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26 August 2021
Kansas City man pleads guilty to conspiracy charge related to drug-trafficking ringRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Joshua Sangrait, of Kansas City, Missouri pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances including more than 50 grams of actual methamphetamine. Sangrait appeared today before United States District Court Judge John A. Ross.
In 2018, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in St Louis, Missouri began an investigation into the drug trafficking activities undertaken by Joshua Sangrait and others. The investigation uncovered a vast network of co-conspirators spanning from St. Louis to Kansas City to California. During the investigation, DEA established that defendant Joshua Sangrait, who resided in Kansas City, participated in the conspiracy and distributed significant amounts of controlled substances to other co-conspirators.
As the investigation progressed, on April 19, 2019, DEA and the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department conducted an operation which resulted in the arrest of Sangrait. Investigators seized more than four kilograms of pure methamphetamine during the arrest of Sangrait. The conspiracy charge carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of not less than ten years.
Judge Ross has set sentencing for November 30, 2021.
Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case with assistance from the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department.
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Jury Convicts Recidivist Defendant of Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A federal jury convicted an Alexandria man today on charges of possessing child pornography.
“The evidence at trial demonstrated that the defendant’s prior conviction for distributing child pornography unfortunately did not deter him from continuing to seek out such heartbreaking and illegal images,” said Raj Parekh, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Thanks to the diligent efforts of the trial team and our law enforcement partners, the defendant has been held accountable for his recidivist conduct by a jury of his peers.”
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, James B. Clawson, Sr., 58, was previously convicted of distribution of child pornography in 2009 after law enforcement learned that he was serving as an administrator of an online forum dedicated to trafficking child sexual abuse material. In July 2019, while Clawson was completing a term of federal supervised release in connection with his conviction, a U.S. probation officer discovered that Clawson had been hiding a laptop computer and multiple thumb drives in a hidden compartment in a shelving unity in his home.
Evidence presented at trial established that Clawson used the laptop to search for and repeatedly download from the internet images and videos of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and then stored those images on one of his thumb drives. The evidence further established that Clawson sorted these child sexual abuse images on his thumb drive and assigned them files names based on the specific sexually explicit conduct they depicted.
Clawson was convicted of possession of child pornography. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison when sentenced on December 1, 2021. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Raj Parekh, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Kenneth A. Polite Jr., Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and Robert E. Bornstein, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Rossie D. Alston, Jr. accepted the verdict.
The FBI investigated the case, with significant assistance from the High Technology Investigative Unit (HTIU) of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS).
Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Schlessinger and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney William G. Clayman are prosecuting the case.
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:20-cr-119
Jury Convicts Macon Man on Meth, Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A federal jury convicted a Macon man with a violent criminal history on drug and firearms charges this week.
Roderick Chester, 34, of Macon, was found guilty of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm on Wednesday, August 25, following a three-day trial that began on Monday, August 23. Chester is facing a mandatory minimum of ten years up to a maximum of life in prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Chester was the last of a total of 19 defendants indicted after an investigation centered on drug trafficking in and around motels located in the Eisenhower Parkway corridor. All 19 were convicted in federal court.
“This week’s guilty verdict concludes an investigation into drug trafficking involving individuals with lengthy criminal records,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “The FBI and the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, along with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners, are working with us to ensure that repeat, violent felons like Roderick Chester will be held accountable for their continued criminal activities that diminish our neighborhoods and harm our citizens.”
“The jury has spoken and now Chester will be held accountable for plaguing the streets of the Macon community with drugs and their resulting violence and destruction,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The citizens of those communities are safer because they are rid of him and his co-defendants, thanks to the cooperation between the FBI and our federal, state and local law enforcement partners.”
According to court documents and evidence introduced at trial, Chester was a methamphetamine supplier in Macon. During the investigation agents observed Chester supplying methamphetamine to co-defendant Carlos Brown, who ultimately sold the methamphetamine to a confidential source during three controlled buys. Agents intercepted Chester’s phone calls and text messages by wiretap which revealed further methamphetamine distribution activities by Chester. At the time of his arrest, Chester had $15,000 cash and a firearm in his possession. Chester had previously been convicted of aggravated assault and aggravated assault on a peace officer. It is illegal for a convicted felon to possess a firearm. As a result of the full investigation into this methamphetamine trafficking organization, agents seized approximately 2.5 kilograms of methamphetamine.
The following co-defendants have pleaded guilty and have been sentenced for their crimes or are awaiting sentencing:
Albruce Green aka B, 41, of Macon, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to serve 240 months in prison, with 180 months to run concurrently and 60 months to run consecutively to a prior federal case in which he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to serve 240 months in prison, for a total sentence of 300 months;
Robert Lee Whisby, Jr. aka Lil Pumpkin, 46, of Macon and Stone Mountain, Georgia, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to serve 240 months in prison;
Rodney Morris, Sr., 46, of Macon, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to serve 200 months in prison;
Joshua Barham aka Gambino, 32, of Macon, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to serve 175 months in prison;
Kyra Williams aka K-Boo, 29, of Macon, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to serve 100 months in prison;
Theon Robinson, 40, of Macon and Sarasota, Florida, pleaded guilty to use of communication facility in causing or facilitating the commission of felonies under the controlled substances act and was sentenced to serve 46 months in prison;
Melvin Cason, 32, of Macon, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to serve three years of probation;
Cartney Pitts aka Blue, 37, of Macon, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and is facing a mandatory minimum of ten years up to life in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for September 29;
Keyundre Stafford aka Dre, 26, of Macon, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and use of communication facility in causing or facilitating the commission of felonies under the controlled substances act and for the gun charge is facing a minimum of five years, up to life imprisonment, consecutive to any other sentence and a maximum of four years in prison for the use of communication charge. Sentencing is scheduled for November 3;
Stephanie Davis, 32, of Macon, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and is facing a maximum of 20 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for September 29;
Troy Faulks, 49, of Macon, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and is facing a maximum of 20 years in prison. Sentencing set for September 29;
Lori Harrell, 34, of Macon, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and is facing a maximum of 20 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for September 29;
Carlos Brown aka Lo, 32, of Macon, pleaded guilty to distribution of methamphetamine and is facing a maximum of 20 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for November 3;
Shauna Bush aka “Brittany, 26, of Macon, pleaded guilty to distribution of methamphetamine and is facing a maximum of 20 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for September 29;
Morley Culver , 44, of Macon, pleaded guilty to two counts use of communication facility in causing or facilitating the commission of felonies under the controlled substances act and is facing a maximum four years in prison per count. Sentencing is scheduled for November 3;
Tamara Fryer, 34, of Macon, pleaded guilty to use of communication facility in causing or facilitating the commission of felonies under the controlled substances act and is facing a maximum of four years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for November 3;
Milton Hill, 38, of Macon, pleaded guilty to use of communication facility in causing or facilitating the commission of felonies under the controlled substances act and is facing a maximum of four years in prison. A sentencing date has not been scheduled; and,
Ray Kendrick aka Unk, 63, of Macon, pleaded guilty to use of communication facility in causing or facilitating the commission of felonies under the controlled substances act and is facing a maximum of four years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for November 3.
The case was investigated by FBI and the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shanelle Booker, Beth Howard and Will Keyes are prosecuting the case.
Jury Convicts Las Vegas Man of Three Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – On Wednesday, a federal jury convicted a Las Vegas man for committing three armed robberies of businesses in Las Vegas and Henderson.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Lesean Roger Dennis Braddock Jr. (28) and co-defendant Byron Joshua Jarell Porter (24) conspired to commit a series of three armed robberies over a four-day period in September 2019.
Following a three-day trial, the jury found Braddock guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit interference with commerce by robbery, three counts of interference with commerce by robbery, and three counts of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. U.S. District Judge James C. Mahan presided over the trial and scheduled sentencing for December 3, 2021. Braddock faces the statutory maximum penalty of life imprisonment. For each count of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, Braddock faces a mandatory minimum penalty of seven years in prison, which must be served consecutive to any other sentence.
Co-defendant Porter pleaded guilty in October 2020 and is awaiting sentencing.
Acting U.S. Attorney Christopher Chiou for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Aaron C. Rouse for the FBI made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the FBI, Henderson Police Department, and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Clarkson and Brian Whang are prosecuting the case.
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Jackson Man Sentenced to over 8 Years in Federal Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Jackson man was sentenced to serve 97 months in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Acting Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Mississippi.
Sylvester Donte Pugh, 38, of Jackson, was indicted by a federal grand jury for aiding and abetting the distribution of methamphetamine in 2018. Pugh pleaded guilty to the charge on May 10, 2021.
The case is the result of an extensive Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation operation targeting illegal methamphetamine distribution in central Mississippi.
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.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, the Jackson Police Department, the Madison Police Department, the Ridgeland Police Department, and the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Keesha Middleton and Christopher Wansley prosecuted the case.
Guatemalan Man Sentenced for Unlawful Reentry by an Alien Removed After Conviction of a FelonyRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – A Guatemalan national was sentenced to “time served” (6 months) in prison, for the federal crime of unlawful reentry by a removed alien, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca, Jason E. Schneider, Acting Chief Patrol Agent of the U.S. Border Patrol’s New Orleans Sector.
Julio Pablo-Chan, 39, was convicted after pleading guilty on May 27, 2021.
According to court documents, Julio Pablo-Chan, 39, of Guatemala, was arrested on February 26, 2020, on Interstate 10 in Jackson County. An agent of the South Mississippi Metro Enforcement Team (SMMET) conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Pablo-Chan, who did not have a driver’s license. The deputy requested assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol and a Border Patrol Agent responded on-site. The agent informed Pablo-Chan that due to his immigration history, and the fact that he did have proper immigration documents to enter, pass through or remain in the U.S. legally, he was being placed under arrest.
Pablo-Chan was transported to the Gulfport Border Patrol Station, where an agent with Homeland Security Investigations joined the investigation. Pablo-Chan’s identity was positively confirmed and records revealed that Pablo-Chan had illegally entered the United States and been removed from the United States back to his home nation of Guatemala in August 2011 and again in December 2018.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Border Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stan Harris is the prosecutor for the case.
Georgia Man Indicted for Albertville Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal grand jury this week indicted a Georgia man on a bank robbery charge, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Johnny Sharp, Jr.
A one-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges Nekyle N. Chaney, 45, of Covington, Georgia, with bank robbery. Chaney is accused of robbing the Regions Bank in Albertville by force, violence, or intimidation in February 2021.
Chaney faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
The FBI investigated the case with the assistance of the Albertville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Catherine Crosby and Michael Royster are prosecuting the case.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Foxborough Teacher Arrested on Child Exploitation ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A teacher at Foxborough High School was arrested today and charged in connection with possession of child pornography and receiving child pornography over the internet.
Thomas Davis, 41, of Mansfield, was charged with possession and receipt of child pornography. Following an initial appearance today before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge David H. Hennessy, Davis was detained pending a probable cause and detention hearing scheduled for Sept. 1, 2021.
According to the charging documents, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Davis’ residence today and seized a laptop belonging to Davis. An on-site examination of the device revealed approximately 40 images of child pornography on the defendant’s laptop, including images involving prepubescent minors under the age of 12-years-old.
The charge of receipt of child pornography provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Mansfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of Mendell’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case
Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should call 617-748-3274.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
The details contained in the criminal complaint are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Four Members of “Robles Park” Criminal Enterprise Indicted for Racketeering, Shootings, and Economic CrimesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Karin Hoppmann announces the return of an indictment charging Keaujay Hornsby, a/k/a “Plug,” (26, Tampa); Kareem Spann, a/k/a “Reem,” (27, Tampa); Tywon Spann, a/k/a “Weez,” (25, Tampa); and Eriaus Bentley (29, Tampa). Hornsby and both Spanns have been charged with racketeering conspiracy which, as the indictment alleges, relates to numerous violent, drug-trafficking, and economic crimes, committed in furtherance of a criminal enterprise called “Robles Park.” Hornsby and Kareem Spann have also been charged with committing violent crimes in aid of racketeering, and discharging firearms in aid of crimes of violence. All four defendants are charged with conspiring to commit fraud and identity theft, and with committing numerous substantive acts of fraud and identity theft.
If convicted on all counts, the defendants face the following maximum penalties:
- Hornsby: Life in prison
- Kareem Spann: Life in prison
- Tywon Spann: 79 years in prison
- Bentley: 29 years in prison
The indictment also notifies the defendants that the United States is seeking a money judgment in the amount that the defendants obtained or attempted to obtain from their offenses.
