Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
19 August 2021
Mean Peach and a Co-Conspirator Sentenced to Federal Prison for Fraud Scheme and Interstate Transportation of Stolen PropertyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced Mean Peach, age 65 and Eam Peng Chou, age 56, both of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to two years in federal prison and a year and a day in federal prison, respectively, each followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy and for interstate transportation of stolen property, in connection with a scheme to defraud a Maryland company of more than $2 million. Chief Judge Bredar also ordered Peach and Chou to each pay restitution in the amount of $1,645,494. The sentences were imposed yesterday.
The sentences were announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.
According to their plea agreements and other court documents, Peach, Chou, and co-defendants Chonnathason Has and Thi Ho, conspired with Kevin Miller, who was employed as the Director of Planning, Logistics, and Control at Company A, located in Linthicum, Maryland, and was engaged in the business of manufacturing personal products, such as hair care, hair dye and lotions. Miller was responsible for determining the timing and volume requirements for materials used in the manufacturing operations at Company A, and had the authority to approve payments of invoices submitted by vendors and service providers without obtaining approval from anyone else at Company A.
As detailed in their plea agreements, from about September 2015, through March 2019, Peach, Chou, Has, Ho, and Miller engaged in a scheme to defraud Company A of at least $2.4 million. Specifically, in approximately September 2015, Company A assigned Miller the task of arranging for vendors to dispose of various waste products that were stored at the Company’s two warehouse locations in Maryland. Peach, Has, Chou, and other conspirators created and used shell companies in various names, with business addresses that were mail boxes at commercial mail facilities, to submit fraudulent invoices to Company A for waste disposal and other work that was never performed by those entities. Miller approved the fraudulent invoices and submitted them to Company A’s accounting department for payment. Company A then issued checks which the conspirators would transmit and cause to be transmitted from Maryland to Pennsylvania. Peach, Chou, and Has would cash the checks at facilities in Philadelphia and the proceeds would be divided up among the conspirators.
As a result of the conspiracy and scheme to defraud, the defendants caused Company A to issue approximately $2.4 million in checks for goods and services that it never received.
Thi Ho, age 51, of Bear, Delaware, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy and interstate transportation of stolen property, was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison and ordered to pay restitution of $2,478,069.16. Chonnathason Has, a/k/a Bora Has, age 54, of Philadelphia and Kevin Miller, age 48, of Bel Air, Maryland, pleaded guilty to their roles in the scheme and are scheduled to be sentenced on August 25, 2021 and October 22, 2021, respectively.
Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the FBI for its work in the investigation. Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen O. Gavin, who is prosecuting 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.
# # #
McKees Rocks Felon Charged with Having a Gun and Ammunition in Violation of Federal LawRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A resident of McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating federal firearms laws, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Dayvon Gandy, age 28, formerly of Robb Street, McKees Rocks, PA 15136, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on July 20, 2021, Harris, a convicted felon, was in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Federal law prohibits an individual who has been convicted of a felony from possessing a firearm.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than ten (10) years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Christopher M. Cook is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and City of Pittsburgh Bureau of Police conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
This case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Martinsburg Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Randell Adist, age 50, of Martinsburg, New York pled guilty today to distributing and possessing child pornography. The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Antoinette T. Bacon and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
As part of his guilty plea before United States District Court Judge David N. Hurd, Adsit, who has a prior New York State conviction for possessing a sexual performance by a child, admitted that he distributed child pornography using a social media application from approximately February 2020 through September 2020. Adsit also admitted that, on November 11, 2020, he possessed approximately 40 files depicting child pornography on his cell phone.
When Adist is sentenced on December 22, 2021, he faces at least 15 years and up to 40 years in prison for distributing child pornography and at least 10 years and up to 20 years in prison for possessing child pornography. In addition, Adist will be required to serve a term of supervised release of between five years and life after his term of incarceration and will be required to register as a sex offender. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
This case was investigated by the FBI Syracuse Mid-State Child Exploitation Task Force, comprised of FBI Special Agents and Investigators of the New York State Police, Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), and Computer Crimes Unit (CCU) and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Gadarian.
This case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Man Sentenced for Drug Trafficking and Firearms Offenses in Stanly CountyRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO, N.C. - A Mount Gilead man was sentenced today in federal court in Greensboro for knowingly possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and for distribution of fentanyl, announced Acting United States Attorney Sandra J. Hairston of the Middle District of North Carolina.
JARBARRI RANDALE WALL, age 39, was sentenced to a 204-month term of imprisonment by United States District Judge Catherine C. Eagles. WALL was also ordered to pay a $200 special assessment and submit to 5 years of supervised release following his imprisonment. He was also revoked on his current term of supervised release and sentenced to serve a consecutive sentence of 24 months. WALL pleaded guilty on May 10, 2021, to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and distribution of 40 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl.
According to court documents, law enforcement officers conducted a controlled purchase of fentanyl from WALL using a confidential informant in October 2019. WALL traveled to Albemarle in Stanly County where he sold the informant 56 grams of fentanyl and gave the informant a sample of heroin. In September 2020, WALL told the informant he was traveling to Albemarle and could sell the informant more fentanyl. The informant alerted law enforcement who conducted a traffic stop as WALL drove through Stanly County towards Albemarle, after leaving a residence in Charlotte. A search of WALL’s car revealed marijuana, drug paraphernalia, a bag containing 30 grams of a mixture of heroin and fentanyl, and a FN Herstal 5.7 caliber semi-automatic pistol. The firearm had a 20-round magazine attached and was loaded with 18 rounds. A spare 20-round magazine loaded with 19 rounds was also found inside the car. WALL had $5,320 in cash on him when arrested and admitted to possessing the firearm and narcotics.
WALL had previously been convicted of Social Security Fraud in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina in January 2016 and was sentenced to 20 months’ imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release. WALL was still on federal supervised release when he committed these new offenses.
A search warrant later executed at the Charlotte residence maintained by WALL revealed two additional AR-15 style firearms, 61 grams of a mixture of heroin and fentanyl, approximately 900 pills which contained a mixture of both heroin and fentanyl, several firearm magazines including two drum magazines, different calibers of ammunition, 54 grams of marijuana, and a large amount of U.S. currency.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Albemarle Police Department, the Stanly County Sheriff’s Office, and North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Craig M. Principe.
###
Man Involved in Bridgeport Restaurant Robbery Sentenced to 66 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JERMAINE OGRINC, 35, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 66 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in violent Bridgeport restaurant robbery in 2017.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 29, 2017, at approximately 8:00 p.m., Ogrinc and three other men entered the La Sabrosura Restaurant on East Main Street in Bridgeport. The robbers, two of whom were armed with firearms, forced two workers and a customer into the kitchen and ordered them to lie on the floor with their hands behind their heads. Another individual who was in a back room and heard screaming ran from the restaurant and flagged down the police. One of the robbers took a cellphone from one of the victims and cash from another, and the robbers attempted to break into an ATM in the restaurant. After spotting police, Ogrinc and his associates fled. Ogrinc was apprehended a short time later near the restaurant. In an interview with investigators, he admitted to his role in the robbery.
Ogrinc has been detained since his arrest. On March 11, 2021, he pleaded guilty to one count of Hobbs Act Robbery.
This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bridgeport Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rahul Kale.
Leader of Macon Meth Distribution Ring with Ties to Georgia Prison System Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A Macon man with a prior federal conviction for distributing methamphetamine was sentenced to serve more than 18 years in federal prison for his role directing a drug trafficking ring with ties to the Georgia prison system responsible for pushing large quantities of “ice” methamphetamine into Middle Georgia.
Richard Charles Allen, aka Chucky, 44, of Macon, was sentenced to serve 220 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell on Wednesday, August 18, after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Chucky Allen was obtaining large amounts of ‘ice’ methamphetamine from prisoners and then distributing this deadly drug in Middle Georgia. The DEA and our local law enforcement teams stopped a major source of methamphetamine from flowing into our communities, preventing further harm and death,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Allen is yet another repeat offender who is now facing federal consequences for choosing to commit crime. Our office will not hesitate to pursue federal charges against repeat felons engaging in the most egregious crimes.”
“DEA is fully committed to tirelessly pursuing criminals who sell drugs, whether they’re selling them on the streets or from inside a prison,” said the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division Robert J. Murphy. “Strong law enforcement partnerships which led to the dismantlement of this once-thriving ‘meth’ ring underscores the power of combined forces and strategic partnerships. These components are vital in the war against ‘meth’ and other dangerous drugs.”
DEA agents began investigating Allen’s illegal narcotics distribution activities in the Middle Georgia region in April 2019. DEA conducted a series of controlled purchases from Allen using a confidential informant (CI) but were unable to identify Allen’s source of methamphetamine supply. As a result, agents sought and obtained a wiretap order on Allen’s phone number from a federal judge. Allen was recorded negotiating the purchase of a total of three kilograms of methamphetamine from an unknown source incarcerated in the Georgia prison system and one kilogram of methamphetamine from co-defendant, Cristian Estrada-Santa Maria, aka Strada, 35, who was also incarcerated in the Georgia prison system. Allen’s courier, co-defendant Joshua Noojin, 40, of Macon, was directed by Allen to retrieve the kilo of methamphetamine sourced by Estrada-Santa Maria. Noojin was taken into custody on September 7, 2019, after obtaining what amounted to be 990 grams of methamphetamine. Noojin was sentenced to serve 130 months in federal prison on July 13, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Estrada-Santa Maria was sentenced serve 240 months in federal prison on May 18, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. In all, Allen is responsible for distributing 1231.462 grams of d-Methamphetamine Hydrochloride, also known as “ice.” Allen has a previous federal conviction for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
The case was investigated by DEA, the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, the Peach County Sheriff’s Office and the Marietta Police Department.
Criminal Chief and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Solis prosecuted the case.
Lafourche Parish Man Sentenced to Ten Years Imprisonment for Federal Drug Distribution ViolationsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – MONTRELL CLEVELAND, age 34, a resident of Raceland, Louisiana, was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment, 5 years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $400.00 in special assessment fees by U.S. District Judge Carl J. Barbier after pleading guilty to four counts of a fourteen-count indictment charging him with several narcotics offenses, including conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fifty kilograms or more of methamphetamine and use of a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking crime, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court documents, beginning in January 2018, Special Agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration made two controlled purchases of more than 50 grams of methamphetamine each from Kendall Mathews. After making the controlled purchases, agents obtained court ordered wiretaps of Mathews’s and co-conspirators’ telephones and intercepted numerous calls between Mathews, his co-conspirators including CLEVELAND, and customers in which they negotiated the sales of methamphetamine, cocaine hydrochloride, and heroin. Through their continued monitoring of telephone calls, agents identified a pending narcotics transaction and seized two kilograms of cocaine hydrochloride. Also, agents and officers obtained search warrants for co-conspirators’ residences and seized approximately 148 grams of heroin and 1,300 grams of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine.
