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31 August 2021
Troy Man Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – John R. Paeglow III, age 64, of Troy, New York, pled guilty today to defrauding a commercial finance company. The company paid more than $400,000 to Paeglow’s book printing business for the right to collect payment for the sales of books that, in fact, had not been sold nor shipped.
The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Antoinette T. Bacon and Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge, New York Region, United States Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (DoL-OIG).
As part of his guilty plea to 10 counts of wire fraud, Paeglow admitted that, between October and December 2014, he fraudulently solicited and received more than $400,000 on behalf of his now-closed Castleton, New York-based book printing business Integrated Book Technology, Inc./Hamilton Printing (“IBT/Hamilton”). Paeglow caused the submission of fraudulent invoices and forged shipping documents to a New Jersey-based commercial finance company, which paid him money on the basis of book sales and shipments that Paeglow falsified.
As part of his plea agreement, Paeglow agreed to pay full restitution to the victim finance company. Paeglow also agreed to pay $11,410 in restitution to reimburse the union that represented the IBT/Hamilton employees whose health care premiums Paeglow was charged with embezzling.
Sentencing is scheduled for December 9, 2021, in Albany, before Senior United States District Judge Frederick J. Scullin, Jr. Paeglow faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to the greater of $250,000 or twice the pecuniary gain to the defendant or the loss to any victim, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
This case was jointly investigated by the U.S. DoL-OIG and the New York State Police Financial Crimes Unit, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmet J. O’Hanlon.
Train Passenger Sentenced in Fentanyl ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that Douglas Sibley, 38, of Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl. Senior United States District Court Judge Joseph F. Bataillon sentenced Sibley to 120 months in the Bureau of Prisons to be followed by a 5-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
On March 5, 2019, investigators with the commercial interdiction unit stopped Sibley at the Amtrack train station in Omaha. Sibley and several companions were passengers on a train that originated from Fullerton, California, and was bound for Chicago, Illinois. Officers saw luggage on a rack above the seats where Sibley and his companions were seated, as well as near Sibley’s feet. Officers requested permission to search the luggage which Sibley granted and a search warrant was lawfully obtained for a backpack that was locked. Inside the searched luggage, investigators found two vacuum sealed packages that tested positive for fentanyl in the amount of 2,045 grams.
The case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and Drug Enforcement Administration.
Three Drug Traffickers Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that three defendants have been sentenced by Chief United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. to federal prison for their involvement in the trafficking of methamphetamine.
Steven Charles Montgomery, 55, and Tabitha Nicole Stewart, 38, of Steele, Alabama, were both sentenced for their role in conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. Montgomery was sentenced to 292 months (24 years, 4 months) in prison. Stewart was sentenced to 151 months (12 years, 7 months) in prison. Each will serve 5 years of supervised release following their release from prison. Montgomery and Stewart were stopped by a Louisiana State Police Trooper on July 11, 2020 for a traffic violation while driving on Interstate 20 in the Western District of Louisiana. Montgomery was the driver and Stewart the passenger of the vehicle. Troopers questioned both and asked for consent to search their vehicle, which Montgomery refused. A K-9 Trooper arrived and alerted to the odor of narcotics on the exterior of the vehicle. A search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of a cardboard box containing 31 plastic bags of methamphetamine, all seized from the trunk of the vehicle. The net weight was 13,390 grams of methamphetamine. Stewart admitted to obtaining the narcotics from an individual in California and that they were driving them back to Alabama for distribution.
The DEA, Louisiana State Police, and Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown prosecuted the case.
In an unrelated case, Danny Glen Roy Welch, 46, of Shreveport, Louisiana, was sentenced to 37 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. Welch was charged in an indictment in February 2021 for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Welch pleaded guilty to the charge on April 22, 2021 and admitted to his involvement in the conspiracy. Law enforcement agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) began an investigation into the drug trafficking activities of individuals in the Shreveport/Bossier City area in 2018, including Welch. Agents intercepted phone communications between Welch and a co-conspirator discussing the purchase of drugs from Welch, the price for the drugs, and when and where they would meet. Surveillance was established by law enforcement agents and they observed the methamphetamine being purchased from Welch’s co-conspirator who admitted that Welch had supplied him with the narcotics.
This effort is part of an ongoing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (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.
Federal agencies including DEA, Department of Homeland Security, ATF, FBI, U.S. Marshal’s Service and U.S. Postal Inspection Service, all worked jointly with the Louisiana State Police, Shreveport Police Department, Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office, Bossier City Police Department, Desoto Parish Sheriff’s Office, Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office, Ruston Police Department and Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office, in conducting the investigation of Welch and his co-conspirators. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown is prosecuting the federal cases.
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Sussex County Woman Charged with Producing, Distributing, and Advertising Child PornographyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Sussex County, New Jersey, woman was charged today with producing, distributing, and advertising images of child sexual abuse, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Dominique Saczawa, 31, of Sparta, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count of production of child pornography, one count of distribution of child pornography, and one count of advertisement of child pornography. She appeared today by video conference before U.S. Magistrate Judge Leda Dunn Wettre and was detained.
According to documents filed in this case:
In August 2021, Saczawa used a web-based application to share images and videos depicting the sexual assault of a child, and to solicit others to share similar content. Saczawa produced video and images of a minor victim engaged in sexually explicit conduct and Saczawa communicated these to other individuals through the web-based application.
The charges of production and advertisement of child pornography each carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. The charge of distribution of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum of five years in prison, a maximum of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents with the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr. in Newark, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Angelica M. Sinopole of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Organized Crime & Gangs Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Sioux City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking CrimeRead the Press Release
A man who possessed a firearm in furtherance of distributing marijuana was sentenced to more than 13 years in federal prison.
Fredrick Perkins, age 32, from Sioux City, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 20, 2019 guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Evidence at his detention, plea, and sentencing hearings showed that law enforcement officers searched Perkins’ home as the result of suspected drug related activity. Perkins told an officer that there were no firearms in the residence but that anything illegal belonged to him and not his girlfriend who also lived in the residence. During the search, an officer found a handgun on a shelf in the master bedroom along with a loaded magazine in the firearm with 17 rounds of 9mm ammunition. The firearm was previously stolen from another address in Sioux City. In Perkins bedroom, closet, and living room, officers found large quantities of marijuana and $2,114 of U.S. currency.
Perkins has a lengthy criminal history including convictions for aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, receive/possess/sell a stolen vehicle, aggravated battery on a government official, and delivery of cannabis.
Perkins was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Perkins was sentenced to 165 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Perkins is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Sioux City Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 18-4014.
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Serial robber sentenced for string of North Georgia robberiesRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, Ga. - Giovanni Annucci-Romero has been sentenced for a string of armed robberies in the cities of Gainesville and Cleveland, Georgia.
“The excellent coordination of federal and local law enforcement officers achieved the arrest and successful prosecution of this serial robber,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Kurt R. Erskine. “These partnerships are helping to ensure the safety of the citizens of our district at a time when violent crime is spiking.”
“Giovanni Annucci-Romero terrorized several communities,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge, Atlanta Field Division Ben Gibbons. “This sentence represents the seriousness of his crime. ATF and our law enforcement partners will continue to reduce violent crime by arresting criminals, such as Annucci-Romero, who terrorizes the communities in which law-abiding citizens live.”
“We are pleased with the convictions and knowing that these violent criminals have been removed from our communities,” said Chief Jeff Shoemaker, Cleveland Police Department.
“Partnerships in policing, the community and a comprehensive investigation played a key role in serving justice in this case. We are fortunate and thankful that no one was injured during this dangerous crime spree,” said Chief Jay Parrish, Gainesville Police Department.
“This outcome is a direct reflection of what good multi-jurisdictional teamwork and communication can accomplish. As a law enforcement leader, I continually strive to impress upon my employees the need to be proactive in everything we do and to remain alert at all times. The fact that our deputy was able to locate and stop Mr. Annucci-Romero within moments of his last criminal act serves as a testament to the fact that our deputies embrace their obligation to protect the citizens they serve,” said Habersham County Sheriff Joey Terrell.
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Erskine, the charges and other information presented in court: Annucci-Romero wielded two firearms, one in each hand, during robberies of a grocery store in Gainesville, and two gas stations, one in Gainesville, and one in Cleveland, Georgia. Annucci-Romero was arrested on May 23, 2020, shortly after he robbed the gas station in Cleveland.
Following the robbery, Cleveland police officers released a description of the robbery suspect’s vehicle. Moments later, a deputy with the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office stopped a vehicle that matched the description. Annucci-Romero was arrested in the vehicle after the deputy saw him sitting on the cash he had just stolen from the Cleveland gas station.
Giovanni Annucci-Romero, 24, of Gainesville, Georgia, was sentenced to ten years in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $31,943. Annucci-Romero was convicted on these charges on May 19, 2021, after he pleaded guilty.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Cleveland Police Department, the Gainesville Police Department, and the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Keen prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Rapid City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for RobberyRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Interference with Commerce by Robbery and Use and Brandishing of a Firearm During the Commission of a Crime of Violence was sentenced on August 25, 2021, by Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court.
Troy Fairbanks, age 29, was sentenced to three years and ten months in federal prison for the Robbery conviction and seven years in federal prison for the Firearm conviction. The sentences are to be served consecutively. Fairbanks was also sentenced to three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution and a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
The convictions relate to Fairbanks and two other individuals robbing the Quality Inn and Big D at Rapid City in January 2020, and brandishing a pistol at an employee at each establishment.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Kelderman prosecuted the case.
