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Wednesday 21 July 2021
Former Leader of Lowell Latin Kings Chapter Sentenced for Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former Inca, of leader, of the Lowell Chapter of the Massachusetts Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (Latin Kings) was sentenced today on racketeering charges.
Alfred Nieves, a/k/a “King Alfy,” 33, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel to two years in prison and three years of supervised release. On April 8, 2021, Nieves pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conducting enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy.
The Latin Kings are a violent criminal enterprise comprised of thousands of members across the United States. As alleged in court documents, the gang uses drug distribution to generate revenue, and engages in violence against witnesses and rival gangs to further its influence and to protect its turf.
As detailed in court filings, Nieves served as the Inca, or leader, of the Lowell Chapter of the Latin Kings. In June 2019, Nieves requested permission from the state and regional leadership of the gang to assault a relative of a Latin Kings member. In 2017, Nieves sent a coded message to a Latin King member in the Massachusetts prison system directing violence to be taken against a certain individual who was also incarcerated. The coded message was intercepted and deciphered by investigators.
In December 2019, a federal grand jury returned an indictment alleging racketeering conspiracy, drug conspiracy and firearms charges against 62 leaders, members and associates of the Latin Kings. Nieves is the 36th defendant to be sentenced in the case.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Correction; and New Bedford Police Chief Joseph C. Cordeiro made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was also provided by the FBI North Shore Gang Task Force and the Bristol County and Suffolk County District Attorney’s Offices. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Philip A. Mallard and Lauren Graber of Mendell’s Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Kirtland airman sentenced to prison on federal firearms chargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Charles Brent Justice, 28, was sentenced on July 16 in federal court to one year and eight months in prison for smuggling goods into the United States, unlawful importation of a firearm and possession of a firearm not registered with the National Firearms Act Registration and Transfer Record. Brent pleaded guilty on Feb. 24.
According to the plea agreement and other court records, on Feb. 7, 2020, while stationed at Kirtland Air Force Base, Justice imported a silencer, which was deceptively described as an “inline filter,” knowing that the silencer was illegal. Justice also admitted to possessing functional silencers that he knew were not registered under the National Firearms Act.
As alleged in a criminal complaint, Justice purchased the firearm silencer over the internet from China. Agents from U.S. Customs and Border Protection intercepted the device while in transit through the mail. Justice did not have the required tax stamp or proper authority to possess and transport weapons under the National Firearms Act. Justice also previously received shipments of other illegal devices, including a “butt-stock” designed to convert a pistol into a short-barreled rifle and an “auto-sear” designed to allow a pistol to function as a machine gun.
Upon his release from prison, Justice will be subject to three years of supervised release.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated this case with the Department of the Air Force, Office of Special Investigations and Homeland Security Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jon K. Stanford and Nicholas Mote prosecuted the case.
Former Hudson County Sheriff’s Officer Charged with Making False Statements in Connection with Fraudulent Short SaleRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A former Hudson County Sheriff’s officer was charged for making false statements to a bank in connection with an application to discharge a mortgage through a fraudulent short sale, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Osbado Hernandez, 52, of Avenel, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count of knowingly making false statements for the purpose of influencing the action of an FDIC-insured bank. Hernandez appeared this afternoon via videoconference before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jessica S. Allen in Newark federal court and was released on $100,000 unsecured bond.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From September 2015 to Dec. 30, 2015, in order to induce a bank to discharge a mortgage on a property in Keansburg, New Jersey, Hernandez made false statements in connection with a fraudulent short sale of the property, including that he did not have any money to apply toward his mortgage delinquency and that he intended to vacate the property following the short sale. Hernandez fraudulently withheld information regarding the availability of funds in a savings account he failed to disclose to the bank. Hernandez also signed a sworn affidavit that he would not stay in the property for more than 90 days following the short sale, even though he intended to, and did, continue living at the property. As a result of the fraudulent short sale, the bank discharged over $98,000 of debt against Hernandez.
The false statements charge is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison and a maximum fine of up to $1 million.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Thomas Mahoney, and special agents with IRS – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael Montanez, with the investigation leading to the charge.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elaine K. Lou of the Special Prosecutions Division in Newark.
The charge and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Former Financial Controller Admits to Embezzling Almost Half a Million Dollars from Family-Owned San Diego BusinessRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – July 21, 2021
SAN DIEGO – Derick Jonathan Cameron of Vancouver, Washington pleaded guilty in federal court today to wire fraud, admitting that while employed as the Financial Controller for San Diego-based RAL Investment Corporation, he embezzled more than $400,000.
In a hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jill L. Burkhardt, Cameron admitted he abused his access to the company’s accounting software and issued more than 200 unauthorized checks to himself using the electronic signature of the company’s CFO and deposited them into his personal bank account. He then concealed the payments by manipulating the company’s accounting records to make it appear that each check was issued to a legitimate third-party vendor for a business expense. The company discovered Cameron’s fraudulent activity in April 2018, fired Cameron, and reported the conduct to law enforcement when Cameron was unable to make his promised repayments on schedule.
"The impact of fraud on small businesses can be devastating,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “This defendant abused his position of trust to enrich himself, and he has been held to account for his crime.” Grossman praised Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Kanter and the FBI case agents for their work handling this case.
“Mr. Cameron treated his job as Financial Controller as his own private expense account thinking he deserved more money,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Suzanne Turner. “His actions put the livelihood of the business in danger and hopefully today’s guilty plea brings a sense of justice and closure to the victim in this case.”
Cameron is scheduled to be sentenced on October 18, 2021 at 9:30 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Todd W. Robinson.
DEFENDANT Case Number 21cr2128-TWR
Derick Jonathan Cameron Age: 37 Vancouver, Washington
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Wire Fraud – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1343
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $250,000 fine, or twice the gain/loss, whichever is greater
AGENCY
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Former Dorchester Man Charged with Social Security Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former Dorchester man was arrested yesterday in connection with using the identifying information of another person to apply for a driver’s license and United States passport.
Wilfrido Baez Villar, 46, was charged with one count of false representation of a Social Security number, one count of making a false statement in an application for a passport and one count of aggravated identity theft. Following an initial appearance yesterday before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Donald L. Cabell, Baez Villar was detained pending a detention hearing set for July 22, 2021.
According to the charging document, in January 2019, Baez Villar falsely represented another individual’s Social Security number as his own on a renewal application for a Massachusetts driver’s license. In addition, in December 2019, Baez Villar allegedly used the victim’s name, date of birth and Social Security number on an application for a U.S. passport.
The charge of false representation of a Social Security number provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of making a false statement in an application for a passport provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory two-year sentence to run consecutively to any other sentence imposed, one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. 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; Jake Jermaine, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Boston Field Office; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; and Phillip M. Coyne, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of the Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Regional Office, made the announcement. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Burzycki of Mendell’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Felon Indicted on Federal Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that MIKAL BLACK, age 23, of Ironton, Louisiana, was charged on July 16, 2021 in a four count indictment by a Federal Grand Jury for violating the Federal Gun Control Act, Title 18 United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2).
According to court documents, BLACK was previously convicted of manufacturing a Schedule I controlled dangerous substance. Being a felon, BLACK is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. He is charged with possessing ammunition on July 5, 2020 and August 6, 2020 and a firearm on July 5, 2020, August 6, 2020 and August 11, 2020. If convicted of these offenses, BLACK faces a maximum term of ten (10) years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00, up to three (3) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee on each count.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The case was investigated by the Plaquemines Parish Sherriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles D. Strauss.
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Federal Search Warrants ExecutedRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa -- On Wednesday, July 21, 2021, federal search warrants were executed at the following locations in the Des Moines metropolitan area:
- 1100 block of 24th Street, Des Moines
- 1300 block of 13th Place, Des Moines
- 800 block of Loomis Avenue, Des Moines
- 1200 block of East 32nd Street, Des Moines
- 6300 block of Hickman Road, Des Moines
- 1300 block of Clark Street, Des Moines
- 5100 block of Ingersoll Avenue, Des Moines
- 1700 block of Logan Avenue, Des Moines
- 400 block of Aurora Avenue, Des Moines
- 2200 block of 32nd Street, Des Moines
- 1800 block of 2nd Avenue, Des Moines
- 300 block of East Grand Avenue, Des Moines
- 800 block of East County Line Road, Des Moines
The searches at these locations were an official law enforcement action involving officers, agents, and investigators from Mid-Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force; Central Iowa Gang Task Force; Des Moines Police Department; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; Polk County Sheriff’s Office; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Iowa State Patrol; Iowa Division of Intelligence and Fusion Center; Iowa State Patrol SWAT; United States Marshals Service; Central Iowa Drug Task Force; Drug Enforcement Agency; Mid-Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force East; Homeland Security Investigations; Altoona Police Department; Story County Sheriff’s Office; Ames Police Department; Norwalk Police Department; West Des Moines Police Department; Ankeny Police Department; METRO Star; SERT; Iowa 5th Judicial District; Federal Bureau of Investigation Chicago; Federal Bureau of Investigation Kansas City; Federal Bureau of Investigation Minneapolis; Federal Bureau of Investigation Omaha.
Federal Search Warrants ExecutedRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa -- On Wednesday, July 21, 2021, federal search warrants were executed at the following locations in the Des Moines metropolitan area:
- 1100 block of 24th Street, Des Moines
- 1300 block of 13th Place, Des Moines
- 800 block of Loomis Avenue, Des Moines
- 1200 block of East 32nd Street, Des Moines
- 6300 block of Hickman Road, Des Moines
- 1300 block of Clark Street, Des Moines
- 5100 block of Ingersoll Avenue, Des Moines
- 1700 block of Logan Avenue, Des Moines
- 400 block of Aurora Avenue, Des Moines
- 2200 block of 32nd Street, Des Moines
- 1800 block of 2nd Avenue, Des Moines
- 300 block of East Grand Avenue, Des Moines
- 800 block of East County Line Road, Des Moines
The searches at these locations were an official law enforcement action involving officers, agents, and investigators from Mid-Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force; Central Iowa Gang Task Force; Des Moines Police Department; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; Polk County Sheriff’s Office; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Iowa State Patrol; Iowa Division of Intelligence and Fusion Center; Iowa State Patrol SWAT; United States Marshals Service; Central Iowa Drug Task Force; Drug Enforcement Agency; Mid-Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force East; Homeland Security Investigations; Altoona Police Department; Story County Sheriff’s Office; Ames Police Department; Norwalk Police Department; West Des Moines Police Department; Ankeny Police Department; METRO Star; SERT; Iowa 5th Judicial District; Federal Bureau of Investigation Chicago; Federal Bureau of Investigation Kansas City; Federal Bureau of Investigation Minneapolis; Federal Bureau of Investigation Omaha.