According to the indictment, “Robles Park” is a criminal organization whose members and associates engaged in acts involving murder, assault, intimidation, narcotics trafficking, access device fraud, identity theft, obstruction of justice, and other crimes. The indictment alleges that, among other acts of violence, Hornsby and Kareem Spann committed a shooting outside the Truth Lounge in Tampa, on July 19, 2020, and committed another shooting outside the International Plaza in Tampa on July 25, 2020.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has violated one or more of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Tampa Police Department, and the Department of Labor. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Natalie Hirt Adams.
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.
Four Charged in Alleged $150 Million Payment Processing SchemeRead the Press Release
Four individuals have been charged in the District of Massachusetts with conspiring to deceive banks and credit card companies into processing more than $150 million in credit and debit card payments on behalf of merchants involved in prohibited and high-risk businesses, including online gambling, debt collection, debt reduction, prescription drugs, and payday lending, according to an indictment unsealed today in Boston. Three of the four individuals charged were arrested today. The fourth defendant has not yet been arrested and is a fugitive on separate federal charges.
According to court documents, Ahmad “Andy” Khawaja, 49, of Los Angeles, California, and Thomas Wells, 74, of Martin County, Florida, are charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Mohammad “Moe” Diab, 45, of Glendale, California, and Amy Ringler Rountree, 38, of Logan, Utah, are charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Federal agents arrested Diab, Rountree, and Wells this morning. They are expected to appear in federal court in Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Utah, and Chicago, Illinois, respectively, later today or tomorrow. Khawaja is a fugitive from a December 2019 federal indictment filed in the District of Columbia that charges him, Diab, and others with campaign finance violations and obstruction of justice.
According to the indictment, executives of Allied Wallet Inc., a payment processing company headquartered in Los Angeles, secured payment processing for high-risk businesses through fraudulent misrepresentations about merchant clients. Khawaja served as Allied Wallet’s owner and Chief Executive Officer, Diab served as the Chief Operating Officer, and Rountree served as Vice President of Operations. Allied Wallet provided services enabling merchant clients to accept debit and credit card payments over global electronic payment networks run by card brands such as Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover. Allied Wallet served as an intermediary between its merchant clients and financial institution members of the card brand networks. Wells, through his company Priority Payout, introduced merchant clients seeking payment processing to Allied Wallet.
The indictment alleges that Khawaja, Diab, Rountree, Wells, and others engaged in a scheme to defraud several financial institutions, the card brands, and others of money and property by fraudulently inducing them to provide payment processing services to merchants engaged in prohibited or high risk transactions, and to merchants that were terminated for fraud, chargeback, or other compliance concerns, through knowingly misrepresenting the types of transactions that the merchants were processing and the true identities of the merchants. The defendants and their co-conspirators accomplished the scheme through, among other steps, creating shell companies, designing fake websites that purported to sell low-risk retail and home goods, and using industry-standard codes that miscategorized the true nature of the transactions. Through the scheme, the defendants and their co-conspirators fraudulently obtained more than $150 million in payment card processing through more than 100 sham merchants.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell of the District of Massachusetts made the announcement.
The Food and Drug Administration – Office of Criminal Investigations, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Randall Warden of the Justice Department’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney and Deputy Chief Seth B. Kosto of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts are prosecuting the case.
MLARS’s Bank Integrity Unit investigates and prosecutes banks and other financial institutions, including their officers, managers, and employees, whose actions threaten the integrity of the individual institution or the wider financial system.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Four Charged in Alleged $150 Million Payment Processing SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Four individuals have been charged with conspiring to deceive banks into allegedly processing more than $150 million in credit and debit card payments on behalf of merchants involved in prohibited and high-risk businesses, including online gaming, debt collection, debt relief, online pharmaceuticals and payday lending, among others.
Ahmad “Andy” Khawaja, 49, of Los Angeles, and Thomas Wells, 74, of Martin County, Fla., were charged with wire fraud conspiracy. Mohammad “Moe” Diab, 45, of Glendale, Calif., and Amy Ringler Rountree, 38, of Logan, Utah, were charged with wire fraud conspiracy and bank fraud conspiracy. Diab, Rountree and Wells were arrested today and will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date. Khawaja was charged in a December 2019 indictment along with Diab and others with campaign finance violations and obstruction of justice. Khawaja remains a fugitive.
According to the charging documents, Khawaja was the owner and Chief Executive Officer of Allied Wallet, Inc., a payment processing company headquartered in Los Angeles that served merchants doing business over the internet. Diab served as Chief Operating Officer of Allied Wallet and Rountree was the Vice President of Operations. Allied Wallet obtained for its clients access to services that enabled them to accept debit and credit card payments over global electronic payment networks run by Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover, among others (card brands). Allied Wallet served as an intermediary between its merchant clients and financial institutions that were members of the card brand networks (acquirers). Wells, through his company, Priority Payout, introduced merchant clients seeking payment processing to Allied Wallet.
It is alleged that the defendants and others engaged in a scheme to defraud several acquirers, the card brands and others of money and property by fraudulently inducing them to provide payment processing services to merchants engaged in prohibited or high-risk transactions, as well as to merchants that were terminated for fraud, chargeback or other compliance concerns, by knowingly misrepresenting the types of transactions the merchants were processing and the true identities of the merchants. The defendants and their co-conspirators allegedly accomplished the scheme through, among other steps, creating shell companies, designing fake websites that purported to sell low-risk retail and home goods and using industry-standard codes that miscategorized the true nature of the transactions. Through the scheme, it is alleged that the defendants and their co-conspirators fraudulently obtained more than $150 million in payment card processing through more than 100 sham merchants. In furtherance of the scheme, the defendants and their co-conspirators allegedly caused telephone calls and emails to be directed into Massachusetts.
The charge of wire fraud conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, forfeiture and restitution. The charge of bank fraud conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release, a fine of $1 million or twice the gross gain or loss, forfeiture and restitution. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Jeffrey Ebersole, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations, New York Field Office; Joshua McCallister, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and Todd M. Lyons, Field Office Director of Enforcement and Removal Operations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Boston, made the announcement. Assistance was provided by the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations, Rhode Island Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth B. Kosto, Deputy Chief of Mendell’s Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit, and Trial Attorney Randall Warden of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Police Officer Sentenced for Sexually Abusing a Young ChildRead the Press Release
A Sapulpa man was sentenced Thursday for sexually abusing a young child, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced Bradley Don Goodin, 47, to 15 years in federal prison followed by 20 years of supervised release.
During the hearing, the young victim spoke before the Court as well as another child who was also abused by Goodin. Judge Frizzell noted how compelling the statements were and stressed that these types of crimes have a significant impact on both children and their families.
Acting U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson said, “Goodin betrayed two young victims and took advantage of the role he played in their lives. The victims in this case bravely spoke today about the impact of Goodin’s crimes. I am proud of them for coming forward to face this child predator.”
On April 27, 2021, Goodin pleaded guilty to abusive sexual contact with a child under 12 in Indian Country.
In a child forensic interview, the girl described two incidents when Goodin sexually abused her on Oct. 5, 2019. The girl was afraid to tell her mother what was happening at the time because she feared Goodin would harm them. She later disclosed the abuse to her mother. At the time of the incidents, Goodin was an officer with Bristow Police Department. He has not been employed with the department since November 2019.
In a February 2021 superseding indictment, Goodin was charged with sexually abusing a total of three minors. He was also charged with being a felon in possession of 21 firearms. Goodin opted to plead guilty the day his trial was to begin.
The Sapulpa Police Department, Creek County Sheriff’s Office and FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey A. Gallant and Matilda Villalobos are prosecuting the case. Ms. Villalobos is a prosecutor from the District of New Mexico. She volunteered to assist prosecution efforts here in the Northern District of Oklahoma due to increased jurisdictional responsibilities regarding crimes involving Native American victims or defendants and that occur within the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and Cherokee Nation Reservations.
Former New Castle Anesthesiologist Sentenced for Illegally Prescribing and Distributing Oxycodone, Fentanyl, and Opana ERRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of New Castle, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court for unlawfully prescribing and distributing controlled substances, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.
United States District Judge David S. Cercone, sentenced Thomas Ranieri, 68, to two years of supervised release, with the first year served as home detention.
During his plea hearing on August 21, 2019, the defendant admitted that he previously was a physician who practiced as an anesthesiologist and pain-management specialist in clinics located in New Castle, Pennsylvania, and multiple locations in Ohio. From January 2, 2013, to June 26, 2013, the defendant prescribed and distributed quantities of Schedule II controlled substances (i.e., Oxycodone, Fentanyl, and Opana ER) outside the usual course of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose. In total, the defendant pled guilty to fourteen distribution counts associated with his dispensing of approximately 1,100 doses of narcotics.
Assistant United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General Medicaid Fraud Control Section conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Ranieri.
Former Music Teacher Sentenced to More Than 15 Years in Federal Prison for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A former music teacher in Southern California who contracted with several schools to teach music to children was sentenced today to 183 months in federal prison for producing child pornography.
John Edward Zeretzke, 62, of Ventura, was sentenced by United States District Judge Fernando M. Olguin.
Zeretzke pleaded guilty in August 2020 to one count of production of child pornography. He previously pleaded guilty in Orange County Superior Court to six state counts of committing lewd or lascivious acts with minors under the age of 14 years old. He was sentenced in July 2020 in the state court case to 18 years in state prison, a sentence that will run concurrently with his federal prison sentence.
From December 2016 to February 2017, Zeretzke used a computer and the internet to communicate with a female minor and coerced her into producing child pornography. The victim did not live in California at the time.
“[Zeretzke] preyed on young, impoverished girls in Third World countries and used his Flutes Around the World program as a means to contact and sometimes take advantage of those girls,” prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum.
This case is a part of Project Safe Childhood, the Justice Department’s ongoing initiative to combat the plague of child exploitation crimes.
The United States Postal Inspection Service and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Catharine A. Richmond of the Violent and Organized Crime Section prosecuted this case.
Former Ladysmith Teacher Charged with Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that a complaint was filed today in U.S. District Court in Madison charging McKenzie W. Johnson, 34, of Ladysmith, Wisconsin, with producing child pornography.
The complaint alleges that Johnson produced the child pornography on January 13, 2021. At the time, Johnson was a teacher at the Ladysmith High School. The offense alleged in the complaint does not involve a victim from Wisconsin.
Johnson was arrested on August 24 and is currently in the Rusk County Jail. His initial appearance in federal court in Madison has not been scheduled.
If convicted, Johnson faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in federal prison and is subject to a lifetime period of supervised release.
The charge against Johnson is the result of an investigation conducted by the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, Ladysmith Police Department, Rusk County Sheriff’s Office, Clark County Sheriff’s Office, the Ladysmith School District, and the Fontana (California) Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Altman is handling the prosecution.
You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Former CEO and COO of JHL Biotech Convicted of Conspiracy to Steal Trade Secrets and Commit Wire Fraud Exceeding $101 MillionRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Following a change of plea hearing for each defendant, Racho Jordanov, the co-founder and former Chief Executive Officer of JHL Biotech, and Rose Lin, another of the company’s co-founders and former Chief Operating Officer, each were convicted of conspiracy to commit trade secret theft and wire fraud, announced Acting United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds, Internal Revenue Service ̶ Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Special Agent in Charge Michael Daniels, and Federal Bureau of Investigation, Special Agent in Charge Craig D. Fair. The defendants’ guilty pleas were accepted by the Hon. William Alsup, Senior U.S. District Judge, on August 24, 2021.
Both defendants submitted written plea agreements to the Court. According to the plea agreements, in 2012, Raco Ivanov Jordanov, also known as “Racho” Jordanov, 73, of Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., and Rose Lin, also known as Rose Sweihorn Tong, 72, of South San Francisco, Calif., co-founded JHL Biotech, Inc., a biopharmaceutical startup in Taiwan. Between 2011 and 2019, Jordanov, as President and CEO of JHL Biotech, obtained and possessed confidential, proprietary, and trade secret information from Genentech, and used it to accelerate the timeline for and to reduce the costs of JHL Biotech’s development and production of Genentech biosimilars and to enhance JHL Biotech’s ability to meet various regulatory requirements related to the same. By various means, Jordanov obtained for JHL Biotech’s use many confidential and proprietary documents from Genentech without authorization, some of which contained trade secret information. In so doing, he worked with multiple people within JHL Biotech to possess and use confidential, proprietary, and trade secret information he knew JHL Biotech was not authorized to have.