Fairbanks was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rapid City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Receiving Child Pornography was sentenced on August 26, 2021, by Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court.
Jebadiah Swenson, age 39, was sentenced to eight years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $11,000 in restitution and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Swenson was indicted for the charge by a federal grand jury in August 2020. He pleaded guilty on December 16, 2020.
The conviction stems from Swenson using the LiveMe social media application between October 1, 2019, and March 7, 2020, to obtain links to child pornography on the Internet. Special agents executed a search warrant and found hundreds of images and videos of child pornography on electronic devices belonging to Swenson. The images and videos included child pornography depicting sadism and masochism, sexual abuse of infants and toddlers, and bestiality.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Sazama prosecuted the case.
Swenson was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rapid City Man Charged with Illegal Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Possession of a Stolen Firearm and Receipt of a Firearm While Under Indictment.
Huya Smoke, age 19, was indicted on August 19, 2021. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann on August 25, 2021, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The charge stems from Smoke knowingly being in possession of a stolen 9mm semi-automatic pistol in Rapid City in April 2021. At the time, Smoke was also under indictment in Meade County, South Dakota. The charges are merely an accusation and Smoke is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson is prosecuting the case.
Smoke was detained pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Operation False Haven: Convicted Child Rapist Sentenced for Passport Fraud, Civilly Denaturalized and Judicially Ordered Removed from the United StatesRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina announced that today in federal court, Mario Sotelo, age 49, a naturalized citizen of the United States born in Mexico, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Richard E. Myers II to four months imprisonment following a guilty plea to passport fraud. Moreover, Sotelo was civilly denaturalized as a United States citizen and ordered judicially removed from the United States.
According to court records, on September 5, 2008, Sotelo fraudulently obtained U.S. citizenship by making a false statement under oath regarding his naturalization application. In response to the question “Have you ever committed a crime or offense for which you were not arrested?” he answered “No.”
On August 23, 2018, in the Superior Court of North Carolina in Chatham County, Sotelo was convicted of sixteen felony counts, including incest, first-degree sex offense with a child, indecent liberties with a child, and statutory rape, for crimes committed against multiple victims between 2003 and 2015. Sotelo was sentenced to 23 years in prison. Sotelo was not arrested until after he naturalized, thus immigration officials were unaware of his crimes.
“Ultimately, Sotelo was unable to escape the consequences of his criminal past, and he will now answer for his disturbing predatory behavior,” said ERO’s Atlanta Interim Field Office Director Francisco Madrigal. “Removing violent, criminal non-citizens is a vital part of our mission to make our communities safer.”
“The granting of United States citizenship is one of the most prized and ultimate benefits that the government can grant. The defendant exploited our immigration system and unlawfully secured his naturalization, which undermines both the nation’s security and our lawful immigration system, “ said G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement.
Agents with ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, Homeland Security Investigations, and United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, assigned to the Document Benefit Fraud Task Force, investigated the case as part of Operation False Haven, an ongoing initiative executed in conjunction with the Department of Justice’s Office of Immigration Litigation to aggressively identify and prosecute child molesters and other egregious felons who fraudulently obtained U.S. citizenship.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:20-cr-00173-M(1).
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North Carolina Man Ran Lucrative Fraud Scheme Selling Unapproved Substances that Mimic the Health Benefits of Legal DrugsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of North Carolina pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.
Joshua Fulton, 41, Bolivia, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Christy C. Wiegand.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Fulton owned or operated several businesses that sold substances designed to mimic the effects of steroids, a Southeast Asian plant called kratom, and products labeled as nootropics. In connection with the sale of these products, Fulton’s businesses made claims about the health effects that would result from their consumption, and Fulton was aware that most of his customers consumed his products as drugs—in other words, to obtain those purported effects. To evade regulation by the Food and Drug Administration, which regulates the sale of drugs in interstate commerce, Fulton and his co-conspirators included disclaimers on their websites and the parcels shipped to consumers, falsely indicating that the products were not for human consumption. They also failed to register the facility where these substances were produced and distributed with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, as required by law. In connection with his plea, Fulton agreed to forfeit approximately $10.7 million in funds traceable to his businesses.
“Joshua Fulton sold SARMs (Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators) over the internet, a substance which mimics the effects of anabolic steroids, and other substances by misbranding the products in a scheme to avoid regulations by the FDA,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Kaufman. “As this case demonstrates, we are committed to prosecuting anyone who uses deceitful practices to defraud the United States.”
“The requirement that FDA approve new drugs before they are marketed is designed to ensure the health and safety of consumers,” said Special Agent in Charge Mark S. McCormack, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Metro Washington Field Office. “The FDA will continue to aggressively pursue those who place the public health at risk and compromise the integrity of the regulatory system by purposely evading scrutiny.”
“For generations, humans have looked for quick fix, and still, that 'all-natural' remedy could cause serious health effects. What Fulton admitted to selling were unapproved substances that mimicked steroids, which he purported would have certain effects on the buyer,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge for HSI in Pittsburgh, J. David Abbate. “HSI worked closely with Federal Drug Administration's Office of Criminal Investigations on this case to ensure that Fulton can no longer risk the health of others to fill his pockets.”
Judge Wiegand scheduled sentencing for January 6, 2022, at 9 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of five years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court permitted Fulton to remain free on bond.
Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey R. Bengel is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Food and Drug Administration – Office of Criminal Investigations and Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Fulton.
New York Man Sentenced to 4 Years for Exporting Night-Vision and Thermal-Imaging Devices Worth $100k+ to RussiaRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Anton Perevoznikov, 34, of Brooklyn, NY, was sentenced to 4 years in prison, and 3 years of supervised release. by United States District Court Judge Joel H. Slomsky for his participation in a conspiracy to unlawfully export night-vision goggles and thermal-imaging devices to buyers in Russia.
In October 2018, the defendant pleaded guilty to one count of a federal Indictment charging him with conspiracy to unlawfully export defense articles. Between February 2011 and November 2013, the defendant conspired with three Russian co-conspirators to export technologically sensitive imaging devices from the United States without first obtaining from the Department of State the required license or written authorization for such exports. Perevoznikov also purchased night vision equipment from a United States vendor while acknowledging formally, in writing, that he understood that the items he was purchasing were legally precluded from export and by falsely affirming that he did not intend to export those items. The defendant’s Russian co-conspirators sent him wire transfers so that he could, in turn, purchase more than 30 pieces of night-vision and thermal-imaging devices worth over $100,000. On shipping documents, the defendant provided false descriptions of these regulated articles, including “case box,” “case for camera,” “camera and soft case,” “photo camera,” “camcorder,” and “jacket”.
“Individuals who seek to profit by unlawfully obtaining and exporting items designated by the United States as articles important to our national defense will be prosecuted with the full weight of the federal justice system,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Williams. “It is important that we take all necessary steps to prevent our military technology from being exported and possibly used against our service members and our allies overseas.”
"Perevoznikov admitted to a conspiracy to export night-vision goggles and thermal imaging devices to buyers in Russia, all of which can pose a threat to national security," said Brian Michael, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Philadelphia. "HSI Philadelphia's resolve to keep Americans safe is present in each arrest of those criminals seeking to make a profit while threatening the safety of our country."
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas R. Perricone.
New York Man Pleads Guilty in Fentanyl Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA -- A resident of Bronx, New York, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of violating federal narcotics laws, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.
Hector Taveras, age 42, who is from Bronx, New York pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on July 8, 2019, Pennsylvania State Police stopped Taveras’s vehicle traveling towards Pittsburgh on the Pennsylvania turnpike. Although Taveras owned the vehicle, he was a passenger and another man, Juan Guzman, was driving. During the stop, both Taveras and Guzman consented to a search of the vehicle. Troopers found a hidden compartment in the vehicle that contained 1.3 kilograms of bulk fentanyl.
Judge Bissoon scheduled sentencing for Jan. 6, 2022. As to Count One and Count Two, the law provides for a total sentence of ten years in prison, a fine of $10,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court ordered Taveras to remain on bond.
Assistant United States Attorney Brian M. Czarnecki is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Hector Taveras.
New Haven Man Pleads Guilty to Machinegun OffenseRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division, announced that ANGEL REYES-RODRIGUEZ, 29, of New Haven, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to unlawful possession and transfer of machineguns.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 3, 2019, Reyes-Rodriguez communicated with an individual over Instagram about a photo of a Glock pistol that Reyes-Rodriguez had posted. Reyes-Rodriguez asked the individual if he had a Glock, and said that he had a friend with a “chip” to make the gun shoot automatically. At the direction of law enforcement, the individual arranged to purchase two Glock conversion devices from Reyes-Rodriguez. On May 9, 2019, Reyes-Rodriguez met the individual at a store parking lot in New Haven and transferred two conversion devices in exchange for $500.
Under federal law, a conversion device that changes a gun into an automatic weapon is considered a machinegun.
Judge Shea scheduled sentencing for November 23, 2021, at which time Reyes-Rodriguez faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. Reyes-Rodriguez is released on a $100,000 bond pending sentencing.
This is Reyes-Rodriguez’s second federal conviction. In 2016, he was sentenced to probation for delivering a package containing two kilograms of cocaine to a co-conspirator.