Fairfield Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Online Coercion of a ChildRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Kevin Blaine Cline, 47, of Fairfield, pleaded guilty today to attempted online coercion of a child, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to the criminal complaint, on Nov. 1, 2019, an undercover agent observed Cline’s post on the social media platform Whisper that said he was “Looking for dad’s (sic) who love their daughters near me I … Have a question.” The notation at the bottom of Cline’s post said, “Freaky Sexual Desires.” The undercover agent, posing as a dad, engaged in a two-day conversation on Whisper with Cline, and Cline sent the agent two images of child pornography. Cline planned a meeting with the “dad” and “daughter” in order to sexually molest her. Cline then drove from Fairfield to Pleasant Hill to meet up with what he believed to be a seven‑year-old girl. When Cline arrived, however, he was placed under arrest.
The factual basis of the plea agreement contains a description of the sexual activity that Cline wanted to engage in with the seven-year-old girl, as well as sexual acts he planned to perform with a 10-year-old girl in Washington state.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Silicon Valley Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (SVICAC) a federally and state-funded task force with agents from federal, state, and local agencies that investigates online child exploitation crimes, including child pornography, enticement, and sex trafficking. The Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation as part of the SVIAC. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina McCall is prosecuting the case.
Cline is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller on Oct. 18, 2021. Cline faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet safety education.
Extradited Israeli Fugitive Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Conducting Illegal Gambling Business, Money Laundering, and Failure to AppearRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Orel Gohar, 30, formerly of San Francisco, was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez to two and a half years in prison for conducting an illegal gambling business, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and failure to appear, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Gohar participated in operating an organization that installed and maintained illegal video slot machines at businesses open to the public across Northern California. Gohar also participated in two different conspiracies to launder the proceeds of the lucrative gambling business through co-defendants’ other businesses. In total, Gohar participated in laundering at least $650,000.
Court documents also detail Gohar’s escape from the United States by charter jet through Mexico, France, and Israel. Gohar was first arrested on Dec. 8, 2017, in connection with his initial charges and granted pretrial release. On Jan. 8, 2018, he failed to appear in federal court for a hearing, and he remained a fugitive for nearly two years until his arrest in Israel in December 2019.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the California Department of Justice – Bureau of Gambling Control. Assistance was provided by the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and Israeli authorities. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Miriam R. Hinman and Mira Chernick prosecuted the case.
Gohar is the last of eight defendants to be sentenced in connection with the illegal gambling and money laundering schemes. May Levy was sentenced on Aug. 10, 2018, to probation and a $2,000 fine; Atir Dadon was sentenced on June 14, 2019, to one year and 10 months in prison and a $10,000 fine; Bar Shani was sentenced on July 12, 2019, to one year and eight months in prison and a $10,000 fine; Adam Atari was sentenced on Sept. 6, 2019, to two years and seven months in prison; Yaniv Gohar was sentenced on Dec. 20, 2019, to three years and nine months in prison; Raz Razla was sentenced on Oct. 6, 2020, to probation and a $5,500 fine; and Eran Buhbut was sentenced on Jan. 12, 2021, to probation and a $4,000 fine.
Estonian Citizen Pleads Guilty to Computer Fraud and AbuseRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE – An Estonian national pleaded guilty today in the District of Alaska to two counts of computer fraud and abuse.
According to court documents, Pavel Tsurkan, 33, operated a criminal proxy botnet by remotely accessing and compromising more than 1,000 computer devices and internet routers worldwide, including at least 60 victims in Alaska. He used the victims’ devices to build and operate an Internet of Things (IoT)-based botnet dubbed the “Russian2015” using the domain Russian2015.ru. He modified the operation of each compromised internet router so it could be used as a proxy to transmit third-party internet traffic without the owners’ knowledge or consent. He then sold access to global cybercriminals who channeled their traffic through the victims’ home routers, using the victims’ devices to engage in spam campaigns and other criminal activity. The Alaska victims experienced significant data overages even when there were no home computers connected to the victims’ home networks. The data overages resulted in hundreds to thousands of dollars per victim.
“Today’s cybercriminals rely on increasingly sophisticated techniques to hijack computers and personal electronic devices for their criminal activities. Botnets like the ‘Russian2015’ are a dangerous threat to all Americans and today’s guilty plea demonstrates we can and will hold accountable foreign cybercriminals and their enablers,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Bryan Wilson, District of Alaska. “Our success in disrupting this botnet was the result of a strong partnership between private industry experts and law enforcement.”
Tsurkan is scheduled to be sentenced on November 10, 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 FBI’s Anchorage Field Office is investigating the case with support from GCI and Palo Alto Networks Unit 42. The FBI’s New Haven, Connecticut, Field Office provided assistance during the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Alexander and Trial Attorney Alden Pelker of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section are prosecuting the case.
Essex County Man Sentenced to 110 Months in Prison for Participating in Armed Robbery SpreeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 110 months in prison for participating in a string of convenience store robberies that took place across New Jersey in November and December 2017, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Meshach Whagar, 31, of Newark previously pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty to a superseding information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, nine substantive counts of Hobbs Act robbery, and one count of using a firearm during a crime of violence. Whagar’s codefendant, Tione Davis, 38, of East Orange, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty to federal charges relating to the armed robbery spree and is awaiting sentencing.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Davis and Whagar committed a string of 20 armed robberies of convenience stores and gas stations that took place throughout New Jersey between November and December 2017, including locations in Essex, Middlesex, Morris, Bergen, Union, Hudson, and Passaic Counties. During those robberies, Davis, while wearing dark clothing and hiding his face with masks or scarves, brandished a handgun and demanded money from store clerks. After stealing cash from the stores, Davis fled with Whagar, who acted as the getaway driver.
Before being apprehended, the defendants led law enforcement on a high-speed vehicle pursuit in Morris County. Among the items found in the vehicle defendants used in the chase were two handguns matching the description of those Davis used during the robberies.
In addition to the prison term, Judge McNulty sentenced Whagar to three years of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr. in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. She also thanked the Morris, Union, Middlesex, Hudson, Passaic, Bergen, and Essex County Prosecutor’s Offices, as well as the Morris Plains, Springfield, Middlesex, Lodi, Roselle Park, Rahway, Parsippany, Rockaway, Mahwah, Elmwood Park, Bayonne, West Orange, East Brunswick, South River, Edison, Hoboken, Union, Clark, Kearny, Clifton, and Maplewood Police Departments for their work on this case.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Suchorsky of the Economic Crimes Unit.
East Moline Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, IOWA – A East Moline man, Davion Demitri Gary, age 22, was sentenced on Wednesday, July 14, 2021, by United States District Court Chief Judge John A. Jarvey to 65 months in prison for Felon in Possession of a Firearm. Gary was ordered to serve three years of supervised release to follow his prison term as well as pay $100.00 to the Crime Victims’ Fund.
According to court documents, on April 21, 2020, Davenport Police were called to an apartment complex regarding a shots-fired incident. Officers made contact with Gary after stopping a vehicle suspected of being involved in the shots-fired incident. The vehicle Gary was in contained guns, drugs, and a large amount of ammunition. Gary was identified by a witness as the shooter. At the time of this shooting, Gary was on parole through the State of Iowa for Intimidation with a Dangerous Weapon and Willful Injury Causing Bodily Injury, related to his involvement in a prior shooting. In that incident, Gary shot another person.
Acting United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Davenport Police Department investigated the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
EEG Testing and Private Investment Companies Pay $15.3 Million to Resolve Kickback and False Billing AllegationsRead the Press Release
Two Texas companies have agreed to pay a combined $15.3 million to resolve allegations of kickbacks and other misconduct resulting in the submission of false claims to federal health care programs.
According to the settlement, Alliance Family of Companies LLC (Alliance), a national electroencephalography (EEG) testing company based in Texas, will pay $13.5 million to resolve allegations that it submitted or caused to be submitted false claims to federal health care programs that resulted from kickbacks to referring physicians or that sought payment for work not performed or for which only a lower level of reimbursement was justified. The settlement also resolves allegations against Texas-based private investment company Ancor Holdings LP (Ancor), which will pay over $1.8 million for causing false billings resulting from the kickback scheme through its management agreement with Alliance.
“Kickbacks and inflated billings result in the misuse of critical federal health care program funds,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice will collaborate with our agency partners to protect federal health care programs by pursuing those who knowingly claim public funds to which they are not entitled.”
“This settlement should put health care providers on notice that we will hold accountable those who seek to profit by pursuing kickbacks and other improper billing schemes,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery for the Southern District of Texas. “This office, in coordination with its law enforcement partners, will use all available resources to pursue those who defraud these federal programs and to protect our nation’s health care system.”
“This settlement is an example of strong federal partnerships working to protect federal health care programs that are relied upon by so many beneficiaries,” said Special Agent in Charge Miranda L. Bennett of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Dallas Region. “We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to investigate kickback schemes that undermine the integrity of the Medicare and Medicaid programs.”
“As the investigative arm of the Department of Defense Inspector General, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service is dedicated to protecting the integrity of Department of Defense programs such as TRICARE, the health care system for our service members, retirees, and their families,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Gregory P. Shilling of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) Southwest Field Office. “Today’s settlement highlights the teamwork with our federal and state partners in rooting out fraud to protect our critical program and preserve American taxpayer resources.”