According to the plea agreement, Jordanov hired former Genentech employees to work at JHL Biotech, several of whom he learned surreptitiously brought, without authorization, confidential and proprietary documents with them from Genentech to JHL Biotech. The company used only some of the stolen documents, but Jordanov tolerated this practice by the employees of JHL Biotech and made no effort to discourage its employees from using the documents or information they brought with them. The employees Jordanov hired provided the Genentech documents and information to JHL Biotech, which, at times, allowed the company to cheat, cut corners, solve problems, provide examples, avoid further experimentation, eliminate costs, lend scientific assurance, and otherwise help JHL Biotech start-up, develop, and operate its business secretly using the intellectual property and scientific know-how taken from Genentech. Jordanov admitted that he suspected that some or all the stolen information was brought to JHL Biotech in violation of relevant Genentech non-disclosure agreements and employment contracts, but he made no effort to verify whether that was true.
In January 2014, Lin arranged for Xanthe Lam, a Principal Scientist working full-time at Genentech, to secretly work as the head of formulation for JHL Biotech. Lin encouraged JHL Biotech scientists to ask Xanthe Lam for assistance or information when they ran into problems. Throughout this time, Lin knew that Xanthe Lam continued to work for Genentech and was not authorized to work for JHL Biotech. Lin also knew that Xanthe Lam did not want Genentech to learn of her work for JHL Biotech. Lin agreed to pay Xanthe Lam’s consultancy fee through her husband, Allen Lam. To further conceal Xanthe Lam’s work for the company, JHL Biotech did not enter a direct contract with Xanthe Lam. Instead, it always paid her through Allen Lam. Lin agreed to conceal Xanthe Lam’s work for JHL Biotech because Lin knew Genentech would not permit Xanthe Lam to work for another biotech company. Lin also directed JHL Biotech employees to use Allen Lam’s JHL email address to email questions to Xanthe Lam. Lin also instructed JHL Biotech employees to refer to Xanthe Lam as “Allen” in these email communications.
In early 2014, Lin learned that JHL Biotech employees were using confidential and proprietary documents, taken without authorization from Genentech, to create a set of JHL Biotech standard operating procedure (“SOPs”). JHL Biotech needed SOPs to apply for the initial Good Manufacturing Practices or “GMP” certification of its manufacturing facility by the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration or “Taiwan FDA.” Lin was in charge of the process for ensuring that JHL Biotech met the deadlines set for the GMP certification process. In that role, Lin was copied on emails where JHL Biotech employees discussed using Genentech documents to create JHL Biotech’s SOPs. Ultimately, 90-100 SOPs were generated in this way. Lin knew the JHL Biotech employees did not have the right to use Genentech’s documents and that their actions constituted theft from Genentech.
Between 2014 and 2018, Jordanov sometimes personally used and instructed others to use confidential, proprietary, trade secret Genentech documents and information relating to Genentech’s complex technology transfer procedures and processes. He used Genentech’s confidential and tech transfer documents in the development, construction, and operation of new facilities for JHL Biotech including its manufacturing facility in Wuhan, China. Jordanov instructed the employees to whom he sent the documents not to share them with others inside the company. Later, in September of 2018, after the criminal investigation had begun, the JHL employee Jordanov tasked with using the Genentech tech transfer documents was instructed by Jordanov to delete the email from Jordanov and its attachment and Jordanov instructed the employee to tell others at JHL Biotech to do the same.
In early-December 2016, Jordanov and Lin met with representatives of Sanofi S.A., the multi-national French pharmaceutical company, for approximately one week, during which they reviewed the strategic partnership agreement to be entered into by Sanofi and JHL Biotech. During this week-long meeting, Jordanov and Lin reviewed each section of the prospective partnership agreements in detail. Some of the sections of the agreements involved JHL Biotech representing to Sanofi that it had developed and was conducting its biosimilar operations without infringing the intellectual property rights of other companies or using other companies’ proprietary information. Jordanov and Lin did not disclose their possession and use of stolen Genentech documents to Sanofi, and instead, Jordanov signed the partnership agreements on behalf of JHL Biotech. By concealing these facts, Jordanov and Lin made it appear, falsely, that JHL Biotech had developed its own, or had lawfully obtained, the intellectual property that the biotech company used when, in fact, JHL Biotech had relied upon intellectual property, including confidential, proprietary, and trade secret information that it stole or received without authorization to obtain regulatory approval for its clinical trials, and build out its manufacturing capability. Jordanov and Lin knew that if they had not concealed these facts, Sanofi would not have agreed to the corporate transaction and invest approximately $80 million in JHL Biotech securities pursuant to the subscription agreement and approximately $21 million pursuant to Biologics Products Options Agreement (BPOA) for a total investment by Sanofi in JHL Biotech of approximately $101 million.
On June 1, 2021, a federal grand jury indicted Jordanov and Lin, charging both defendants with the following charges: (1) conspiracy to commit theft of trade secrets and wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371; (2) wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1343 and 2 (three counts each defendant); (3) international money laundering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (nine counts against Jordanov and five counts against Lin); and (4) conspiracy to obstruct justice, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371. In addition, the indictment charges Jordanov with two counts of theft of trade secrets, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § § 1832(a)(1)(2)(3) and 2; and charges Lin with one additional count of making false statements to a government agency, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(2). Pursuant to the plea agreements, both defendants pleaded guilty to count one of the indictment, conspiracy to commit theft of trade secrets and wire fraud. If the defendants comply with the terms of the plea agreements, the remaining charges will be dismissed at sentencing.
The criminal case against each defendant was adjourned for sentencing before Judge Alsup, on December 7, 2021. For their convictions, Jordanov and Lin each face possible prison sentences controlled by the terms of their respective plea agreements. The court also may order additional assessments, forfeiture, and restitution; however, any sentence would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
On July 7, 2021, in a related case, United States v. Xanthe Lam and Allen Lam, Case No. 18-cr-0527 WHA, both Xanthe Lam and Allen Lam pleaded guilty to, among other offenses, conspiracy to commit theft of trade secrets by stealing confidential, proprietary, and trade secret information from Genentech and giving it to JHL Biotech.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sheila A.G. Armbrust, Adam A. Reeves, and Claudia A. Quiroz are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Beth Margen and Morgan Byrne. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service ̶ Criminal Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Florida man charged with stealing over $12 million in funds intended to be used to buy Personal Protective EquipmentRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Brian Sperber has been indicted for defrauding personal protective equipment (“PPE”) purchasers out of more than $12 million during the COVID-19 pandemic, money which Sperber then allegedly used to fund his own lifestyle, including by purchasing a multi-million-dollar waterfront mansion.
“While others were marshalling limited medical resources to confront the COVID-19 pandemic, Sperber allegedly lined his pockets with stolen money that was intended to purchase lifesaving PPE for hospitals and medical institutions,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Kurt R. Erskine. “As the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic continue, this office will aggressively pursue those individuals who steal funds intended to be used to purchase critical medical equipment.”
“Sperber allegedly took advantage of companies trying to direct personal protective equipment to those protecting themselves against a deadly virus,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Profiting from others’ hardships is something the FBI is determined to stop and will be a priority for our investigators during this pandemic.”
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Erskine, the charges, and other information presented in court: Brian Sperber, who was a distributor of PPE, allegedly embezzled over $12 million from customers seeking to purchase PPE during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sperber and a co-conspirator are alleged to have repeatedly sent customers falsified invoices, emails, and other documents to make them believe that their orders were on the way when in fact Sperber and his co-conspirator had misappropriated the funds.
Even though he was aware hospital and medical institutions needed this PPE as the pandemic worsened in early 2020, Sperber allegedly used millions of dollars’ of his victims’ funds for his own personal use, which included purchasing a multi-million dollar waterfront mansion in Boca Raton, Florida.
Brian Sperber, 44, of Boca Raton, Florida was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, four counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, and four counts of money laundering. Sperber will be arraigned at a later date in the Northern District of Georgia.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas J. Krepp is prosecuting the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sekret T. Sneed, Chief of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section, is handling the forfeiture associated with this 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.
Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Procurement FraudRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Raymond Lofthouse, age 59, of Florida, pled guilty to one count of filing false claims against the U.S. Government.
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, Lofthouse was awarded a contract for $60,000 to repair three electric motors for the U.S. Navy. Lofthouse billed the Navy for the contract, knowing the work was not complete and then never completed the work.
The matter was investigated by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the Department of Defense Office of the Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott R. Ford is prosecuting the case.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty for this offense is up to five years in prison, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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Federal Jury Says Guilty to Hialeah Woman Who Stole Co-Worker Identities and over $152,000 from Local Small BusinessRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – Following a three-day trial, a South Florida federal jury this week found 27-year-old Hialeah resident Dianelis Molina Noda guilty of using stolen identities and several of her own bank accounts to steal payroll funds from the family-owned landscaping business for which she had worked for about four years.
According to the evidence presented at trial, Molina Noda handled the payroll of Greentree, Inc., a local landscaping company, and used her access to its records to commit fraud. Using the identities of 20 former employees of the small business, Molina Noda logged work hours in their names and sent the information to a payroll company, which triggered the payroll company to issue paychecks or make direct deposits to accounts. Molina Noda set up three bank accounts and used them to receive the direct deposits. Between August 2018 and March 2019, Molina Noda stole over $152,000 from this family-owned landscaping company, in addition to collecting her salary. She spent the money on cosmetic surgery, jewelry, furniture, an Orlando timeshare, and a Disney ticket package, among other things.
The jury found Molina Noda guilty of five counts of wire fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft. She faces a maximum sentence of twenty years’ imprisonment for the wire fraud, plus two years of imprisonment for the aggravated identity theft. Sentencing is set for October 29, at 10:00 a.m. before U.S. Chief District Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami, announced the jury’s verdict.
FBI Miami investigated the case, which was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Adam Hapner and Abbie Waxman.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 21-cr-20087.
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Federal Jury Convicts Two Men for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A federal jury found two men guilty of illegal possession of a firearm, announced Acting U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk.
Following a three-day trial before Judge Paul A. Magnuson, a jury found Jarvae Josiah Somerville, 28, of White Bear Lake, and Ronald Donte Finley, Jr., 26, of Minneapolis, guilty of one count each of illegal possession of a firearm.
“The increase in violence, throughout the Twin Cities, often as a result of firearms in the possession of felons, must end. The U.S. Attorney’s Office remains committed to working with our local law enforcement partners to focus on those individuals who put public safety at risk,” said Acting United States Attorney W. Anders Folk. “Today’s verdict helps reaffirm our collective commitment to reducing the gun violence.”
“When ATF was asked to take part in the U.S. Attorney’s Violent Crime Task Force initiative last summer, we fully committed to investigating the top violent offenders wreaking havoc in Minneapolis,” said ATF Acting Special Agent in Charge Jeff Reed, of the St. Paul Field Division. “It’s clear with today’s verdict that these two had little regard for the safety of others. We hope this verdict is a warning to those who are illegally possessing and using firearms in the Twin Cities. ATF continues to work alongside the Minneapolis Police Department and our other law enforcement partners to pursue individuals choosing to inflict violence on others using firearms.”
According to the evidence presented at trial, Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) officers were investigating a shooting, when the officers witnessed Somerville and Finley at a restaurant on Lake Street in Minneapolis. While Somerville was inside the restaurant and Finley was outside near an Infinity sedan that the men were driving, officers moved in to make an arrest. When officers approached Finley, Finley ran from the Infinity sedan but was apprehended and arrested. Inside the Infiniti sedan, officers found a Sig Sauer 9mm semi-automatic pistol with an extended magazine. When officers entered the restaurant and attempted to arrest Somerville, Somerville ran inside a private bathroom in the back of the restaurant. Two officers chasing Somerville followed Somerville inside, and Somerville reached into his waistband. Concerned that Somerville was reaching for a firearm, an officer grabbed Somerville’s hands, and the three men struggled until other officers arrived to assist. After Somerville was handcuffed and taken into custody, officers recovered from the floor of the bathroom a Glock, .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun with an extended magazine.
After the arrests, officers executed a search warrant at Somerville’s residence and found a box of .45 caliber ammunition the same model of which was found in the firearm found in the bathroom. Officers also found a gun cleaning kit. Investigators later confirmed that Finley’s fingerprints were present on the magazine of the 9mm pistol found in the Infiniti sedan.
