sentenced to more than 11 years in prison.
Evidence presented to the Court showed that Brennan and Brosia helped facilitate the sale of cocaine base, commonly known as crack cocaine, to an undercover law enforcement officer who was posing as a drug buyer. On February 25, 2020, the undercover officer made a controlled purchase of 25.7 grams of crack cocaine outside a residence in Columbia. Brennan supplied the crack cocaine sold; Brosia was the middleman for the sale.
Senior United States District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie sentenced Brennan to 110 months in federal prison and sentenced Brosia to 140 months in federal prison. Both Brosia and Brennan’s prison terms will be followed by a six-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, and the Columbia Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Katherine Flynn prosecuted the case.
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Toomsuba Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. - A Toomsuba man pleaded guilty today to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Kurt Thielhorn, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
According to court documents, Kristopher Calvin Branch, 44, was found in possession of a firearm by officers of the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Department on July 27, 2020, during an unrelated investigation concerning trespassing. Branch had a small caliber pistol in his pocket. Branch has four prior felony convictions. As a convicted felon it is contrary to federal law for Branch to possess any firearm.
Branch is scheduled to be sentenced on October 27, 2021 and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles W. Kirkham is prosecuting the case.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Todd County Man Indicted for Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Dennis Holmes announced that a Todd County, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for failure to register as a sex offender.
Eugene Hollow Horn Bear, age 61, was indicted on July 14, 2021. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on July 26, 2021, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, mandatory minimum 5 years of supervised release, up to life, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that between November 2, 2020, and April 23, 2021, in the District of South Dakota, Hollow Horn Bear, a person required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, and a sex offender by reason of a conviction under federal law, knowingly failed to register and update a registration.
The charge is merely an accusation and Hollow Horn Bear is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Abby Roesler is prosecuting the case.
Hollow Horn Bear was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Three Former Hamilton Correctional Institution Annex Officers Plead Guilty to Violating Inmate’s Civil RightsRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Ethan Burkett (25, Live Oak, FL), Coty Michael Wiltgen (31, Live Oak, FL), and William Story Shackelford (24, Valdosta, GA) have pleaded guilty to beating an inmate in their custody, in violation of the inmate’s civil rights. Each faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.
According to court documents, on March 3, 2020, while on duty as correctional officers at the Hamilton Correctional Institution Annex (HCI) in Jasper, Florida, Burkett, Wiltgen, and Shackelford struck an inmate multiple times while he was lying handcuffed on the ground. Specifically, Wiltgen and Shackelford escorted the victim to an outdoor area at HCI and assaulted the victim following an earlier altercation involving the victim and Burkett. The victim had pushed Burkett off his path while he was chasing after another inmate inside a dormitory. When the victim then tried to walk away after pushing Burkett, Wiltgen sprayed the victim with pepper spray. The victim then laid down and offered no resistance as Wiltgen handcuffed him. Wiltgen and Shackelford then escorted the cooperative and compliant victim out of the dormitory to an outdoor area at HCI, out of camera view, and made the victim fall to the ground. Shackelford then held the victim down on the ground with his knee in the victim’s back to keep him from moving and struck the victim in the side. Wiltgen kicked the victim in the face approximately 15 times. When Burkett arrived outside, he went up to the victim and hit him twice with an open hand to the upper back and punched the victim’s body. The victim was screaming during the assault and was knocked unconscious by Wiltgen kicking him in the face. The officers’ actions caused the inmate to suffer multiple injuries. Burkett, Wiltgen, and Shackelford knew that their use of force against the victim was unnecessary and excessive, counter to their training, and completely unjustified at the time that they used such force and/or watched others use such force against the victim.
This case was investigated by the Florida Department of Corrections Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington.
Tampa Woman Sentenced in Credit Card Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge William Jung has sentenced Ariel Tillman (37, Tampa) to two years and eight months in federal prison for credit card fraud and aggravated identity theft. As part of her sentence, the court also entered a money judgment of $225,271.04, the proceeds of the fraud.
Tillman had pleaded guilty on December 3, 2019.