“This settlement demonstrates our commitment to safeguarding the Federal health care programs from fraud,” said Norbert E. Vint, Deputy Inspector General Performing the Duties of the Inspector General of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management Office of Inspector General (OPM-OIG). “I would like to thank our staff, law enforcement partners and the Department of Justice for their efforts to protect the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program from those who would seek to defraud the program through improper and illegal billing practices.”
Alliance provides ambulatory EEG testing services for patients referred by physicians and other health care providers to diagnose certain neurological conditions. The United States alleged that Alliance induced physicians to order the company’s EEG testing by providing kickbacks in the form of free EEG test-interpretation reports, thereby enabling primary care physicians who were not neurologists to bill the government as if they had interpreted the tests. The government also alleged that Alliance used an inaccurate billing code for certain EEG testing to generate higher reimbursements and billed for a specialized digital analysis that it did not actually perform. The United States alleged that Ancor learned of the kickbacks based on due diligence it performed prior to investing in Alliance and then caused false claims by allowing that conduct to continue once it entered into an agreement to manage Alliance.
Under the terms of the settlement, Alliance will pay $13,022,356 and Ancor will pay $1,780,349 to the federal government to resolve their liability under the False Claims Act. In addition, Alliance will pay $477,643 and Ancor will pay $64,369 to state Medicaid programs. Alliance is obligated to pay additional amounts if certain financial contingencies occur within the next five years and forego any claim to over $390,000 in suspended payments that it would otherwise be owed by Medicare.
In connection with the settlement, Alliance entered into a five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement with HHS-OIG, setting forth requirements for future compliance.
The settlement resolves claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act in six actions. Under the Act’s qui tam provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of the settlement if the government reaches a monetary agreement with the defendant. The qui tam actions subject to the settlement are all pending in the Southern District of Texas and are captioned United States ex rel. Mandalapu, et al. v. Alliance Family of Companies, Inc., et al., No. 4:17-cv-00740; United States ex rel. Fuller v. Respiratory Sleep Solutions, et al., No. 4:17-cv-01197; United States ex rel. Calcanis v. Alliance Family of Companies, Inc., et al., No. 4:19-cv-1497; United States, et al. ex rel. Jane Doe v. Alliance Family of Companies, LLC, et al., No. 4:19-cv-1213; United States, et al. ex rel. McKay v. Alliance Family of Companies, LLC, et al., No. 4:18-cv-1949; and United States, et al. ex rel. Krasnov v. Alliance Family of Companies, LLC, et al., No. 4:19-cv-4886. Relators Mandalapu and Chava will receive $2,962,850 of the federal settlement proceeds as their share of the government’s recovery, plus a share of any additional recoveries should the financial contingencies occur.
The resolutions obtained in this matter were the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida; HHS-OIG; FBI; DCIS; OPM-OIG; and the state attorneys general and Medicaid Fraud Control Units.
Trial Attorneys Michael Hoffman and Sarah Loucks of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch (Fraud Section), and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Shaitelman of the Southern District of Texas are handling this case.
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Denver Man Sentenced for Defrauding Texas Oil & Gas Co.Read the Press Release
A Denver man was sentenced yesterday 16 months in federal prison for defrauding a Wichita Falls oil and gas company, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Prerak Shah.
Duquesne Energy Services owner Daren Scot Elliott, 55, pleaded guilty to wire fraud in April 2021. He was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman, who also ordered the defendant to pay $32,000 in restitution and $20,000 in fines.
According to plea papers, Mr. Elliott admits that he offered to sell a 30,000 gallon propane tank to Gas Corporation of America (G.C.A.), a buyer and seller of oil field equipment located in Wichita Falls. He intimated that he owned the tank, when in fact it was owned by another company, Sampson Resources.
After Mr. Elliott promised to deliver the tank within a week of purchase, a representative of G.C.A. wired $32,000 to Mr. Elliott’s bank account. He never delivered the tank.
Ben Wilson, the owner of G.C.A., testified at Mr. Elliott’s sentencing that the fraud was significant and negatively impacted his business and business’s reputation.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, Wichita Falls Resident Agency conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Walters prosecuted the case.
Christus St. Vincent Hospital in Santa Fe, New Mexico, reaches settlement for fraudulent health care billingRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Christus St. Vincent Hospital (CSV) in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and the United States have settled claims that a physician employed by the hospital caused fraudulent claims for payment to be submitted to federal healthcare programs over a span of seven years.
In early 2020, the hospital self-disclosed to the U.S. Attorney’s Office concerns about the billing practices of Dr. Arthur Caire, an employee of the hospital. “Health care providers play an essential role in rooting out and preventing fraud,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Fred Federici. “We acknowledge and appreciate the hospital’s decision to come forward and cooperate with our investigation.”
Following an investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and with the cooperation of the hospital, the government concluded that the hospital billed government healthcare payors for services Dr. Caire did not provide or properly supervise. The hospital agreed to pay the United States $563,809.52 to resolve the government’s allegations. The settlement covers Dr. Caire’s entire period of employment at the hospital, which spanned from October 2013 until April 2020, and reimburses multiple federal healthcare programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE and the Federal Employees Health Benefit Program.
The United States Government expends more than $1 trillion dollars annually to provide health care to the beneficiaries of federal healthcare programs. In Fiscal Year 2019 alone, the federal government recovered more than $3.6 billion dollars attributable to healthcare fraud judgments and settlements.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Cunniff and Auditor Julie Chappell represented the United States in this matter.
Christopher Cline A/K/A Carisa Cline Facing Federal Indictment for Two Bank Robberies and One Attempted Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Christopher Michael Cline, a/k/a “Carisa Cline”, age 44, of Gaithersburg, Maryland, for the federal charges of bank robbery and attempted bank robbery. The indictment was returned on June 2, 2021 and unsealed today upon Cline’s initial appearance.
The indictment was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department.
According to the three-count indictment, Cline allegedly attempted to commit a bank robbery in Gaithersburg, Maryland on January 28, 2021.
The indictment further alleges Cline committed two bank robberies in Gaithersburg, Maryland on January 29, 2021 and February 8, 2021.
If convicted, Cline faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. At today’s initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt, U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles B. Day ordered that Cline be detained pending trial.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the FBI and the Montgomery County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey J. Izant, who is prosecuting the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Vincent Williams, 47, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to distribution of five grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to court documents, Williams sold approximately 13 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in Hurricane on September 15, 2017 and again on September 18, 2017. On September 19, 2017, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Williams’ residence in Charleston and found approximately 2,266.3 grams of methamphetamine that Williams admitted he intended to distribute. Law enforcement officers also found a .40 caliber handgun inside Williams’ residence.
Williams faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison when he is sentenced on November 18, 2021.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT).
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Nick Miller is 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. 2:18-cr-00110.
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CPA Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Elderly InvestorsRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Kenneth Murry Rossman (63, of Bradenton) today pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud and aiding and assisting in the preparation and filing of a false income tax return. He faces a maximum penalty of eight years in federal prison.
According to the plea agreement, Rossman, a Florida certified public accountant and licensed insurance agent, conspired with Phillip Roy Wasserman, a former lawyer and licensed insurance agent, to defraud elderly victim-investors. The conspirators made false and fraudulent misrepresentations and concealed material information in order to convince elderly victim-investors to put their money into Wasserman’s new insurance venture, “FastLife.” Some victim-investors were persuaded to liquidate traditional investments, such as annuities, and/or to borrow funds against existing life insurance policies to generate cash to invest in the venture. These victim-investors were not told about surrender fees and other costs associated with the liquidations, and Rossman prepared income tax returns for victim-investors in a manner designed to conceal negative personal tax consequences that resulted from the liquidations from both the victim-investors and the Internal Revenue Service.
Victim-investors’ money was used to perpetuate the fraud and for the conspirators’ personal enrichment. Wasserman paid Rossman a percentage of the victim-investors’ money as compensation for his role in the conspiracy. Wasserman also used victim-investors’ money to make payments to earlier victim-investors in the FastLife venture, as well to as victim-investors in his earlier hedge fund and real estate fund ventures. Wasserman spent a significant amount of the victim-investors’ money to finance a lavish lifestyle that included luxury residences, high-end vehicles, jet skis, jewelry, personal celebrity entertainment, gambling, retail shopping, home improvements, personal insurance, and many other expenses for his personal benefit and the benefit of family members.
The conspiracy resulted in victim-investors losing more than $6.3 million.
In November 2020, Wasserman was charged in a superseding indictment with filing false income tax returns, tax evasion, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud, and substantive counts of wire fraud and mail fraud. His case is currently set for trial in December 2021.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation and the Florida Office of Financial Regulation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rachelle DesVaux Bedke, David W.A. Chee, Colin P. McDonell, and Rachel Jones.
Browning man sentenced to more than 26 years in prison for murder, kidnapping on Blackfeet Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Browning man who admitted to murdering a man and then holding a woman hostage by knifepoint on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation was sentenced today to 26 years and eight months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
Jason Avery Mattson, 30, pleaded guilty on March 30 to second degree murder and to kidnapping as charged in an indictment.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
In court documents filed in the case, the government alleged that on March 3, 2020, law enforcement was called to a clearing near Cut Bank Creek, close to the Boarding School community on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation after the discovery of a body, identified as John Doe. An autopsy confirmed the manner of death was homicide, with evidence of blunt force injury.
The government further alleged that on March 10, 2020, Mattson called Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services, confessed to killing John Doe and told dispatch he had a knife and a gun. While officers were responding to the residence, Mattson called again and told dispatch he was holding a hostage, identified as Jane Doe, at knifepoint. Mattson threatened to kill Jane Doe and held her hostage for about four hours before she was able to escape. Mattson was taken into custody.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah A. Paisley prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI, Bureau of Indian Affairs and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services.