This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Chen.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Nebraska Woman Sentenced to over Seven Years in Federal Prison for Meth TraffickingRead the Press Release
A woman who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced to more than seven years in prison on August 23, 2021, in federal court in Sioux City.
Whitley Mitchell, age 30, from Walthill, Nebraska, pled guilty on April 13, 2021, to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
At the plea and sentencing hearings, evidence showed that Mitchell and others conspired to distribute actual (pure) methamphetamine, commonly called “ice” methamphetamine. During a traffic stop of a car Mitchell was driving, 9.6 grams of pure methamphetamine was found in her purse and a gun belonging to her co-defendant and passenger was found in the glove box. Additionally, .09 grams of pure methamphetamine was found on the passenger’s person, 116.2 grams of pure methamphetamine were found in a plastic jar elsewhere in the car, and 210.4 grams of pure methamphetamine were found in individual baggies elsewhere in the car. Mitchell knew about the methamphetamine and planned to benefit from its sale, along with her passenger who had acquired the methamphetamine. Mitchell had held methamphetamine for and been fronted methamphetamine by her passenger previously.
Mitchell was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Mitchell was sentenced to 90 months’ imprisonment. She must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Mitchell is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until she can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office. It was also investigated by the Sioux City Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-4035.
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Minneapolis Man Pleads Guilty to Possession, Distribution of Fentanyl PillsRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Minneapolis man pleaded guilty today to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, announced Acting U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk.
According to court documents, on June 1, 2019, officers with the Minneapolis Police Department seized 351 counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl from Fowzi Abdinasir Elmi, 19. On January 21, 2020, Elmi and two other individuals drove to Arizona with the intent of buying fentanyl pills and then returning to Minnesota to distribute them. Elmi successfully purchased the pills but was stopped by law enforcement in Oklahoma. Approximately 2,100 counterfeit prescription fentanyl pills were seized from Elmi. On September 15, 2020, Elmi, along with two other individuals, got into a single vehicle car crash. When Minneapolis police officers arrived, they found Elmi in possession of 170 counterfeit prescription fentanyl pills. Elmi admitted to purchasing the pills for $15 per pill and selling them for $30-$35 per pill.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Minneapolis Police Department, and the State of Oklahoma District One Narcotics Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys David P. Steinkamp and Justin A. Wesley are prosecuting the case.
Michigan Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Detroit, Michigan man was sentenced today to 48 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute oxycodone.
According to court documents, Calvin Allen, 44, sold oxycodone to a confidential informant on November 11, 2017. The drug sale occurred in Allen’s vehicle in the parking lot of Tractor Supply in Oak Hill.
Acting United States Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Central West Virginia Drug Task Force.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Alex Hamner handled the prosecution.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:20-cr-00116.
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Miami-Dade County Employee Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Relief FraudRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – Fifty-eight-year-old Willie Curry, of Miami-Dade County, pled guilty yesterday in Miami federal court to a felony Information charging him with wire fraud in connection with his fraudulent application to the U.S. Small Business Administration for a low-interest COVID-19 relief loan.
According to the facts admitted at the change of plea, Curry, during 2019 and 2020, was employed on a full-time basis by Miami-Dade County as a Network Manager. As a County employee, Curry suffered no loss of salary due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this, on June 24, 2020, Curry submitted to the SBA an EIDL application stating that he was the 100% owner of a sole proprietorship operating under the name “Will Curry Computers.” In that application, Curry falsely and fraudulently certified that Will Curry Computers was established on January 1, 2015, and that during the 12-month period prior to January 31, 2020, Will Curry Computers had gross revenues of approximately $755,416, a cost of goods sold of approximately $170,664, and 10 employees. In reality, Curry established Will Curry Computers in 2020, it had only minimal gross revenues and cost of goods sold during the twelve-month period prior to January 31, 2020, and it had no employees.
Based on the defendant’s materially false and fraudulent EIDL application, the SBA disbursed a $10,000 advance and then $150,000 in loan proceeds to Curry’s listed financial institution for Curry’s benefit. The financial institution instead returned the money to the SBA, and after Curry was notified of this, he made numerous contacts to the SBA in an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to have the money sent to an account he maintained at another financial institution. Ultimately his fraudulent efforts were uncovered by law enforcement.
Curry is scheduled for sentencing on November 17, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. before Senior United States District Judge James Lawrence King, where he faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami, and Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, Special Agent in Charge, Small Business Administration, Investigations Division’s Eastern Region (SBA-OIG) announced the guilty plea.
FBI Miami’s Area Corruption Task Force, which includes task force officers from the Miami-Dade Police Department’s Professional Compliance Bureau, Criminal Conspiracy Section, and SBA-OIG investigated this matter. Miami-Dade County Office of Inspector General and United States Secret Service provided invaluable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward N. Stamm is prosecuting this case.
In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act was enacted. It was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Among other sources of relief, the CARES Act authorized and provided funding to the SBA to provide Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDLs”) to eligible small businesses, including sole proprietorships and independent contractors, experiencing substantial financial disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic to allow them to meet financial obligations and operating expenses that could otherwise have been met had the disaster not occurred. EIDL applications were submitted directly to the SBA via the SBA’s on-line application website, and the applications were processed and the loans funded for qualifying applicants directly by the SBA.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 21-cr-20415.
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Massachusetts Man Pleads Guilty to Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
CONCORD - Gianno Koeiman, 31, of Lawrence, Massachusetts pleaded guilty in federal court on Monday to possession of fentanyl and cocaine with intent to distribute, Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 22, 2017, an undercover Salem police officer observed what he believed to be a drug transaction in the shoe department of a local store between Koeiman and a drug customer. The officer observed the men leave the store and get into separate vehicles. The drug customer stayed in his car and began to inject himself with drugs. After being approached by an officer, the customer confirmed he had just purchased one gram of heroin from the man in the shoe department.
In the meantime, a second Salem police officer followed Koeiman’s vehicle and stopped it. After explaining what the first officer observed in the shoe department, Koeiman responded that those observations were accurate. When asked if he had illegal substances in the car, Koeiman responded that he did and consented to a search of the trunk. The search revealed 95 baggies which contained a total of approximately 67 grams of fentanyl and 23 baggies which contained a total of approximately 16 grams of cocaine.
Koeiman is scheduled to be sentenced on December 6, 2021.
“Drug traffickers who distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and other dangerous drugs are endangering lives throughout New Hampshire,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley. “In order to protect public health and safety, we work with our law enforcement partners to identify drug dealers and hold them responsible for their actions.”
This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Salem Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John S. Davis.
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Mary Cossey Enters Guilty PleaRead the Press Release
HAMMOND-Mary Cossey, age 54, of Munster, Indiana, entered a plea of guilty to one count of wire fraud before United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.
According to documents in this case, Cossey engaged in a scheme to defraud the Chapter 13 bankruptcy trustee and her creditors in order to take advantage of the benefits of bankruptcy—including the imposition of a stay on collection and elimination of debts—without making the financial sacrifices required under Chapter 13 of the Bankruptcy Code. Cossey did not disclose on her bankruptcy petition a personal debt relationship with her personal friend and creditor, identified in the Indictment as Individual A. Even though she was prohibited from incurring new debts during her bankruptcy case, Cossey charged over $240,000 on Individual A’s credit card during the course of her bankruptcy for personal expenses including multiple vacations, luxury clothing and accessories, and jewelry. Cossey incurred other post-petition debts without the permission of the Trustee and failed to disclose changes in her employment and income during her case. Cossey repaid most of her debt Individual A, while unsecured creditors received only 27% repayment for debts that were discharged in bankruptcy. Under the terms of the plea agreement, Cossey will be required to pay $81,159.97 in restitution to the Chapter 13 bankruptcy trustee
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Internal Revenue Service in collaboration with the Northern Indiana Region 10 Office of the U.S. Trustee, Nancy J. Gargula. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Abizer Zanzi and Thomas McGrath.
Marshall County Man Sentenced to 78 Months in Federal Prison for Sexual Abuse of ChildRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Veblen Flats, South Dakota, man convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact was sentenced on August 30, 2021, by U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann.
Dominic Steven Redday, age 43, was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Redday was indicted for Abusive Sexual Contact of a Child and Sexual Abuse of a Minor by a federal grand jury on August 17, 2020. He pled guilty on June 7, 2021.
From on or about April 2011 to 2012, Redday knowingly engaged in, and attempted to engage in, sexual contacts with a young female victim, using force, threats, and fear. At the time of the sexual contact, the victim was 12 years of age.
This case was investigated by the Sisseton Wahpeton Tribal Law Enforcement Criminal Investigations Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy Jehangiri prosecuted the case.
Redday was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Manchester Woman Sentenced to 18 Months for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
CONCORD - Katherine Torres, 47, of Manchester, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for wire fraud, Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Torres was employed as an office manager for Pine Haven Boys School in Allenstown, New Hampshire from 2012 until March 25, 2019. As office manager, Torres was the sole employee responsible for administering payroll. On various occasions, Torres submitted false information to Pine Haven’s payroll company, causing direct deposits to be made into her personal bank accounts. In total, Torres received approximately $240,000 through this scheme.
Torres previously pleaded guilty on May 25, 2021.
“This defendant took advantage of her employer’s trust to steal a substantial amount of money,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley. “This disturbing abuse of trust was a troubling crime that cannot be tolerated. As this case demonstrates, white collar criminals will be caught and will face significant consequences for their unlawful conduct.”