According to court documents, from approximately July through October 2018, Tillman and others devised and executed a scheme whereby they obtained stolen credit card numbers and used those account numbers to purchase stamps at night from self-service kiosks at various U.S. Post Offices. They then sold the stamps on the secondhand market. During the course of its investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service obtained dozens of surveillance photos of Tillman using counterfeit credit cards to make purchases at Post Offices in Brandon, Brandon-Bloomingdale, Riverview, Sun City Center (Ruskin), Temple Terrace, Carrollwood (Tampa), Dunedin, Forest Hills, St. Petersburg, New Tampa, and Pinellas Park.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Jones.
St. Thomas Man arrested at Cyril E. King Airport for Smuggling Marijuana into the Virgin IslandsRead the Press Release
St. Thomas-USVI – United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced today that a St. Thomas man was arrested on Friday July 23, 2021 at the Cyril E. King Airport on criminal charges related to his alleged possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.
According to court documents, Allany Peterson-Mendez, 25, of St. Thomas, Virgin Islands flew onto St. Thomas on a commercial airline with a green leafy substance contained in his checked luggage. Peterson-Mendez was escorted by Customs and Border Protection officers to a secure location for a baggage check, during which officers located two kilograms of marijuana
Petersen-Mendez is charged with Possession of Marijuana with intent to distribute. The defendant made his initial appearance in federal court on Monday July 26, 2021 before Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller.
The Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations is investigating the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
St. Croix Woman Sentenced to Ten Months Federal Prison for Tax Fraud Scheme Involving the Filing of Falsified Tax Returns after Jury Finds her GuiltyRead the Press Release
St. Croix, USVI – United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced today that Patricia Henry, age 52, was sentenced to ten months incarceration on July 23, 2021 in District Court by Judge Wilma Lewis on one count of Conspiracy to Defraud the United States for her part in a tax fraud scheme. The sentencing follows a five-day jury trial on St. Croix that ended November 17, 2020. Evidence presented at the trial indicated that, as part of a tax fraud scheme, $8,918 was deposited into Patricia Henry’s account, stemming from a false tax return, and $10,068 generated from another false return, also filed in the defendant’s name. The money was transferred to Patricia Henry by her daughter, codefendant, Phiona Henry, after the money was initially deposited into one of Phiona Henry’s bank accounts. An additional $106,382 was also deposited into Phiona’s bank account as part of the fraudulent scheme. Phiona Henry was sentenced to 8 months of federal incarceration on February 26, 2021 after pleading guilty to one count of Conspiracy to Defraud the United States.
According to court documents, Phiona Henry, her mother Patricia Henry, and others participated in a scheme to unlawfully obtain money from the United States treasury by fraudulently acquiring federal income tax refunds during the period from 2010 to 2013. The scheme involved the acquisition of personal identifying information used to electronically file falsified tax returns for tax years 2009 through 2012. Patricia Henry aided others in the filing of tax returns in individuals’ true names and actual social security numbers but falsified the individuals’ income earned, tax withholding amounts, credits, and other information, and thereby claimed refunds to which they were not entitled. Persons involved in the scheme designated bank accounts for receipt of the refunds, which, once received, they subsequently withdrew.
In addition to the term of her incarceration, the Patricia Henry was sentenced to a term of 3 years of supervised release and ordered to pay a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00, along with restitution to the Internal Revenue Service of $18,986.
The prosecution of this fraud scheme is the result of years of investigative work by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations, which identified and dismantled a massive stolen identity refund fraud scheme perpetrated in the Virgin Islands and elsewhere.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Ortiz.
St. Albans Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Ronald Pleasant, 26, of St. Albans, pleaded guilty to distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to court documents, Pleasant sold two ounces of methamphetamine to a confidential informant for $1,000 on December 10, 2019 in St. Albans. Pleasant admitted selling methamphetamine to the same confidential informant on two other occasions.
Pleasant faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison when he is sentenced on November 4, 2021.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Monica Coleman and Negar Kordestani are handling the prosecution.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:20-cr-00197.
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Six Additional Defendants Arrested in Joint State/Federal Investigation into 35-Member Interstate Cocaine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina --- Acting United States Attorney M. Rhett Dehart announced today that a joint team of dozens of federal, state, and local law enforcement officers, led by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), arrested six individuals who have been charged in federal court for their roles in an interstate drug trafficking organization that operated out of Myrtle Beach, Conway, Florence, and New York City.