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Brooklyn Man Admits Possession of MachinegunRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Brooklyn man with prior felony convictions today admitted illegally possessing a machinegun, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Christian Cordero-Gotay, 29, of Brooklyn, pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton to an information charging him with one count of possession of a machinegun, one count of possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, and one count of possession of a machinegun not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Aug. 31, 2020, officers of the Clinton Township Police Department conducted a motor vehicle stop of a vehicle occupied by Cordero-Gotay and Genesis Bertefabian. Upon approach, the officers detected an odor of burnt marijuana coming from the vehicle. Pursuant to a search of the vehicle, an officer observed a loaded Glock magazine under the driver’s seat. The officers attempted to place Cordero-Gotay and Bertefabian under arrest, but Cordero-Gotay resisted arrest and Bertefabian got in the vehicle and drove away.
A few minutes later, Bertefabian crashed into the side of a building. Bertefabian then exited the vehicle and walked into a wooded area behind the building. Law enforcement officers conducted a search of the wooded areaand found a 9 mm Glock-type semiautomatic firearm. Law enforcement officials determined that the firearm was fitted with a Glock conversion device commonly referred to as a “Glock Switch,” which has the effect of converting a semiautomatic Glock pistol into a machinegun. After obtaining a search warrant for the vehicle, law enforcement recovered two high-capacity magazines loaded with 9mm ammunition.
Each of the three charges carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 23, 2021.
Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig credited special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Division, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Toby C. Taylor, and the Clinton Township Police Department, under the direction of Lieutenant Thomas DeRosa, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey E. Zyriek Enriquez of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Violent Crimes Unit in Newark.
The charges against Bertefabian remain pending, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Bristol, Virginia Man Sentenced for Making False Statements About Drug UseRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va.– A Bristol, Virginia man, who made false statements about his drug use during a hearing related to his federal supervision, was sentenced this week to 30 months in federal prison.
According to court documents, Amanza James Pollino, 41, was on supervised release following a 2008 conviction for conspiracy to distribute cocaine. Pollino served a 120-month sentence before being placed on supervised release in 2018.
On December 14, 2020, Pollino appeared before the Federal District Court for violating his supervised release. At the hearing, Pollino testified under oath that he had not used a controlled substance, including cocaine, in more than a month and a half, or around approximately November 2020. However, evidence presented at trial showed Pollino tested positive for cocaine immediately following his testimony at an earlier hearing. He eventually admitted using cocaine on December 6, 2020—six days before the hearing.
Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Bubar of the Western District of Virginia made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lena Busscher and Randy Ramseyer prosecuted the case.
Boston Man Indicted on Bank Robbery ChargeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man was indicted yesterday in connection with the armed robbery of a TD Bank branch in Boston.
Coleman Nee, 40, was indicted on one count of bank robbery. Nee will make an initial appearance in federal court in Boston on Friday, July 23, 2021, before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Jennifer C. Boal.
According to the indictment, on April 26, 2021, Nee committed the armed robbery of a TD Bank in Boston and allegedly stole approximately $990.
The charge of bank robbery provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the United States 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 Investigations, Boston Division; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Boston Police Acting Commissioner Gregory Long; and Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Police Chief Kenneth Green made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of Mendell’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Baltimore Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Armed CarjackingRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander sentenced Devontay Douglas, age 23, of Baltimore, Maryland, to 10 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release for his role in an armed carjacking.
The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Timothy Jones of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department (BPD).
According to his guilty plea, on July 10, 2018, Douglas and a co-conspirator robbed a pizza delivery employee at a Baltimore, Maryland apartment complex. During the robbery, Douglas brandished a black semi-automatic handgun and struck the victim in the face and ribs several times. Douglas and his co-conspirator then took the victim’s keys, cell phone, and approximately $50 in cash.
Subsequently, Douglas and his co-conspirator stole the victim’s vehicle and attempted to flee area. The victim immediately notified nearby security guards that he had been robbed and identified the stolen vehicle. Security guards quickly approached the vehicle with weapons drawn and ordered Douglas to stop. Douglas stopped the vehicle and placed his hands in the air. Meanwhile, Douglas’s co-conspirator fled on foot and was not apprehended. The security guards detained Douglas until BPD officers arrived.
When the BPD officers arrived, the officers recovered a Glock, 9mm handgun, loaded with approximately 15 rounds, in the driver’s side front floorboard where Douglas had been sitting.
Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the ATF and BPD for their work in the investigation. Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Sippel who prosecuted the case.
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Baltimore Man Pleads Guilty to Three RobberiesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Javaughn Berry, age 26, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty yesterday to interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act Robbery).
The guilty plea was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Baltimore Field Office; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department, Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department; and the Anne Arundel County Police Chief Amal Awad.
According to his guilty plea, from October 2019 to December 2019, Berry and a co-conspirator committed three robberies within Maryland.
On October 13, 2019, Berry and a co-conspirator robbed a Baltimore, Maryland pharmacy. After the robbery, Baltimore Police Department officers responded to the scene and spoke to a victim who reported that the two male suspects wore black masks, black gloves, glasses, and yellow reflective vests. Prior to the robbery, both men were picking up trash in the parking lot. When the pharmacy opened at 8:00 a.m., the suspects entered. One suspect pointed a black revolver at a victim employee and demanded access to the safe. The suspects took $1,630.00 in cash from the safe and tied the victim’s hands with zip ties. They took also took the victim’s keys and fled in the victim’s vehicle.
After this robbery, investigators with the FBI obtained cell phone tower records which revealed that Berry and his co-conspirator’s phones were used in close proximity to the victim pharmacy around the time of the robbery. After investigators recovered Berry’s phone, they executed a search warrant on the device and recovered photos of Berry holding large amounts of cash. The photos were taken on the morning of the robbery.
On November 17, 2019, Berry and his co-conspirator executed a robbery at a retail establishment in Millersville, Maryland. Victims reported to Anne Arundel County Police that two men entered the store as it was closing and demanded money. Both suspects wore masks and had black handguns. The suspects stole $3,200.00 in cash and zip-tied the employees. One of the suspects struck a victim on the head and pulled her to the ground. The victim sustained a cut to her right ear and was treated by medics on scene.
Cell-site information shows Berry and his co-conspirator’s phones in the area near the retailer about two minutes after the robbery. Like the pharmacy robbery, Berry and his co-conspirator fled the scene by stealing an employee’s vehicle. Subsequent to a search warrant on the co-conspirator phone, investigators recovered a picture of a vehicle similar to the employee’s stolen vehicle. Metadata revealed that the picture first appeared on the co-conspirator phone after the robbery.
On December 13, 2019, Berry and his co-conspirator executed the third robbery at a Parksville, Maryland chain restaurant. On the morning of December 13, 2019, Baltimore County Police Department (“BCPD”) detectives responded to the restaurant and found the shift manager and his co-worker inside. According to the victim employees, around 7:00 a.m., the shift manager and co-worker unlocked the front doors when two male suspects entered the store wearing dark, hooded sweatshirts and masks. Berry’s co-conspirator approached the shift manager, pulled out a revolver, and demanded that he open the safe. Berry’s co-conspirator stole $3,393.37 in cash, then put the shift manager’s wrists and ankles in zip ties. Berry approached the co-worker and put zip ties on his wrists and ankles. Both men subsequently stole the shift manger’s vehicle and fled the scene, leaving behind the stolen vehicle from the November retail robbery.
A search warrant executed on the Berry’s phone revealed that Berry’s phone was in the parking lot of the restaurant in the time frame of the robbery.
As stated in his plea agreement, on December 14, 2019, a BCPD officer found the vehicle stolen during the restaurant robbery parked a few blocks away from Berry’s residence. BCPD officers placed a GPS device on the vehicle to track its movements.
As investigators continued following the stolen vehicle on December 16, 2019, Berry abandoned the car and fled on foot. Investigators found Berry walking along Harford Road soon afterward. After waiving his Miranda rights, Berry claimed that he saw the stolen car earlier that morning and wanted to take it for a joy ride.
Berry agrees that he committed the December 13, 2019 robbery of the victim restaurant. Berry also agrees that he took money from the presence of the victims, against the victims’ wills, by using actual or threatened force, violence, or fear of injury. Finally, the Berry agrees that the money stolen from victim restaurant affected interstate commerce.
Berry and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Berry will be sentenced to between 8 to 10 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander has scheduled a sentencing hearing for September 10, 2021 at 2:00 p.m.
Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the FBI, the Baltimore County Police Department, the Baltimore City Police Department, and the Anne Arundel County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon K. Moore and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Podlesni who are prosecuting the case.
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Baltimore Drug Trafficker Who Injured Hospital Patient During Flight from Police Sentenced to Nearly Four Years in Federal Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled SubstancesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced Terrel Tomlin, age 32, of Baltimore, Maryland to 46 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine.
The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.
According to his guilty plea, on December 4, 2019, Baltimore Police Department (BPD) officers observed Tomlin driving his vehicle back and forth through three lanes of traffic without signaling as well as braking quickly and aggressively. Officers conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle on the road leading towards Sinai Hospital’s emergency room entrance.
As detailed in the plea agreement, before approaching the vehicle, officers observed Tomlin making furtive movements in the vehicle and lowering his head towards the right side of the car. During the traffic stop, a BPD officer asked Tomlin for his driver’s license and registration and noticed Tomlin’s hands shaking excessively and his eyes were opened extremely wide. Based on Tomlin’s furtive movements and excessive nervousness, a BPD officer asked him to step out of the vehicle.
Instead, Tomlin attempted to flee, crashing his vehicle into a stationery vehicle, in which Victim 1, who was recently discharged from the hospital after surgery, was the driver, and Victim 1’s child (Victim 2) was a passenger. After the crash, Tomlin got out of the car and fled on foot, carrying a blue duffel bag. Items were falling out of the bag as Tomlin fled. Before he was apprehended by a BPD officer, Tomlin threw the bag in the air, causing items to scatter.
BPD officers recovered drugs and drug paraphernalia along the route that Tomlin ran as he fled from them, including the area in which they apprehended him. Among the items recovered were a blender containing fentanyl and tramadol residue; packaging material, some of which contained cocaine residue; and a clear plastic bag containing approximately 38 grams of heroin mixed with fentanyl. During a search of Tomlin’s vehicle, BPD officers recovered a container of Inositol, a cutting agent for heroin; a bottle of ammonia, typically used to clean heroin mixing equipment; and a measuring cup.