This prosecution was part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Office of Homeland Security Investigations, Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States
Justice Department Files Suit to Stop Utah Physician from Issuing Opioid and Other Prescriptions in Violation of the Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-files-suit-stop-utah-physician-issuing-opioid-and-other-prescriptions
Judge sentences St. Louis man for carjacking and murderRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – United States District Court Judge Henry E. Autrey sentenced Lashawn Clayburn, 19, of St. Louis, Missouri, to a 25-year term of imprisonment on today’s date. Clayburn pleaded guilty in May to murder and carjacking charges.
On January 5, 2019, Clayburn murdered Naomi Miller as she was about to get into her vehicle that was parked in her driveway outside her residence in Pine Lawn, Missouri. Ms. Miller was intending to go to work as an overnight home healthcare nurse when Clayborn approached her and shot her to death. Clayburn then stole Ms. Miller’s car and went on a joy-riding stint for several hours. During this time, Clayburn picked up two friends and stopped by Steak ‘n Shake for a burger and a milkshake.
The following day, Clayburn met up with a group of friends, who claimed to be members of the “Murdaa Gang,” and traded Ms. Miller’s carjacked vehicle for another stolen vehicle. As a result of a series of leads, Clayburn was interviewed by federal agents. Subsequent to the interview, Clayburn attempted to enlist his cousin to provide a phony alibi on Clayburn’s behalf for the night of the murder and carjacking. As a result of a continuing investigation, Clayburn was indicted by a federal grand jury for the above murder and carjacking, which resulted in Clayburn’s plea of guilty and today’s sentencing.
This case was investigated by ATF, the North County Police Cooperative, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, and the Major Case Squad. Assistant United States Attorney Angie E. Danis is prosecuting this case for the United States of America.
.
#####
Johnstown Man Admits Distributing HeroinRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A former resident of Johnstown, PA pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of violating federal narcotics laws, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.
Willie Gene Gulley, Jr., 52, of Kunkle Street, Johnstown, PA, pleaded guilty to Count One and Count Two of the Indictment before United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on or about March 1, 2018 and March 20, 2018, Gulley distributed less than 100 grams of heroin.
Judge Gibson scheduled sentencing for Jan. 4, 2022. The law provides for a maximum of 40 years in prison, a fine of $2,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Maureen Sheehan-Balchon is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Laurel Highlands Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cambria County Drug Task Force led the prosecution of Gulley.
Idaho Falls Man Sentenced to 27 Months in Federal Prison for Unlawful Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
BOISE – Kim Jarod Kouros Firouzbakhsh, 35, of Idaho Falls, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 27 months in federal prison for the unlawful possession of a firearm, Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael M. Gonzalez, Jr. announced today. U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Firouzbakhsh to serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
According to court records, on May 2, 2020, Nampa police officers responded to a report of domestic violence. Officers identified Firouzbakhsh as a suspect and discovered a firearm in his pants pocket. Firouzbakhsh is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a prior felony drug conviction and was on parole at the time of the offense. Firouzbakhsh pleaded guilty to the firearms charge on March 16, 2021.
Acting U.S. Attorney Gonzalez praised the joint investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Nampa Police Department, which led to charges. “It is illegal for convicted felons to possess firearms. Repeat offenders caught with illegal weapons in Idaho will face federal prosecution,” said Mr. Gonzalez. “The Nampa Police Department and departments throughout Idaho are working closely with ATF to hold repeat offenders accountable for their continued criminal actions. We will continue to work together to make cases to keep our community safe from criminal offenders,” he concluded.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program. 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.
###
Husband and Wife Sentenced in Large-Scale Fraud and Bribery Scheme Involving Two South Florida VA HospitalsRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – A federal district judge in Fort Lauderdale yesterday sentenced the last of 16 defendants for their roles in a large-scale kickback and bribery scheme involving employees and vendors of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Centers located in West Palm Beach and Miami.
Earron Starks, 51, was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,451,000 in restitution. His wife, Carlicha Starks, 42, was sentenced to three years of supervised release, including one year of home confinement, and ordered to pay $501,000 in restitution.
Earron and Carlicha Starks, both from Hallandale Beach, Florida, were vendors who sold supplies to the VA. They, as did other vendors, paid kickbacks to VA employees in exchange for getting the VA’s business. Court filings describe how in exchange for cash bribes, medical center employees used government credit cards to order medical and other hospital supplies from these corrupt vendors. In some cases, the prices of the supplies were grossly inflated. In other cases, the orders were only partially fulfilled or not fulfilled at all. Ultimately, the fraud scheme enabled the Starks couple and other corrupt vendors to receive over $20 million in purchase orders with VA Medical Centers in West Palm Beach and Miami.
“There is no place for kickbacks in our veterans’ healthcare system,” said Juan Antonio Gonzalez, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. “These crimes not only violate the public’s trust, they also compromise the integrity of programs intended to help those who have made great sacrifices for our country. The United States Attorney’s Office will hold accountable anyone who tarnishes the VA through fraud, bribes, or other crimes.”
“These crimes were a gross violation of public trust and a threat to the resources used to care for our nation’s veterans and their families. The act of soliciting and accepting bribes undermines the vital work that honest VA employees do every day,” said David Spilker, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, Criminal Investigations Division (VA-OIG, CI), Southeast Field Office. “The VA OIG is grateful for the United States Attorney’s Office’s partnership in holding these defendants accountable.”
Fourteen additional defendants were charged for their roles in this scheme. They pleaded guilty and received the following sentences:
Defendants who worked at West Palm Beach VA Medical Center (Case Number 19-80223-CR-KAM).
- Clinton Purvis, 54, of West Palm Beach, who pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, was sentenced to 27 months’ incarceration followed by 24 months of supervised release and ordered to pay $1.4 million in restitution.
- Christopher Young, 46, of West Palm Beach, who pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, was sentenced to 24 months’ probation.
- Kenneth Scott, 61, of Riviera Beach, who pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, was sentenced to 24 months’ probation and ordered to pay $295,511 in restitution.
- Robert “Bob” Johnson, 64, of West Palm Beach, who pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment followed by 24 months of supervised release and ordered to pay $800,000 in restitution.
Defendants who worked at Miami VA Medical Center.
- Waymon Melvon Woods, 60, of Miami, pleaded guilty to one count of receiving a bribe as a public official and was sentenced to nine months’ incarceration, 36 months of supervised release and ordered to pay $120,505 in restitution (case number 19-20743-CR-FAM).
- Don Anderson, 61, of Port St. Lucie, Fl., pleaded guilty to one count of receiving a bribe as a public official and was sentenced to 10 days of incarceration, 36 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $31,579 in restitution (case number 19-20746-CR-FAM).
- Jose Eugenio Cuervo, 55, of Miramar, Fl., pleaded guilty to one count of receiving a bribe as a public official and was sentenced to six months of home confinement, 36 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $8,596 in restitution (case number 19-20748-CR-DPG).
- Donnie Shatek Hawes, 37, of Cutler Bay, Fl., who pleaded guilty to one count of receiving a bribe as a public official, was sentenced to 5 days of incarceration, 24 months of probation, and ordered to pay $2,900 in restitution (case number 19-20745-CR-RNS).
- Robert Lee James Harris, 46, of Miami Gardens, Fl., who pleaded guilty to one count of receiving a bribe as a public official, was sentenced to 6 months of home confinement, 36 months of probation and ordered to pay $7,775 (case number 19-20747-CR-RNS).
- Emir Gilberto Reyes,55, of Homestead, Fl., who pleaded guilty to one count of receiving a bribe as a public official, was sentenced to 60 months of probation and ordered to pay $18,380 (case number 20-20098-CR-FAM).
- Eugene Campbell, 62, of Miami Gardens, Fl., who pleaded guilty to one count of receiving a bribe as a public official, was sentenced to 36 months’ incarceration, 36 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $592,717 in restitution (case number 19-20744-CR-UU).
Defendants who were VA supply vendors.
- Jorge Flores, 47, of Delray Beach, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud was sentenced to 18 months’ incarceration, 36 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2.1 million in restitution (case number 19-80200-CR-RS).
- Robert Kozak, 75, of Boca Raton FL, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and was sentenced to 6 months’ incarceration, 36 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $850,000 in restitution (case number 19-80201-CR-RS).
- Vincent Bellafiore, 47, of Palm Beach Gardens, FL, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and was sentenced to 36 months’ probation and ordered to pay a $10,000 fine (case number 20-80077-CR-RS).
All VA employees were either terminated or resigned.
The convictions were the result of a lengthy investigation by Special Agents of VA-OIG CI, who uncovered the extensive scheme after receiving an anonymous tip. A related case in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania resulted in another VA employee being charged with bribery. VA OIG, Criminal Investigations Division, is responsible for conducting independent investigations of VA’s expansive programs and operations, which includes the largest healthcare system in the country.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Perwin is prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 19-80202-CR-WP.
###
Groundbreaking extradition lands ELN members in Texas for narco-terrorism and international cocaine distributionRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Two alleged members of one of the most serious transnational criminal organizations will make their initial appearances in U.S. federal court on charges of narco-terrorism and distributing kilogram quantities of cocaine from Colombia.
This is the first time believed members of the National Liberation Army (Ejército de Liberación Nacional aka ELN) have been extradited to the United States in their nearly 60-year history to face both narco-terrorism and drug trafficking charges. ELN is a Colombian guerrilla group officially designated as a foreign terrorist organization Oct. 8, 1997. It continues to operate as one of the largest narco-terrorism organizations in the world.
Yamit Picon-Rodriguez aka Choncha, 36, and Henry Trigos-Celon aka Moncho Picada, 44, were extradited and landed in Houston just moments ago. They are set to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sam Sheldon at 10 a.m. tomorrow.
A federal grand jury returned an indictment against Picon-Rodriguez, Trigos-Celon and others Feb. 12, 2020. Colombian authorities took them into custody at the request of the United States in September 2020.
Picon-Rodriguez is charged with international cocaine distribution conspiracy along with five others. Those six are also charged with distribution of a controlled substance and knowing or intending to provide anything of pecuniary value to a person or organization that engages in terrorism or terrorist activity (narco-terrorism).
According to the indictment, Picon-Rodriguez, Trigos-Celon and others were involved in an ongoing 20-year conspiracy to distribute cocaine from Colombia to the United States knowing or intending to provide pecuniary support to the ELN.
In early 2019, Trigos-Celon and four others allegedly participated in distributing approximately 30 kilograms of cocaine in Colombia, knowing it would be imported into the United States.
Suspected ELN leader Villegas-Palomino aka Carlos El Puerco, 38, is also charged but not yet in custody. He is considered a fugitive as are Jaime Miguel Picon-Rodriguez aka Chencho and Jairo, 38, and Diomedes Barbosa-Montaño aka El Burro, 38. A warrant remains outstanding for their arrests. Anyone with information about their whereabouts is asked to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit tips online at tips.fbi.gov. The U.S. Department of State, through its narcotics rewards program, is offering up to a $5 million reward for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Villegas-Palomino.