This is the second round of indictments in Operation New Optix, which began with the related indictment of 26 alleged drug traffickers in December 2020. Of the 35 defendants currently indicted, four remain at large and 22 have already pled guilty. This multi-year operation specifically targeted members of this drug trafficking organization based on their interstate importation of large quantities of cocaine and crack cocaine into South Carolina from the New York area, and their use of firearms in furtherance of their drug trafficking crimes. During this week’s arrests, agents seized approximately $272,546 in suspected drug proceeds, five vehicles, 11 firearms, more than 4.5 kilograms of suspected cocaine, more than 450 grams of suspected crack cocaine, and additional amounts of suspected fentanyl, heroin, marijuana, and other drugs.
The following defendants were arrested this week:
- Jovan Steven GRAVES, a/k/a “Pablo,” 34, of Brooklyn, New York, is charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine. This charge carries a potential penalty of 10 years to Life imprisonment.
- Sean Lewis ADAMS, a/k/a “Lou,” 39, of Longs, is charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine. This charge carries a potential penalty of 10 years to Life imprisonment.
- Arthur Lee BUSBEE, JR., a/k/a “Bubba Jaws,” 39, of Conway, is charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. This charge carries a potential penalty of 5 to 40 years imprisonment.
- Deondray Azell AZELL STANFIELD, a/k/a “Rich Black,” 43, of Myrtle Beach, is charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. This charge carries a potential penalty of 5 to 40 years imprisonment.
- Brodus Bernard GREGG, 68, of Conway, is charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. This charge carries a potential penalty of 5 to 40 years imprisonment.
- Dayvon Chadmar BEASE, a/k/a “T-Nochi,” 37, of Conway, is charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. This charge carries a potential penalty of 5 to 40 years imprisonment.
The following defendants who were charged in the first round of this investigation have pled guilty:
- Shackeel COLEMAN, 29, of Myrtle Beach, pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine. This charge carries a potential penalty of 10 years to Life imprisonment.
- Harry BELLAMY, 41, of Myrtle Beach, pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine, 28 grams of cocaine base, and a quantity of marijuana. This charge carries a potential penalty of 10 years to Life imprisonment.
- Steven JEFFCOAT, 30, of Myrtle Beach, pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine and 28 grams of cocaine base. This charge carries a potential penalty of 10 years to Life imprisonment.
- Lenard HEMINGWAY, 53, of Myrtle Beach, pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. This charge carries a potential penalty of 5 to 40 years imprisonment.
- Yenitza COLEMAN, 27, of Myrtle Beach, pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. This charge carries a potential penalty of 5 to 40 years imprisonment.
- Jasamine MITCHELL, 32, of Conway, pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. This charge carries a potential penalty of 5 to 40 years imprisonment.
- Bradley ADAMS, 26, of Myrtle Beach, pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. This charge carries a potential penalty of 5 to 40 years imprisonment.
- Timothy MCCRAY, 31, of Conway, pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute 28 grams of cocaine base and a quantity of cocaine. This charge carries a potential penalty of 5 to 40 years imprisonment
- Brandon PRAWL, 35, of Conway, pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and 28 grams of more of cocaine base. This charge carries a potential penalty of 5 to 40 years imprisonment.
- Henry BOYD, 39, of Conway, pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute 28 grams of more of cocaine base and a quantity of cocaine. This charge carries a potential penalty of 5 to 40 years imprisonment.
- Timothy LEE, 27, of Myrtle Beach, pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute 28 grams of more of cocaine base. This charge carries a potential penalty of 5 to 40 years imprisonment.
- Jacqueline STRICKLAND, 59, of Conway, pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. This charge carries a potential penalty of 5 to 40 years imprisonment.
- Venson STRICKLAND, 29, of Myrtle Beach, pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute 28 grams of more of cocaine base and a quantity of cocaine. This charge carries a potential penalty of 5 to 40 years imprisonment.
- James GRAHAM, 30, of Conway, pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute a quantity of cocaine. This charge carries a potential penalty of up to 20 years imprisonment.