“It’s difficult to fathom how Katherine Torres could target, prey upon, and systematically rip off a school that cared for boys with behavioral, educational, and emotional issues, stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from them, without a second thought. But she did exactly that, and with today’s sentence, she has finally been held accountable,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “Criminals who prey on, and steal from, our most vulnerable citizens, should know their actions carry real consequences.”
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Georgiana L. MacDonald and Charles L. Rombeau.
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Man Sentenced to Six Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing Stolen Gun in Chicago ParkRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A man has been sentenced to six years in federal prison for illegally possessing a stolen semi-automatic handgun in Douglas Park on Chicago’s West Side.
TERRY LEE illegally possessed the loaded gun in the 1200 block of South Farrar Drive on the evening of Aug. 12, 2020. Chicago Police officers responding to a call of a person with a gun observed Lee sitting in the driver’s seat of a van. As the officers approached him, Lee exited the van and ran toward a grassy area before being apprehended. Officers discovered the firearm in the center console of the van.
Lee, 30, of Chicago, pleaded guilty earlier this year to a federal charge of illegal possession of a firearm. He had previously been convicted of felonies in state court and was prohibited by federal law from possessing the gun.
U.S. District Judge John J. Tharp, Jr., imposed the prison sentence Aug. 26, 2021, after a hearing in federal court in Chicago.
The sentence was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Kristen de Tineo, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and David Brown, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department.
“City residents often fear for their safety and for the safety of their loved ones while simply trying to go about their daily lives due to the possession and use of guns by people who are not permitted to have them,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Getter argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “The law that defendant broke is one that is designed to prevent people who previously have broken serious laws from possessing these dangerous weapons.”
Holding illegal firearm possessors accountable through federal prosecution is a centerpiece of Project Safe Neighborhoods, the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction strategy. In the Northern District of Illinois, U.S. Attorney Lausch and law enforcement partners have deployed the PSN program to attack a broad range of violent crime issues facing the district, particularly firearm offenses.
Man Charged with Robbing Wallingford Convenience Store at KnifepointRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Joey Miles Sherwood, 31, of Center Rutland, Vermont, was arrested yesterday for the August 1, 2021 knifepoint robbery of the Cumberland Farms convenience store in Wallingford, Vermont. Sherwood will be appearing this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle for his Initial Appearance after he was charged by Criminal Complaint with Interference with Commerce by Robbery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951. Sherwood is currently detained pending his initial appearance, and the government has requested his detention pending trial.
According to court records, on August 1, 2021, Sherwood is alleged to have entered the Cumberland Farms in Wallingford, retrieved a soda from a drink cooler, approached the cashier, and asked for two packs of cigarettes. As the cashier rang up the sale, Sherwood allegedly produced a knife and demanded money. The robbery netted $156 in cash, and $21 in merchandise. Sherwood is the suspect in five additional knifepoint robberies of convenience stores in Rutland and Addison counties that occurred in July and August of 2021.
Court records reflect that Sherwood is on conditions of pretrial release for a 2020 arrest in New Hampshire for Attempted Felonious Sexual Assault, for a March 2021 arrest in Rutland County for Burglary and Possession of Stolen Property, and for a May 2021 arrest in Addison County for Aiding in the Commission of a Burglary.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that the charge against Sherwood is merely an accusation and that he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
If convicted of the charged offense, Sherwood could face up to twenty years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, and a period of federal supervised release. Any sentence will be formulated through consultation of the United States Sentencing Guidelines and consideration of Sherwood’s personal history and characteristics.
Acting United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt commended the investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Vermont State Police, and the coordination and assistance provided by the Brandon Police Department, the Middlebury Police Department, and the Rutland City Police Department.
Acting United States Attorney Jonathan Ophardt is prosecuting the case for the government. Sherwood has not yet retained or been appointed counsel.
Man Charged with Bank Robberies in Santurce and BayamónRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Carlos Javier Alvelo-Cartagena with two bank robberies and a firearm offense, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.
According to the Government’s allegations, in January 2020, Alvelo-Cartagena committed an armed robbery of an Oriental Bank branch on Betances Avenue in Bayamón. Alvelo-Cartagena stole $1,740.
In August 2021, Alvelo-Cartagena robbed the Parada 18 branch of Banco Popular, located inside a Walmart Store in Santurce. Alvelo-Cartagena stole $1,501. Police arrested Alvelo-Cartagena shortly after the robbery and recovered most of the money stolen from Banco Popular.
Assistant U.S. Attorney E. Giovannie Mercado of the Violent Crimes and National Security Section is in charge of the prosecution of the case. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is in charge of the investigation. If convicted, the defendant faces a sentence of up to twenty years in prison for the bank robberies.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Lummi tribal member sentenced to prison for assaulting three people with metal baseball batRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 30-year-old enrolled member of the Lummi Nation was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 52 months in prison for assault with a dangerous weapon and two counts of assault causing serious bodily injury, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Talin Lee Morris, was arrested May 14, 2019, after assaulting three people with an aluminum baseball bat on the Lummi Indian Reservation. At the sentencing hearing, Chief U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez said, “The community deserves to be safe from someone who is a danger to them.”
According to records filed in the case, Morris visited friends on a property on the Lummi Reservation. After shooting up with methamphetamine, he grew agitated and broke a window with an aluminum baseball bat. As one of his friends led him outside, he hit the friend on the back of the head with the bat and continued to strike his friend while he was on the ground. When two other people came to assist the victim, Morris used the bat to strike them. The first victim suffered a concussion, head wound and fracture to his scapula. The second victim had his arm broken in two places and required surgery with bolts and metal plates. The third victim suffered bruising and swelling where she was hit with the bat. Morris was arrested by Lummi Police a short time later.
Morris was indicted in July 2019. Morris pleaded guilty in May 2021. Morris has been in custody since his arrest.
In asking for a 5-year prison sentence, Assistant United States Attorney J. Tate London noted that at the time of the assault, Morris had just been released from custody for another assault. Morris “has a lengthy criminal history dating back to his late teens that involve convictions for assaults, including assaults of law enforcement officers,” London wrote in his sentencing memo.
Morris will serve three years of supervised release following his prison term.
The case was investigated by the Lummi Nation Police Department and the FBI.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Tate London, who serves as a Tribal Liaison for the Western District of Washington.
Long Island Man Pleads Guilty to Mortgage Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, former unlicensed mortgage broker Brent Kaufman pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto to a criminal information charging him with stealing $4.7 million in mortgage refinancing proceeds that were meant to pay off the existing mortgages of his clients. When sentenced, Kaufman faces up to 30 years in prison, as well as forfeiture and a fine of up to $1 million.
Jacquelyn M. Kasulis, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), Robert W. Manchak, Special Agent-in-Charge, Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General (FHFA-OIG), and Darnell D. Edwards, Acting Inspector-in-Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service, New York Division (USPIS), announced the guilty plea.
“With today’s guilty plea, Kaufman admits to stealing millions of dollars in a brazen mortgage fraud scheme that defrauded numerous lenders and left his homeowner-clients in danger of losing their homes to foreclosure,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Kasulis. “This Office is committed to prosecuting defendants like Kaufman who are driven by greed to abuse the trust of innocent homeowners.” Ms. Kasulis expressed her grateful appreciation to the FBI, FHFA-OIG and the USPIS for their outstanding work and assistance in this investigation and prosecution.
“Not only did Kaufman steal his victims’ money, but he also violated their trust, leaving them financially vulnerable and at risk of significant financial complications,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Driscoll. “Collectively, his victims suffered millions of dollars in losses. Today’s guilty plea reminds us of the threat posed by those who prioritize their own financial interests above all else.”
“Brent Kaufman betrayed the trust of unsuspecting homeowners by stealing millions of dollars in mortgage payoffs and failing to repay lenders. As demonstrated by these charges, FHFA-OIG and its law enforcement partners will investigate and hold accountable those who seek to victimize Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and misuse the lending process to unjustly enrich themselves,” stated FHFA-OIG Special Agent-in-Charge-Manchak.
“This is a classic case of greed overcoming honest business practices, as Mr. Kaufman took advantage of his access to clients funds to enrich his own lifestyle. His actions left many in financial ruin, holding two mortgages and facing the threat of foreclosure. Law enforcement will always work tirelessly to bring individuals to justice for their crimes against the American public,” stated USPIS Acting Inspector-in-Charge Edwards.
According to court filings and facts presented during the plea proceeding, Kaufman worked as an unlicensed mortgage broker and often assisted clients in Queens and Long Island with refinancing their mortgages. At the closing for a mortgage refinancing, the money from the new mortgage is supposed to be wired to the financial institution that holds the existing mortgage so that it can be paid off. Between 2016 and 2019, Kaufman, together with others, engaged in a scheme to defraud Home Point Financial Corporation, LoanDepot.com LLC and United Wholesale Mortgage and other mortgage lenders (the “Lenders”) by obtaining, and attempting to obtain, monies and funds from the Lenders by means of materially false representations. Specifically, Kaufman provided incorrect wire routing information to the Lenders for the existing mortgages. Instead of wiring the funds to the correct financial institution, the funds were instead transferred to bank accounts controlled by Kaufman. As a result, the existing mortgages were not paid off—leaving the clients with two mortgages on their homes—and Kaufman stole the funds for his own personal use.