The Houston Divisions of the FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) conducted the investigation as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). FBI and DEA agents in Bogota provided substantial support as did the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) multi-agency Special Operations Division, including assigned attorneys from the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section and National Security Division, as well as DOJ Judicial Attaches in Colombia with the cooperation of Colombian authorities. DOJ – Office of International Affairs, Houston Police Department, U.S. Southern Command and international partners including the Colombian Army, National Police, National Prosecutor's Office and Technical Body of Investigation also provided critical assistance.
The operation, dubbed Operation Catatumbo Lightning, is part of an OCDETF 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 to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations. The specific mission of the Houston Strike Force is to disrupt, dismantle and prosecute the drug trafficking organizations that are designated Consolidated Priority Organization or Regional Priority Organization Target heads with their affiliates that impact Houston and south Texas.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey N. MacDonald and Anibal Alaniz of the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Grand jury indicts individual for health-care fraud and drug offensesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – On August 18, 2021, a federal grand jury issued a twenty-five count indictment against Katie Diana Rooney charging Rooney with health-care fraud and controlled substance offenses. At the time Rooney allegedly committed these offenses, she was a resident of St. Charles, Missouri.
The indictment alleges that through fraud and deceit, Rooney obtained prescriptions for Adderall and Xanax, both controlled substances. Rooney illegally sold these drugs to an undercover detective. Because the drugs were intended for Rooney’s two minor children, who were both Medicaid recipients, Medicaid paid for the drugs.
The charges set forth in this indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The United States Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Department of Health and Human Services (Office of the Inspector General), and the Missouri Medicaid Fraud Control Unit are investigating this case. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dorothy L. McMurtry.
#####
Grand jury indicts doctor for illegally prescribing controlled substances and other chargesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – On August 18, 2021, a federal grand jury issued a thirteen-count indictment against Matthew Steven Miller, D.O. charging Dr. Miller with illegally prescribing controlled substances and other related offenses. At the time Dr. Miller allegedly committed these offenses, he was licensed to practice medicine in Missouri, Michigan, and New Jersey.
The indictment alleges that Dr. Miller illegally prescribed Xanax to five individuals with whom Dr. Miller did not have a doctor-patient relationship. It further alleges that Dr. Miller was not licensed by the Missouri Bureau of Narcotic and Dangerous Drugs to prescribe Xanax The indictment also alleges that Dr. Miller never examined these individuals to determine whether they had a medical need for Xanax. The indictment additionally alleges that the Xanax that was obtained through the issuance of the illegal prescriptions and/or the money received as a result of the sale of the fraudulently obtained Xanax was shared with Dr. Miller.
The charges set forth in this indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The United States Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Department of Health and Human Services (Office of the Inspector General), and the Missouri Medicaid Fraud Control Unit are investigating this case. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dorothy L. McMurtry.
#####
Grand jury indicts doctor for conspiring to and participating in a nationwide health-care fraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – On August 18, 2021, a federal grand jury issued a twenty-five count indictment against Scott Taggart Roethle, M.D., an anesthesiologist residing in Kansas, charging Dr. Roethle with conspiring to and participating in a nationwide health-care fraud. At the time Dr. Roethe allegedly committed these offenses, he was licensed to practice medicine in 22 states.
The indictment alleges the following: that beginning in 2017 and continuing until at least 2020, multiple telemedicine and marketing companies paid Dr. Roethle illegal kickbacks, totaling $674,026, to sign prescriptions and orders for orthotics, genetic tests, and topical creams. Dr. Roethle was typically paid $30 for each order or prescription he signed. The marketing and telemedicine companies solicited patients through the media and cold calls and then electronically transmitted patient information to Dr. Roethle through an electronic portal. In almost all instances, Dr. Roethle had no contact with the patients and did not determine if they needed the items or services before he signed the orders. Patients often complained to Dr. Roethle that they did not want or need the items he had ordered for them.
Roethle obtained medical licenses in 22 states and signed orders for thousands of patients residing in these states. Medicare Part B suffered a loss of over $26 million based on fraudulent prescriptions and orders signed by Dr. Roethle.
Charges set forth in the indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The United States Department of Health and Human Services (Office of the Inspector General), United States Department of Defense (Office of the Inspector General) are investigating this case. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Dorothy L. McMurtry and Derek Wiseman.
#####
Grand jury indicts 4 individuals on gun and drug chargesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – On August 11, 2021, a federal grand jury indicted Rebecca Hanks, 46, Zachary Siebert, 19, Amelia Siebert, 23, and Richard Frazier, 23, for drug and gun-related offenses that allegedly occurred in Lincoln County, Missouri. All 4 defendants have subsequently been arrested on this indictment.
The defendants are charged with the drug trafficking crime of conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute marijuana. Each defendant is also charged with possessing a firearm in furtherance of the above drug trafficking crime. In addition to those charges, Rebecca Hanks is charged with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of maintaining a drug house located in Lincoln County, Missouri.
The charge of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime is punishable by a term of imprisonment of no less than 5 years and no more than life in the United States Bureau of Prisons. According to the relevant federal statute, this sentence must run consecutively to any other sentence imposed.
The charges set forth in this indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) are investigating this case. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Geoffrey S. Ogden.
#####
Georgia Man Convicted of Filing $165 Million in Fraudulent Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
ATHENS, Ga. – A federal jury convicted a Lilburn, Georgia, man of filing fraudulent tax returns amounting to nearly $165 million in the name of several fake trusts.
Marquet Antwain Burgess Mattox, AKA Marquet Antwain Burgess Mattox El, AKA Marquet Burgess Mattox, AKA Asim Ashunta El, AKA Asim El Bey, 49, was found guilty of nine counts of wire fraud, ten counts of false claims against the U.S. Government and one count of theft of government funds by a federal jury on Wednesday, August 18, following a three-day trial that began on Monday, August 16. U.S. District Judge C. Ashley Royal presided over the trial and will sentence Mattox at a later date. Mattox is in custody. Mattox faces a maximum of 20 years in prison on the wire fraud counts, five years on the false claims counts and ten years on the theft of government funds count. Mattox also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, monetary penalties and forfeiture. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Mattox brazenly filed enormous fraudulent tax returns on made-up trusts—a criminal act that ultimately amounts to attempted theft, pure and simple,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Thanks to the efforts of IRS Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, Mattox will now be held accountable for his scheme.”
“Mattox intentionally manipulated the tax system for personal benefit,” said IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge James E. Dorsey. “The charges and prosecution shows that we do not tolerate those who seek an unfair advantage over hard-working taxpaying citizens. If you come across such tax schemes, including individuals luring others to commit 1099-OID schemes, please help us fight this inequity by reporting it to IRS Criminal Investigation.”
“TIGTA’s statutory mission includes investigating individuals who interfere with the lawful collection of taxes,” said J. Russell George, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. “Attempts to interfere with IRS employees engaged in the performance of their official duties will be aggressively pursued. We appreciate the efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and IRS Criminal Investigation in working with TIGTA to protect the integrity of Federal tax administration.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between 2016 and 2018, Mattox filed at least 30 fraudulent federal income tax returns in the name of at least 11 different trusts. Those returns falsely represented that the trusts had earned interest income and that federal income taxes had been withheld and paid to the IRS. Mattox then fraudulently requested refunds on behalf of the purported trusts totaling nearly $165 million. The IRS paid approximately $5 million of the requested refunds, which Mattox used to purchase a house, expensive furniture and a luxury automobile.
The case was investigated by IRS-CI’s Atlanta Division and Office of the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lyndie M. Freeman and Trial Attorney Jessica A. Kraft of the Justice Department’s Tax Division are prosecuting the case for the Government.
Former employee sentenced for stealing over $400,000Read the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas - The former controlling manager of Lone Star Shredding’s parent company has been ordered to federal prison for defrauding his employer, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Brian Janish, 44, pleaded guilty June 10.
Today, U.S. District Judge Randy Crane ordered him to serve a 24-month sentence to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. The court further ordered Janish to pay $340,293.19 in restitution. At the hearing, the court heard additional testimony from a representative of the company that described the impact the crime had on the business.
Lone Star Shredding is a local subsidiary in Mercedes. Its parent company is located in Tennessee.
At the time of his plea, Janish admitted to using an unauthorized access device and engaging in other fraudulent activity to steal $403,293.19 between July 2013 and December 2017.
As part of his responsibilities, Janish was in charge of establishing bank accounts and approving expenses for the company. When the company switched banks, Janish failed to close the company’s previous bank account or destroy the corporate credit card issued in his name.
In fact, he charged personal expenses on the company credit card, including travel and online goods. Janish also wrote checks from the company account and withdrew cash for personal use. He attempted to cover his fraud by emailing fake bank statements to the company.
The Morristown, Tennessee, resident also increased his payroll without authorization.
Janish was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rodolfo Ramirez and Stephanie Bauman prosecuted the case.
Former coach charged with distributing pornographic images of childrenRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 44-year-old Rockport man has surrendered to authorities following the return of an indictment alleging charges of distributing and possessing images of sexually-exploited children, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer Lowery.
A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment Aug. 11 against Mark Daniel Malone. He is set to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jason B. Libby tomorrow at 10:15 a.m.
The investigation allegedly revealed Malone was a former high school basketball coach.
According to the indictment, Malone uploaded images of sexually-exploited children onto the internet. The investigation later revealed he had possessed photos of similar victimized children on his cell phone, according to the charges. Those images allegedly included children under the age of 12.
If convicted, Malone faces up to 20 in prison as well as a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Texas Attorney General’s Office - Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Attorneys Molly K. Smith and Dennis E. Robinson are prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Former bookkeeper sentenced to prison for embezzlementRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Alice Sue Smith has been sentenced for stealing from her employer while working as the bookkeeper and for filing false tax returns.
“When employees take advantage of their positions of trust to steal from small, family-owned businesses, real victims suffer serious financial harm,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Kurt R. Erskine. “As in this case, there are real and significant consequences for employees who are caught stealing from their employers.”
“Smith let her greed blind her to responsibilities her company entrusted her with,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “For that she will be held accountable.”
“This sentencing sends a clear message that stealing from your employer is not okay,” said Demetrius Hardeman, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, IRS CI Atlanta Field Office. “No one should ever feel they have the right to take what is not theirs. IRS-CI will continue to work diligently, in concert with the FBI and US Attorney’s Office, to ensure everyone pays their fair share.”
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Erskine, the criminal information, and other information presented in court: Alice Sue Smith was the bookkeeper and office manager at Chattanooga Coin, Inc. (“CCI”) from 2004 to 2018. From 2009 to 2018, Smith forged the signatures of CCI’s owners on approximately 1,400 checks that she then cashed. Smith also created fictitious check stubs in CCI’s financial records to cover up her fraud. In total, she stole approximately $1.24 million from CCI over nearly a decade. Smith also failed to report the embezzled funds and other legitimate income on her income tax returns.