- Alonzo Lee PIERCE, 37, of Galivants Ferry, pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute 28 grams of more of cocaine base and a quantity of cocaine. This charge carries a potential penalty of 5 to 40 years imprisonment.
- Gary JACKSON, 30, of Myrtle Beach, pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. This charge carries a potential penalty of 5 to 40 years imprisonment.
- Alton BROWN, 41, of Florence, pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute a quantity of cocaine and a quantity of cocaine base. This charge carries a potential penalty of up to 20 years imprisonment.
- Joshua DARBY, 32, of Murrells Inlet, pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute a quantity of cocaine and a quantity of cocaine base. This charge carries a potential penalty of up to 20 years imprisonment.
- Travis ROGERS, 40, of Conway, pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute 28 grams of more of cocaine base. This charge carries a potential penalty of 5 to 40 years imprisonment.
- Kevin LINNEN, 33, of Myrtle Beach, pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute a quantity of cocaine. This charge carries a potential penalty of up to 20 years imprisonment.
- Mario WILLIAMS, 41, of Florence, pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute a quantity of cocaine and a quantity of marijuana. This charge carries a potential penalty of up to 20 years imprisonment.
- Robert HOOKER, 40, of Myrtle Beach, pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute a quantity of cocaine. This charge carries a potential penalty of up to 20 years imprisonment.
The following defendants from the first round are in custody pending trial or plea:
- Quentin SMITH, 29, of Conway, is charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute 28 grams of more of cocaine base. This charge carries a potential penalty of 5 to 40 years imprisonment. He is also charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime which carries a potential penalty of 5 years consecutive to any other penalty imposed.
- Kimo FELTON, 41, of Conway, is charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine. This charge carries a potential penalty of 10 years to Life imprisonment.
- Curtis MCARTHUR, 35, of Longs, is charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute a quantity of cocaine. This charge carries a potential penalty of up to 20 years imprisonment.
Operation New Optix is the latest in a series of joint federal/state investigations targeting violent crime in Myrtle Beach and Horry County. In 2017, Operation Silver Sunset targeted 29 associates of the Billy Bloods street gang, a subset of the United Blood Nation. In 2018, Operation Rise and Shine targeted 33 associates of G-Shine/SMG, another subset of the Bloods. In 2020, Operation Broken Branch targeted 31 members of a drug trafficking organization in the Cedar Branch area of Horry County. The recent arrests mark the latest, but not the last, joint investigation targeting violent crime in this area.
Agents with the DEA’s Florence Resident Office led the investigation, with significant participation from the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), United States Marshal Service, Myrtle Beach Police Department, Horry County Police Department, North Myrtle Beach Police Department, Florence County Sheriff’s Office – Special Operations Group, Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office, 15th Circuit Drug Enforcement Unit, Conway Police Department, and Horry County Sherriff’s Office.
“As this office has made clear time and again, violent criminals will find no safe harbor in South Carolina,” said Acting U.S. Attorney DeHart. “Because of the work of our federal, state, and local partners, we have obtained more than 100 convictions and been able to dismantle violent gangs across the Pee Dee Region.”
“These convicted notorious gang-related drug dealers distributed poison to the community and caused fear through means of violence and intimidation,” said the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division Robert J. Murphy. “Step by step, the government disrupted and dismantled this once-thriving criminal network. This case has been successful because of spirited level of cooperation between DEA and its law enforcement counterparts.”
“Thank you to everyone involved for preparing and prosecuting these cases,” said Myrtle Beach Police Chief Amy Prock. “Our community is safer because of their hard work and dedication.”
Assistant United States Attorney Everett McMillian, Lead Task Force Attorney for the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), is prosecuting the case in coordination with the 15th Circuit Solicitor’s Office. 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.
All defendants who have not pled are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Sioux Falls Man Sentenced for Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled SubstanceRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance was sentenced on July 26, 2021, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.
Timothy Tod Hartman, age 36, was sentenced to 80 months in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Hartman was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 20, 2020. He pled guilty on May 6, 2021.
The conviction stemmed from incidents beginning on or about February 25, 2020, when Hartman knowingly and intentionally possessed with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of actual methamphetamine, which is a Schedule II controlled substance.