During the crash, the steering wheel struck Victim 1’s surgery wound, and Victim 2’s head hit a window of the vehicle. Both victims received treatment for, and subsequently recovered from, the injuries caused by Tomlin crashing into their vehicle.
Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the HSI Baltimore and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Samika N. Boyd, who prosecuted the case.
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Attorney General Garland Memorandum on Justice Department Communications with the White HouseRead the Press Release
The U.S. Department of Justice today formally updated its guidelines governing communications between the Justice Department and the White House. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced the guidelines, effective immediately, in a memorandum to all Department personnel.
“The success of the Department of Justice depends upon the trust of the American people,” wrote Attorney General Garland. “That trust must be earned every day. And we can do so only through our adherence to the longstanding Departmental norms of independence from inappropriate influences, the principled exercise of discretion, and the treatment of like cases alike.”
The policy expands upon procedural safeguards designed to protect the Department’s criminal and civil law enforcement decisions, and legal judgments, from the appearance or reality of partisan or other inappropriate influences.
Associate of Former Fall River Mayor Sentenced for Extorting Marijuana Vendors and Making False StatementsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An associate and co-conspirator of the recently convicted former Mayor of Fall River, Jasiel F. Correia II, was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for extortion and lying to federal agents about his role in assisting Correia to obtain money and property from local marijuana vendors.
Hildegar Camara, 60, of Fall River, who testified during Correia’s trial, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock to three years of probation, including 18 months of home confinement, and 150 hours of community service per year. In September 2019, Camara pleaded guilty to two counts of extortion conspiracy, two counts of extortion and two counts of false statements.
Camara conspired with Correia and others to obtain cash bribes and other payments from local marijuana vendors in exchange for non-opposition letters and community host agreements. Correia, as Mayor, was solely responsible for approving all non-opposition letters in Fall River. Camara facilitated the bribe payments between two marijuana vendors and Correia in return for non-opposition letters.
On May 14, 2021, Correia was convicted by a federal jury of nine counts of wire fraud, four counts of filing false tax returns, four counts of extortion conspiracy and four counts of extortion. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 20, 2021.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Ramsey E. Covington, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Christina Scaringi, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Regional Office; and Glenn A. Cunha, Massachusetts Inspector General made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary Hafer and David Tobin of Mendell’s Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
Artesia Couple charged in connection to bank robberyRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Roman Andrew Poulsen, 39, and Lori Crapo, 40, both of Artesia, New Mexico, appeared in federal court on July 16 on charges for their respective roles in a July 15 bank robbery. Poulsen faces a charge of bank robbery while Crapo is accused of being an accessory after the fact. The defendants will remain in custody pending a detention hearing scheduled for July 22.
According to a criminal complaint, on July 15, Poulsen allegedly entered a Washington Federal Bank in Artesia with his face concealed by a mask, dark glasses and a hood. Poulsen allegedly handed a demand note to a teller, then fled the bank after the teller complied. Poulsen, a regular customer at the bank, was identified by his distinct walk and mannerisms.
Poulsen then allegedly went to a local motel where he had been residing with Crapo. The complaint alleges that Poulsen was observed placing objects into a dumpster and setting them on fire, then returning with a fire extinguisher to put out the fire. Poulsen and Crapo then allegedly hastily packed some of their belongings into their vehicle and left.
Law enforcement located the subjects’ vehicle at a country market and took Poulsen and Crapo into custody. Investigators were able to recover some of the money, which Crapo allegedly attempted to stash behind goods on a store shelf.
A complaint is only an allegation. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Poulsen faces up to 20 years in prison and Crapo faces up to 10 years.
The Roswell Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office and the Artesia Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Randy M. Castellano is prosecuting this case.
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Arizona Accountant Sentenced to Federal Prison for Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A former certified public accountant and former chief financial officer of a McMinnville, Oregon company was sentenced to federal prison today for evading $99,000 in personal income taxes.
Kent Jensen, 58, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release.
According to court documents, in 2014 and 2015, Jenson, who also previously worked as an auditor with an international accounting firm and a financial consultant for a business in Milwaukie, Oregon, allegedly set up several nominee companies and nominee bank accounts to conceal most of his personal income from the IRS. Jensen arranged for his financial consulting clients to pay his consulting fees to these nominee companies. He then deposited the funds into nominee bank accounts and used the proceeds for personal expenses. In 2014 and 2015, Jensen submitted false personal income tax returns that substantially underreported his personal income and the taxes owed.
In February 2021, Jensen was charged by criminal information with two counts of felony tax evasion. He pleaded to both charges on April 19, 2021.
During sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge Karin J. Immergut ordered Jensen to pay $99,000 in restitution to the IRS.
Acting U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug of the District of Oregon made the announcement.
This case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by Seth D. Uram, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Airline Passengers Charged with Interfering with Flight Crew and Assaulting PassengersRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Kelly Pichardo, 31, of Bronx, New York, appeared virtually today in federal court on charges that she interfered with a flight crew member and committed simple assault. Leeza S. Rodriguez, 30, also of Bronx, New York is scheduled to appear next week on the same charges. Pichardo and Rodriguez were previously indicted by a grand jury on three counts related to events that took place in February 2021.
The indictment alleges that on February 24, Pichardo and Rodriguez, while on board an American Airlines flight from Dallas to Los Angeles, interfered with the ability of the flight crew to perform their duties by assaulting a crew member. The indictment also alleges that Pichardo and Rodriguez each assaulted a passenger during the flight. Pichardo’s and Rodriguez’s actions compelled the flight crew to conduct an unscheduled landing in Phoenix, Arizona.
It is a violation of federal law on an aircraft in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States to interfere with flight crew members in the performance of their duties or to lessen their ability to perform those duties by assault or intimidation.
A conviction for Interfering with a Flight Crew Member carries a maximum penalty of 20 years of confinement and a $250,000.00 fine. A conviction for Simple Assault carries a maximum penalty of 6 months of confinement and a $5,000.00 fine.
An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The FBI investigated this case with assistance from the Phoenix Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Hakala is prosecuting the case.
CASE NUMBER: 21-CR-00494-DWL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2021-042_Pichardo# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest newAhoskie Man Sentenced to More Than 17 Years in Federal Prison for Stabbing Jail Guard with ShankRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – An Ahoskie man was sentenced today to 210 months in prison for assaulting a guard at the Franklin County Detention Center with a 6-inch metal shank while in custody on pending federal charges. On April 28, 2021, Troy Lamont Powell, a/k/a “Gutter,” pled guilty to the charges.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Troy Lamont Powell, 32, was being held on federal drug and gun charges in the custody of the Franklin County Detention Center under contract with the United States Marshals Service. On December 30, 2019, a jail guard offered Powell some tissues when Powell struck the guard in the rib cage with a shank fashioned from metal. The shank was later recovered from Powell during a search of his clothing. Powell continued to make threatening statements to other jail guards before being transported to another jail.
United States Marshal Michael East stated: “Any type of assault on a law enforcement officer cannot be tolerated. This case is exceptionally egregious because the detention officer was just trying to assist Mr. Powell and the attack was completely unprovoked.”
“We will aggressively prosecute any federal inmate who has a weapon or who attacks a guard,” said Acting U.S. Attorney G. Norman Acker, III. “Such behavior is totally contrary to our system of justice and the rule of law.”
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 James C. Dever III. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”), the United States Marshals Service (“USMS”), and the Kinston Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura S. Howard prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:18-CR-00073-D.
7 Defendants in Nationwide Money Laundering Organization Charged for Laundering over $28 Million for Drug Trafficking OrganizationsRead the Press Release
Audrey Strauss, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Ray Donovan, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), announced charges today against seven individuals involved in laundering tens of millions of dollars for drug trafficking organizations selling illegal narcotics throughout the United States. YING SUN, JIAN WANG, FRANK LIU, DIELONG WU, LARRY LAI, and JIE LIN, are charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmission business; STEVEN WOO was also charged as part of the conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmission business. SUN, LIU, and WOO were arrested in California and will be presented in the Central District of California this afternoon before Magistrate Judge John D. Early. WU and LAI were arrested today in New York and will be presented in the Southern District of New York before Magistrate Judge Katharine H. Parker. WANG and LIN remain at large. During the investigation, law enforcement agents seized over $6.5 million from the defendants’ money laundering organization, and, in coordination with unsealing the charges today, seized an additional $8 million in assets traceable to the illicit proceeds laundered by the organization. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Sidney H. Stein.
U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “Like drug dealers, those who launder the proceeds of drug trafficking profit from the sale of dangerous narcotics that wreak havoc in communities throughout the United States. As alleged, the individuals arrested today facilitated drug traffickers by concealing millions of dollars of their ill-gotten profits. Our Office will continue to work closely with the DEA and our law enforcement partners to go after the money networks that are necessary to the operations of the international drug trade.”
DEA Special Agent in Charge Ray Donovan said: “One of the most powerful criminal elements of transnational drug trafficking organizations is money laundering. Like any business, the ultimate goal of drug trafficking is to profit. These money laundering networks provide an invaluable service to traffickers, transferring their ill-gotten gains across the globe. The men and women of the DEA are focused on bringing to justice not only drug traffickers, but anyone who facilitates the drug trade.”
According to the allegations in the Indictment unsealed today[1]:
From at least November 2019 through May 2021, SUN coordinated the activities of a money laundering organization (“MLO”), communicating with drug trafficking organizations (“DTOs”) throughout the United States and in Mexico to receive large quantities of cash to be laundered. From April 2020 through April 2021, SUN organized more than 130 money pickups in 23 states involving over $20 million in drug trafficking proceeds. WANG, LIU, WU, LAI, LIN, and WOO facilitated the MLO’s operations by conducting these money pickups, transporting the cash, depositing the money into the retail banking system, and/or transferring the money to different individuals or entities.
During the course of the investigation, law enforcement agents conducted numerous seizures of bulk currency in connection with the money pickups conducted by the MLO, and seized over $6.5 million.