Alice Sue Smith, 63, of Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, has been sentenced to three years, seven months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. The Court also ordered her to pay restitution to CCI and the United States of approximately $1.48 million. She was convicted of wire fraud and filing a false tax return on February 11, 2021, after pleading guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, with assistance from the Rossville, Georgia Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Qin and Russell Phillips prosecuted 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.
Former Nixa School Official Pleads Guilty to Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A former assistant principal at Nixa Junior High School in Nixa, Missouri, pleaded guilty in federal court today to soliciting sexually explicit photos from a 13-year-old victim by posing online as a teen girl.
Colby Fronterhouse, 41, of Springfield, Mo., pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to one count of receiving child pornography. Fronterhouse was employed as an assistant principal at the junior high school at the time of the offense; he was terminated on Feb. 8, 2021.
A Christian County sheriff’s deputy was contacted by a 13-year-old child victim and his father in September 2020. The child victim, identified in court documents as “John Doe,” had been engaging in a series of text messages for approximately a week with Fronterhouse, who posed as a 14-year-old girl. Fronterhouse, posing as a 14-year-old, encouraged John Doe to transmit sexually explicit images of himself to Fronterhouse, made specific requests for poses or types of images, and had sexually explicit conversations with John Doe.
Investigators learned that the phone used by Fronterhouse was a burner phone number with a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) account, but they were able to trace the account to Fronterhouse. Officers executed a search warrant at Fronterhouse’s residence on Jan. 26, 2021, and he was arrested. Investigators seized Fronterhouse’s cell phone and found evidence linking his cell phone to the burner account. Investigators confirmed that Fronterhouse had access to the child victim’s cell phone number through school records.
Under federal statutes, Fronterhouse is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 20 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the Christian County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Federal indictment unsealed alleging massive Muscogee County, Georgia fraud; former county clerk charged and in custodyRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ga. – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging eight people, including the former Deputy Clerk of Muscogee County Court, with various criminal charges including bank fraud, wire fraud and interstate transportation of stolen property amounting to an alleged loss of nearly $500,000 to Muscogee County during an 11-month period in 2019.
Willie Demps, 63, of Phenix City, Alabama, is charged with one count conspiracy to commit bank fraud, 35 counts of wire fraud and 34 counts of interstate transportation of stolen property. If convicted, Demps faces a maximum sentence of 30 years on the conspiracy charge, a maximum sentence of 20 years on each of the wire fraud charges and a maximum sentence of ten years on each of the interstate transportation charges. Each count of conviction also carries a maximum of three years of supervised release and a maximum $250,000 fine. Demps’ initial appearance is scheduled for Tuesday, August 24, at 11 a.m. in Columbus federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephen Hyles.
Curtis Porch, 48, of Columbus, is charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, wire fraud, and interstate transportation of stolen property. If convicted, Porch faces the same potential penalties as co-defendant Demps.
Dereen Porch, 43, of Columbus, is charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud. If convicted, Porch faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a maximum $250,000 fine.
Terry McBride, 43, of Smiths Station, Alabama, is charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, 31 counts of wire fraud and 31 counts of transportation of stolen property. If convicted, McBride faces the same potential penalties as co-defendant Demps.
Samuel Cole, 72, of Columbus, is charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, two counts wire fraud, two counts transportation of stolen property and false statements. If convicted, Cole faces the same potential penalties as co-defendant Demps, plus a maximum of five years, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release on the false statements charge.
Rosalee Bassi, 65, of Lawrenceville, Georgia, is charged with one count conspiracy to commit bank fraud. If convicted, Bassi faces the same potential penalties as co-defendant Dereen Porch.
Lamarcus Palmer, 34, of Smiths Station, Alabama, is charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud. If convicted, Palmer faces a maximum of 30 years on the conspiracy charge, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. If convicted of wire fraud, he faces a maximum of twenty years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
George Cook, 33, of Columbus, is charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud. If convicted, he faces the same potential penalties as co-defendant Dereen Porch.
According to the now unsealed indictment, handed down by a federal grand jury on Wednesday, August 11, and unsealed on Wednesday, August 18, Demps, who worked for the Muscogee County Clerk for approximately 30 years, supervised money deposits received by the Clerk’s Office. The Clerk’s Office received money from fines and condemnations, and payments were frequently made in cash. Most of the cash was given to Demps, who had the responsibility of depositing Muscogee County funds. Demps is accused of making Clerk of Superior Court checks payable to various co-defendants in dollar amounts he filled in and endorsed. Demps would allegedly meet various co-defendants in locations away from his place of business at the Clerk’s Office to give the illicit checks to them to be cashed at banks in Columbus and in nearby Alabama. The co-defendants are accused of cashing the checks and returning the money to Demps, who would allegedly give the participating co-defendant a portion of the money. It is alleged that during the time period between January 2019 to November 2019, Demps and his co-defendants cashed at least $467,331 in checks stolen from the Muscogee County Clerk’s Office.
FBI, IRS and the Columbus Police Department are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mel Hyde is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Federal Prosecutor Receives Prestigious Legal AwardRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Jeffrey Q. McCarther, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, has been named a recipient of the prestigious Lon O. Hocker Award in recognition of his outstanding trial work in federal court.
“Jeff McCarther has been on the front line of our effort to make our community safer by getting violent criminals off the street and behind bars,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore. “Jeff has worked diligently to aggressively prosecute drug traffickers, armed robbers, kidnappers, carjackers, felons and others who illegally possess firearms. Jeff confronts some of the most dangerous criminals in court and brings them to justice. Combatting violent crime is one of our highest priorities, and his dedication and professionalism have earned the respect of the legal community.”
Each year, the Missouri Bar recognizes one attorney under the age of 40 in the Kansas City, Mo., area who exemplifies the qualities of a trial lawyer, including professionalism and high ethical conduct. Awards are also presented to one attorney in the St. Louis, Mo., area and to one attorney in the remaining counties. The Missouri Bar Foundation describes the Lon O. Hocker Award recipients: “The recipients are chosen based on their demonstrated balance between zealousness and honor, strength and courtesy, and confidence and respect. They must possess a quick wit in the courtroom that is supported by meticulous preparation in the pursuit of truth.”
McCarther has been a federal prosecutor for seven years in the Violent Crime and Drug Trafficking Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. He prosecutes felony crimes related to robbery, kidnapping, carjacking, drug trafficking conspiracies, the illegal possession of firearms, as well as other violent and drug-related crimes. Since joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2014, McCarther has successfully prosecuted 18 jury trials, as well as three bench trials.
For example, in 2019 McCarther earned convictions against two defendants who were indicted for kidnapping, robbing, and terrorizing three women during a violent, hours-long crime spree. The victims were threatened with a sawed-off shotgun as their kidnappers forced them to withdraw money from ATMs. One of the victims escaped when police officers recognized the stolen car in which she was being held. The others were able to flee from their captors. The jury deliberated less than two hours before returning guilty verdicts on 17 charges apiece. One defendant was later sentenced as an armed career criminal and “three strikes” violent felon to four consecutive terms of life in federal prison without parole. The other defendant was sentenced to 60 years in federal prison without parole.
In another case, a defendant was convicted at trial for illegally possessing the firearm he had used to shoot his girlfriend. He was found guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm and sentenced to 17 years in federal prison without parole.
Another defendant was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison without parole after being convicted at trial of participating in a conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine. His co-defendants, who pleaded guilty, possessed 80,000 pseudoephedrine pills at the time of their arrest – enough to produce approximately three kilograms of pure methamphetamine with a street value of more than $100,000.
McCarther was born, raised, and currently resides in Kansas City, Mo. He is a 2005 graduate of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, and a 2009 graduate of the University of Missouri School of Law in Columbia, Mo. Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, McCarther was an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney at the Jackson County, Mo., Prosecutor’s Office and, before that, a civil attorney at a top national law firm.
Lon O. Hocker Award
Mary B. Hocker established the Lon O. Hocker Award in 1954 in memory of her late husband, an outstanding trial lawyer who practiced in St. Louis for more than 50 years. The Missouri Bar Foundation gives the award annually to lawyers who have demonstrated unusual proficiency in the art of trial advocacy.
Traditionally, the Missouri Bar Foundation presents these awards at its Awards Luncheon during The Missouri Bar Annual Meeting. The Annual Meeting this year will be held virtually as it was last year. Nominations were taken from throughout the state by previous Lon O. Hocker Award winners, the Missouri Bar president, leaders, or members-at-large. The review committee was comprised of three or more federal or state judges.
Federal Jury Convicts Stephens County Man of Abusive Sexual Contact with a Child Under 12Read the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – Last week, a federal jury convicted LAWRENCE JUNIOR LOFTIS, 65, of Stephens County, of abusive sexual contact with a child under 12 years old, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On April 20, 2021, a federal grand jury returned a three-count Indictment against Loftis, charging him with aggravated sexual abuse and abusive sexual contact with a child under 12 years old.
On August 13, 2021, after a four-day trial, a federal jury found Loftis guilty of abusive sexual contact with a child under 12 years old. Evidence at trial showed that, between early 2018 and late 2019, Loftis knowingly engaged in and caused sexual contact with a child, who was then eight to ten years old. The jury heard testimony from witnesses who had helped bring the sexual abuse to light, from the child victim, and from the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office investigator who interviewed Loftis. Finally, the jury heard the testimony of another victim who had been sexually abused by Loftis for many years when that person was a child. The jury did not reach a verdict on the two counts charging Loftis with aggravated sexual abuse of a child.
At sentencing, Loftis faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison, restitution to the child victim, and a fine of up to $5,000. Loftis is in federal custody pending sentencing, which is expected in approximately 90 days.
Federal jurisdiction existed in this case because the crime was committed in Indian Country and Loftis was Native American.
This case is the result of investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Oklahoma City Field Division and the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bow Bottomly and Brandon Hale prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Reference is made to court filings for further information.
FCI Schuylkill Inmates Sentenced for Possession of Contraband in PrisonRead the Press Release
WILKES-BARRE – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on August 18, 2021, Jose Martinez, age 54, and David Montserrate Torres, age 33, both inmates at the Federal Correctional Institute-Schuylkill, Minersville, Pennsylvania, were sentenced by U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph F. Saporito, Jr. to one month imprisonment following their separate convictions for possession of contraband in prison. Both sentences are to be served consecutive to the inmates’ current sentences.
According to Acting United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, both Martinez and Montserrate Torres were inmates within the satellite camp at FCI-Schuylkill when they were found to be in possession of prohibited objects including a cellphone, charging cable, charging adapter, and a pair of earbuds on July 18, 2021.
The case was investigated by Bureau of Prisons. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey St. John and James M. Buchanan prosecuted the cases.
# # #
Extradición histórica lleva a miembros del ELN a Texas por narcoterrorismo y distribución internacional de cocaínaRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Dos presuntos miembros de una de las organizaciones delictivas transnacionales más temerarias tendrán una audiencia inicial en una corte federal de EE. UU. por cargos de narcoterrorismo y distribución de cocaína en cantidades superiores a un kilogramo desde Colombia.