Because Somerville has prior felony convictions in Hennepin County and Finley has prior felony convictions in Cook County, Illinois, they are prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.
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.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Minneapolis Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Calhoun-Lopez tried the case.
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
Federal Jury Convicts Mercer County Man of Retaliating Against Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
Nearly $5 million fraudulent lien filed in retaliation for single wage garnishment
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – A federal jury convicted a Mercer County man of retaliating against a federal law enforcement officer by filing a fraudulent lien and attempting to interfere with the administration of Internal Revenue laws. Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the two-day jury trial.
According to court records and evidence at trial, Jeffrey Reed, 62, of Flat Top, West Virginia, owed a significant tax debt to the Department of Treasury and was employed by a hotel in the Oak Hill, West Virginia area. In 2015, after letters sent to Reed from the IRS were either sent back or ignored, an IRS revenue officer took steps to garnish a portion of Reed’s wages. When Reed learned of these efforts, he met with managers of the hotel and requested that they not comply with the IRS’ attempts to garnish his wages. In retaliation for a single wage garnishment of $598, Reed filed a $4.95 million lien with the Mercer County Clerk directed against the revenue officer and the owner of the hotel. Reed’s lien claimed 165 constitutional violations, including illegal search and seizure, war, treason and slavery. Reed also sought to attach any real and personal property owned by the revenue officer and the owner of the hotel.
Reed further claimed that the revenue officer owed him an additional $9 million because his name had been copyrighted.
Department of Treasury Special Agents testified they spoke to Reed in February 2020 at which time he admitted to filing the lien against the revenue officer. Reed indicated that he filed the lien in order to obstruct the collection of his wages.
Reed faces up to 13 years in federal prison and a fine up to $500,000 when he is sentenced on November 29, 2021.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston commended the excellent work of the revenue officer and the Department of Treasury agents that worked on the case. The United States Department of Treasury, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administrations (TIGTA)-Investigations conducted the investigation with assistance from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The prosecution was specifically authorized by the United States Department of Justice, Tax Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Erik S. Goes and Ryan Blackwell prosecuted the case.
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. 1:20-cr-66.
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Federal Judge Sentences Chicago Man to Eight Years in Prison for Illegally Possessing Loaded Gun on City’s West SideRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A Chicago man has been sentenced to eight years in federal prison for illegally possessing a loaded handgun in the city’s Humboldt Park neighborhood.
EDDIE JONES, 28, illegally possessed the gun in the 800 block of North Homan Avenue on June 5, 2020. Chicago Police officers responding to the sound of gunfire observed Jones running along the street and tossing the gun into a vacant lot. The firearm was equipped with a laser scope and loaded with multiple rounds of ammunition. Further investigation revealed that three victims were wounded by gunfire moments before the officers encountered Jones.
Jones 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, including firearm-related offenses, and was prohibited by federal law from possessing the gun.
In imposing the prison sentence Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Manish S. Shah found that Jones used the handgun in the attempted murders of the three wounded victims.
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. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cornelius A. Vandenberg.
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.
Fort Washakie Man Charged in Two Separate IndictmentsRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Bob Murray announced today that ROYCE NEIL PERRY JR a/k/a “Chucky”, 24, of Fort Washakie, Wyoming, was charged in two separate indictments by a federal grand jury on July 22, 2021.
Perry appeared on August 24 in Lander, Wyoming, before United States Magistrate Judge Teresa McKee on both indictments and pled not guilty.
In the first indictment, Perry is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm, assault resulting in serious bodily injury, and carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury. These three counts stem from an incident in 2019. The maximum penalty upon conviction in this first indictment is up to 25 years in prison and seven years of supervised release.
In the second indictment, Perry is charged with one count of involuntary manslaughter and two counts of child abuse in a second indictment. According to that indictment, on or about November 2, 2020, Perry drove a motor vehicle, under the influence of controlled substances, in a reckless manner, killing one occupant and injuring two children. The maximum penalty upon conviction in the second indictment is up to 26 years in prison and nine years of supervised release. All counts are subjectable to fines and special assessments.
A jury trial is set for October 25, 2021, in Casper before Chief United States District Judge Scott W. Skavdahl.
The investigations are being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Elmore is prosecuting the case. The charges against Perry are merely accusations, and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Essex County Man Charged in Shooting of Two PeopleRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man with a previous felony was arrested today on charges related to the shooting of two people in a housing complex, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Ramad Moultrie, 19, of Newark, is charged by complaint with unlawful possession of ammunition by a convicted felon. He made his initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Andre M. Espinosa in Newark federal court and was detained.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Aug. 2, 2021, members of the Newark Police Department responded to multiple shootings at the Grace West Manor Complex on Irvine Turner Boulevard, where they located two victims with gunshot wounds. Surveillance video recorded Moultrie waving members of a crowd, including small children, out of his way before firing a handgun towards the two victims. Three .45 auto caliber casings were recovered from the area where Moultrie discharged the firearm. A .45 caliber handgun and a quantity of heroin were recovered when Moultrie was arrested at his residence.
Moultrie has been convicted twice in the state of New Jersey for possession of a controlled dangerous substance and once for possession with intent to distribute a controlled dangerous substance.
The felon in possession of ammunition charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special deputies of the U.S. Marshals Service, under the direction of Marshal Juan Mattos Jr.; and officers of the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Brian O’Hara, with the investigation leading to these charges.
The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Shaughnessy of the Organized Crime/Gangs Unit in Newark.
The charge and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Enrolled member of Navajo Nation sentenced to eight years in prison for sex abusive of a minorRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Larry Nathaniel, 65, of Farmington, New Mexico, and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, was sentenced on Aug. 25 in federal court to eight years and six months in prison for abusive sexual contact of a minor in Indian Country. Nathaniel pleaded guilty on Feb. 2.
According to the indictment and other court records, Nathaniel committed the offense in the family home of the victim in San Juan County on the Navajo Nation on Feb. 24, 2019. Nathaniel held down the victim by the arm and touched her genitalia. At the time of the abuse, the victim was ten years old.
Upon his release from prison, Nathaniel will be subject to five years of supervised release and also must register as a sex offender.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Nayback prosecuted the case.
Doctor Sentenced to More Than 15 Years in Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Thousands of Oxycodone Pills IllegallyRead the Press Release
Audrey Strauss, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that Dr. EMMANUEL LAMBRAKIS, a former state-licensed doctor, was sentenced this afternoon to 188 months in prison for conspiring to distribute medically unnecessary oxycodone unlawfully. LAMBRAKIS pled guilty on November 26, 2019, before U.S. District Judge William H. Pauley III, and was sentenced today before U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla.
U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “Dr. Emmanuel Lambrakis wrote medically unnecessary prescriptions for thousands of oxycodone pills – an addictive and potentially fatal opiate. Instead of abiding by his oath to ‘do no harm,’ Lambrakis pumped deadly drugs into the community. Lambrakis put his own greed before his duties as a medical professional, and for that he will now spend a lengthy term in federal prison.”
According to the Complaint, the Indictment, and other court documents, as well as statements made in public court proceedings:
Oxycodone is a highly addictive, narcotic opioid that is used to treat severe and chronic pain conditions. Oxycodone prescriptions are in high demand and can be resold on the street for thousands of dollars. A single prescription for 120 30-milligram tablets of oxycodone can net an illicit distributor $2,400 in cash or more.
From at least approximately January 2011 until December 2016, LAMBRAKIS operated two medical clinics in Queens, New York, where LAMBRAKIS wrote numerous medically unnecessary prescriptions for large quantities of oxycodone in exchange for cash payments. LAMBRAKIS typically charged approximately $150 in cash for “patient visits,” and these visits often involved numerous “patients” being seen by LAMBRAKIS at the same time in the same examination room. During these “patient visits,” LAMBRAKIS would perform simple, perfunctory body manipulations (such as rotating the patient’s arm or leg) and engage in little or no conversation with the purported “patient.” Nonetheless, LAMBRAKIS would then issue to the patient a prescription for a large quantity of oxycodone, most often 120 30-milligram tablets or more.
Between January 2011 and December 2016, LAMBRAKIS wrote hundreds of oxycodone prescriptions, resulting in the illicit distribution of thousands of oxycodone tablets. On numerous occasions, LAMBRAKIS wrote 100 or more prescriptions for 30-milligram oxycodone pills in a single day. As a result of LAMBRAKIS’s actions, LAMBRAKIS collected approximately more than $3 million in fees from his “patients.”
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LAMBRAKIS, 74, of New York, New York, pled guilty to one count of conspiring to unlawfully distribute and possess with intent to distribute oxycodone.
In addition to the prison term, LAMBRAKIS was sentenced to three years of supervised release, and ordered to forfeit $3,093,000, representing the amount he gained from issuing medically unnecessary oxycodone prescriptions.
Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding investigative work of the DEA’s Tactical Diversion Squad, which comprises agents and officers from the DEA, the NYPD, the New York State Police, Town of Orangetown Police Department, Rockland County Drug Task Force, Westchester County Police Department, and New York City Department of Investigation. She also acknowledged the assistance of the Department of Health & Human Services, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the New York City Human Resources Administration, and the National Insurance Crime Bureau.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan Finkel, Sarah Mortazavi, Kimberly J. Ravener, and Jessica K. Fender are in charge of the prosecution.
Disbarred Lawyer Found Guilty of Multiple Felonies for Stealing Client Settlement Money and Cheating on Federal Income TaxesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A disbarred personal-injury lawyer was found guilty by a federal jury today of 22 felonies for stealing the majority of a multimillion-dollar settlement that should have been paid to a car accident victim, as well as cheating on his federal income taxes.
Philip James Layfield, a.k.a. “Philip Samuel Pesin,” 48, of Las Vegas and formerly of Coto de Caza, was found guilty of 19 counts of wire fraud, one count of mail fraud, one count of tax evasion, one count of failure to collect and pay over payroll taxes, and one misdemeanor charge of failure to file a tax return. Following the jury verdicts, Layfield was remanded into federal custody.
According to evidence presented at his 13-day trial, Layfield owned and operated law firms, including Layfield & Barrett (L&B), which, at various times, maintained offices in Irvine; Los Angeles; El Segundo; Park City, Utah; and Scottsdale, Arizona.
After he had misappropriated millions of dollars from clients’ settlements, Layfield relocated to Costa Rica. Just before getting on a flight to Costa Rica, Layfield borrowed $700,000 from a business lender by providing misleading information and failing to disclose material information. Then he used substantial portions of the loan proceeds for personal expenses, including buying a horse and shipping horses to Costa Rica.
In 2016, Layfield entered into an agreement to represent an individual who was struck by an automobile in Orange County and suffered significant injuries. After negotiating a $3.9 million settlement related to the accident, Layfield misappropriated most of the money owed to the victim – approximately $2 million for personal and business uses, including to pay clients whose settlement proceeds Layfield had earlier misappropriated. The car accident victim received only $25,000 of the settlement proceeds.
Layfield also failed to file a federal income tax return for the tax year 2016, despite receiving more than $3 million, including embezzled client settlement money. Layfield also caused his law firm to not pay approximately $120,976 in payroll taxes to the United States government for the second quarter of 2017.
United States District Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald has scheduled a November 8 sentencing hearing, at which time Layfield will face a statutory maximum sentence of more than 200 years in federal prison.
The State Bar of California disbarred Layfield in October 2018. Layfield also was a certified public accountant, but his CPA license expired in July 2019, according to the California Board of Accountancy.
Homeland Security Investigations, IRS Criminal Investigation and the FBI investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Mark R. Aveis and Carolyn S. Small of the Major Frauds Section and Ian V. Yanniello of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering and Racketeering Section are prosecuting this case.
Denver, N.C. Man Is Sentenced to Four and A Half Years in Prison for Defrauding His Former Employer of More than $4 MillionRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Michael Guzman, 43, of Denver, N.C., was sentenced today to 54 months in prison and two years of supervised release for defrauding his former employer of more than $4 million, announced William T. Stetzer, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell also ordered Guzman to pay $4.1 million in restitution.
Robert R. Wells, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, joins Acting U.S. Attorney Stetzer in making today’s announcement.
According to court records, plea documents and today’s sentencing hearing, from June 2019 to May 2020, Guzman executed a scheme to defraud his employer, identified in court documents as Company A, of more than $4 million, by improperly auctioning off Company A’s assets and funneling the proceeds through shell companies he formed. Company A is a large equipment rental company headquartered in Fort Mill, S.C., that rents out on-road and off-road machinery for construction and other purposes. Guzman worked for Company A as a Fleet Operations Manager, and was responsible for, among other things, the disposal of aged equipment, also known as assets.