During the period of the charged conduct, Kaufman stole more than over $4.7 million, some of which he used to make mortgage payments on the existing mortgages or to eventually pay off those mortgages to avoid detection of his scheme. When Kaufman stopped paying the existing mortgages, several of his clients’ homes were foreclosed on. Victims of the scheme ultimately suffered a loss of approximately $2.5 million.
The government’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan Siegel and Laura Mantell.
The Defendant:
BRENT KAUFMAN
Age: 50
Commack, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 21-CR-425 (KAM)
Little Rock Felon Who Possessed Firearm Sentenced to 17 1/2 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Dominic Session, a multi-convicted felon, will spend the next 17½ years in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm. Jonathan D. Ross, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down Monday by United States District Judge James M. Moody, Jr.
Session, 31, of Little Rock, pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition on May 10, 2019. That conviction was based on an April 2017 incident in which Session fled from a traffic stop and dropped a black object as he ran. During a search of the area where Sessions was running, police located a Ruger 9mm handgun.
At Monday’s sentencing hearing, Judge Moody heard evidence regarding Session’s six prior felony convictions, including three convictions that qualified Sessions as an Armed Career Criminal—second degree battery, robbery, and residential burglary. The Armed Career Criminal distinction increased Sessions’ potential penalty from a maximum of 10 years in prison to a minimum of 15 years. Judge Moody also sentenced Sessions to five years of supervised release to follow his prison sentence. There is no parole in the federal system.
The investigation was conducted by the Little Rock Police Department with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
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This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
http://www.justice.gov/edar
Twitter:
@EDARNEWS
Lewiston Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Lewiston man pleaded guilty today in federal court to possessing child pornography, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.
According to court records, in August 2019, investigators with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) executed search warrants for the residence and person of Rodney Crowley, 33. HSI had obtained information from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) regarding child pornography activity involving users of an internet messaging application. In an interview with investigators, Crowley admitted being a member of chat groups in which child pornography images were exchanged. Investigators later found several images and videos depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct on a memory card in Crowley’s cell phone.
Crowley faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and a term of supervised release of at least five years and up to life. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
HSI and the RCMP investigated the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
KC Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri, man pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally possessing a firearm.
Desmond L. Washington, 22, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to possessing a firearm after previously being convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.
Washington was arrested on Sept. 7, 2019, when Kansas City police officers saw Washington and several other people fighting in the street in front of a building at 914 E. Armour Blvd. in Kansas City. Officers took all of the individuals involved into custody.
There was a silver Ford Fusion around which the fight was centered. The Fusion bore temporary tags that were not registered to the vehicle and officers decided to have the vehicle towed. An inventory search of the vehicle resulted in the discovery of a Glock 10mm handgun. Washington, while being transported after his arrest, told an officer that the firearm was his and he wanted it back.
Under federal law, it illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence to be in possession of a firearm or ammunition. Washington has two prior misdemeanor convictions of domestic violence.
Under federal statutes, Washington is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Barnes. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Justice Department Finds that Conditions at the San Luis Obispo County Jail in California Violate the ConstitutionRead the Press Release
A Justice Department report released today found that San Luis Obispo County (California) Jail violated the rights of prisoners by, among other things, failing to provide adequate medical care and subjecting some prisoners to excessive uses of force. The report calls upon the jail to make changes to address the constitutional violations found during an investigation. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California conducted the investigation.
The Justice Department concluded that there is reason to believe that the practices at the jail violate the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments of the Constitution and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Specifically, the department concluded that there is reasonable cause to believe that the jail fails to provide constitutionally adequate medical and mental health care to prisoners; that the jail violates the constitutional rights of prisoners with serious mental illness through its prolonged use of restrictive housing; that the jail violates the constitutional rights of prisoners through the use of excessive force; and that the jail violates the ADA by denying prisoners with mental health disabilities access to services, programs and activities because of their disabilities.
As required by the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA), the department provided the facility with written notice of the supporting facts for these findings and the minimum remedial measures necessary to address them.
“Our Constitution guarantees that all people held in jails and prisons across our country are treated humanely, and that includes providing access to necessary medical and mental health care,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “After a comprehensive investigation, we found that San Luis Obispo Jail harms the people it incarcerates by subjecting them to excessive force and by failing to provide adequate medical and mental health care. The Justice Department hopes to continue to work with the jail to resolve these systemic problems.”
“San Luis Obispo County violated the rights of prisoners in its jail in several ways, including failing to provide adequate health care and subjecting some prisoners to excessive force,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Tracy L. Wilkison for the Central District of California. “Our office is dedicated to defending the civil rights of everyone in this district, including those behind bars.”
The Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California initiated the investigation in October 2018 under CRIPA and Title II of the ADA, which authorize the department to take action to address a pattern or practice of deprivation of legal rights of individuals confined to state or local government-run correctional facilities. Individuals with relevant information are encouraged to contact the department by phone at (844) 710-4900, or by email at [email protected].
Additional information about the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt.
Additional information about the Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office is available at https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/civil-division/civil-rights. You can contact the Civil Rights Section by emailing [email protected] or calling (213) 894-2879. You can also report civil rights violations to the Section by completing the complaint form available at https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/file/1560286/download.
Independence Man Sentenced for Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Missouri, man who fled from police officers on a stolen motorcycle and fought with several officers as he resisted arrest was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a firearm.
Michael S. Reaves, 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to five years in federal prison without parole.
On April 28, 2021, Reaves pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
An Independence police officer attempted to stop Reaves, who was riding a 2009 Honda motorcycle, on the afternoon of Aug. 27, 2020. Reaves took off at a high rate of speed, nearly losing control of the motorcycle. The officer pursued Reaves, but he was able to get away. A few minutes later, another officer contacted Reaves while he was putting gas in the motorcycle at a Shell gas station at 9040 E. U.S. 40 Hwy. The officer attempted to detain Reaves, but a struggle ensued as Reaves tried to pull away. During the struggle, two DEA agents (who were in Kansas City in support of Operation LeGend) in a car parked nearby got out of their vehicle and helped the officer subdue Reaves. Reaves was actively resisting arrest at this point, including kicking. The struggle continued; at points Reaves tried to stand up while he was being handcuffed. The officer eventually had to deploy a Taser to subdue Reaves and get him into custody.
Officers found a loaded Ruger 9mm handgun clipped to the inside of the motorcycle’s windshield, and a box that contained nine alprazolam pills in a compartment underneath the seat cushion. Officers later determined that the motorcycle was stolen.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who is convicted of a felony to be in possession of a firearm or ammunition. Reaves has prior felony convictions for possession of a controlled substance, leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident, robbery and theft.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew P. Wolesky. It was investigated by the Independence, Mo., Police Department.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Hartford Man Sentenced to More Than 5 Years in Prison for Gun Possession, Violating Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that TAFARIE GREEN, 31, of Hartford, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 62 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally possessing a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in February 2016, Green was sentenced in New Haven federal court to 60 months of imprisonment and four years of supervised release for his role in a gang-related crack cocaine distribution ring in Hartford. Green, who had been detained since his arrest in April 2014, was released from federal prison in April 2019.
On June 2, 2020, Hartford Police detectives conducting a narcotics investigation approached a Dodge Durango that was parked on Kenneth Street in Hartford. Green, the driver of the vehicle, accelerated and drove straight at the detectives who leaped out of the way. He then drove at a high rate of speed onto a sidewalk and through two chain link fences before he crashed into a tree. Green fled the scene on foot. A second occupant of the vehicle, who possessed a loaded handgun, was immediately apprehended. A search of the Durango revealed a Ruger 9mm pistol and approximately 144 grams of fentanyl, as well as Green’s wallet and iPhone.
Forensic analysis of the Ruger 9mm pistol revealed the presence of Green’s DNA.
In addition to his previous federal narcotics conviction, Green’s criminal history includes state convictions for assault, robbery, attempted burglary and criminal possession of a firearm.
Green was arrested on July 13, 2020. On April 1, 2021, he pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. He has been detained since his arrest.
Judge Dooley sentenced Green to 50 months of imprisonment for unlawfully possessing a firearm, and an additional 12 months of imprisonment for violating the conditions of his supervised release.
This matter has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force and the Hartford Police Department’s Vice, Intelligence and Narcotics Unit, with the assistance of the Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian P. Leaming.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Fort Walton Beach Man Faces Federal Indictment for $25 Million Scheme to DefraudRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Stephen M. Alford, 62, of Fort Walton Beach, Florida, was indicted by a federal grand jury on counts of wire fraud and the attempted prevention of seizure of an electronic device, announced Jason R. Coody, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. Alford was arrested on August 31, 2021 and made his initial appearance in federal court to face the charges.
The indictment alleges that, between March 16, and April 7, 2021, Alford engaged in a scheme to defraud a victim out of $25 million. As articulated in the indictment, Alford is alleged to have been involved in a scheme to obtain money based upon false promises or guarantees he made to the victim that Alford could deliver a Presidential Pardon for a family member of the victim.
Alford is currently being held in the custody of the United States Marshals Service. Alford faces up to 25 years imprisonment on the charged crimes.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David L. Goldberg and Lazaro P. Fields.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Former East Hartford Resident Sentenced to 3 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking FentanylRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that MARCO RIVERA-MEJIA, 36, a citizen of Honduras last residing in East Hartford, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 36 months of imprisonment for trafficking fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2019, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force developed evidence that Rivera-Mejia was a narcotics courier for an individual who was living in Mexico. In September 2019, investigators stopped Rivera-Mejia’s vehicle and seized approximately $6,000 in cash he was carrying in suspected narcotics proceeds. Rivera-Mejia was released after the traffic stop.