Es la primera vez que se extradita a Estados Unidos a presuntos miembros del Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN) en los casi 60 años de existencia de la organización para enfrentar cargos por narcoterrorismo y narcotráfico. El ELN es una organización guerrillera colombiana que fue designada oficialmente como organización terrorista extranjera el 8 de octubre de 1997. Sigue operando como una de las organizaciones de narcoterrorismo más extensas del mundo.
Yamit Picón-Rodríguez, alias Choncha, de 36 años, y Henry Trigos-Celón, alias Moncho Picada, de 44, fueron extraditados y llegaron a Houston por vía aérea hace instantes. Está previsto que comparezcan ante el juez federal Sam Sheldon mañana a las 10 a.m.
Un jurado federal de acusación dispuso el procesamiento de Picón-Rodríguez, Trigos-Celón y otras personas el 12 de febrero de 2020. Las autoridades colombianas aprehendieron a estas personas a pedido de Estados Unidos en septiembre de 2020.
Picón-Rodríguez está acusado de conspiración con fines de distribución internacional de cocaína junto a otras cinco personas. A los seis se los acusó también de distribución de sustancia controlada y de realizar actos orientados a proporcionar elementos de valor pecuniario, o a sabiendas de que serían proporcionados, a una persona o una organización que participa en terrorismo o actividades terroristas (narcoterrorismo).
Según la acusación, Picón-Rodríguez, Trigos-Celón y otras personas estuvieron implicadas en una conspiración por un lapso de 20 años para distribuir cocaína desde Colombia hacia Estados Unidos con la intención de proporcionar apoyo económico al ELN o a sabiendas de que tal apoyo se brindaría.
A comienzos de 2019, Trigos-Celón y otras cuatro personas presuntamente participaron en la distribución de cerca de 30 kilogramos de cocaína en Colombia, con conocimiento de que se importaría a Estados Unidos.
Villegas-Palomino, alias Carlos El Puerco, de 38 años, presunto líder del ELN, también fue acusado pero todavía no ha sido detenido. Se lo considera fugitivo, al igual que Jaime Miguel Picón-Rodríguez, alias Chencho y Jairo, de 38 años, y Diomedes Barbosa-Montaño, alias El Burro, de 38. Se ha librado una orden para su detención. Se pide a quienes tengan información sobre sus paraderos que se contacten con el FBI llamando al 1-800-CALL-FBI o enviando cualquier dato valioso a tips.fbi.gov. El Departamento de Estado de EE. UU., a través de su programa de recompensas relacionadas con narcóticos, ofrece hasta $ 5 millones a cambio de información que posibilite que se detenga o condene a Villegas-Palomino.
Las Divisiones de Houston del FBI y de la Administración para el Control de Drogas (Drug Enforcement Administration, DEA) llevaron a cabo la investigación como parte de los Grupos de Tareas contra la Narcodelincuencia Organizada (Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, OCDETF). Los agentes del FBI y la DEA en Bogotá brindaron un apoyo sustancial, al igual que la División de Operaciones Especiales, un organismo de carácter interinstitucional dentro del ámbito del Departamento de Justicia (DOJ), incluidos abogados asignados desde la Sección de Narcóticos y Drogas Peligrosas, así como agregados judiciales del DOJ en Colombia, con la cooperación de las autoridades colombianas. También prestaron asistencia esencial la Oficina de Asuntos Internacionales del DOJ, el Departamento de Policía de Houston, el Comando Sur de EE. UU. y varios socios internacionales, entre ellos el Ejército, la Policía Nacional, la Fiscalía General de la Nación y el Cuerpo Técnico de Investigación de Colombia.
La operación, que recibió el nombre de Relámpago de Catatumbo (Catatumbo Lightning), forma parte de una iniciativa del Grupo de Ataque de OCDETF que prevé la conformación de equipos de tareas interinstitucionales permanentes que trabajen codo a codo en un mismo lugar. Este modelo de emplazamiento conjunto permite que agentes de distintos organismos colaboren en operaciones basadas en datos de inteligencia en múltiples jurisdicciones para interceptar y desarticular el accionar de los narcotraficantes, responsables de blanqueo de capitales, pandillas y organizaciones delictivas transnacionales de mayor envergadura. La misión específica del Grupo de Ataque de Houston es interceptar, desbaratar y enjuiciar a las organizaciones de narcotráfico que han sido designadas como Organización Identificada de Prioridad Consolidada u Organización Identificada de Prioridad Regional y sus organizaciones afiliadas que tienen impacto en Houston y el sur de Texas.
Los fiscales federales auxiliares Casey N. MacDonald y Aníbal Alaniz del Distrito Sur de Texas impulsan la acusación.
El escrito de procesamiento es una acusación formal de una conducta delictiva y no constituye prueba de esta. Se presume la inocencia de los acusados hasta tanto se demuestre su culpabilidad sin lugar a duda racional en un tribunal de justicia.
Essex County Man Indicted for Gunpoint Robbery of Cell Phone StoreRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man was indicted by a federal grand jury today for his role in a January 2021 gunpoint robbery of a cell phone store in East Orange, New Jersey, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Kenneth Graham, 49, of Newark, is charged by indictment with one count of Hobbs Act Robbery and one count of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. He will be arraigned at a date to be determined.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Jan. 18, 2021, Graham was in a cell phone store when he drew a gun and pointed it at a store employee. Graham ordered the employee to place several cell phones from the display case and cash from the register into his bag. Video surveillance footage near the store showed Graham enter a black Nissan Altima after the robbery and drive away. Witnesses confirmed that Graham was the person entering the Nissan Altima after robbing the store.
The count of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence carries a maximum potential penalty of life in prison. It also carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years of prison in this case because Graham was previously convicted of the same crime in 2007 in connection with three gunpoint bank robberies in New Jersey. The sentence on this charge must be consecutive to any other sentence imposed. The Hobbs Act robbery charge carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gain or loss from the offense.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr., and members of the East Orange Police Department, under the direction of Chief Phylis Bindi, with the investigation leading to today’s charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Levin of the Violent Crimes Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Erie Man Pleads to Drug and Gun Charges following PSP InvestigationRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A former resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal drug laws, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.
Chancelor Amir Jordan, 37, pleaded guilty to one count before Senior United States District Judge David S. Cercone.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on or about February 4, 2020, Jordan possessed with intent to distribute more than 30 grams of fentanyl. The court was advised that Jordan also possessed a 9mm Taurus semi-automatic handgun, ammunition, cash, and a press used for packaging controlled substances.
Judge Cercone scheduled sentencing for December 13, 2021 at 1:00 p.m. The law provides for a total sentence of 30 years in prison, a fine of $2,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Paul S. Sellers is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Jordan.
Eleven Indicted for Distribution of Heroin Across Wasatch FrontRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY – Eleven members of a Wasatch Front heroin distribution ring face federal charges for distributing heroin in Utah and Idaho in an indictment unsealed Monday in federal court.
The indictment is based on a multi-month wiretap investigation into a drug trafficking organization that conspired to distribute multiple kilograms of heroin along the Wasatch Front, including Utah County, Salt Lake County, Tooele County, and Davis County, and into Idaho. During the investigation, close to 2 kilograms of heroin were seized, with multiple kilograms running through the organization since at least December of 2020. Five firearms, two of which are stolen, were also seized during the investigation.
During the approximately six-month investigation, agents completed 13 controlled purchases of heroin from members of the distribution ring. The organization in Utah operated as a cell of a much larger network of drug trafficking activity that originated in Mexico and that includes cells in Colorado and other states.
Antonio Giron-Fernandez, 39, of Orem, who is alleged to be the leader of the Utah distribution network, is charged with conspiracy to distribute heroin, distribution of heroin, and illegally reentering the United States after being removed. Also charged in the indictment are: Fernando Antonio Medina-Garcia, 23, of Orem, who is charged with conspiracy to distribute heroin, distribution of heroin, and possession of heroin with the intent to distribute; Juan Carlos Heredia-Perez, 21, of Orem, who is charged with conspiracy to distribute heroin; Jesus Alberto Zarate-Pacheco, 26, of Orem, who is charged with conspiracy to distribute heroin and the possession of heroin with the intent to distribute; Eric Ryan Francis, 35, of West Valley City, who is charged with conspiracy to distribute heroin, possession of heroin with the intent to distribute, and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm; Michael Shane Ellison, 47, of Provo, who is charged with conspiracy to distribute heroin; Jacob Elizardo Aragon, 28, of Cottonwood Heights, who is charged with conspiracy to distribute heroin, possession of heroin with the intent to distribute, and for being a user of controlled substances in possession of a firearm; Marc Anthony Pagni, 33 of Salt Lake City, who is charged with conspiracy to distribute heroin; Christina Ann Chance, 40, of Nampa, Idaho, who is charged with conspiracy to distribute heroin and the possession of heroin with the intent to distribute; Kimberly Jo Hancock, 56, of Eagle, Idaho, who is charged with conspiracy to distribute heroin and the possession of heroin with the intent to distribute; and, Jonathan Christopher McGuire, 41, of West Valley City, who is charged with conspiracy to distribute heroin.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys from the Utah U.S. Attorney’s Office are prosecting the case. Special Agents from FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, including detectives from the West Valley City Police Department, along with detectives from the Davis Metro Narcotics Task Force and the Layton City Police Department, conducted the investigation.
Indictments are not findings of guilt. Defendants charged in indictments are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty in court.
East Bay Man Sentenced to over Six Years in Prison for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – Shawn Jamison Prichard was sentenced today to 78 months in prison, for possession of child pornography, announced Acting United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Tatum King. The sentence was handed down by the Honorable Haywood S. Gilliam, Jr., U.S. District Judge.
Prichard, 42, of Antioch, pleaded guilty to the charge on March 31, 2021. According to the plea agreement, Prichard admitted that he knew he was in possession of sexually explicit images of children. The images included videos and images showing prepubescent children engaged in sexually explicit conduct as well as images of sadistic or masochistic depictions of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct and visual depictions of sexually explicit conduct perpetrated by adults on infants or toddlers. Prichard admitted to possessing more than 600 images of child pornography. Documents filed by the government in the case establish that an investigation into Prichard began after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a Cybertip from a social media company. At the time the Cybertip was made, Prichard worked as a registered nurse for a hospital in the East Bay.
On February 12, 2021, Prichard was charged by information with a single count of possession of child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2252(a)(4)(B) and (b)(2). He pleaded guilty to the count.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Gilliam also sentenced the defendant to a five-year term of supervised release and scheduled a hearing for October 20, 2021, to consider issues regarding restitution. Judge Gilliam ordered the defendant to begin serving his prison term on or before September 29, 2021.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan U. Lee is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Kay Konopaske, Kathleen Turner, and Leeya Kekona. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by HSI, the Silicon Valley Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office.
Eagle Butte Woman Indicted for Assault and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, woman has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer and two counts of Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance.