Court records show that, during the relevant time period, Guzman arranged for approximately 398 assets of Company A to be auctioned off through an online auction house that buys and sells used heavy construction equipment. To perpetuate the fraud, Guzman represented to the auction house that the assets were owned by Guzman’s shell companies, when in fact the majority of the assets were still owned by Company A. In his capacity as a Fleet Operations Manager, Guzman was able to hide the scheme from Company A by manipulating internal company records.
According to filed court documents, Guzman arranged for the proceeds of the sales to be sent to a bank account under his control and used the money to buy a condominium in South Carolina, a plot of land in New York, an RV vehicle, a boat, and multiple cars and trucks.
On May 20, 2021, Guzman pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering. He will be ordered to report to the federal Bureau of Prisons upon to begin serving his sentence designation of a federal facility.
In making today’s announcement, Acting U.S. Attorney Stetzer thanked the FBI for their investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Vento, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
Davenport Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, IOWA – A Davenport man, Preston Andrew Cole, age 28, was sentenced yesterday by United States District Court Judge Stephanie M. Rose to 144 months in prison for Possession of Child Pornography. Cole was ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release to follow his prison term as well as pay $100 to the Crime Victims’ Fund and $3,000.00 in restitution.
According to court documents, a routine home contact was conducted by the United States Probation Office at Cole’s residence due to Cole being on federal supervision. The probation officer noticed a wi-fi router and multiple electronic devices with internet connectivity capabilities. Cole was interviewed and admitted to viewing child pornography on the devices and consuming alcohol – both violations of his supervised release. A forensic examination of the devices revealed multiple images of child pornography. On April 28, 2021, Cole admitted to the facts above and pleaded guilty to the charge. Cole had been previously convicted of receiving child pornography in May 2016 and was sentenced to 72 months’ imprisonment with 10 years of supervised release to follow. Due to the new charges, his supervised release was revoked, and he was sentenced to serve 24 months in prison. That term was ordered to be served consecutive to the 144 months’ imprisonment on the new charge.
Acting United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Davenport Police Department investigated the case. This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa as part of the
U.S. Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Childhood” initiative, which was started in 2006 as a nation-wide effort to combine law enforcement investigations and prosecutions, community action, and public awareness in order to reduce the incidence of sexual exploitation of children. Any persons having knowledge of a child being sexually abused are encouraged to call the Iowa Sexual Abuse Hotline at 1-800-284-7821.
Connections Community Support Programs Agrees to Judgments of over $15 Million to Resolve Health Care Fraud and Controlled Substances AllegationsRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – U.S. Attorney David C. Weiss announced today that Connections Community Support Programs, Inc. (“CCSP”) has agreed to the entry of consent judgments totaling over $15,300,000 to resolve two lawsuits brought by the federal government alleging health care fraud arising under the federal False Claims Act and violations of the Controlled Substances Act. Prior to the sale of its assets in bankruptcy, CCSP provided a variety of mental health and addiction treatment services at numerous locations throughout Delaware.
CCSP has agreed to the entry of a judgment in the amount of $13,757,520.60, plus interest, to resolve claims that CCSP violated the False Claims Act by billing for mental health services performed by individuals whose professional qualifications did not allow them to bill Medicare or Medicaid for reimbursement and by billing Medicaid for mental health services using incorrect procedure codes for the person performing the service, resulting in higher payments than were permitted. CCSP has also agreed to the entry of a judgment in the amount of $1,621,571, plus interest, to resolve claims that it violated the federal Controlled Substances Act by negligently failing to keep proper records of its use of controlled substances, including methadone and buprenorphine, in its treatment of patients with substance use disorders and by transferring controlled substances between locations without proper documentation.
On April 19, 2021, shortly after the filing of these two lawsuits by the United States, CCSP filed for bankruptcy. On June 15, 2021, CCSP completed a sale, overseen by the Bankruptcy Court, of its assets and operations to Conexio Care, Inc. and Coras Wellness and Behavioral Health, which are now providing the mental health and addition treatments services formerly provided by CCSP. The settlement agreements and consent judgments agreed to by CCSP and the United States must still be approved by the Bankruptcy Court and the final amount of any recovery by the United States will be limited by the availability of funds in the bankruptcy estate to pay the United States and other creditors of CCSP.
“For many years, Connections was improperly billing government programs for mental health services and failing to properly monitor and document its controlled substances inventory,” said U.S. Attorney Weiss. “These settlements, together with the transfer of all of Connections’ services and operations to providers, finally resolve Connections’ long history of poor legal and regulatory compliance which jeopardized the provision of important mental health and substance abuse treatment to the residents of the State of Delaware.”
“These allegations depict CCSP as a health care provider that truly disserved patients and their Federal health care programs,” said Maureen Dixon, Special Agent in Charge with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Falsely billing Medicare and Medicaid demonstrates a lacking regard for the stability of these programs and the beneficiaries who depend on their services. With our law enforcement partners, HHS-OIG continuously strives to swiftly combat such fraud.”
“Narcotics treatments programs such as Connections were entrusted with dispensing drugs such as methadone and buprenorphine to assist people with substance use disorder. However, with that responsibility comes the obligation to properly document the use and transfer of these same drugs,” said Thomas Hodnett, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Philadelphia Field Division. “This civil judgment serves as notice to ensure compliance with the Controlled Substances Act and the requirements to safeguard drugs used for medication assisted treatment.”
The False Claims Act settlement announced today partially resolves a lawsuit filed under the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act. The government’s claims are based on a whistleblower suit filed by two former CCSP employees. A whistleblower suit, or qui tam action under the False Claims Act, is commenced by an individual, known as a “relator,” filing a complaint under seal in the U.S. District Court, and providing a copy of the complaint and other evidence to the local U.S. Attorney. The United States then has an opportunity to investigate the claims. The False Claims Act provides the whistleblower with a share of the government’s recovery. Separate from the settlement announced today, the qui tam relators are continuing to pursue additional claims against CCSP and its former CEO Catherine Devaney McKay.
The United States is also continuing to pursue its claims for violations of the Controlled Substances Act against McKay as well as two other corporate executives, William Northey and Steven Davis, which are not part of the settlement announced today.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jesse S. Wenger and Laura D. Hatcher represented the United States in the False Claims Act matter. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dylan J. Steinberg and Laura D. Hatcher represented the United States in the Controlled Substances Act matter.
Related court documents and information from the civil lawsuit are on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 1:19-cv-475-CFC for the False Claims Act matter and 1:21-cv-00514-MN for the Controlled Substances Act matter.
Connecticut Resident Sentenced to Prison for Operating Immigration Marriage Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JODIAN STEPHENSON, also known as “Jodian Gordon,” 37, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to six months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for arranging fraudulent marriages so that non-U.S. citizens would receive U.S. immigration benefits.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Stephenson operated Stephenson Immigration and Legal Services, LLC, in Bridgeport. Between 2011 and 2017, Stephenson conspired with others to arrange 28 sham marriages between U.S. citizens and non-citizens residing in the U.S. for the purpose of the non-citizens’ applying for and obtaining “lawful permanent residence” (“LPR”) status, also known as a “green card.”
One of the 28 sham marriages was between Stephenson, who is a citizen of Jamaica, and a U.S. citizen. For each of the other 27 fraudulent marriages, Stephenson found and introduced a U.S. citizen to be the non-citizen’s purported spouse and helped the couple obtain a marriage license. She also organized the marriage ceremony and celebration, and coached the couple on how to make their marriage appear to be genuine despite their neither living together nor otherwise intending to remain actually married.
As part of the scheme, Stephenson prepared several immigration documents needed as part of the non-citizen’s LPR application. She had the applicant and spouse sign the documents and, in many cases, mailed the documents to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service immigration authorities for the applicant. In some cases, Stephenson or her assistants prepared other false documents for the couple, such as a false lease that portrayed the couple as living together.
Stephenson typically charged between $17,000 and $20,000 to complete this process for a non-citizen, and the citizen spouse received between $2,000 and $4,000 for his or her participation.
During the investigation, Stephenson offered to arrange a sham marriage for a federal law enforcement agent working in an undercover capacity, and help obtain a green card for the undercover agent, in exchange for a proposed fee of $20,000. In recorded conversations, Stephenson then introduced the undercover agent to a U.S. citizen and advised them about the ways they could create the appearance that they were validly married and living together as husband and wife.
Stephenson was arrested on June 22, 2018. On August 19, 2019, she pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit immigration marriage fraud.
Stephenson, who is released on a $250,000 bond, is required to report to prison on October 25. She faces immigration proceedings when she completes her prison term.
A total of 10 individuals, including U.S. citizens who entered into one or more fraudulent marriages with non-citizens, have been charged with related offenses as a result of this investigation, and eight have pleaded guilty. Removal proceedings have been or are being commenced against all individuals whose green card applications were found to have been based on sham marriages.
This investigation is being conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service’s Office of Fraud Detection and National Security. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Henry K. Kopel.
Collinsville Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison After Caught with Child Pornography Depicting the Rape and Murder of ChildrenRead the Press Release
Chief U.S. District Judge John F. Heil III sentenced Chance Jennings Daykin, 26, to 14 years in federal prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release.
“Chance Daykin accessed the dark web to feed his child pornography habit,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “He uploaded child pornography, viewed pedophile instruction books, and discussed, with others online, how to obtain children to rape and murder. Thanks to the work of the Rogers County Sheriff’s Office and federal prosecutors Julie Childress and Chris Nassar, Daykin will serve the next 14 year in federal prison.”
“I want to remind the public that the viewing of child pornography is not a passive crime. The demand for this material fuels the physical and sexual abuse of children around the world.”
On May 10, 2021, Daykin pleaded guilty, to distribution and receipt of a visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct and with possession of child pornography.
Daykin admitted to distributing and receiving child sexual abuse material via electronic means from Dec. 19, 2019 to Oct. 19, 2020. He further admitted to knowingly accessing with intent to view the child pornography. Some of those images and videos depicted the sexual abuse of minors who were younger than 12 years of age.
Specifically, on Dec. 19, 2019, Daykin uploaded images and videos of child pornography to dropbox.com. A search warrant was obtained for Daykin’s IP address based on a cyber tip sent to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that reported the Dropbox uploads. The search indicated the IP user was associated with an address in Collinsville. On Oct 19, 2020, the Roger’s County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at the address and arrested the defendant.
Images recovered on the defendant’s electronic devises included bestiality and the rape of infants and prepubescent children. At least one image showed an infant either dead or seriously injured who had been sexually abused.
In a sentencing memorandum, prosecutors outlined evidence discovered during the investigation showing the defendant’s behavior was escalating.
-After his arrest, Daykin admitted that he had a problem with child pornography and had sought treatment.
-In a recovered online conversation, Daykin bragged that he had access to children and had given a 7-year-old a bath and sexually abused her. Investigators could not substantiate the claim.
-On Dropbox, Daykin shared links and asked “Got any kids screaming? Those are hard to find.”
-In an online conversation with an individual he was communicating with, the two discussed setting up a Kik account for her young cousin so Daykin could reach out to the cousin.
-In multiple conversations with another individual online, Daykin repeatedly asked the individual if she had found parents who would let them “use their preteen girls.” At one point, the individual says she met a mother who needs money and was negotiating with her. In another conversation, the defendant stated that he wanted to “rape and kill” and later said “a little girl just adds more flavor.”
During the sentencing hearing, Daykin’s attorney reminded the court that while the communications were wrong and disturbing, the conversations were a lot of talk that “never left the desktop.” He also pointed to the defendant’s acceptance of responsibility, lack of criminal history and long-term difficulty with socialization.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Childress countered, saying Daykin’s pattern of sustained criminal acts were not simply a mistake. She argued that his actions showed an escalating and predatory sexual interest in the rape and murder of children. She further reminded the Court that the defendant had downloaded software to try to conceal his actions. Childress described Daykin as a clear threat to society, arguing the acts necessitated a minimum of 180 months in federal prison. She argued that a lengthy sentence would protect the public, serve as a deterrent to others, and allow the defendant to get the long-term treatment needed to counter his deviant addiction.
Following sentencing, Daykin was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service until transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility.
The Rogers County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julie Childress and Chris Nassar prosecuted the case.
Chico Man Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison for Illegal Possession of AmmunitionRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Alfred David Villasenor, 38, of Chico, was sentenced Wednesday to three years and one month in prison for being a prohibited person in possession of ammunition, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. Villasenor was also ordered to pay a $7,000 fine.