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SUN, 65, of Arcadia, California, WANG, 52, of Rosemead, California, LIU, 65, of Yorba Linda, California, WU, 58, of Staten Island, New York, LAI, 69, of Queens, New York, and LIN, 58, of Upland, California, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and, along with WOO, 69, of Montebello, California, one count of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmission business, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. 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 work of the DEA. She also thanked the Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California for their assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Brett M. Kalikow is 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.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment, and the description of the Indictment set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
50-year prison sentence for Valdosta man guilty of producing child pornographyRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – Two Valdosta residents were sentenced to federal prison today for producing child pornography.
Robert Abacan, 44, of Valdosta, Georgia, was sentenced to serve a total of 50 years in prison (30 years for count one and 20 years for count two to run consecutively) to be followed by 25 years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Hugh Lawson after pleading guilty to two counts of production of child pornography. Co-defendant Frances Abacan, 43, of Valdosta, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison to be followed by 25 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to one count production of child pornography. They will have to register as sex offenders under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act upon release from federal prison. There is no parole in the federal system.
“The Abacan’s actions were monstrous, but today justice has been served. This fifty-year sentence guarantees that Robert Abacan will never again be able to harm children,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “I am thankful to our local and federal law enforcement partners for helping us hold the Abacans accountable for their despicable crimes against children.”
“The FBI is extremely grateful to our law enforcement partners for bringing this case to our attention so that we could hold this couple accountable to the greatest extent of the law,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The children involved in this horrendous abuse will be scarred for life, but hopefully, because of this sentence, the Abacans won’t be able to hurt any more children.”
“This is one of the worst cases of child pornography and exploitation I have encountered during my decades in law enforcement. Putting these people behind bars wouldn’t have happened without the close cooperation of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI and all of the federal agencies that worked to bring the Abacans to justice,” said Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk.
In 2018, the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office received information which ultimately revealed that Abacan had sexually molested three minor victims. Some of this sexual abuse was recorded on video, and a copy was transported from the state of California to Valdosta.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by 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.
FBI and Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katelyn Semales and Alex Kalim prosecuted the case for the Government, with assistance from Victim Assistance Specialist Marsha Vera.
16 charged in narcotics, firearms conspiraciesRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A federal grand jury has charged 16 individuals in narcotics and firearms conspiracies.
The alleged narcotics conspiracy involves 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and cocaine and 10 grams or more of LSD, as well as detectable amounts of MDMA, DMT, marijuana and ketamine. Defendants are also alleged to have conspired to possess firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.
The grand jury originally charged the two individuals allegedly involved in an Aug. 7, 2020 chase through Cincinnati that resulted in the deaths of two bystanders in Newport, Kentucky. The original indictment was returned Aug. 26, 2020. Mason Meyer, 29, and Kirsten Johnson, 23, both of Cincinnati, were charged federally with possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Meyer is also charged with illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. In Campbell County, Kentucky, Meyer is charged with two counts of murder, endangerment, and fleeing and evading.
Ongoing investigation led to the additional defendants and charges. The second superseding indictment charges 14 additional defendants. As charged in the latest indictment, the narcotics conspiracy is punishable by at least 10 years and up to life in prison.
According to court documents, officials with the ATF, Cincinnati Police and the Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force were surveilling Meyer in Cincinnati on Aug. 7, 2020 when Meyer drove away.
Cincinnati Police officers attempted to stop Meyer when he fled, causing a police chase through Cincinnati and into Covington and Newport, Kentucky.
Local court documents detail that Meyer’s vehicle struck and killed a couple dining on the patio of Press on Monmouth in Newport, Kentucky. Two other pedestrians were struck and suffered minor injuries.
At the time of the chase, court documents allege Meyer and Johnson possessed 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, two loaded handguns and a loaded rifle.
Those currently charged in the case include:
Name
Age
City of Residence
Mason Meyer
29
Cincinnati
Kirsten Johnson
29
Cincinnati
Ryan Haskamp
33
Cincinnati
William Keith Jenkins
34
Cincinnati
Michael Alden Mobley
39
Ghent, Ky.
Michael Tyler Boeh
32
Cincinnati
Victoria Stauffer
27
Cincinnati
Quincy Pemberton
30
Cincinnati
Damon Gene Wade
28
California, Ky.
Kelly Marie Smart
32
Cincinnati
Kevin Patrick Thiery
41
Cincinnati
Crystal Randall
33
Cincinnati
Rory Hartmann
27
Cincinnati
Julie Renae Wetzel
31
Cincinnati
Ashley Long
27
Cincinnati
Haley Pennington
23
Moraine, Ohio
Vipal J. Patel, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Roland Herndon, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Keith Martin, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Cincinnati Police Chief Eliot K. Isaac and agencies with the Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force and Drug Abuse Reduction Task Force (DART) announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy D. Oakley, Jennifer K. Weinhold and Ashley N. Brucato are representing the United States in this case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Tuesday 20 July 2021
Wyoming County Man Indicted on Charges of Transportation and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that a federal grand jury has returned and indictment charging Shayne M. Hildreth, 40, of Bliss, NY, with transportation and possession of child pornography. The charges carry a minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 40 years, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment and a previously filed complaint, in February 2018, the Aurora-Marionville Police Department in Lawrence County, Missouri was dispatched to an address in Aurora, Missouri based on a report of a past sexual assault involving a 15-year-old Minor Victim (MVI). MVl stated that she was molested by the defendant over the past several years in the states of New York, Colorado, and Missouri. MVl stated that she had previously found child pornography, including surreptitiously recorded images of herself, on Hildreth’s cellular phone and laptop computer. On February 24, 2018, Aurora-Marionville Police encountered the defendant and seized a cellular telephone found in his possession. On March 2, 2018, during the execution of a search warrant on the phone, three images of child pornography were recovered.
The defendant was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy and was detained.
The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Aurora-Marionville Police Department, under the direction of Chief Richard Witthuhn, and Homeland Security investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Worcester Psychiatrist Indicted for Unlawful Distribution of Controlled Substances and Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Worcester psychiatrist was arrested yesterday on charges that he illegally prescribed controlled substances to patients and submitted false reimbursement claims to defraud the Medicare program.
Mohamad Och, 65, was indicted on eight counts of unlawful distribution of a controlled substance and two counts of health care fraud. Och was released on conditions following an initial appearance yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge David H. Hennessy in federal court in Worcester.
Och was a licensed psychiatrist who owned and operated Island Counseling Center (ICC), in Worcester, Mass., and has practiced psychiatry elsewhere in Massachusetts including Nantucket. Among other services, Och was authorized to prescribe Schedule II-IV controlled substances to patients.
According to the charging documents, Och repeatedly prescribed a combination of benzodiazepines and stimulants to patients without a legitimate medical purpose. Specifically, it is alleged that on at least numerous occasions between August 2016 and March 2017, Och knowingly issued prescriptions for Adderall (a Schedule II controlled substance) in combination with Xanax or Klonopin (both of which are Schedule IV controlled substances) to patients outside the usual course of professional practice.
It is also alleged that between approximately January 2016 and July 2017, Och engaged in a scheme to defraud Medicare by submitting or causing to be submitted false and fraudulent claims in connection with office visits in order to obtain greater reimbursements than he was entitled to receive based on the services actually provided.
The charge of illegal prescription of a Schedule II controlled substance provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $1 million. The charge of illegal prescription of a Schedule IV controlled substance provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of health care fraud conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Phillip M. Coyne, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of the Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Regional Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Mulcahy of Mendell’s Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Woman Pleads Guilty to Unauthorized Removal and Retention of Classified MaterialRead the Press Release
A Hawaii woman pleaded guilty today to one count of knowingly removing classified information concerning the national defense or foreign relations of the United States and retaining it at an unauthorized location.
According to court documents, Asia Janay Lavarello, 31, of Honolulu, admitted to having removed and retained numerous classified documents, writings and notes relating to the national defense or foreign relations of the United States without authority. While working as an Executive Assistant for the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii, Lavarello accepted a temporary assignment working at the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines. There, she had access to classified computers and documents, and attended classified meetings as part of her official duties. Court documents list several specific instances in which Lavarello mishandled classified material of the United States.
According to her plea, on March 20, 2020, Lavarello removed classified documents from the U.S. Embassy in Manila. She took the classified documents to her hotel room where she hosted a dinner party later that evening. Among the guests were two foreign nationals. During the party, a co-worker discovered the documents, which included documents classified at the SECRET level. Lavarello’s temporary assignment in the Philippines was ultimately terminated due to her mishandling of SECRET classified documents.
After Lavarello returned to Hawaii, investigators executed a search warrant at her government workplace. In her desk, investigators found a notebook containing Lavarello’s handwritten notes of meetings she attended while working at the U.S. Embassy in Manila. The notes contained facts and information classified at the CONFIDENTIAL and SECRET levels. Investigators determined that Lavarello personally transported the documents to Hawaii, unsecured, and kept the classified notebook at an unsecure location until at least April 13, 2020.
Investigators also discovered that Lavarello included information from the classified notebook in a Jan. 16, 2020, email from her personal Gmail account to her unclassified U.S. Government email account. The information she transmitted over unsecure networks was classified at the SECRET level.
Lavarello pleaded guilty to the charge of unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents or material and faces up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI and Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mohammed Khatib of the District of Hawaii and Trial Attorney Stephen Marzen of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
Webb City Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of Two ChildrenRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Webb City, Missouri, man pleaded guilty in federal court today to the sexual exploitation of two victims, an 8-year old and a 16-year old.
Harley Wayne Schrader, 26, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to two counts of the sexual exploitation of a child.
By pleading guilty today, Schrader admitted that he solicited pornographic images from an 8-year-old child victim and that he sent her pornographic images of himself through Facebook Messenger. Schrader also admitted that he solicited pornographic images from a 16-year-old victim he met through a video game.
A Joplin, Mo., police officer took a report on July 7, 2017, that Schrader was sending inappropriate pictures to the child victim through Facebook Messenger. Investigators also found sexually explicit images of the child victim that had been sent to Schrader through Facebook Messenger.