On October 24, 2020, at approximately 4:30 p.m., Rivera-Mejia was arrested after he arrived at a parking lot in Manchester in possession of a kilogram of fentanyl that he intended to deliver to another individual.
Rivera-Mejia has been detained since his arrest. On June 1, 2021, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
Rivera-Mejia, who entered the U.S. illegally in 2007, faces immigration proceedings when he completes his prison term.
The DEA’s Hartford Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, Windsor Locks and Willimantic Police Departments. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey M. Stone.
Former EDA Director Indicted on Federal Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.– A federal grand jury in Charlottesville returned an indictment last week charging the former executive director of the Economic Development Authority of the Town of Front Royal and the County of Warren, Virginia [EDA] with wire fraud, bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering.
According to an indictment returned under seal last Wednesday and unsealed today, Jennifer Rae McDonald, 44, of Front Royal, Virginia, was the executive director of the EDA from April 2008 until December 2018. From June 3, 2014 to on or about December 20, 2018, McDonald devised and participated in a scheme to defraud the EDA to obtain money and property by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises.
McDonald, through her position as executive director at the EDA, had access to funds belonging to the EDA and, as the indictment alleges, used EDA funds to pay on debt owed by her, other individuals, and LLCs she controlled, to purchase real property for which she often earned commissions as a real estate agent, and to purchase real property in the name of an LLC she controlled.
McDonald is charged with 16 counts of money laundering, 10 counts of bank fraud, seven counts of wire fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft. The defendant made her initial court appearance today and was released pending trial.
Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Bubar of the Western District of Virginia and Special Agent in Charge Stanley M. Meador of the FBI’s Richmond Division made the announcement.
The FBI and Virginia State Police are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Welsh is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Florida Man Who “Tweeted” Child Sexual Abuse Images Sentenced to Five Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven today sentenced Marchaun Browning (24, Gibsonton) to 5 years in federal prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, for distributing and possessing child pornography.
Browning had pleaded guilty on April 21, 2021.
According to court documents, in June 2017, Browning created several Twitter accounts. On several different occasions, he posted or “tweeted” child sex abuse images and tagged other Twitter accounts associated with elected officials, media outlets, and public figures. Browning’s tweets also contained messages directed at the intended and tagged recipients.
On June 18, 2017, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Browning’s residence. The officers discovered more than 160 images and one video depicting the sexual abuse of children, including some as young as toddlers, located on Browning’s devices seized from his residence.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Murray.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Federal Inmate Sentenced for Additional Offenses of Assault with a Deadly Weapon and Possession of Contraband in PrisonRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Israel Urbina, 26, a convicted felon, has been sentenced to 51 months in federal prison for assault with a deadly weapon and possession of a contraband. Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph C. Murphy Jr., announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, Urbina, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution in Memphis, Tennessee, was serving a 51-month sentence for possession of methamphetamine with intent to sell.
On June 23, 2019, Urbina stabbed two fellow inmates. Both victims sustained injuries and were transported to Regional One Hospital. The weapon used in the assault, half of a broken pair of scissors measuring 7 inches, was recovered from the inside of a trash can located outside of Urbina’s cell.
On March 16, 2021, Urbina pled guilty to the charges in the indictment.
On August 30, 2021, U.S. District Judge Mark S. Norris sentenced the defendant to 51 months imprisonment to be followed by three years’ supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Assistant U.S. Attorney Wendy K. Cornejo prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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Enrolled member of Navajo Nation pleads guilty to sexual abuse of a minor in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Bryan Bull, 40, of Shiprock, New Mexico, and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, pleaded guilty in federal court on Aug. 30 to two counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a minor in Indian Country.
According to court documents, on June 3, 2019, Bull and Jeremiah Elijah Jim, 31, of Teec Nos Pos, Arizona, and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, used intimidation and force on then 14-year-old John Doe and sexually abused him. The abuse took place in Shiprock on the Navajo Nation.
Bull is currently in custody pending sentencing, which has not yet been scheduled. By the terms of the plea agreement, Bull faces up to 18 years in prison. Jim pleaded guilty on April 5 and faces between 14 and 24 years in prison. A sentencing hearing for Jim is scheduled for Oct. 6.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department.
EDVA Announces New Project Safe Neighborhood InitiativesRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Raj Parekh, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia (EDVA), announced today new district-wide Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN) initiatives, to include federal prosecutors specifically assigned to coordinate PSN efforts in each of the district’s four geographic Divisions, as part of the district’s ongoing violent crime reduction efforts. The coordinators will work with local, state, and federal partners to help devise and execute enforcement strategies; prioritize community outreach and engagement; support community violence intervention strategies; and measure the effectiveness of these collective efforts. This new initiative arises from the Justice Department’s recently announced Comprehensive Strategy to Reduce Violent Crime.
“Violent crime impacts our communities at the neighborhood level, which is where we are focusing our efforts. We are collaborating closely with our local, state, and federal partners on violence prevention and building trust in the communities we serve,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Raj Parekh. “Together, we are dedicated to protecting our community members, disrupting the organizations behind violent crime and gun trafficking, and pioneering new strategies to help reduce violent crime throughout our district.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office has appointed eight seasoned federal prosecutors to help coordinate EDVA’s violent crime reduction efforts under the PSN program. 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. To cover the district, each of EDVA’s four Divisions in Alexandria, Richmond, Norfolk, and Newport News have two designated PSN Division Representatives. They, in turn, will work with the district’s team of over 40 experienced Assistant U.S. Attorneys (AUSAs) and Special AUSAs (SAUSAs), who focus on prosecuting violent crime, firearms trafficking, and related cases that are prioritized under the enforcement component of the PSN program. These prosecutors will coordinate with EDVA’s law enforcement and community partners to prevent and disrupt violent crime and prosecute the most violent offenders and dangerous criminal organizations in our communities.
Consistent with the Department’s comprehensive strategy, EDVA’s PSN team will work with local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to identify and focus on the most significant drivers of violent crime in all four Divisions. As part of these enhanced PSN efforts, EDVA will also collaborate with state, local, non-governmental, and community partners that are awarded U.S. Department of Justice grants to combat violent crime, strengthen community-based prevention and intervention efforts, and assess the effectiveness of these steps.
EDVA and its PSN partners are also working with the Justice Department’s newly launched cross-jurisdictional strike forces to help reduce gun violence. These efforts are part of a long-term, coordinated, multi-jurisdictional strategy to disrupt the flow of illegally trafficked firearms. The strike forces are being deployed in five metropolitan areas across the country that the Department has identified as key illegal-firearm markets based on years of firearms trace data compiled and analyzed by ATF as well as gun-trafficking intelligence. Leveraging existing resources, the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area strike force, of which EDVA is a member, will complement EDVA’s PSN initiatives by disrupting trafficking networks from the areas where guns originate to the places where they are used to commit violent crimes.
On May 26, 2021, the Justice Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN so that it is built on newly articulated core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results of our efforts. The Department expressly underscores that the fundamental goal of this work is to reduce violent crime in the places we call home, not to increase the number of arrests or prosecutions as if they were ends in themselves.
EDVA is also increasing its engagement with community partners under the PSN program, including participating in local offender re-entry efforts, such as the Greater Prince William Re-entry Council, in their ongoing work to help returning citizens successfully reintegrate into society following incarceration. Another major facet of PSN is raising awareness by engaging youth through education. Programs, such as “Silent No More,” are being introduced at schools in the Eastern District of Virginia to educate students and parents about the threat of opioids and other dangerous substances, as well as connecting law enforcement with parents, medical professionals, and educators for life-saving conversations. Additionally, through EDVA’s community-based educational outreach and prevention program known as “UnMasked,” the district is dedicated to raising awareness about the prevalence of online sexual exploitation involving children and young adults.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Duval Felons Sentenced to More Than Eight Years in Federal Prison for Firearm Offense Related to Fatal ShootoutRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Evonte Earl Glover (29, Jacksonville) and Terry Lavon Shuman (27, Jacksonville) each to eight years and four months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Glover had pleaded guilty on May 12, 2021, and Shuman had pleaded guilty on April 7, 2021.
According to court documents, on November 10, 2019, Glover and Shuman were involved in a shootout in which they each possessed and fired handguns several times in the Cassat Avenue area of Jacksonville. Another individual was shot and killed during the shooting incident. Prior to this event, Glover had been convicted of three felonies, including a home invasion robbery, possession of cocaine, and sale, manufacture, or delivery of cocaine. Shuman had previously been convicted of armed robbery and fleeing or attempting to elude police. Therefore, Glover and Shuman were prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives . It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Cyrus P. Zomorodian and Assistant United States Attorney Beatriz Gonzalez.
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.
Drug trafficker sent to prison for trafficking meth via FedExRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 20-year-old McAllen resident has been ordered to federal prison for his role in a meth conspiracy, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Jose Edmundo Corona pleaded guilty June 3.
Today, U.S. District Judge Randy Crane ordered him to serve a 168-month sentence to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, Judge Crane noted Corona’s role in the conspiracy.
Between September and October 2020, authorities intercepted multiple FedEx packages destined for Houston, Dallas and Atlanta at their shipping center in Pharr. All of the parcels packages were shipped in identical boxes with similar packaging styles. A search ultimately revealed a total of 45 kilograms of crystal meth.