According to court documents, on Nov. 20, 2019, law enforcement officers conducted a welfare check at Villasenor’s residence. They located Villasenor hiding underneath a blanket on the floor of the master bedroom with a shouldered, loaded non-serialized AR-15 rifle on a bipod. Villasenor had been pointing this rifle at the door officers had used to enter the room. Officers seized approximately 900 rounds of ammunition of various sizes and additional firearms from the home. At that time, Villasenor was subject to a domestic violence restraining order that prohibited him from possessing firearms or ammunition.
“Villasenor aimed a loaded, chambered weapon at police officers who were responding to his house to conduct a welfare check for his own safety and that of his family,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Talbert. “Villasenor violated a domestic violence temporary restraining order by acquiring dangerous firearms and ammunition. Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of his offense and will hopefully deter him from acquiring firearms or ammunition again.”
"This case highlights the concerns the FBI and our law enforcement partners have when entering a building to apprehend a person,” said Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan of the FBI's Sacramento Field Office. “We are grateful that this welfare check did not result in the injury or loss of life of Villasenor or responding Chico Police Department officers. We also thank the department for bringing this case to our attention.”
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Chico Police Department, the California Department of Parks and Recreation, and the Butte County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys James R. Conolly and Adrian T. Kinsella prosecuted the case.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Chicago Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, IOWA – A Chicago, Illinois man, with ties to Iowa City, Travon Shaetwon Ambrose, age 23, was sentenced yesterday by United States District Court Chief Judge John A. Jarvey to 40 months’ imprisonment for Drug User in Possession of Firearms (Counts 1, 4, and 5), Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana (Count 2), and to 60 months’ imprisonment for Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime (Count 3). The sentences were ordered to be served consecutively. Ambrose was ordered to serve three years of supervised release to follow his prison term and pay $500 to the Crime Victim’s Fund.
According to court documents, Ambrose was identified by law enforcement as a drug distributer in September 2019. A search warrant was executed at Ambrose’s residence in Iowa City in November 2019. During the search, officers found 100 grams of marijuana and numerous pills which Ambrose admitted he intended to distribute to others. Further search revealed $11,660 in cash, which was identified as drug proceeds/funds used to facilitate drug distribution, and two firearms. Ambrose admitted to possessing at least one of the firearms in furtherance of his possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute. On September 28, 2020, Ambrose led law enforcement on a high speed and discarded a loaded firearm with an extended magazine during a foot pursuit. On October 23, 2020, Ambrose possessed a stolen handgun, large quantities of marijuana, and $875 in drug proceeds/funds used to facilitate drug distribution. On April 19, 2021, Ambrose pleaded guilty to the charges.
Acting United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Iowa City Police Department investigated the case.
Charlotte Man Sentenced to 4 ½ Years for Distributing Heroin Following Overdose Death of Ft. Bragg SoldierRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – Cory Dean Maieritsch, 33, of Charlotte, was sentenced today to 54 months in prison for distribution of heroin. Maieritsch pled guilty to the single-count Indictment on March 1, 2021.
According to court records and statements made during hearings, on the morning of December 10, 2015, a U.S. Army specialist was discovered deceased in his barracks on Ft. Bragg. Toxicology confirmed overdose by heroin and fentanyl. In the room, investigators recovered 16 empty glassine bags of the type commonly used to package single doses of those substances, with some bags labeled “Crazy Samurai,” and others labeled “Killing Time.” The U.S. Army Criminal Investigatory Laboratory (USACIL) tested residue from the bags, finding that the Crazy Samurai bags contained heroin and that the Killing Time bags contained acetyl fentanyl.
A friend of the deceased identified the defendant Cory Maieritsch as the likely supplier of the drugs. Investigators reviewed the deceased’s cell phone communications and discovered extensive text message conversations about drugs with Maieritsch. Specifically, on December 9, 2015, the deceased requested four bags of heroin just before 9:00 a.m. After some discussion about price and delivery, Maieritsch texted within the hour that he was waiting outside of the barracks. Maieritsch delivered two additional bags during his lunch break from work, following a second request from the deceased. Finally, text messages showed that Maieritsch made a third delivery that evening, following the deceased’s request for eight additional bags. While the discussion over text concerned the purchase of heroin, the USACIL testing showed that some of the bags of purported heroin contained fentanyl, which is significantly more potent. A USACIL latent print examiner identified Maieritsch’s fingerprints on two of the recovered glassine bags.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command (CID) and Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake D. Pugh prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:20-cr-00197-D.
Charleston Man Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Denson has previous convictions for attempted murder and heroin distribution
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Adam Matthew Denson, 33, of Charleston, was sentenced today to 72 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine. He was also sentenced to four years of supervised release.
According to the plea agreement and statements made in court, Denson conspired with other persons to distribute methamphetamine on three separate occasions in Charleston in August 2019. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Denson’s Woodland Drive residence and seized two loaded hand guns that Denson admitted he possessed. Denson was previously convicted of attempted murder in Kanawha County Circuit Court and distribution of heroin in U.S. District Court in the Southern District of West Virginia, and was on federal supervised release when he was arrested.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative efforts of the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT) conducted the investigation. Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Negar M. Kordestani 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. 2:21-cr-00040.
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Caribou Man Sentenced for Conspiring to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Caribou man was sentenced today in federal court for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Nathan Corbin, 30, to four years in prison and three years of supervised release. The sentence was adjusted down to four years to account for approximately 27 months Corbin has served in prison for a related state-court case. Corbin pleaded guilty in federal court in March 2021.
According to court records, between approximately July 2018 and May 2019, members of the conspiracy obtained methamphetamine in western and southern states from sources in Mexico. Corbin and his co-conspirators then distributed the drugs in Aroostook County and other parts of central and northern Maine.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated this case with the assistance of multiple state and local law enforcement agencies.
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.
Burlington Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for False Statements During Purchases of FirearmsRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, IOWA – A Burlington woman, Anita Sheree Bostic, age 26, was sentenced today by United States District Court Chief Judge John A. Jarvey to 15 months in prison for False Statements During Purchases of Firearms. Bostic was ordered to serve three years of supervised release to follow her prison term and pay $200 to the Crime Victims’ Fund.
According to court documents, on April 8 and 9, 2020, Anita Sheree Bostic went to Farm King in Burlington with her then-boyfriend, Kevin Garrett, who was a convicted felon. Bostic purchased a firearm on each date. For each purchase, Bostic filled out an ATF Form 4473 stating she was the actual purchaser of firearm. This was false, as Bostic intended to transfer the firearms to Garrett. Those false statements were intended to deceive the firearm dealer, who would not have sold the firearms to Garrett, a convicted felon. Bostic made similar purchases from other gun stores on March 28, 2020, and April 17, 2020. Bostic’s cell phone contained text messages between Bostic and Garrett in which they discussed firearms, accessories, prices, and Garrett directed Bostic to make certain purchases on his behalf. In total, Bostic transferred five firearms to Garrett, as well as several other firearms to other convicted felons. On April 25, 2021, Bostic pleaded guilty.
Acting United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Des Moines County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhood, a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
Browning man sentenced to more than 11 years in prison for kidnapping, strangling womanRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Browning man who admitted to kidnapping a woman and strangling her in two separate assaults in 2020 on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation was sentenced today to 11 years and three months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
Nash Devine Angel Ingraham, 19, pleaded guilty on May 13 to kidnapping and to strangulation of a dating partner.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
In court documents, the government alleged that on Feb. 10, 2020, the victim, identified as Jane Doe, met up with Ingraham in Browning, on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. Doe left Ingraham’s house and went to a friend’s place to sleep. Ingraham arrived at the friend’s house the next morning, jerked the victim out of bed, forced her out of the house and then force-marched her across Browning, assaulting her along the way. Ingraham took Doe to his house where he continued to assault her. Law enforcement officers went to Ingraham’s house multiple times looking for Doe, but the family refused to open the door. Officers responded to the house a third time, and Doe exited the house. Officers observed injuries on Doe.
The government further alleged that Ingraham strangled Doe to near unconsciousness on Dec. 17, 2020 during an assault at a Browning residence, where he had held her for about four days. Doe went to a hospital in Browning and reported the assault.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah A. Paisley prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services.
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Brookhaven man indicted for extorting criminal defendant with false claim that prosecutor demanded bribeRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Jamal Harrison has been charged with wire fraud in a six-count federal indictment for extorting a criminal defendant who had been charged in a federal case in Atlanta. During the scheme, Harrison falsely claimed that the federal prosecutor would dismiss the charges in the defendant's case for $15,000.
“Harrison allegedly promised a favorable outcome in the victim’s federal case when instead it was just a scam,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Kurt R. Erskine. “If a member of the public is asked to pay a bribe, don’t pay it and call the FBI immediately.”
“Every American citizen has rights under our Constitution and should report anyone who attempts to bribe them,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “No matter who the victim is, the FBI will fully investigate any allegations of a crime.”
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Erskine, the indictment, and other information presented in court: In July 2020, “Person 1,” an Atlanta resident, was arrested on a criminal indictment filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. Upon conviction for one or more of the crimes charged in the federal case, Person 1 was subject to a term of imprisonment, a term of supervised release, and other penalties and fines.
In August 2020, Harrison learned about the arrest and met with Person 1. During this meeting, Harrison saw a copy of the criminal indictment in Person 1’s case. Harrison then allegedly claimed that he was a part-time employee of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and knew the federal prosecutor in Person 1’s case. Harrison allegedly asserted that he could get the charges against Person 1 dismissed for $15,000, which he would give to the federal prosecutor. Person 1 refused.
Days later, Harrison met with Person 1 again. This time, Harrison threatened that if Person 1 still refused to pay the $15,000, the federal prosecutor would file additional charges against Person 1 and seek a longer term of imprisonment upon conviction. Person 1, fearing Harrison’s threat, agreed to pay and did pay Harrison $12,000 in cash. After making the payment, Harrison falsely claimed that he gave the money to the federal prosecutor, who would dismiss the charges against Person 1. In truth, however, Harrison allegedly kept the payment for himself. Harrison also stated that the federal case might be dismissed faster if Person 1 could provide more money.
By January 2021, the federal case against Person 1 remained active. Around this time, Person 1 and their attorney met with the prosecutor and agents in the federal case, and Person 1 realized that Harrison had deceived and extorted them. In early February 2021, Person 1 entered a guilty plea in the federal case. Later that month, however, Harrison continued to claim that he could get the charges dismissed if he received more money from Person 1. In March 2021, Person 1 recorded a meeting at which Person 1 gave Harrison $3,000 in cash, at which time Harrison allegedly guaranteed a speedy dismissal of the federal case.
On August 24, 2021, a grand jury returned an indictment against Jamal Harrison, 33, of Brookhaven, Georgia, on six counts of wire fraud. Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Trevor C. Wilmot is prosecuting 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.
Boston Gang Associate Sentenced for Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston gang associate was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for cocaine trafficking offenses.
Kareem Chaplin, 47, of Canton, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to three years and one month in prison and three years of supervised release. On April 28, 2021, Chaplin pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base.
In June 2020, Chaplin was charged along with 23 others as part of Operation Snowfall. According to the charging documents, beginning in November 2018, law enforcement conducted an investigation into drug trafficking activities by Boston-based street gang members and associates in the Commonwealth Development in Brighton, Mass., formerly known as Fidelis Way, a multi-apartment public housing development. It is alleged that the defendants, through their drug trafficking activities, assumed control over multiple apartments, where they stored, cooked, packaged and sold drugs. As a result, their activities caused a blight of the development and reduced the quality of life of the other residents.
The investigation, which included Chaplin, also targeted large-scale drug suppliers and their associates. It is alleged that the targets continued to distribute cocaine and cocaine base throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and shutdown.