Frances Sioux Montero, age 40, was indicted on August 10, 2021. She appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on August 17, 2021, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is 20 years in federal prison and/or a $1,000,000 fine, three years up to life of supervised release, and a $100 assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on May 12, 2021, and June 1, 2021, Montero knowingly and intentionally possessed methamphetamine in Eagle Butte with intent to distribute the drug. Further, on June 1, Montero resisted a lawful arrest and caused the arresting officer to cut his finger when they fell to the ground and a methamphetamine pipe Montero had been holding shattered.
The charges are merely accusations and Montero is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook is prosecuting the case.
Montero was released on bond pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Dutch National Affiliated with ‘Bugaloo Bois’ Sentenced for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va.– A Dutch national and member of the Bugaloo Bois, was sentenced today to time served, which included five and a half months in prison, for illegally possessing a firearm while being unlawfully present in the United States.
According to court documents, Jaap Willem Lijbers, 27, was living in the United States on an I-94 Visa that expired on May 20, 2014. A review of immigration records showed that Lijbers never applied for adjustment or readmission. Lijbers pleaded guilty in April to one count of possessing a firearm while being unlawfully present in the United States.
Lijbers, who was residing in Raven, Va., frequently coordinated and communicated online with members of the Bugaloo Bois, a loosely connected group of individuals espousing violent anti-government sentiment. During some of these interactions, court documents allege that Lijbers encouraged other members of the Bugaloo Bois group to attend political rallies and commit acts of violence, to include taking over government buildings. Lijbers also encouraged others to participate in violent conduct against law enforcement officers in a “pig roast.”
Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Bubar of the Western District of Virginia and Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division, made the announcement today.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Assistant United States Attorneys Christopher Kavanaugh and Randy Ramseyer prosecuted the case for the United States.
District Woman Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Stealing over $364,000 from EmployerRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jessica J. Lucas, 43, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to two years in prison for committing a wire fraud scheme against her employer, a company that owns restaurants in the Washington metropolitan area.
The announcement was made by Acting U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division Robert Bornstein, and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Lucas pled guilty in February 2020 to one count of wire fraud in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Today, she was sentenced by the Honorable Thomas F. Hogan. In addition to her prison term, the Court ordered Lucas to pay restitution in the amount $364,004, as well as a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $364,004. Following her prison term, she will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to court papers, beginning on or about Jan. 1, 2015, and continuing through on or about Feb. 28, 2018, Lucas, who was employed as bookkeeper and cash handler for a restaurant in downtown Washington, implemented a scheme to steal from her employer. Lucas was responsible for ensuring that the restaurant had sufficient cash in its safe and bars to conduct the restaurant’s business of serving food and beverages to customers.
As part of her employment, Lucas frequently ordered cash from the company’s financial institution in order for the restaurant to have a “cash fund,” which was supposed to be used to provide change to customers who paid in cash rather than by credit card. As part of her scheme, Lucas regularly ordered more cash than was needed for operation of the restaurant. Lucas then stole a portion of the cash ordered and deposited the cash into her personal bank accounts. In an effort to conceal her theft from her employer, Lucas falsified monthly “change fund reconciliation reports” that she sent to company management in which she reported that there was more cash on hand than was actually in the safe.
In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillips, Special Agent in Charge Robert Bornstein and Chief Contee commended the work performed by those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the MPD. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Gorman and Diane Lucas, who prosecuted the case with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Chad Byron, and former Paralegal Specialist C. Rosalind Pressley.
Distributor of deadly fentanyl pills sentenced to 7 years in prisonRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 23-year-old Mount Vernon, Washington, woman was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 7 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Rosaliana Lopez-Rodriguez sold counterfeit oxycodone pills tainted with fentanyl in Skagit and Whatcom Counties. The pills were connected to at least two overdoses, including the overdose death of a Bellingham 17-year-old. At the sentencing hearing Chief U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez urged the friends and loved ones of the victim and the defendant to spread the word about the dangers of fentanyl. “Think what you can do to keep your family and friends as safe as you possibly can,” the Chief Judge said.
“This defendant continued to sell deadly fentanyl pills to a teenager, even after learning that the teenager’s friend almost died from an overdose,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Gorman. “Overdose deaths in this country are at an all-time high from fentanyl. Those who sell it with such a casual disregard for human life need to face significant sanctions.”
Lopez-Rodriguez and her supplier, 22-year-old Jiovanni Nunez, were arrested in November and December 2019 after an investigation to track down the source of the deadly pills. Both defendants have been in custody since their arrests.
According to records filed in the case, a family member found the 17-year-old victim unresponsive on November 9, 2019. Despite efforts of emergency responders to resuscitate him, the victim died; his cause of death was later determined to be fentanyl overdose. Investigators found a whole and a partial pill near the 17-year-old victim. These pills were designed to look like oxycodone 30-milligram pills, with “M” and “30” stamped on them. But they were fakes tainted with fentanyl. Similar pills have been linked to other overdose deaths throughout the Puget Sound region. In fact, a friend of the 17-year-old victim nearly died after smoking one of the pills on November 1, 2019. Lopez-Rodriguez knew of that near-fatal overdose when she sold the 17-year-old victim more pills on November 9, 2019.
As part of her plea agreement, Lopez-Rodriguez also admitted selling an undercover law-enforcement officer fentanyl pills, which Lopez-Rodriguez stated she had received from Jiovanni Nunez. In addition, Lopez-Rodriguez admitted that during this investigation, law enforcement served court-authorized search warrants at each defendant’s residence. At Lopez-Rodriguez’s residence, in her bedroom, law enforcement found two and a half fentanyl pills. At the co-conspirator’s residence, law enforcement found a safe containing hundreds of fake oxycodone pills that matched the appearance of the fentanyl-laced pills linked to the fatal overdose. Lopez-Rodriguez admitted that Jiovanni Nunez had provided her with the pills that killed the Bellingham 17-year-old.
The victim’s sister told the court at sentencing that she is haunted by the memory of finding her brother’s body, and she said that Lopez-Rodriguez had shown “blatant disregard for human life.” The victim’s mother described the pain she lives with every day. She expressed her anger at the defendant for selling the pills that killed her son and said, “That’s all his life was to her, a few bucks.”
Jiovanni Nunez is scheduled for sentencing October 1, 2021.
The case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office; the Skagit County Interlocal Drug Enforcement Unit; and the Whatcom County Drug and Gang Task Force, which includes members of the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office, Bellingham Police Department, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Homeland Security Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jonas Lerman.
Des Moines Woman Sentenced to 304 Months in Prison for Hate CrimesRead the Press Release
Nicole Poole Franklin attempted to kill two children because of their race and national origin
DES MOINES, IA – Nicole Poole Franklin, age 43, of Des Moines, was sentenced to 304 months in prison by United States District Court Judge Stephanie M. Rose after pleading guilty to two hate crime charges for attempting to kill two minors because of their race and national origin. The federal sentence will run concurrently with the 25-year sentence imposed in the Iowa District Court for Polk County on May 28, 2021, for two counts of attempted murder. Poole Franklin was ordered to serve five years of supervised release to follow her prison term and pay a $200 special assessment to the Crime Victims’ Fund.
On the afternoon of December 9, 2019, Poole Franklin drove her Jeep Grand Cherokee on Creston Avenue in Des Moines, where the first child-victim and a minor family member were walking on the sidewalk. Upon seeing the children and believing the victim was of Middle Eastern or African descent, Poole Franklin intentionally drove her vehicle over the curb, striking one of them. She then drove away from the scene. The child victim suffered cuts, bruising, and swelling. Poole Franklin later stated she believed the child was “ISIS” and was going to take her out. Approximately 30 minutes later, Poole Franklin drove her vehicle near Indian Hills Junior High School in Clive, where the second child-victim was walking on the sidewalk. Poole Franklin, drove her Jeep over the curb and struck the victim, causing serious injury, including a concussion, bruises, and cuts. Poole Franklin later told law enforcement that she believed the minor victim was Hispanic, and was “takin over . . . our homes, and our jobs,” and “wasn’t supposed to be in our country.” Poole Franklin again left the scene but was apprehended by law enforcement later that day.
Acting Southern District of Iowa United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal wrote in his sentencing memorandum to the district court, “Nothing can be more devastating to the American dream of equal rights than the actions of Poole Franklin on a hate filled December 9, 2019, as she callously attempted to run over and kill a 12 year old boy, and a 14 year old girl. Two minors who had done nothing wrong other than innocently walk on a street, and happen to be of a different race and skin color from Poole Franklin. Her actions temporarily shattered, but did not permanently defeat this dream. Because these two courageous victims, and their amazing families, continue to epitomize the hopes of what our society can be. Holding Poole Franklin accountable, not only for her intentional actions, but for the malicious beliefs behind them, is what our justice system should be, and a must to provide just punishment, afford adequate deterrence, and protect the public from further crimes by this defendant.”
Following today’s sentencing, FBI Omaha Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel stated, “Nicole Poole Franklin committed a despicable crime. She targeted and seriously injured two children because of the color of their skin. FBI Omaha will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to investigate hate crimes and seek justice for the victims. We encourage everyone to report such crimes to the FBI.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Des Moines Police Department, the Clive Police Department, the West Des Moines Police Department, and the Polk County Attorney’s Office. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa, in conjunction with the Department of Justice-Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case.
Denver Man Sentenced for Mail Theft, Bank Fraud, and Identity TheftRead the Press Release
DENVER - Cory Allen Snyder, 35, of Denver, was sentenced Tuesday to 34 months in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, after being convicted of mail theft, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft.
Snyder conducted a series of post office (PO) box thefts between November 2018 and March 2019 from United States Postal Service (USPS) facilities across the Front Range. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) received approximately 50 reports of break-ins at postal facilities that Snyder was believed to be responsible for. Using personally identifiable information obtained from stolen mail, Snyder opened a series of bank accounts in the names and identities of his mail theft victims, which he then deposited stolen checks which he modified to be payable to him. Postal Inspectors identified between $15,000 and $20,000 in fraudulent activity from multiple bank accounts.
”For months, Snyder preyed on victims who relied on the services of the USPS to securely transport their private information,” says Matt Kirsch, Acting U.S. Attorney. “This sentencing is a victory for the citizens of Colorado, who can trust that their mail is safe and secure.”
“Postal Inspectors never rest when seeking justice for mail theft victims, and this case brings to close a lengthy investigation that affected many victims across the Front Range,” said Ruth Mendonça, Inspector in Charge of the Denver Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “When mail thieves get prison time, Postal Inspectors uphold their mission to protect the U.S. Mail, and the public knows they can trust the U.S. Postal Service to safely transmit their important information,” said Mendonça.
Snyder was sentenced Tuesday August 17, 2021 by U.S. District Court Judge Daniel D. Domenico after pleading guilty on May 25, 2021.
This case was initiated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, with assistance from the Weld County Sheriff’s Office, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Broomfield Police Department, and Aurora Police Department.
The case was prosecuted by the Violent Crime and Immigration Enforcement Section of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado.