Surveillance footage determined Corona was the individual who placed the packages for delivery at various mailing centers throughout the Rio Grande Valley as well as paid for the shipping costs. Fingerprint analysis helped to determine Corona not only mailed the packages but also prepared the narcotics within the packages.
The drugs had an estimated street value of $300,000.
Corona will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura M. Garcia prosecuted the case.
Drug Trafficker who used Teens as Couriers Sentenced to 85 MonthsRead the Press Release
Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan E. Heesch (619) 546-9442
SAN DIEGO – A Tijuana-based drug trafficker who used teens as drug couriers was sentenced in federal court today to seven years in prison and a $50,000 fine for his leadership role in coordinating the movement of large quantities of cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine to San Diego from Mexico.
Osvaldo Medivil-Tamayo, 22, pleaded guilty in August 2020 to conspiracy to import and conspiracy to distribute federally controlled substances. In his plea agreement, Mendivil admitted he was “the leader of a drug distribution cell based in Tijuana” and that he used high school students as drug couriers to move drugs through San Diego ports of entry.
Mendivil also admitted that he “involved individuals less than 18 years of age in crossing drugs.” He admitted that he and his co-conspirators “specifically recruited high school students who crossed through the San Diego Ports of Entry daily. Mendivil knew that these individual[s] were minors as they hid narcotics on their persons, in backpacks, and in vehicles as they crossed into the United States.” According to court filings, Mendivil’s trafficking activities were captured on a wiretap on his Snapchat account. Mendivil’s own messages indicated his significant involvement in coordinating drug transportation loads. Mendivil sent and received numerous photographs and videos of narcotics on Snapchat, which DEA agents were able to review and collect as evidence.
Mendivil’s intercepted Snapchat messages also painted a picture of Mendivil knowingly using minors as drug couriers. Court filings highlight the specific conversations between Mendivil and his co-conspirators where Mendivil is provided with identification documents of would-be juvenile couriers, showing their ages. In one case, Mendivil received a photograph of a Chula Vista High School identification card and subsequently discussed the drop location for what agents believed to be several hundred pills.
According to his plea agreement, Mendivil worked as the transportation coordinator for several sources of supply of drugs and maintained a “cadre of couriers” to transport drugs across the U.S.-Mexico border in vehicles. Mendivil also paid others to recruit these couriers on his behalf. Mendivil admitted that the seizures of drugs attributed to his organization during the course of this investigation was approximately 150 kilograms total of heroin, fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine.
At his sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Cynthia Bashant noted Mendivil was “not only destroying lives with the drugs brought in but was destroying lives by getting other young people involved.”
“Our youth are being used by drug traffickers to smuggle dangerous drugs across the border,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “We are aggressively prosecuting the recruiters who exploit children. But the children also need to know that trying to sneak dangerous drugs under the noses of authorities is risky business. Don’t throw away your future.” Grossman praised prosecutor Meghan Heesch for her excellent work on this matter, and DEA and IRS agents for their innovative investigative strategies in this case.
“Drug cartels will do anything to get drugs into the United States so they can make their blood money - including putting our children in harm’s way,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge John W. Callery. “The DEA prioritizes investigations involving the exploitation of children and is involved in community outreach to educate parents and teenagers of the explicit dangers associated with smuggling drugs for cartels.”
Related cases 19CR2953-BAS and 20CR1454-BAS charged Mendivil’s co-conspirators, including his recruiters, stash house operators, and couriers. Seven other co-conspirators with lesser roles than Mendivil have been convicted and sentenced for federal drug trafficking offenses.
DEFENDANT Case Number 19-CR-2320-BAS
Osvaldo Mendivil-Tamayo Age: 22 Tijuana, Mexico
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Count 1: Conspiracy to Import Cocaine, Fentanyl, Heroin, and Methamphetamine – Title 21, U.S.C., Sections 952, 960, 963
Count 2: Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine, Fentanyl, Heroin, and Methamphetamine – Title 21, U.S.C., Sections 841, 846
Maximum penalties as to both counts: Life in prison and $10 million fine
AGENCIES
Drug Enforcement Administration
Internal Revenue Service- Criminal Investigations
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Donora Woman Sentenced for Heroin ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA – Jasmine Cook was sentenced to three years’ probation for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute and distribute a quantity of heroin, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.
Cook, age 31, of Donora, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by United States District Judge Robert J. Colville. Judge Colville ordered that 180 days of Cook’s probation be served on home detention and that she complete 80 hours of community service.
Assistant United States Attorneys Craig W. Haller and Yvonne M. Saadi prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
The Pennsylvania State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Butler County District Attorney’s Drug Task Force led the investigation leading to the conviction and sentence in this case.
Detroit man sentenced to seven years for his role in a drug trafficking operationRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Tyron Terreono Adams, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced today to 84 months of incarceration for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy, Acting U.S. Attorney Randolph J. Bernard announced.
Adams, 26, pled guilty in April 2021 to one count of “Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin and Cocaine Base,” one count of “Travel Act – Promotion,” four counts of “Unlawful Use of Communication Facility,” two counts of “Distribution of Heroin,” and one count of “Aiding and Abetting Distribution of Heroin.” Adams admitted to working with others to distribute fentanyl, cocaine base, also known as “crack,” and heroin from March 2018 to September 2020 in Monongalia County and elsewhere.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda E. Wesley prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Mon Metro Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, and the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Senior U.S. District Judge Irene M. Keeley presided.
Related press release: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/seventeen-people-charged-heroin-and-crack-cocaine-distribution-operation
Department of State Offers Reward for Information to Bring Chinese Fentanyl Trafficker to JusticeRead the Press Release
The U.S. Department of State is offering a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of People’s Republic of China (PRC) national Jian Zhang, a key leader of the transnational criminal Zhang Drug Trafficking Organization. This reward is also offered for information leading to his location.
Between 2013 and 2016, with Zhang acting as principal leader and organizer, Zhang’s criminal organization imported and distributed controlled substances and their analogues into the United States that led to the overdose deaths of four Americans in North Dakota, Oregon, North Carolina, and New Jersey and serious bodily injuries to five other Americans.
Zhang was charged in North Dakota in September 2017 along with several other Canadian nationals. A superseding indictment was returned in January 2018 adding additional PRC nationals. Several of the U.S. nationals have been convicted and sentenced to penalties ranging from 20 years to life. This investigation led to charges which include drug trafficking, trafficking of illicit drugs which led to death and/or serious bodily injury of Americans, violations of the Continuing Criminal Enterprise statute, and international money laundering.
This reward is offered under the Department of State’s Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program (TOCRP). More than 75 transnational criminals and major narcotics traffickers have been brought to justice under the TOCRP and the Narcotics Rewards Program (NRP) since 1986. The Department has paid more than $135 million in rewards to-date.
The State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs manages the TOCRP in close coordination with the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, and other U.S. government agencies.
For more information on the individual listed above and the TOCRP and NRP, please see Department of State INL Anticrime Rewards Program.
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WANTED: ZHANG JIAN
REWARD OF UP TO $5 MILLION
Zhang Jian is a key leader of transnational criminal organization, the Zhang Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO). Zhang was the principal leader and organizer of this transnational criminal conspiracy which sold controlled substances and controlled substance analogues throughout the United States and Canada.
Zhang was charged in North Dakota in September 2017 along with several other Canadian nationals. A superseding indictment was returned in January 2018 adding additional PRC nationals. Several of the U.S. nationals have been convicted and sentenced to penalties ranging from 20 years to life. This investigation led to charges which include drug trafficking, trafficking of illicit drugs which led to death and/or serious bodily injury of Americans, violations of the Continuing Criminal Enterprise statute, and international money laundering.
The U.S. Department of State is offering a REWARD OF UP TO $5 MILLION for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Zhang Jian, a/k/a "Hong Kong Zaron." The reward is also offered for information leading to the location of Zhang as the key leader of a transnational organized crime group.
If you have information, please contact the DEA by calling or texting +1-504-534-5134 via telephone/text/WhatsApp, or emailing [email protected]. If you are located outside
of the United States, please contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. If in the United States, please contact the local Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) office in your city.
ALL IDENTITIES ARE KEPT STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL.
Government officials and employees are not eligible for rewards
Coordinated Law Enforcement Effort Dismantles California to Western Pennsylvania Drug PipelineRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – Forty-seven individuals have been charged in six separate, but related, indictments with narcotics trafficking, money laundering, and firearms violations following a nine-month Title III wiretap investigation into drug trafficking in and around the counties of Jefferson, Clearfield, and Allegheny, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.
“In the last two years, we have seen methamphetamine distribution on the rise in western Pennsylvania,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Kaufman. “Through Operation Return to Sender, we have shut down a major California to western Pennsylvania drug pipeline and improved the quality of life for our citizens.”
“These indictments show how far reaching and effective the efforts of law enforcement collaboration are in combating drug-traffickers that seek to distribute illegal drugs in our communities,” said Thomas Hodnett, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Philadelphia Field Division. “I want to thank all of our law enforcement partners that participated in this investigation that netted drug-traffickers operating not only in Pennsylvania but in Oregon, California, Texas, and Ohio as well.”
“Today is the culmination of a major drug investigation that involved many state and federal agencies working hand-in-hand to protect the citizens of Jefferson County,” said Jefferson County District Attorney Jeff Burkett. “I commend, applaud and thank the DEA, the Pennsylvania State Police, Acting U.S. Attorney Stephen Kaufman and his office and the many other law enforcement agencies that spearheaded this important effort. It is very gratifying to see so many agencies working so hard together for such a great cause.”