During the investigation, a search warrant of a “stash house” associated with Chaplin recovered over 400 grams of cocaine, six firearms, multiple rounds of ammunition and drug paraphernalia, including a digital scale.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; Douglas Bartlett, Acting U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Boston Police Acting Commissioner Gregory Long made the announcement. Assistance with the investigation was provided by the Braintree, Cambridge, Canton, Randolph and Weymouth Police Departments; the Suffolk, Norfolk and Bristol County District Attorneys’ Offices; and the Suffolk, Plymouth and Norfolk County Sheriffs’ Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaitlin O’Donnell and Timothy Moran of Mendell’s Organized Crime and Gang Unit prosecuted the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Bergen County Man Indicted for Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Bergen County man was arrested today on four counts of tax evasion, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Jason Kronick, 48, of Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey, was charged by indictment on Aug. 25, 2021, with three counts of income tax evasion and one count of employment tax evasion. He made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge André M. Espinosa in Newark federal court and was released on $1 million unsecured bond.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
For the tax years 2008 through 2010, Kronick evaded payment of more than $4.3 million in income taxes, not including penalties and interest, despite having earned approximately $20 million in taxable income. Kronick used approximately $1.5 million from his business bank accounts to buy approximately 40 rare and expensive watches; used at least $1.9 million from the business accounts to pay for home renovations; used company funds to pay at least $700,000 in personal credit card bills; transferred more than $700,000 from his business accounts to various casinos, where he converted the money to chips, gambled, and then redeemed chips for cash; and cashed approximately $160,000 in checks at check-cashing businesses to conceal the proceeds from the IRS. Kronick also filed a statement with the IRS in 2011, falsely claiming that he had no income for that year, when in fact he received more than $2.8 million in income.
Each of the four counts of tax evasion carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael Montanez, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah A. Sulkowski of the Cybercrime Unit in Newark.
Bend Resident and Affiliated Residential Care Company Agree to Pay $2.9 Million to Settle Health Care Fraud AllegationsRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Bend, Oregon resident and his residential care company have agreed to pay $2.9 million to settle allegations by United States and the State of Oregon that the company submitted false reimbursement claims to the Oregon Medicaid program.
Kevin Cox, 51, and At Home Care LLC, doing business as At Home Care Group (AHCG), will pay $1.86 million to the United States and $1.04 million to the State of Oregon.
AHCG also waived indictment and pleaded guilty today in Deschutes County Circuit Court to two counts of making a false claim for health care payment.
“Individuals and companies who submit false claims to federally-backed state health care programs increase health care costs for everyone,” said Scott Erik Asphaug, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. “We take health care fraud very seriously and will continue to hold accountable those who undermine the integrity of these important programs.”
“This national pandemic has put an unprecedented strain on our health care system. There is never a time for Medicaid providers to enrich themselves with fraudulent schemes—but now is certainly not the time. This case shows you that we will work aggressively with our federal law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute providers that victimize our most vulnerable Oreognians and the programs that serve them,” said Attorney General Ellen F. Rosenblum.
“Health care providers should regard Medicaid as a lifeline for vulnerable beneficiaries in need of wellness services, not as a financial reserve for personal enrichment,” stated Steven Ryan, Special Agent in Charge with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “To assist in preserving Federal health care programs, our agency and law enforcement partners investigate and cease wrongful activity that compromises their funds.”
AHCG provided in-home medical and non-medical care to individuals in Oregon. The United States and State of Oregon contend that, between March 2013 and September 2018, AHCG altered caregiver scheduling calendars and billed the Oregon Medicaid program for hours of in-home care not actually performed.
As part of the settlement, AHCG and Cox will be excluded from participating in Medicare, Medicaid, and all other federal health care programs for 15 and 8 years, respectively.
Acting U.S. Attorney Asphaug and Attorney General Rosenblum made the announcement.
This settlement was the result of a coordinated investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, Oregon Department of Justice Medicaid Fraud Unit, and Oregon Health Authority. The United States was represented in this matter by Alexis Lien, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. Senior Assistant Attorney General Elizabeth Ballard Colgrove led this case for the Oregon Department of Justice.
The claims resolved by this settlement, except for those admitted in AHCG’s guilty plea, are allegations only, and there has been no determination or admission of liability.
Baltimore Felon and Associate of East Baltimore Monument Street Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to Nearly Five Years in Federal Prison After Being Convicted at Trial for Illegal Possession of Firearms and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander sentenced Daniel Blue, age 39, of Baltimore, today to 57 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegal possession of two loaded firearms. Blue knew that as a result of a previous federal drug conviction, he was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. A federal jury convicted Blue on May 17, 2021.
The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.
“There is no question that the excessive amount of violence in Baltimore stems in part from criminals, like Daniel Blue, carrying guns. Getting these offenders off the streets is an important component of our efforts to address the murders and shootings that steal lives and undermine our communities,” said Acting United States Attorney Jonathan Lenzner. “This Monument Street case is the kind of impactful investigation that federal, state and local partners can build through collaboration and a dedicated commitment to improving our communities.”
According to evidence presented at Blue’s trial, in July of 2018, Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) Strike Force Group 1 began an investigation of the Monument Street corridor in East Baltimore, which is known to be the site of a high volume of street-level drug distribution and acts of violence associated with the drug trafficking. During the investigation, law enforcement identified multiple street-level drug trafficking “shops,” with the two most prominent located in the 400 block of North Montford Avenue at Jefferson Street (“the Montford DTO”) and in the 2400 block of East Monument Street at Port Street (the “Out the Mud,” or “OTM DTO”).
Evidence was presented at trial that, during the investigation, Blue was identified as a wholesale distributor of cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl and as a source of supply of the street-level drug distributors in the Monument Street area. Witnesses testified that Blue was intercepted on calls with his co-conspirators discussing the distribution of drugs, including cocaine, crack cocaine, fentanyl and heroin.
On January 8, 2019, investigators executed a search warrant at Blue’s residence and recovered: a .45-caliber LC/.410 gauge revolver with three .410 gauge shells under the basement stairs in a bag; a .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol, loaded with five rounds of ammunition hidden in a pillow on the living room couch; and $45,817 in cash from the ceiling of the basement. During his trial testimony, Blue admitted that the money was the proceeds of drug sales.
Blue also testified during trial that the guns were not his, denied that he owned the house, and attempted to implicate his mother and sister, stating that they lived in the house with him. The evidence in the case did not support those statements and the government contends that the statements were willfully false and intended to obstruct justice. At today’s sentencing hearing Judge Hollander agreed with the government’s contentions and considered Blue’s false testimony when imposing his sentence.
The jury convicted Blue of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. The jury was not able to reach a verdict on the drug conspiracy count, nor on the count charging Blue with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Blue is currently scheduled to be re-tried on those charges.
Of the 25 defendants indicted in this case, 23—including Blue—have pleaded guilty or been found guilty at trial. Blue and another defendant have trial dates in November 2021.
This prosecution was brought as a part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Co-located Strike Forces Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations against a continuum of priority targets and their affiliate illicit financial networks. These prosecutor-led co-located Strike Forces capitalize on the synergy created through the long-term relationships that can be forged by agents, analysts, and prosecutors who remain together over time, and they epitomize the model that has proven most effective in combating organized crime. The specific mission of the Baltimore OCDETF Strike Force is to reduce violent, drug-related, and gang crime in the Baltimore area and surrounding region.
This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the DEA and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys LaRai Everett and James T. Wallner, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Avowed White Supremacist indicted by grand jury for illegal firearms possessionRead the Press Release
Seattle – A federal grand jury today returned an indictment charging a 44-year-old Battle Ground, Washington man with two federal felonies for illegal firearms possession, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Lynn Manley Cargile was arrested on December 26, 2019, following a six-hour stand-off with police. Cargile was in state custody until earlier this month serving a 29-month prison sentence for domestic violence stemming from the same incident. He is now in federal custody and will be arraigned on the federal charges.
According to the criminal complaint from March 2020, and the indictment handed up today, police were called to Cargile’s home by a 9-1-1 call from his ex-wife who had been assaulted. After a lengthy wait, officers used ‘flash-bang’ devices to get Cargile to leave the house and he was taken into custody. When officers entered the home to secure it for officer safety, they noted numerous firearms. After obtaining a court authorized search warrant, law enforcement discovered a Smith and Wesson AR-15 style rifle with a swastika on the rifle butt and a Black Rain Ordinance short-barreled rifle. Investigators also found two silencers. The short-barreled rifle and silencers are illegal under federal law unless properly registered in the National Firearms and Transfer Record. Additionally, Cargile is prohibited from possessing firearms due to prior felony convictions in Clark County Washington for attempting to elude (2002 and 2003) and illegal firearms possession (1999 and 2002).
Cargile is indicted for being a felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of unregistered firearms. Both counts are punishable by up to ten years in prison.
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case was investigated by the Battle Ground Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Angelica Williams.
cargile_indictment.pdfArmed methamphetamine trafficker involved in high-speed pursuits on Blackfeet Indian Reservation and in Billings sentenced to 12 years in prisonRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Billings man who admitted methamphetamine trafficking and firearms crimes involving two high-speed pursuits was sentenced today to 12 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
Elijah James Rideshorse, 30, pleaded guilty on May 12 to possession with intent to distribute meth and to felon in possession of a firearm.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Rideshorse brought ounce quantities of meth to the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in August 2020. On Aug. 23, 2020, Rideshorse was in a high-speed vehicle pursuit from Browning to Cut Bank. The driver, another passenger, identified as John Doe 1, and Rideshorse all fled on foot once they made it to Cut Bank. Only Doe was apprehended that day, and officers found meth supplied by Rideshorse on Doe. The vehicle also contained more of Rideshorse’s meth. Investigators determined that Rideshorse was involved in drug distribution, possessed firearms and had recently purchased drugs in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The government further alleged that law enforcement received numerous complaints of Rideshorse being involved in criminal activity in the Billings area. On Oct. 12, 2020, the Billings Police Department officers attempted to stop a stolen vehicle that had been involved in recent shootings. The vehicle fled, leading officers on a high-speed pursuit. The vehicle continued to flee after officers spiked its tires and was stopped when intentionally struck by a Montana Highway Patrol vehicle as it approached school buses and heavy traffic. The driver, identified as Rideshorse, fled but was caught. Three female passengers, including two juveniles, were in the vehicle. Officers found a stolen semi-automatic pistol that Rideshorse had dropped on the road as he fled and an AR-style rifle with a 40-round magazine in the vehicle. Rideshorse was prohibited from possessing firearms because of a prior felony conviction.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan R. Plaut prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services, Montana Highway Patrol, Billings Police Department, Cut Bank Police Department and Glacier County Sheriff’s Office.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime. Through PSN, federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement partners in Montana focus on violent crime driven by methamphetamine trafficking, armed robbers, firearms offenses and violent offenders with outstanding warrants.
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101 Indicted in Transnational Cell Phone Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, Texas – A federal grand jury in Sherman has returned a seven-count superseding indictment charging 101 individuals in a cell phone trafficking conspiracy in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei today.
The superseding indictment was returned on August 11, 2021, and charges 101 individuals with conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce; interference with interstate commerce; use or brandishing of a firearm during a crime of violence; conspiracy to transport stolen property in interstate commerce; mail fraud conspiracy; wire fraud conspiracy; and money laundering conspiracy. The superseding indictment remained sealed until this week.
According to the superseding indictment, members of a multi-layered criminal organization stole personal electronics, including cell phones, tablets, laptops, and smart watches, within the North Texas area and then exported those items overseas for resale. As detailed in the superseding indictment, the defendants’ organization included runners, suppliers, device traffickers, and exporters. The defendants are alleged to have stolen electronics by armed robberies as well as through various fraud schemes.
The superseding indictment alleges that in late October 2020, a series of armed takeover-style robberies began to take place at AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon retail cell phone stores in the Dallas area. According to the superseding indictment, a total of 23 armed takeover robberies were committed or attempted at various retail cellular phone stores located in Dallas, Corinth, Balch Springs, Seagoville, Greenville, Colleyville, Flower Mound, Grand Prairie, Arlington, Houston, Fort Worth, and Garland. The estimated loss associated with those robberies exceeds $500,000.
In December 2020, four members of the robbery crew were arrested following the armed robbery of an AT&T cell phone store in Fort Worth. Investigation revealed that these individuals were connected to a cell phone business in Dallas known as Global One Wireless. The owners of Global One Wireless – Plano brothers Abdul Basit Bhangda, 30, and Arsalan Bhangda, a/k/a Adam, 36 – allegedly acted through a parent corporation, RJ Telecom, to sell stolen products abroad by shipping the merchandise to foreign import companies located in the United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong.
According to the superseding indictment, the conspirators also utilized compromised store employees to activate phones using fake identities or fraudulently adding lines to legitimate customer accounts. Other schemes allegedly involved the use of fake identity information as well as legitimate customer information to swap SIM cards, enabling the defendants to verify banking information through text messages and withdraw funds from customer accounts.