Hartman had been under surveillance as part of an ongoing drug investigation. A traffic stop was attempted, but Hartman drove off. Knowing where he lived, officers went to his residence and arrested him. They found him with a Glock pistol, with an extended magazine containing 20 rounds, almost 10 grams of marijuana, 13 grams of methamphetamine, and drug paraphernalia. A search of Hartman’s apartment also revealed 61 grams of methamphetamine and a stolen handgun.
This case was investigated by the Sioux Falls Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper prosecuted the case.
Hartman was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Sioux Falls Man Sentenced for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of Child Pornography was sentenced on July 26, 2021, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.
Eric Wallace Hedrick, age 47, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Hedrick was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 9, 2019. He pled guilty on May 6, 2021.
The conviction stemmed from incidents between December 28, 2018, and May 28, 2019, when Hedrick knowingly possessed child pornography that had been mailed, shipped, and transported in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce by any means, including by computer. Hedrick used his cell phones and tablet to search the internet for images and videos containing child pornography. Hedrick’s sentence was enhanced due to a prior sex offense conviction in 2006.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper prosecuted the case.
Hedrick was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Settlement Agent Sentenced for Misappropriating Closing FundsRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – The former president of an escrow and title company was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for misappropriating $715,000 of closing funds in connection with 48 real estate transactions for which she served as the settlement agent.
According to court documents, Tammy Hamrin, formerly known as Tammy A. Cheek, 58, of Virginia Beach, was a licensed title and settlement agent and was the president, secretary, and treasurer of Preferred Escrow and Title, Inc. During 48 real estate transactions between January 2018 and approximately February 2018, Hamrin misappropriated $715,000 of closing funds that had been deposited by various lenders and individual buyers into the company’s escrow account. She did so by making seven unauthorized wire transfers of funds from the escrow account to certain entities at the request of a person with whom Hamrin had an online personal relationship.
During this period, Hamrin partially replenished the funds that she had misappropriated by depositing approximately $199,000 of her own money into the escrow account, resulting in a remaining shortage of approximately $516,000. As a result, all 48 closings were affected. Among others, losses were sustained by sellers, buyers, business entities, financial institutions, various lienholders, municipal clerks of court and treasurer offices, and a title insurance company.
Raj Parekh, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan M. Salsbury prosecuted the case.
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. 2:21-cr-2.
Queens Man Pleads Guilty to Sexually Exploiting Children and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Orlando Lopez pleaded guilty to nine counts of child exploitation and one count of possession of child pornography. The proceeding took place before United States District Judge Eric R. Komitee. When sentenced, Lopez faces up to 50 years’ imprisonment on each count of production of child pornography, as well as forfeiture, restitution and a fine.
Jacquelyn M. Kasulis, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced the guilty plea.
“With today’s guilty plea, the defendant admits to preying on vulnerable young children for the cruel purpose of sexually exploiting them, and he also admits to possessing thousands of pornographic videos and photographs depicting his depraved acts of sexual abuse.” stated Acting United States Attorney Kasulis. “While the defendant’s admission of guilt cannot undo the terrible harm he has inflicted, it does provide assurance that this Office and its law enforcement partners remain steadfast in their commitment to prosecuting dangerous predators like the defendant to the fullest extent of the law.”
Ms. Kasulis expressed her grateful appreciation to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office, the New York City Police Department and the Queens County District Attorney’s Office for their assistance with the case.
According to court filings and admissions made in court at the time he entered his plea, Lopez created child pornography by sexually abusing children and taking photographs and videos of the abuse. Many of the children Lopez targeted lived with their families near Lopez’s residence in Queens and were between the ages of two and 10 years old when he sexually abused them. In order to gain access to his victims, Lopez attempted to befriend their parents. Law enforcement recovered thousands of photos and videos from Lopez’s residence depicting him engaging in sexual activity with children.
This prosecution is 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 United States Attorneys’ Offices, 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.
The government’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tanya Hajjar.