###
Defendant Sentenced for Killing a Man and Injuring Another in a DUI CollisionRead the Press Release
A Tulsa man who drove intoxicated and caused a wreck that killed one man and seriously injured another was sentenced today in federal court.
“Redex Lester Jr. acted without regard for human life when he drove intoxicated on May 25, 2020, killing Wayne Thomas and injuring a second victim in a head-on collision. This conviction follows four previous state convictions for DUI. He will now spend the next 15 years in federal prison to account for this senseless crime,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
At today’s hearing, Chief U.S. District Judge John F. Heil III sentenced Redex Lester Jr., 54, to 15 years in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release.
Judge Heil reminded Lester that a life was lost and that such a tragedy couldn’t be fixed or changed. He urged Lester to take part in treatment programs while imprisoned so that a loss like this could never happen again. He further urged others not to make the same mistakes.
On April 8, 2021, Lester pleaded guilty to murder in the second degree in Indian Country and to assault resulting in serious bodily injury in Indian Country.
In the early evening of May 25, 2020, Lester Jr. drove intoxicated, exceeded the speed limit, and struck a vehicle head on. Wayne Thomas, a passenger in the other vehicle, died of his injuries three days following the crash. Another man suffered extensive, serious bodily injuries. At the time of the collision, Lester Jr. was driving on a suspended license and had a blood alcohol level of .239.
Previously, the defendant had been convicted by the state of DUI in 1992, 1994, 2005, and, again, in February 2020. For his February 2020 DUI conviction, Lester Jr. was sentenced to six months, suspended. The May 25, 2020, DUI collision and death occurred less than four months later while Lester was still on state supervision.
The FBI and Tulsa Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chantelle D. Dial and Christopher J. Nassar are prosecuting the case.
Convicted Felon on Parole Sentenced on Firearms and Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A Lathrup Village resident was sentenced today to 78 months in prison after having pleaded guilty to charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft, announced Acting United States Attorney Saima Mohsin.
Mohsin was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Timothy Waters, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division.
William Henry Berry, 30, was sentenced this afternoon before United States District Court Judge Stephen J. Murphy in Detroit. Berry was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $52,536.00.
According to court records, Berry came to the attention of the FBI during an investigation into a series of shootings between rival gangs in the Detroit area. Phone records placed Berry’s cell phone at the scene of four of those shootings. During a subsequent search of Berry’s home agents recovered a loaded American Tactical Omni Hybrid outfitted with a “red dot” sight. Berry, who was on parole at the time, having previously been convicted of armed robbery, was prohibited from possessing a firearm. In addition, agents discovered cash, bank cards in several other peoples’ names, and a notebook with names, addresses, and social security numbers of identity theft victims. Further investigation revealed that Berry had used the stolen identities to obtain over $52,000 in fraudulent unemployment benefits.
“Berry committed these serious felonies while on state parole demonstrating his contempt for the law,” said acting United States Attorney Saima Mohsin. “As a parolee, Berry chose not to become a productive member of society, but instead returned to violent criminal activity, identity theft and fraud. There is no parole in the federal system. Today’s sentence protects the public by ensuring Berry will remain incarcerated for a significant period of time.”
“This case is an example of how violent criminals have diversified their illegal activities in an attempt to thwart enforcement efforts," said Timothy Waters, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Detroit. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to investigate and shut down criminal enterprises in any form."
Mohsin commended the work of the FBI in investigating this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Picek prosecuted the case.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession with the Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Jackson, TN – Dustin Via, 42, of Medina, Tennessee has been sentenced to 92 months in federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute over 5 grams of actual methamphetamine. Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph C. Murphy Jr., announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, on May 31, 2019, agents with the 28th Judicial Drug Task Force were completing the execution of an arrest warrant at Via's residence in Medina, Tennessee for his March 29, 2018 sale of six grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in Gibson County. During the search, agents found 34 grams of methamphetamine, a digital scale, and six ecstasy pills. The methamphetamine was sent to the DEA laboratory which confirmed that the substance was 100 % pure methamphetamine. Via had $780.oo on his person and he was subsequently placed into custody.
Via admitted to law enforcement that he did not have a legitimate job and that he sold methamphetamine for income. He further admitted that the $780.00 came from his sale of illegal narcotics. At the time of this offense, Via was also on state probation for two felony convictions for possession of methamphetamine with the intent to sell.
On May 6, 2021, Via pled guilty to the one-count indictment in this case charging him with possessing with the intent to distribute over 5 grams of actual methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. 841(a)(1).
On August 11, 2021, U.S. District Judge J. Daniel Breen sentenced Via to 92 months' imprisonment, to be followed by four years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the West Tennessee Judicial Violent Crime & Drug Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI).
Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Morrow prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
###
Columbia Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Federal Prison for Exporting Stolen Vehicles to AfricaRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George L. Russell III, sentenced Asomah Maamah, age 49, of Columbia, Maryland to seven years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after Maamah pleaded guilty to federal charges of conspiracy to commit interstate foreign transport of motor vehicles and knowingly transporting stolen vehicles. Judge Russell III has also ordered Maamah to pay restitution in the amount of $195,281.20.
The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Baltimore Port Director Adam Rottman of U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Colonel Kevin M. Anderson, Chief of the Maryland Transportation Authority Police; and Chief Lisa D. Myers of the Howard County Police Department.
According to his plea agreement, Maamah participated in the theft and exportation of at least 17 vehicles worth approximately $863,653. The members of the conspiracy fraudulently stole the vehicles directly from victims and rental facilities. After the arrangement for sale, vehicles were loaded into shipping containers that would then be exported to foreign destinations, most commonly, Africa. As part of the scheme to defraud, Maamah facilitated the creation of fraudulent paperwork to present to customs officials which misrepresented the true contents of the shipping containers. For example, in late 2018, Maamah was observed at the scene of a vehicle loading where a known stolen car was located. Maamah’s paperwork for the shipment falsely listed “Tutu Seth” as the exporter and listed the vehicle as a Cadillac when, in reality, the vehicle was a Range Rover.
On January 15, 2019, Maamah was approached by Howard County Police and agents from the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Border Enforcement Security Team (BEST) after he arrived at a surveilled location. In an interview with law enforcement, Maamah denied any knowledge or involvement in the exportation of stolen vehicles. He also claimed that company registered in his name had been used to ship vehicles without his permission and that he had not been involved with vehicle shipping for years.
As stated in his plea agreement, a review of Maamah’s personal email account revealed that Maamah arranged the shipment of stolen vehicles under the pseudonym “Tutu Seth” and often used his email to facilitate the creation of fraudulent paperwork.
A review of Maamah’s three cell phones revealed numerous photographs of stolen vehicles, including several stolen vehicles that were seized inside shipping containers. The phones also included messages relating to a recently interdicted container that contained two falsely declared stolen vehicles. Investigators also discovered a second email address that was used to communicate with a shipping company concerning the exportation of cars.
Maamah was arrested pursuant to a federal criminal complaint on March 4, 2020. At the time of his arrest, Maamah was found inside a car that had been fraudulently rented and was over-due. Although Maamah initially denied any criminal conduct or knowledge of stolen vehicles, he ultimately admitted to law enforcement that an associate informed him the vehicles previously shipped to Africa were stolen and that he knew the titles of the vehicles within the shipping containers did not match the paperwork given to the truck driver or the shipping company.
Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner praised the HSI, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Maryland Transportation Authority Police, and the Howard County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Judson T. Mihok. who prosecuted the case.
# # #
Career Offender Is Sentenced to 17 Years on Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Chief U. S. District Judge Martin Reidinger handed down a lengthy sentence today to a Hendersonville, N.C., man convicted of trafficking cocaine, fentanyl, prescription pills and other narcotics in and around Henderson County, announced Acting U.S. Attorney William T. Stetzer.
On December 9, 2020, Eric Charles Butler, 57, pleaded guilty to two counts of possession with intent to distribute narcotics, for which he was charged separately by federal criminal indictments. Today, Judge Reidinger ordered Butler to serve 17 years in prison for each count of conviction, to be served concurrently, and to remain under court supervision for six years upon completion of the prison term. As a result of Butler’s multiple prior drug convictions, the Court sentenced him as a career offender.
Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which oversees the Asheville Post of Duty, Sheriff Lowell S. Griffin of the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO), and Chief Blair Myhand of the Hendersonville Police Department (HPD) join Acting U.S. Attorney Stetzer in making today’s announcement.
According to filed court documents and court records, on August 10, 2019, a Henderson County Sheriff’s Office deputy conducted a traffic stop after determining Butler was driving a vehicle with a revoked registration. Over the course of the traffic stop, Butler attempted to flee the scene on foot. Butler was apprehended shortly thereafter by two HCSO deputies, one of whom was deputy Ryan Hendrix. Deputy Hendrix was killed in the line of duty on September 10, 2020. Court records show that the deputies recovered from Butler’s person narcotics, including MDMA, methamphetamine, cocaine, and morphine, as well as digital scales and other drug paraphernalia, and over $6,800 in cash from his vehicle. Butler was charged with state drug charges and was released on bond.
On February 16, 2020, while Butler was on pretrial release on state offenses, an officer with the Hendersonville Police Department attempted to stop the vehicle Butler was driving for a traffic violation. Butler did not comply and sped away, in an attempt to evade the police. A vehicle pursuit followed and, when Butler’s vehicle became stuck on the road, Butler attempted to flee on foot through the nearby woods. Police officers ultimately located Butler and he was arrested. Over the course of the investigation into that incident, law enforcement recovered methamphetamine, Xanax, oxycodone, cocaine and fentanyl, which Butler possessed with the intent to distribute. Butler was charged with state charges for Trafficking in Meth and Fleeing to Elude Arrest in a Motor vehicle.
In May 2020, while Butler was still on pre-trial release on the aforementioned state offenses, law enforcement learned that Butler was continuing to traffic narcotics. On May 12, 2020, law enforcement located Butler driving a vehicle with a suspended license. When the officers attempted to stop Butler’s vehicle, Butler sped off and once again attempted to evade law enforcement. Butler was ultimately apprehended following a vehicle pursuit during which Butler drove recklessly through a busy residential area. Law enforcement were able to intercept Butler’s vehicle and he was ultimately apprehended. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement recovered nearly half a kilogram of powdered cocaine, fentanyl, oxycodone pills, crack cocaine, and other drug paraphernalia.
Butler is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
In making today’s announcement, Acting U.S. Attorney Stetzer commended the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office, the Hendersonville Police Department, and the DEA in Asheville for their investigation of this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Kent, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville, prosecuted the case.
California Man Sentenced to 96 Months for Methamphetamine PossessionRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that John Earl Beridon, 47, of Canyon Country, California, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher for Possessing with Intent to Distribute 50 grams or more of pure methamphetamine. Beridon received a sentence of 96 months’ imprisonment with a five-year term of supervised release to follow. There is no parole in the federal system.