On Oct. 4, 2017, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Schrader’s residence and seized his cell phone. During an interview with officers, Schrader also admitted that he met a 16-year-old female through the video game Immortal Knight, and she sent him nude images of herself. Investigators found multiple messages between Schrader and the 16-year-old victim on his cell phone, as well as images of child pornography.
Under federal statutes, Schrader is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 30 years in federal prison without parole. Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, the government will recommend no more than a concurrent 18-year term of incarceration. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by the FBI, the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crime Task Force, and the Joplin, Mo., Police Department.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Washington County Woman Sentenced for Role in Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Washington County has been sentenced in federal court to three years’ probation on her conviction of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute cocaine and crack cocaine, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.
Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab imposed the sentence on Brianne Dean, age 33, of Ellsworth, PA.
According to information presented to the court, in 2017, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration initiated a wiretap investigation, primarily targeting the GBK street gang and drug trafficking in and around an area known as the Greenway Projects, located in the West End of the City of Pittsburgh. The wiretap investigation revealed that from in and around November 2017 through in and around June 2018, Brianne Dean conspired to distribute over 28 grams of crack cocaine and over 500 grams of cocaine.
Prior to imposing sentence, Senior Judge Schwab stated that the sentence was sufficient but not greater than necessary to achieve the goals of sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorneys Tonya Sulia Goodman and Yvonne M. Saadi prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Kaufman commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration jointly with the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Pennsylvania State Police, Robinson Township Police Department, Stowe Township Police Department, Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, Wilkinsburg Borough Police Department, and the McKees Rocks Police Department, for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Dean.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Warwick Man Sentenced to More than Eleven Years for Transporting a Minor with Intent to Engage in SexRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A 45-year-old Warwick man who befriended online a 15-year-old Michigan girl and executed a plan to run away with her was sentenced in federal court in Providence, RI, today to more than eleven years in federal prison and twenty years of federal supervised release for transporting the girl from her hometown to Rhode Island with the intent of repeatedly engaging in illicit sex and for having her send him sexually explicit images of herself.
According to court documents, in mid-July 2019, Charles Morancey befriended the Hopkins, MI, 15-year-old who expressed to him that she was experiencing difficulties at home. During online conversations that Morancey often turned sexually explicit and graphic, he helped the 15-year-old create a plan to run away from home with him and to prevent her parents from locating or contacting her or from accessing her social media accounts. He advised her to remove and destroy her cell phone sim card and to change passwords or delete her social media accounts. The girl chose not to follow all of Morancey’s instructions.
On August 2, 2019, the 15-year-old left her home without her parent’s knowledge and met Morancey at a nearby location. Morancey drove the girl to his Warwick residence, stopping in an Indiana rest area during the two-day drive to engage in sexual contact. Upon arriving in Rhode Island, Morancey engaged in sexual activity with the minor girl on multiple occasions.
On August 6, 2019, the Allegan County Sherriff’s Department obtained an emergency search warrant for the missing teen’s Instagram account, and determined that the girl had logged on to her account from an IP address in Rhode Island. The investigation determined that the IP address belonged to Morancey. Warwick Police were notified and responded to Morancey’s residence where they located the missing girl. Later that afternoon, Morancey was located in Warwick driving his vehicle and was arrested.
Charles Morancey pled guilty on November 18, 2019, to a two-count information charging him with travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and receipt of child pornography.
Today’s sentencing of Morancey by U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith to 135 months in federal prison to be followed by twenty years of federal supervised release, and an assessment in the amount of $5,000 pursuant to the Justice for Victims Trafficking Act, is announced by Acting United States Attorney Richard B. Myrus.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lee H. Vilker.
The matter was investigated by the Allegan County Sherriff’s Office and the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force, with the assistance of the Warwick Police Department.
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Two Romanian Nationals Charged for Roles in an International Online Auction Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Acting U.S. Attorney Bridget M. Brennan announced that two Romanian nationals were charged in a twelve-count indictment, unsealed in federal court today, stemming from their roles in an international criminal network, whose members engaged in a wide-ranging online auction fraud scheme that targeted victims in the Northern District of Ohio and elsewhere in the United States.
Costel Alecu, 37, of Bucharest, Romania, and Madalin Ghinea, 34, of Alexandria, Romania, are both charged in the indictment with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, eight counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit service marks, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and one count of aggravated identity theft. Alecu and Ghinea were arrested by Romanian authorities in March of 2021.
The indictment alleges that beginning in July of 2008 through August of 2020, Alecu, Ghinea and others known and unknown to the Grand Jury, devised a scheme to entice victims in the United States and elsewhere to purchase items online, including vehicles and other high-value items, that did not exist and to obtain the personal identifying information of their victims. As a result, victims suffered a combined loss of approximately $9 million USD.
To conduct their scheme, Alecu and other members of the conspiracy created accounts on various auction websites to post advertisements for goods that did not exist. In certain cases, Alecu and others allegedly created and used fictitious websites, email addresses and other forms of communication that contained counterfeit trademark information designed to convince their victims that the advertisements were genuine. Furthermore, it is alleged that the group used a number of fraudulent online communication templates and email addresses intended to deceive victims into believing that they were communicating with legitimate business representatives, when in fact, they were speaking with a member of the conspiracy.
The indictment states that around August of 2014, Alecu and Ghinea exchanged a number of these fraudulent communication templates and the personal identifying information of their victims for use in the scheme to defraud.
Alecu and others allegedly used a network of money launderers and money mules to obtain payment from their victims and transfer the funds overseas.
Additionally, the indictment alleges that Alecu and other members of the group used the stolen personal identifying information of their victims, credit cards and bank accounts to launder money overseas and fund the operation of their network by purchasing items such as Virtual Private Networks and domain names.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, the Defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the Defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the Defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation.
In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum, and in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
This case was investigated by the Cleveland FBI with help from authorities in Romania. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Duncan T. Brown and Brian S. Deckert of the Northern District of Ohio and Senior Counsel Timothy Flowers of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section.
Tulsa Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Firearms in Exchange for Distribution Amounts of High-Grade MarijuanaRead the Press Release
A Tulsa gang member pleaded guilty for conspiring with others to collect firearms and exchange them for marijuana to sell on the black market, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
Shelvon Tyrone Williams, 27, pleaded guilty Thursday, July 15, to firearms conspiracy and will be sentenced Nov. 18, 2021.
In his plea agreement, Williams admitted that from November 2018 to March 2020, he collected and transported firearms from Oklahoma to northern California in exchange for distribution amounts of high-grade marijuana. Williams then sold the marijuana in the Northern District of Oklahoma.
“Shelvon Williams and his coconspirators furthered their illegal marijuana distribution operation by putting firearms into the hands of other dangerous criminals. The trafficking of firearms fuels violent crime and places those living in communities across our nation at risk,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “The Justice Department is focused on preventing and disrupting violent crime. My office will work alongside our local, state, federal, and tribal partners to vigorously prosecute the criminal trafficking of firearms.”
On March 4, 2020, the U.S. Attorney’s Office charged Williams and five others for their involvement in the firearms conspiracy and drug conspiracy. Williams and other defendants are members of the Squeeze Team, a violent street gang made up of various members affiliated with the Bloods, Neighborhood Crips, and 5-tre Crips.
According to the indictment, the conspirators concealed the firearms in backpacks, duffel bags, and suitcases and transported them in cars and buses to individuals in California. The defendants purchased bus tickets with cash using false names to help conceal their crimes. In exchange for each handgun they delivered to California, the defendants received one to two pounds of high-grade marijuana shipped through the U.S. Postal Service. Conspirators in California shipped the packages of marijuana to a specific geographical region in Tulsa where U.S. Postal Service employee and codefendant, Whitney D’ron Clark, retrieved the packages. She then delivered the packages to other conspirators who re-packaged the marijuana for sale in northeastern Oklahoma.
Codefendants Brian Lee Thomas, Whitney D’ron Clark, and Kenyante Hampton previously pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy. Also pleading guilty to firearms conspiracy was codefendant Sheldon Tyrone Christopher Williams Jr.
“ATF and our partners are committed to stopping the illegal flow of firearms across the United States. Mr. Williams and his partners’ greed put the safety of Oklahomans and Californians at risk. They were living the high life for a while, but the law will always catch up with you. I applaud the efforts of all the agencies involved in this significant investigation” stated ATF Dallas Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey C. Boshek II.
This prosecution was a part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Operation Squeezed Out. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.
The Tulsa Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel-lyn A. McCormick prosecuted the case. AUSA McCormick serves as the lead attorney for the U.S. Attorney’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces.
South Bend Housing Authority Former Executive Director and OthersRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Five individuals have been charged by way of an 11-count indictment, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tina L. Nommay.
The following individuals were charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud; 6 counts of bank fraud; and 2 counts of wire fraud: Tonya Robinson, 58; Albert Smith, 44; Tyreisha Robinson, 30; Archie Robinson III, 60; and Ronald Taylor, Jr, 42; all of South Bend. Tonya Robinson, Albert Smith, and Tyreisha Robinson were also charged with one count of federal program theft. Tyreisha Robinson was also charged with theft of government money.
According to documents in this case, Tonya Robinson was the former Executive Director of the South Bend Housing Authority (HASB) from approximately 2014 to 2019. Albert Smith and Tyreisha Robinson are former employees at the HASB. Archie Robinson and Ronald Taylor are owners of contracting businesses hired by the HASB to do contracting work.
The HASB provides housing opportunities and services to the South Bend community, managing more than 800 public housing residential units. The HASB had an annual contract with the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development from which it receives several hundred thousand dollars annually in assistance from the federal government. As Executive Director, Tonya Robinson was the primary person responsible for the overall day-to-day operations of the HASB.
It is alleged that all five defendants conspired to defraud and obtain money belonging to the HASB by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises for their personal use and benefit. The scheme is alleged to involve the creation of fraudulent HASB payment checks for contracting work that had not actually occurred; the contractors cashing and depositing the HASB payment checks while knowing that the work had not actually occurred; and the contractors kicking back a portion of the money from the HASB payment checks to employees at the HASB, including Tonya Robinson and Albert Smith.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an indictment is merely an allegation, and that all persons are presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty in court.