The Defendant:
ORLANDO LOPEZ
Age: 66
Jamaica, QueensE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 20-CR-52 (EK)
Philadelphia Man Arrested on Murder-For-Hire Charges; Attempted Homicide in Southwest Philadelphia ThwartedRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Darnell Jackson, a/k/a “Major Change,” 47, of Philadelphia, PA, was arrested and charged by Criminal Complaint on federal charges of murder-for-hire and possession of ammunition by a convicted felon. In a news conference outside the federal courthouse in Philadelphia alongside Assistant Special Agent-In-Charge for FBI Philadelphia’s Violent Crime Branch James Christie and Philadelphia Police Chief of Investigations Chief Inspector Frank Vanore, Acting U.S. Attorney Williams discussed the charges and the investigation leading to the defendant’s arrest as part of the federal effort to reduce violent crime in Philadelphia known as ‘All Hands On Deck.’
According to publicly filed court documents unsealed today, the defendant allegedly orchestrated a murder-for-hire plot which stemmed from an ongoing state drug trafficking investigation. One week ago on Monday, July 19, 2021, and in the days immediately following, Jackson allegedly communicated with an individual via cell phone calls and text messages in an effort to arrange the killing of a different individual (the intended victim), sending a photo of the intended victim and indicating that he was willing to pay $5,000 to someone to commit the murder. Jackson also allegedly mentioned to the individual that he was interested in locating the close friends of the intended victim so that they could be harmed as well. Once the individual reported to the defendant that he had located the intended victim, they allegedly agreed that the killing would occur on the evening of Wednesday, July 21st.
That same evening, the individual called Jackson to report that the intended victim had been killed, but this was actually false. In response, the defendant allegedly replied that he was on his way to meet the individual in order to pay him for his services. A few minutes later, Jackson was stopped by law enforcement while driving a vehicle in the vicinity of 65th Street & Guyer Avenue in Southwest Philadelphia, and he was allegedly found in possession of a Glock-style Personally Manufactured Firearm (PMF or ‘ghost gun’) loaded with 16 live rounds of ammunition, and nowhere near the amount of $5,000. The defendant was immediately arrested and taken into custody pursuant to the Criminal Complaint; he made his initial appearance in federal court on Friday, July 23, and will appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Perkin for a detention hearing on Tuesday, August 3.
“It is no stretch of the imagination to conclude that law enforcement thwarted multiple alleged attempted murders by the defendant last week,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Williams. “But there are hundreds of families in this city for whom this news means very little, because their loved ones were already gunned down this year. I want to thank the dedicated men and women of the FBI and Philadelphia Police Department who were responsible for taking Jackson off the streets, and I want to assure the public that we will continue to do all we can to fight the surge of violence plaguing our city.”
“When our Safe Streets Gang Task Force received information on an alleged murder for hire last week, we immediately determined this was truly a life-threatening situation,” said James E. Christie, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “Agents and task force officers worked quickly, taking all necessary steps to disrupt this deadly plot. As a result, the intended victim is safe, the alleged orchestrator is behind bars, and a ghost gun is off the street. We refuse to cede this city to criminals who think solving a problem means pulling a trigger, who hold blocks and entire neighborhoods hostage to their violence. The ‘All Hands on Deck’ initiative continues to produce results and you’ll be seeing more of those in the weeks and months to come.”
“Every day, members of law enforcement agencies at all levels work tirelessly to prevent violent events from occurring in our city,” said Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw. “The PPD and our partner agencies recognize the gravity of Philadelphia’s plight. People who commit serious crimes must face serious consequences, and arrests like the one announced today are the very reason why this joint initiative was created. I want to thank the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for pledging their support to this effort and ultimately contributing to the safety and well-being of those who live, work, and visit this beautiful city.”
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 20 years in prison (10 years for each charge).
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Philadelphia Field Office and the Philadelphia Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin Ashenfelter.
An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Peoria Man Sentenced to 67 Months in Prison for Stealing Nearly 100 Guns from Area Licensed DealersRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – A Peoria, Ill., man, Keith L. Winters, 31, was sentenced on July 21, 2021, to an aggregate term of 67 months in federal prison, to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release, for conspiring and stealing firearms from federal firearms licensees, possessing stolen firearms, and possessing firearms while a felon. Altogether, Winters’s burglaries involved 94 stolen firearms.