On July 9, 2020, agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration were at the Federal Express facility in Ralston, Nebraska, when they seized a package with 392 grams of pure methamphetamine. The package was then delivered to the listed address where it was monitored until Beridon arrived and retrieved the package and was arrested. Further investigation established that Beridon was near the Federal Express store in California where the package was shipped from and flew out to Nebraska the day before the package was to arrive.
This case was investigated by the DEA and Nebraska State Patrol.
Brownsville woman sentenced for attempting to smuggle methRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 21-year old local woman has been ordered to federal prison for possessing with intent to distribute 94.18 kilograms of meth, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Jennifer Santamaria pleaded guilty May 13.
Today, U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. ordered her to serve a 120-month sentence to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, Judge Rodriguez noted the seriousness of the offense.
On Jan. 22, Santamaria attempted to make entry into the United States through the Gateway International Bridge Port of Entry in Brownsville. During inspection, law enforcement discovered anomalies in the vehicle. Further examination lead authorities to find approximately 22 foil-wrapped packages weighing a total of 94.18 kilograms that tested positive for the characteristics of meth.
The drugs had an estimated street value of $500,000.
Santamaria will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Coronado prosecuted the case.
Brooklyn, New York, Man Charged in $9 Million Conspiracy to Defraud IRSRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Brooklyn, New York, man was charged today for conspiring to defraud the IRS, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Aleksander Zaretser, 41, of Brooklyn, New York, is charged by indictment with conspiracy to defraud the IRS. He will be arraigned on a date to be determined.
According to documents filed in this case:
From 2011 to August 2018, Zaretser helped “Individual-1” conceal millions of dollars in insurance reimbursement checks that Individual-1 diverted from the Prime Aid Pharmacies, located in New Jersey and New York. For a fee, Zaretser either cashed the checks at Brooklyn check-cashing businesses using fraudulent check-cashing accounts or diverted them through Canadian bank accounts back into U.S. accounts that Individual-1 owned and controlled. Zaretser was recorded saying that Canada was “the best place” because it was more lenient “for white collar crime.” Attempting to minimize his criminal activity, Zaretser also stated, “We don’t steal from people we steal from fuckin’ government.”
After law enforcement attempted to question Zaretser about his criminal conduct, Zaretser asked Individual-1 to pay for his legal fees, stating that he would stay quiet and not cooperate with law enforcement. Later, Zaretser encouraged Individual-1 to lie to law enforcement about their scheme and stated that he would not provide information if questioned about hiding checks from the IRS.
The scheme resulted in total tax loss to the IRS of approximately $9.1 million.
The conspiracy charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 fine.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael Montanez in Newark and special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr., in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua L. Haber of the Health Care Fraud Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Newark.
The charge and allegations in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Bedford Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Attempted Sexual Exploitation of a MinorRead the Press Release
CONCORD - Matthew Dion, 49, of Bedford, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for attempted sexual exploitation of a minor, Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on or about April 19, 2020, the Bedford Police Department was contacted by a representative of an organization that facilitates foreign exchange students traveling to the United States and residing with American host families. The representative reported that a 15-year-old student, who resided in Dion’s home, believed he had been recorded by Dion while he showered. The child had found what he believed to be a camera hidden inside a device that looked like a pen in the bathroom he used in the residence. The Bedford Police responded to the residence and the child was removed from the home.
On April 28, 2020, officers executed a search warrant at Dion’s residence and seized various items including a Micro SD card from Dion’s vehicle. On the device, officers found images of the child taken in the bathroom as the child was getting out of the shower. At least one of these images was sexually explicit in that the focal point was the child’s genital area. A forensic examiner determined that the SD card had been reformatted on or about April 21, 2020, shortly after the Bedford police responded to Dion’s home. This is consistent with someone attempting to delete items from the device on that date.
Dion previously pleaded guilty on May 11, 2021. In addition to his prison sentence, Dion was sentenced to a 5-year term of supervised release, $30,000 in restitution to his victim, and a $5,000 assessment fee.
“This defendant’s sexual exploitation of a minor was reprehensible conduct that merited this serious prison sentence,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley. “By placing a hidden camera in a bathroom, the defendant stole the innocence of a young teen and betrayed the trust of the family that had agreed to let this foreign exchange student live in the defendant’s home. The law enforcement community in New Hampshire works hard to protect children from exploitation and this 15-year sentence should send a message that this type of criminal conduct will not be tolerated in the Granite State.”
“Homeland Security Investigations is pleased with today’s sentence. Attempting to sexually exploit a minor is always wrong, but doing so under the façade of participation in a foreign student exchange program only adds to the damaging impact of the crime in this case”, said Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent In Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, (HSI), Boston. “As a result of his corrupt victimization of a minor student, Dion also created unwarranted damage to the reputation of the foreign student exchange program by betraying the trust they had placed in him as a participant. This case could never have been successfully investigated and prosecuted without the close coordination and teamwork of the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Bedford, New Hampshire Police Department, the Milford, New Hampshire Police Department and the Office of the U.S. Attorney for New Hampshire, whom we greatly value for their support.”
This matter was investigated by the Bedford Police Department, the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Milford Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Georgiana L. MacDonald and Kasey Weiland.
In February 2006, the Department of Justice introduced Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
###
Atlanta man sentenced for sextorting nine teenage boysRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Myles Frazier has been sentenced to 24 years in prison for the offenses of cyberstalking, enticement of a minor to engage in prostitution, and child pornography production.
“Frazier coerced numerous teenage boys online to engage in sex acts and send him photos and videos of that activity,” said Acting United States Attorney Kurt R. Erskine. “He then threatened to expose the boys to their families and classmates when they refused to comply with his demands. This defendant is the online sexual predator that so many parents fear. His 24-year sentence is a critical step in achieving a measure of justice for the victims and their families.”
“Frazier will spend the next 24-years of his life in prison, which should send a strong message to anyone who even contemplates harming and extorting a vulnerable youth,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI takes sextortion very seriously. We would like to remind the community to be aware that people can pretend to be anyone online and to be extremely selective on what you share on the internet.”
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Erskine, the charges and other information presented in court: Between December 2017 and July 2019, Myles Frazier targeted nine high school boys on social media using fraud and deceit to coerce the teens to meet him for sex and to create and send him sexually explicit images and videos. Frazier met most of the teens using an Instagram account where he was posing as an older attractive woman.
Three of the boys he targeted (Victim 1, Victim 2, and Victim 3) attended the same high school. Frazier, posing as a woman named “Liv,” pressured and paid Victim 1 to let a man (who was Frazier) come to Victim 1’s house and engage in sex acts with Victim 1 on two occasions. Both times, Victim 1 asked Frazier to stop mid-sex act, and on the second occasion, Victim 1 had to use physical force to stop Frazier. Frazier attempted to arrange similar in-person meetings for paid sex with Victim 2 and Victim 3.
Frazier also threatened to expose Victim 1 to Victim 1’s family and school, to sue Victim 1, and to come to Victim 1’s home. Over the course of a week, Frazier sent Victim 1 more than 100 threatening messages. Frazier made similar threats to Victim 2 Frazier even threatened to expose Victim 2 to cause Victim 2 to lose a college athletic scholarship.
The other six teens Frazier targeted lived outside the State of Georgia. Frazier coerced these boys to create and send him sexually explicit images and videos by paying them and sending them pornographic videos of a woman who Frazier claimed to be. When the minors stopped complying with his demands for sexual content, Frazier tried to extort several of them, threatening to publicly post their sexual content and expose them to their school principal, superintendent, and parents.
Myles Frazier, 29, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steve C. Jones to 24 years in federal prison, to be followed by 20 years of supervised release. He must also register as a sex offender as a condition of his supervised release. Frazier was sentenced on August 11, 2021 and pleaded guilty on February 12, 2021.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Annalise K. Peters and Laurel Boatright Milam prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Attorney General launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices around the country, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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.
Arkansas Woman Sentenced for Defrauding California’s State Unemployment BenefitsRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Deborah Shannell Hollimon, 44, of West Memphis, Arkansas, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley to three years and two months in prison and ordered to pay $569,168 in restitution for a California state unemployment insurance benefits fraud and identity theft scheme, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, from September 2012 through September 2015, Hollimon and others filed over 100 fraudulent unemployment insurance claims with the California Employment Development Department (EDD) seeking approximately $882,991 using fictitious businesses. Hollimon created fictitious employers with EDD and then submitted information to EDD reporting employees for the fictitious businesses. Almost all of the individuals reported as employees of the companies were actually victims of identity theft. Hollimon subsequently filed unemployment claims in her own name and in the names of the fake employees in order to collect the benefits. Approximately $569,168 in benefits were paid out by EDD.
“The funds set aside for unemployment insurance and disability insurance are intended to benefit Californians who have earned the right to receive those benefits,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Talbert. “Fraud schemes that damage and deplete the fund undermine the benefit system and cheat those whom the funds are intended to protect. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and stop fraud schemes like this that harm California workers.”
“Deborah Hollimon and her co-conspirators exploited our nation’s unemployment insurance system by filing at least 100 fraudulent unemployment insurance claims in the names of identity theft victims. Today's sentencing affirms the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General’s commitment to working with our federal and state law enforcement partners to investigate identity theft that adversely impacts the integrity of the UI program,” said Quentin Heiden, Special Agent-in-Charge, Los Angeles Region.
This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General and the California Employment Development Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shea J. Kenny prosecuted the case.
18 August 2021
Wyoming man sentenced to seven years in prison for meth traffickingRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Wyoming man convicted of trafficking methamphetamine after a traffic stop in Carbon County, Montana, was sentenced today to seven years in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
Victor Elvin Lopez, 63, of Powell, Wyoming, pleaded guilty on April 8 to possession with intent to distribute meth as charged in a superseding information.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
In court documents, the government alleged that Lopez was a habitual meth dealer who was involved in selling the drug in Montana and Wyoming. On Jan. 12, 2019, a Carbon County sheriff’s deputy stopped Lopez for speeding and drunken driving on U.S. Highway 310. Law enforcement saw a large wad of cash on his front passenger seat and was aware that Lopez was suspected of trafficking drugs in Montana, Wyoming and Colorado. A search warrant was served on the vehicle and officers located about 2.8 ounces of meth in a safe in the trunk. A little more than six months earlier, on June 9, 2018 in Powell, Wyoming, law enforcement found 294 grams of pure meth, or about 10.3 ounces, during a stop of Lopez.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan T. Dake prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Powell (Wyoming) Police Department and Carbon County, Montana, 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.
XXX
Wheeling man sentenced for role in a drug distribution operationRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Audie Fry, of Wheeling, West Virginia, was sentenced today to three years of probation for drug distribution in the Wheeling area, Acting U.S. Attorney Randolph J. Bernard announced.
Fry, also known as “Ott,” pled guilty to one count of “Aiding and Abetting the Distribution of Methamphetamine within 1000 feet of a Protected Location” in May 2020. Fry, age 64, admitted to selling methamphetamine near Luau Manor in Ohio County in April 2019.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn M. Adkins prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Ohio Valley Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Find the related press release here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/13-indicted-drug-distribution-operation-ohio-county