“I am truly grateful for the hard work and dedication of Acting U.S. Attorney Kaufman, his staff, the Pennsylvania State Police, DuBois City Police Department, the DEA, and other law enforcement agencies for dismantling this network that has been supplying enormous quantities of drugs to Clearfield County and surrounding areas,” said Ryan Sayers, District Attorney of Clearfield County. “Organizing and executing an operation of this magnitude across multiple states and jurisdiction is no simple task, but it is worth it to protect our friends and neighbors from these drugs that plague our communities. Operations like this one and Crystal Highway, which occurred last year, send a clear message to drug traffickers—that Clearfield County is closed for their business.”
The first indictment names the following 37 individuals as defendants: • Derek Hillebrand, 25, of Troutville, Pennsylvania
• George Charlan, 33, of Grants Pass, Oregon
• Yusuf Adekunle, 26, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Marco Armenta, 36, of Stockton, California
• Silvia Ayala, 30, of Stockton, California
• Francisco Barba, 32, of Stockton, California
• Amy Bortot, 51, of Clearfield, Pennsylvania
• Brandon Coder, 32, of Dubois, Pennsylvania
• Terrence Dougherty, 28, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• Darren Douglas, 36, of Big Run, Pennsylvania
• Marco Galvez, of Patterson, California
• Chad Gasbarre, 35, of Brockway, Pennsylvania
• Danielle Gillam, 42, of Blandburg, Pennsylvania
• Kenneth Gillam, 51, of Blandburg, Pennsylvania
• Morgan Gregory, 32, of Dubois, Pennsylvania
• Darryl Isaacs, 56, of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania
• Kristy Lepionka, 38, of Reynoldsville, Pennsylvania
• Christian Maldonado, 33, of Stockton, California
• Lisandra Maldonado, 31, of Stockton, California
• Abel Perez, 34, of Stockton, California
• Jeffrey Peters, 65, of Hyde, Pennsylvania
• Megan Pyne, 27, of Dubois, Pennsylvania
• Armando Razo Jr., 31, of Stockton, California
• Christopher Robertson, 60, of Sparks, Nevada
• Brenton Ryans, 33, of Reynoldsville, Pennsylvania
• Ryan Schoening, 31, of Rockton, Pennsylvania
• Brent Shaffer, 37, of Olanta, Pennsylvania
• Christina Shaffer, 53, of Falls Creek, Pennsylvania
• Melvin Shelander, 30, of Kersey, Pennsylvania
• Darnell Smith, 38, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• Taylor Thomas, 27, of Dubois, Pennsylvania
• Juan Villagran, 23, of Stockton, California
• Jose Villalobos, 40, of Stockton, California
• James White, 38, of Seiad Valley, California
• James Williams Jr., 56, of Reynoldsville, Pennsylvania
• Travis Williams, 29, of Johnstown, Pennsylvania
• Justin Zeruth, 34, of Woodland, Pennsylvania.The named conspirators include leaders, members, drug suppliers, and associates of a drug trafficking organization responsible for distributing narcotics throughout Western Pennsylvania. According to the Indictment, the defendants conspired to possess with intent to distribute and distribute over 50 grams of methamphetamine, 500 grams of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, 500 grams or more of a mixture containing a detectable amount of cocaine, and a quantity of a mixture and substance containing marijuana from July 2020 through August 2021. The Indictment further alleges that several members of the conspiracy conspired to launder the monetary proceeds of the illegal drug trafficking activity. Finally, the Indictment alleges individual drug trafficking violations against Morgan Gregory, Jeffery Peters, and Christina Shaffer, as well as a firearms violation against Justin Zeruth. For all defendants, the law provides for a minimum sentence of 10 years imprisonment and up to life, a fine of not more than $10,000,000, or both.
A second indictment names: • Yusuf Adekunle, 26, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Adrian Alvarez, 27, (address unknown)
• Jesus Gonzalez, 35, of Houston, Texas.According to the two-count Indictment, on or about October 22, 2020, the defendants conspired to distribute and possessed with intent to distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine. The law provides for a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and up to life, a fine of $10 million or both.
A third indictment names Doug Austen, 40, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as the sole defendant. According to the Indictment, Austen possessed with intent to distribute and distributed more than 50 grams of methamphetamine on June 9, 2021. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 10 years to a maximum of life in prison, a fine not to exceed $10,000,000, or both.
A fourth indictment names Brent Coder, 54, of Dubois, Pennsylvania, as the sole defendant. According to the Indictment, on or about August 19, 2020 Coder distributed a quantity of methamphetamine and or about September 17, 2020, Coder possessed with intent to more than 500 grams of methamphetamine. The law provides for a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and up to life in prison, a fine of $10 million or both.
A fifth indictment names John Vos, 44, address unknown, as the sole defendant. According to the Indictment, Vos conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and on October 21, 2020, possessed with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. The law provides for a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and up to life in prison, a fine of $10 million or both.
A sixth indictment names six individuals: • Diego Zamudio, age 23, Pasadena, Texas
• Kimari Jackson, age 25, Richmond Heights, Ohio
• Terry Kelly, age 60, of Penfield, Pennsylvania
• Kareem Rock, age 27, of Richmond Heights, Ohio
• Ryan Schoening, age 31, of Rockton, Pennsylvania
• Jason Whitaker, age 48, of Dubois, Pennsylvania.According to the Indictment, the defendants conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute and distributed more than 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine from November 2020 through April 22, 2021. Jackson and Rock were also charged with possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine following a traffic stop on February 6, 2021. A subsequent search of their hotel room resulted in the seizure of more than 50 grams of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 10 years to a maximum of life in prison, a fine not to exceed $10,000,000, or both.
Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of each defendant.
The six indictments, returned by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on August 24, 2021, were unsealed today.
The Drug Enforcement Administration led the multi-agency investigation of this case, which also included the United States Postal Service – Office of Inspector General, United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, Internal Revenue Services – Criminal Investigation, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and Pennsylvania State Police. Also assisting were the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office, Clearfield County District Attorney’s Office, the Allegheny County Police Department, the Clarion Borough Police Department, and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General.
Acting U.S Attorney Kaufman also recognized the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California, under the leadership of Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert, for their assistance with the investigation and handling of initial proceedings in their District.
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.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan D. Lusty and Michael R. Ball are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Connecticut Woman Sentenced for Theft from Health Care Benefit ProgramRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine—A Connecticut woman was sentenced today in federal court for theft from a health care benefit program, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Melissa Tansey, 51, to one year and one day in prison and three years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay $162,135.08 in restitution to the victim. She pleaded guilty on March 31, 2021.
According to court records, beginning in March 2013, Tansey was employed as the sole administrative assistant and bookkeeper with a health care provider based in Falmouth. Beginning in November 2013, she began making unauthorized charges on the provider’s credit cards. In December 2013, she began writing unauthorized checks to herself. She would create fraudulent entries in the provider’s accounting software to make it appear that the payments were for legitimate expenses. This theft continued until January 2018, when the provider learned of her activity.
The FBI investigated the case.
Company Owners Sentenced for Falsifying Pension Contribution ReportsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Co-owners of a New Hampshire asbestos abatement company were sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for making false statements to employee pension plans.
Richard Quinn, 58, of Sterling, Mass., and Gary McCaffrey, 66, of Salem, N.H., were each sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock to two years of probation with the first six months to be served in home confinement. Both defendants were also ordered to pay a fine of $25,000 and restitution of $337,416. Quinn and McCaffrey previously pleaded guilty on April 30, 2021 and May 25, 2021, respectively, to one count each of making false statements to a pension plan covered by the Employee Retirement Security Act (ERISA).
Quinn and McCaffrey owned and operated Absolute Environmental Inc., an asbestos abatement company. Between November 2014 and May 2017, Quinn and McCaffrey continued to employ several undocumented individuals after being notified of their status. During this time period, Quinn and McCaffrey knowingly falsified reports to pension plans about the work performed by the undocumented individuals, failing to make required pension contributions of over $337,000.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Nikitas Splagounias, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Labor Racketeering and Fraud, New York Region; and Carol Hamilton, Boston Regional Director of the Employee Benefits Security Administration made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Grady of Mendell’s Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit prosecuted the case.
Climbing Hill Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Unlawfully Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
A man who possessed firearms and ammunition after having prior convictions of two felonies and while being an illegal drug user was sentenced to sixteen months in federal prison on August 26, 2021, in federal district court in Sioux City.
Adam Muecke, age 37, from Climbing Hill, Iowa, received the prison term after a February 16, 2021 guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon and a drug user. Muecke was previously convicted of theft in Plymouth County, Iowa, in 2002, and burglary in Plymouth County, Iowa, in 2003. At the time he possessed firearms, he was also an unlawful user of marijuana. Evidence presented at Muecke’s detention, change of plea, and sentencing hearings revealed that on March 13, 2020, during a search of his residence, law enforcement found Muecke in possession of firearms, a baggie containing marijuana, and marijuana pipes, among other things.
Mueck was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Mueecke was sentenced to 16 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a two-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Mueck was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on a date yet to be set.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The case was investigated by the Iowa Department of Public Safety’s Division of Criminal Investigation, the Iowa State Patrol, and the Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-CR‑4029.
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