Winters, who pleaded guilty to the charges, admitted that on March 21, 2019, he and two others drove a stolen truck from Peoria to The Tac Shack in Monmouth, Illinois. Two additional accomplices accompanied the truck by car to serve as a lookout. When both vehicles arrived at The Tac Shack, participants in the burglary shattered the glass storefront and made entry. After taking 36 guns from the store, the men drove back to Peoria and divided up the stolen guns. Winters further admitted that on March 29, 2019, he and several others drove a stolen truck from Peoria to Farm King in Galesburg, Illinois, where the men used wire cutters to enter a fenced area, then broke a window to make entry. Like the first burglary, two additional accomplices in a separate vehicle acted as a lookout for law enforcement. After taking 58 guns from Farm King, the men drove back to Peoria to divide up the stolen guns. At the time Winters committed each of the burglaries, he had previously been convicted of felony offenses and was prohibited by law from possessing firearms.
At the sentencing hearing, the government presented evidence that law enforcement recovered approximately 40 of the firearms in the months following the burglaries. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Peoria Police Department used the ATF’s ballistic imaging network to determine that the stolen guns had traveled to Peoria, Chicago, and Evanston, as well as out of Illinois, including to cities in Iowa, Indiana, and Alabama. Many of the firearms recovered were linked to other crimes, including robbery, unlawful possession of weapons, shootings, and homicide. Shell casings from one of the guns matched those from one of several firearms discharged in a gunfight on the Peoria Riverfront on July 19, 2020, where 13 people were wounded.
Previously, on July 16, 2020, Winters’s co-defendant Jeremy L. Howard, 41, was sentenced to 52 months in prison, to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release, for his involvement in the possession and distribution of firearms. On June 2, 2021, codefendant Miray A. Smith, 21, was sentenced to 46 months in prison, to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release, for conspiring and stealing firearms from federal firearms licensees and possessing stolen firearms. Both men resided in Peoria at the time of their crimes. At Smith’s sentencing hearing, United States District Judge Michael M. Mihm emphasized the dangerousness of the distribution of unlawful firearms on the streets, likening a stolen gun to a boulder rolling down a mountain that will inevitably crash into something and destroy lives.
“Working with the ATF and our other law enforcement partners, the United States Attorney’s Office remains committed to doing what it takes to get guns out of the hands of people who cannot legally possess them,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Douglas J. Quivey. “Burglaries of licensed firearms dealers represent a major threat to public safety not just in Central Illinois but to the entire region, and we will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute all of those responsible.”
“ATF will continue to collaborate with state and local partners to investigate all thefts from federal firearms licensees,” commented ATF Special Agent in Charge Kristen de Tineo of the Chicago Field Division. “I commend the coordinated effort of the law enforcement agencies in investigating this case and the United States Attorney’s office for charging it.”
The charges are the result of investigation by the ATF, with assistance from the Galesburg Police Department; Illinois State Police; Monmouth Police Department; Peoria County Sheriff’s Office; and the Peoria Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Hanna represented the government in the prosecution of the case in coordination with the Warren County, Knox County, and Peoria County State’s Attorneys’ Offices.
Parkersburg Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Child Pornography CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Parkersburg man was sentenced today to six years in federal prison for distributing child pornography. Upon his release, Timothy Paul Rapson, 39, will be required to serve a term of 20 years of supervised release and to register as a sex offender.
According to court documents, Rapson previously pleaded guilty to using a peer-to-peer file sharing program to distribute child pornography on December 31, 2019. The investigation revealed that Rapson possessed over 76,000 images and videos of child pornography, many of which depict prepubescent minors.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and praised the investigative work of the Parkersburg Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Julie M. White handled the prosecution.
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed the sentence.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:20-cr-000175.
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Owner of Business Providing Physical Therapy Services Sentenced to 15 Months in Federal Prison for Failure to Pay $1.69 Million in Federal Employment and Employer TaxesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced Harshe Shende, age 57, of Hanover, Maryland, to 15 months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, for willful failure to pay over employment taxes. Chief Judge Bredar also found that Shende failed to pay to the IRS a total of $1,690,000 in federal employment and employer taxes and ordered Shende to pay restitution in that amount to the IRS. Chief Judge Bredar imposed the sentence late on July 23, 2021.
The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner and Acting Special Agent in Charge Darrell J. Waldon of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office.