If convicted, any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the judge after a consideration of federal statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Luke N. Reilander.
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Shreveport Tax Preparer Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – Dequita Hopkins-Ashley, 40, of Shreveport, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Donald E. Walter to spend 18 months in prison, followed by 1 year of supervised release, for tax fraud, announced Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook. Hopkins-Ashley was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $129,000.
Hopkins-Ashley was indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2020 and charged with numerous counts of aiding and assisting in making and subscribing a false return and three counts of false statement on an income tax return. On March 26, 2021, Hopkins-Ashley entered a plea of guilty to the charge of aiding and assisting in making and subscribing a false return. According to information presented in court, Hopkins-Ashley owned and operated a tax preparation service called “Elite Tax Service” in Shreveport and was employed as a tax preparer.
In February 2017, Hopkins-Ashley met with an undercover agent posing as a client of Elite Tax Service. Hopkins-Ashley prepared and filed a Form 1040 for the undercover agent and claimed a false business loss on Form Schedule C in the amount of $6,100. The undercover agent did not provide this information to her, and in truth and in fact, no such business existed. As a result of the misrepresentation on the Form Schedule C, the falsified tax return showed a refund to which the individual was not entitled and was a misrepresentation that Hopkins-Ashley knew to be untrue.
The IRS - Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian C. Flanagan and Seth D. Reeg prosecuted the case.
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Sage Consulting Group, Inc. Agrees to Pay $4.8 Million to Settle Civil False Claims Act and Anti-Kickback Act AllegationsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Virginia-based consulting group and its president and majority owner agreed to a $4.8 million settlement with respect to allegations that they paid kickbacks, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Raj Parekh for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Sage Consulting Group, Inc. (Sage), a federal government contractor located in Vienna, specializes in providing information technology services to the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD). Robert Pleghardt, of Vienna, is the President and 99.5% owner of Sage. Sage and Pleghardt agreed to pay $4.8 million to settle allegations that they paid kickbacks to companies certified by the Small Business Administration (SBA) as 8(a) small businesses, which are owned and operated by socially and economically disadvantaged citizens, in order to obtain subcontracts on 8(a) set-aside contracts. According to the United States’ allegations, Sage and Pleghardt falsely represented to government agencies that the 8(a) certified companies would be performing at least 50% of the work on these contracts when, in fact, Sage performed 100% of the work.
The United States alleged that Wete and Company, Inc. (Wete), formerly an 8(a) certified company, agreed to subcontract work on 8(a) set-aside contracts and task orders for the Department of Defense Education Activity (DODEA) to Sage in exchange for an hourly fee paid by Sage to Wete for every hour of work Wete subcontracted to Sage. The United States also alleged that Pleghardt falsely represented, in a proposal submitted to DODEA, that Wete employees would be working on a task order when he knew that all the work on the task order would, in fact, be performed by Sage employees.
The United States further alleged that Index Systems, Inc. (Index), an 8(a) certified company, agreed to subcontract work on 8(a) set-aside contracts for DODEA and the Defense Human Resources Activity (DHRA) to Sage in exchange for an hourly fee paid by Sage to Index for every hour of work Index subcontracted to Sage. The United States also alleged that Pleghardt falsely represented to DHRA officials that Index employees would be working on a DHRA contract when he knew that all the work on the contract would, in fact, be performed by Sage employees.
The settlement resolves federal civil claims under the False Claims Act and the Anti-Kickback Act. Sage and Pleghardt cooperated with the government’s investigation.
The resolutions obtained in this matter were the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and the General Services Administration Office of Inspector General.
This matter was investigated by Assistant U.S. Attorney Krista Anderson.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
The civil claims settled by this agreement are allegations only; there has been no determination of civil liability.
Project Safe Neighborhoods Cases Result in Two Shreveport Men Going to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – Two Shreveport men were sentenced today by United States District Judge Donald E. Walter in separate cases which are a result of continued efforts by federal and local law enforcement agencies to curb gun violence in the area as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods program, Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced.
LaBroderick B. Gandy, 29, was charged in an indictment with one count of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and pled guilty to the charge on March 23, 2021. Gandy was sentenced to 60 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. Evidence presented in court revealed that on May 20, 2020, Gandy possessed a firearm which he was prohibited from doing. Officers with the Shreveport Police Department responded to a call from a concerned citizen about shots being fired at an apartment complex on Pines Road in Shreveport. While in route to the location, officers received a call from another concerned citizen that a man wearing a red shirt was seen walking on Pines Road and it appeared he was reaching in his belt line to retrieve a possible weapon.
Officers traveled down Pines Road and located a suspect wearing a red shirt, later determined to be Gandy. Before making contact with Gandy, officers observed him throw an object into a wooded area. Gandy was taken into custody and officers searched the wooded area and located a firearm. Gandy has prior felony convictions for possession of a controlled substance (2017), aggravated assault with a firearm (2015), and simple assault (2014) and is prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Michael S. Collins, Jr., 22, was sentenced to 60 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking offense. Collins pleaded guilty to the charge on March 26, 2021.
According to information presented to the court, Shreveport Police Department officers received a call regarding suspicious activity in the area of Lynbrook Drive in Shreveport. The call reported that a black male approached a mail carrier while having a firearm visible in his vehicle wanting a package that did not have his name on it. The package was being shipped to a vacant residence. The postal worker told him the house was vacant and the package would be at the main post office. When police officers arrived at the main post office, they observed Collins getting into a car and leaving. A traffic stop was conducted, and Collins was found to be sitting on a loaded .40 caliber pistol and had an AR-15 with a drum magazine loaded with 56 rounds behind the driver’s seat. Officers also found Collins to have over $2,300 in cash and a package containing approximately three pounds of marijuana edibles and a scale. In addition, the package Collins picked up from the post office was found and it contained over four pounds of vacuum-sealed marijuana inside.
The ATF and Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tennille Gilreath and J. Aaron Crawford prosecuted the cases.
These cases are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN is part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.
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Prattville Woman Sentenced for Possession of Meth with Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Ala. – Today, Acting United States Attorney Sandra J. Stewart announced that a Prattville, Alabama woman has been sentenced for possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. On July 15, 2021, 40-year-old Mary Elizabeth Griffin Wilson was sentenced to 60 months in prison after pleading guilty to the crime in March of this year. Following her sentence, she will serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court records, on March 1, 2019, Wilson was stopped by law enforcement while driving in Autauga County for a traffic violation. As deputies approached the vehicle, they saw movements from Wilson indicating she was trying to conceal something from them. She was asked to exit the vehicle, and when she did, deputies observed methamphetamine in the seat where she had been sitting. After being taken into custody, she also told officers she had more meth in her pants pockets. Deputies also discovered approximately $20,000.00 in cash in her purse.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Autauga County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Davidson prosecuted the case.
Pittsburgh Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Endangered and Invasive FishRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A Pennsylvania man pleaded guilty today in the Western District of Pennsylvania for trafficking in endangered and invasive fish in violation of the Lacey Act.
Anthony Nguyen, aka JoJo Nguyen and Jackie Lee, 49, of Pittsburgh, entered guilty pleas before U.S. District Judge Nora B. Fischer to counts one and two of the indictment returned against him on Nov. 13, 2020, alleging that he trafficked in endangered Asian arowana and invasive snakehead fish. Nguyen owned and operated a Pittsburgh business, Ichiban Tropical Fish, specializing in the sale of rare and exotic freshwater tropical fish species.
During his plea hearing, Nguyen admitted to violating the Lacey Act in 2016 when he sold illegally imported Asian arowana, which are native to Southeast Asia and are protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA). Arowana, also known as “dragon fish” or “Asian bonytongue fish,” are considered the most expensive freshwater fish on earth, with highly sought-after specimens selling for tens of thousands of dollars. Arowana are also listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES), which is reserved for the most endangered species of fish and wildlife.
Nguyen also admitted to violating the Lacey Act for selling invasive and injurious snakehead fish in 2019, in violation of Pennsylvania law. Snakeheads are native to Asia, but have been introduced into freshwater habitats in the U.S. Pursuant to the terms of Nguyen’s plea agreement, he will also accept responsibility for falsifying documents related to the snakehead shipment.
Nguyen is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 1 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each charge.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department also provided assistance during the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Patrick M. Duggan of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan.
Pittsburgh Man Indicted on Drug and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal narcotics and firearms laws, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.
The three-count Indictment named Darion Ethridge, age 21, as the sole defendant. Ethridge is charged with possession with the intent to distribute a mixture containing fentanyl and heroin, possession of a firearm as a convicted felon, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking offense.
According to a publicly filed affidavit, investigators had information that a male matching Mr. Ethridge’s description and car would be bringing 10 bricks of heroin to the area of 2727 Mosside Blvd., Monroeville, PA. When Mr. Ethridge arrived, he was stopped by police for a traffic violation and refused to exit the vehicle. He tried to drive away from officers but drove to the dead-end section of the parking lot. Mr. Ethridge then exited his vehicle, engaged in a brief physical altercation with a detective, and ran away ran through two parking lots. He ran onto Northern Pike where he stopped traffic and resisted multiple police officer. Mr. Ethridge was caught and taken into custody. In the car that Mr. Ethridge had been driving, investigators found a fully loaded, stolen firearm and 20 bricks, which is 1,000 stamp bags, of a substance that field-tested positive for fentanyl. Mr. Etheridge was arrested at the scene.
For the drug charge, the law provides for a maximum total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $1 million, or both, if Mr. Ethridge is convicted. For possession of the firearm in furtherance of that drug-trafficking offense, the law provides for an additional sentence of 5 years in prison, to run consecutive to the sentence for the drug-trafficking offense. 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. Ethridge is being detained as determined at a prior hearing.
Assistant United States Attorney Ira M. Karoll is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Monroeville Police Department and the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General are leading the investigation and have been assisted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive in conducting the investigation, leading to the arrest of Mr. Ethridge.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.