The superseding indictment alleges that nearly $100 million of products were sold to foreign importers. The investigation has revealed that approximately 20,000 products were acquired by identity theft. The overall estimated losses exceed $42 million.
To date, 73 individuals have been arrested. Law enforcement officials have also seized more than $6 million in assets, including cash, bank accounts, real estate, and stolen goods recovered from a warehouse. The superseding indictment seeks the forfeiture of all property and funds derived from or traceable to the charged conduct.
“The criminal conspiracy, as alleged in the superseding indictment, is breathtaking in scope and varied in its means. Although the public can often see criminal acts ‘above the surface,’ such as the violent robberies alleged in the superseding indictment, this case is a reminder that we do not often see the hidden criminal conspiracy ‘below the surface,’ whereby stolen or ill-gotten goods are sold in domestic or international commerce,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. “Such a wide-ranging conspiracy requires an equally wide-ranging response, and the cooperative, collaborative effort of our federal and local law enforcement partners made this investigation possible.”
“Together with our law enforcement partners, the FBI Dallas Violent Crimes Task Force has made great progress in removing violent offenders from our community,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. DeSarno. “Each time a device trafficker allegedly delivered a product to a supplier it was the direct result of theft, robbery or fraud. We will continue working to dismantle organizations that threaten public safety, and will fulfill our duty to protect our residents.”
“HSI will never relent in our pursuit of individuals and criminal organizations that commit fraud, financial crimes and scams on the backs of hard-working Americans,” said Ryan L. Spradlin Special Agent in Charge HSI Dallas. “We will work tirelessly with our state and federal law enforcement partners to dismantle these organizations, seizing any financial gains and assets acquired, ensuring those responsible are held accountable for their selfish actions.”
“The individuals arrested during this investigation committed a litany of financial and cyber-enabled financial crimes ranging from wire fraud and pandemic-related fraud, to bank fraud and more,” said U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge of the Dallas Field Office, Bill Smarr. “This case is a testament to the teamwork and partnership at all levels of law enforcement to stop these cyber criminals from defrauding American citizens.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is committed to protecting the U.S. Mail from criminal activity and is proud to have taken part in the dismantling of this criminal network,” said Thomas Noyes, Inspector in Charge of the Fort Worth Division. “The financial impact of this exploitation was significant and would only have continued to increase if not for a resolute, investigative response with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners. We will continue to pursue all leads, and we thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their commitment to holding criminal enterprises accountable for their actions.”
The superseding indictment includes charges against the following individuals:
- Jerome Omega Boulden, Jr. a/k/a JayCash, 21, of Dallas;
- Alvin Damon Arnold, Jr., 19, of Dallas;
- Alcides Maurice Scott, 20, of Dallas;
- Derek Demond Calhoun, Jr., 23, of Dallas;
- Jacob Lamar Eichelberger, III, 20, of DeSoto;
- Skylah Glenn, 23, of Lancaster;
- Tyvarius Daitron Taylor, 20, of Dallas;
- Ronald James Wiltz, 21, of Dallas;
- Sherman Leon Brown, 24, of Dallas;
- Jatyrine Marquis Stewart, 18, of Dallas;
- Davaunce Lakeith Lewis, 21, of Dallas;
- Darion Demon Anderson, 27, of Dallas;
- Brandon D’Lon Smittick, 30, of Dallas;
- Deira Jatary Davis, 19, of Dallas;
- Taurean Dion Armstrong, 27, of Cedar Hill;
- Jawaune Antonne Lee, 27, of Dallas;
- Kaylen Elizabeth Taylor, a/k/a KT, 26, of Dallas;
- Ciarra Chesarae Thibodeaux, 26, of Red Oak;
- Dajone Raheem Jaleel Gentry, 24, of Garland;
- Janvier Leiaron Branch, 23, of Spring;
- Joshua Uriah Tisdale, 23, of Denton;
- Ashley Nicole Washington, 24, of Lakeland, TN;
- Arsalan Bhangda, a/k/a Adam, 36, of Plano;
- Abdul Basit Bhangda, 30, of Plano;
- Jacqueline Daneane Quinn, 26, of Corinth;
- Jasmine Hailey Omar, 20, of Garland,
- Edwin Iglesias, 26, of Grand Prairie;
- Timothy James Leach, 21, of Burleson;
- Jacqueline Montes, 27, of Cleburne;
- Austin Brooks Young, 21, of Burleson;
- Gregory Steven Trent, a/k/a Ace, 34, of Farmers Branch;
- Eddie Donte Rodden, 24, of Dallas;
- Ryeshawn Willie Devon Green, a/k/a Peso, 31, of Dallas;
- Cary Mark Thompson, 35, of Dallas;
- Michelle Estefany Smith, 25, of Dallas;
- Marcus Allen Harlston, 36, of Little Rock, AR;
- Jamel Lamar Rankin, 25, of Lonoke, AR;
- Brent R. Johnson, 35, of North Little Rock, AR;
- Victor G. Youngblood, 35, of Little Rock, AR;
- Gregory Deshaun Wilkins, 35, of Little Rock, AR;
- Richard Todd Sims, a/k/a Richy Rich, 35, of Arlington;
- Zxerion Deosic Lee, 24, of Dallas;
- Deandre Jamal Staten, 22, of Dallas;
- Samuel Gregory Shorter, Jr., 28, of Dallas;
- Natasha Latrice Qualls, 26, of Fort Worth;
- Chukedrick D. Tarver, a/k/a Blacc, 34, of Denton;
- Brittany Vichelle Edwards, 33, of Lancaster;
- Laquan Dontrial Cooks, a/k/a Midas, 30, of Arlington;
- Nicholas Marchelle Chandler, a/k/a Brody, 25, of Dallas;
- Donte Thomas Deddo, 49, of DeSoto;
- Jordan Rashad Selexman, a/k/a Fero, 30, of Dallas;
- Sameer Ahmed Mohammed, 36, of Sugarland;
- Farhan Nuruddin Parpia, 24, of Richmond;
- Travis Donnell Moore, 34, of Katy;
- Robert Denton Whitmire, Jr., 36, of Willis;
- Matthew Daniel Smith, 41, of LaMarque;
- Jacqueline Sue Hardee, 27;
- Daniel Shapir Rascoe, 30, of Houston;
- Rayanna Dawn Byers, 21, of Pasadena;
- Kieffer James Barchetti, 23, of Houston;
- Kamie Taylor Jasinski, 21, of Houston;
- Junior Porfirio Nepomuceno-Hierro, 36, of Houston;
- Cesar Augusto Reyes, 44, of Bronx, NY;
- Darius Grant Whitlow, 30, of Farmington Hills, MI;
- Jibran Khalil, 33, of Richardson;
- Mohamed Tahiri, a/k/a Simo, 37, of Allen;
- Patrick Lydell Simmons, 52, of Waxahachie;
- Maryann E. Simmons, 53, of Waxahachie;
- Preston Patrick Simmons, 29, of Waxahachie;
- Cameron Patrick Simmons, 36, of Waxahachie;
- Lauren Ashley Elizabeth Simmons, 23, of Waxahachie;
- Dexter Lenner Caldwell, 53, of DeSoto;
- Keren Vargas-Gutierrez, 29, of Fishkill, NY;
- Edward Vonal Simmons, 55, of Stephenville;
- Sebastian Dominique Blay, 30, of Allen;
- Carey Watkins, Jr., 54, of Dallas;
- Michael Dimietri Reeves, 56, of Addison;
- Joshua Tapia, 27, of Fishkill, NY;
- Michael Joseph Savattere, 48, of Rowlett;
- Aashish Bhusal, 36, of Aubrey;
- Malik Salameh, a/k/a Blue, 27, of Dallas;
- Mohammad W. Salameh, a/k/a Moe, 27, of Dallas;
- Feras Mahmod Obeidat, 30, of Grand Prairie;
- Ali Anwar, 29, of Rowlett;
- Abdullah Anwar, 24, of Rowlett;
- Avaz Karimov, 41, of Plano;
- Clifford Jerome Smith, 28, of Garland;
- Shahrukh Razzak, 30, of Pflugerville;
- Joseph Delany Cooper, 29, of Austin;
- Arturo Gonzalez, 24, of Austin;
- Eulises Isidro Tavarez, 36, of Killeen;
- Nansellys Crespo-Rios, 37, of Killeen;
- Ruben Santana-Polanco, 40, of Lodi, NJ;
- Jordan Minh Nguyen, a/k/a Toan, 27, of Richardson;
- Ionel Stanescu, 33;
- Ana Marie Stanescu, 32, of Orlando, FL;
- Ionut Antonie, 32, of Asheville, NC;
- Elena Irina Antonie, Glasgow, KY;
- Marian Alexandru Firu, 20, of Denver CO;
- David Constanin, 29; and
- Costel Stanescu, 58, of Las Vegas, NV
If convicted, the defendants face up to 25 years in federal prison.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, Texas Department of Public Safety, Dallas Police Department, Garland Police Department, Dallas County District Attorney’s Office, Carrollton Police Department, Grand Prairie Police Department, Richardson Police Department, U.S. Marshals Service for Eastern District of Texas, Denton Police Department, Allen Police Department, Sherman Police Department, and Denison Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ernest Gonzalez, Colleen Bloss and Lesley D. Brooks.
A grand jury superseding indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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25 August 2021
Woman Charged with Assaulting Customer and Creating a Disturbance at the St. Thomas Ottley Post OfficeRead the Press Release
ST. THOMAS – U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced today that a St. Thomas woman was arrested on federal criminal charges related to assaulting a customer while in the Ottley Post Office on June 22, 2021.
According to court documents, Chantelle Grant, picked up a parcel at the post office and on her way out of the building, bumped into another female customer. The CCTV video surveillance showed that after Grant left the building, she returned less than two minutes later, ran across the post office lobby, and struck the female victim in the face. Grant was then seen leaving the building, entering her car, and driving away.
Grant is charged with creating a disturbance on postal property in violation of 39 C.F.R. § 232.1(e), 18 U.S.C. §3061, and 39 U.S.C. §401 which carries a maximum penalty of 30 days imprisonment, up to a $5,000.00 fine, or both. Grant was released on her own recognizance.
The United States Postal Investigative Service investigated the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Webster City Man Pleads Guilty to Meth PossessionRead the Press Release
A man who possessed methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it pled guilty on August 23, 2021, in federal court in Sioux City.
Joshua Boice, age 35, from Webster City, Iowa, was convicted of one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
At the plea hearing, Boice admitted that, in March 2020, he possessed over 50 grams of pure methamphetamine, and that he planned to distribute some or all of the methamphetamine to others.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Boice remains in custody of the United States Marshal and will remain in custody pending sentencing. Boice faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Iowa State Patrol, Webster City Police Department, Iowa State University Police Department, and Iowa DCI Laboratory.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-3048. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Issues Statement Following the Court of Appeals Decision to Uphold Dylan Roof VerdictRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina---- Following the decision by the United States Court of Appeals to uphold the conviction of Dylan Roof – the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina issued the following statement, attributed to Criminal Chief Nathan Williams, who served as one of the lead prosecutors on the case:
“The Mother Emmanuel AME Church massacre committed by the hate-filled murderer Dylan Roof is one of the worst events in not only South Carolina’s history but also our nation’s history,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney and Criminal Chief Nathan Williams. “Our office is grateful for the decision of the court, a decision that ensures, as the Court stated, that ‘the harshest penalty a just society can impose’ is indeed imposed. Moreover, our office is grateful that justice will be served for the victims, survivors and their families.”
The Court of Appeals decision read in part:
“Dylann Roof murdered African Americans at their church, during their Bible-study and worship. They had welcomed him. He slaughtered them. He did so with the express intent of terrorizing not just his immediate victims at the historically important Mother Emanuel Church, but as many similar people as would hear of the mass murder. He used the internet to plan his attack and, using his crimes as a catalyst, intended to foment racial division and strife across America. He wanted the widest possible publicity for his atrocities, and, to that end, he purposefully left one person alive in the church “to tell the story.” (J.A. at 5017.) When apprehended, he frankly confessed, with barely a hint of remorse.
No cold record or careful parsing of statutes and precedents can capture the full horror of what Roof did. His crimes qualify him for the harshest penalty that a just society can impose. We have reached that conclusion not as a product of emotion but through a thorough analytical process, which we have endeavored to detail here. In this, we have followed the example of the trial judge, who managed this difficult case with skill and compassion for all concerned, including Roof himself. For the reasons given, we will affirm.”
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