According to his guilty plea, Shende was the sole owner and resident agent of Progressive Rehab Services, LLC, which employed physical and occupational therapists who went to nursing homes to render services to patients. Shende was the sole signatory on two bank accounts he opened for the corporation at separate banks in 2008 and 2013, respectively. Shende accrued large liabilities for Progressive Rehab by filing forms with the IRS which showed the amount of income tax withholding he collected from Progressive Rehab’s employees and their Medicare and Social Security withholding (collectively employment taxes) but by failing to pay the employment taxes to IRS. Shende also failed to pay the employers’ portion of employment taxes to the IRS. The IRS pursued collection activities against Progressive Rehab.
As detailed in his plea agreement, on March 16, 2006, Shende and his then wife incorporated Progressive Health Group, Inc., (“Progressive Health”) in Maryland, with the stated purpose to provide rehab to nursing homes, hospitals, assistive living and home health. Shende was listed as Executive Director on two bank accounts he opened for the corporation at separate banks in 2008 and 2012, respectively. Shende listed the same address in Columbia, Maryland, for Progressive Health as he did for Progressive Rehab.
Shende admitted that he caused Progressive Rehab’s employees to perform the same work but billed for their work using the name Progressive Health and paid their salaries using Progressive Health’s bank account. Progressive Health withheld payroll taxes from its employees’ paychecks, including federal income taxes, Medicare and social security (“FICA”) taxes. As he did with Progressive Rehab, Shende filed forms with the IRS for Progressive Health showing the amount of employment taxes withheld. However, as he did with Progressive Rehab, Shende willfully chose not to pay the taxes withheld from Progressive Health’s employees’ wages to the IRS, nor did he pay the employer’s portion of the employment taxes.
As a result, Shende failed to pay to the IRS a total of $155,838.15 in employment taxes withheld in tax years 2014 and 2015 and failed to pay the IRS a total of $103,066.85, which was the employer’s share of employment taxes for tax years 2014 and 2015.
Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the IRS-CI for its work in the investigation. Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Joyce K. McDonald, who prosecuted the case.
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Out-of-state man pleads guilty to smuggling 117 from Laredo in trailerRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 42-year-old resident of Covington, Georgia, has pleaded guilty in Laredo federal court to conspiracy to transport undocumented aliens, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Jonathan Kyle Price admitted he had agreed to smuggle 117 aliens past a Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint.
On Feb. 19, Price arrived at the BP checkpoint on Interstate Highway 35 approximately 29 miles north of Laredo in a tractor-trailer. However, he drove away before his immigration inspection was complete. Law enforcement pursued and quickly stopped him
A service K-9 then detected an odor within the trailer. Authorities conducted a thorough inspection and found 117 undocumented aliens.
U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo will impose sentencing Oct. 25. At that time, Price faces up to 10 years in prison. He was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of BP. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Fawcett is prosecuting the case.
Ohio Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Columbus, Ohio man was sentenced today to 70 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Rashawn Akmed Miller, 37, was one of 14 defendants charged as a result of a long-term investigation known as “Second Wave,” which dismantled a poly-drug network operating in Kanawha and Fayette counties.
According to the his plea agreement and statements made in court, Miller brokered a deal between a Columbus, Ohio supplier and Jason Michael Terrell and Roger Jarea Drake. Terrell and Drake traveled from Kanawha County to Columbus where Miller introduced them to the supplier who sold them approximately two pounds of methamphetamine. Terrell and Drake returned to West Virginia where they distributed the methamphetamine. Terrell was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine. Drake is scheduled to be sentenced in September 2021.
All defendants charged as a result of the Second Wave investigation have pleaded guilty. Along with Drake, Steven Matthew Bumpus, Craig Redman, Tonya Simerly and Ronald Lee Thomas III are scheduled to be sentenced in September 2021.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the excellent investigative work of all the law enforcement agencies involved in the case. The long-term investigation was spearheaded by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in partnership with the Central West Virginia Drug Task Force (CWVDTF), the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department, the Charleston Police Department, the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT). The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) conducted the investigation of Sammy Joe Fragale, Sr., and Sammy Joe Fragale II, as part of the Second Wave investigation.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua C. Hanks handled the prosecution.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:20-cr-000154.
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