Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
18 August 2021
Gainesville Man Sentenced to Fifteen Years in Prison for Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA –– Edgar Antwarn Moultrie, 46, of Gainesville, Florida, was sentenced yesterday to fifteen years in federal prison following his conviction for receipt of child pornography. Jason R. Coody, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the sentence.
Moultrie entered a guilty plea on March 1, 2021. Court documents reflect that Moultrie was under investigation for using an Internet social networking site to engage in sexually explicit communications with a 13-year-old. Further investigation determined that Moultrie had received numerous sexually explicit images and videos of the child within a three-month period.
“Crimes against children are among the most heinous types of offenses and deserving of the most significant sentences,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Coody. “We will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to ensure that those who would use social media to solicit and obtain sexually explicit material from a child are identified and held accountable for their actions.”
Moultrie’s prison sentence will be followed by lifetime of supervised release. He will also be required to register as a sex offender and will be subject to all sex offender conditions.
"This case reinforces the message that the victimization of children will not be tolerated by law enforcement," said Rachel L. Rojas, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jacksonville Division. "Having a dedicated task force with our law enforcement partners to address these issues gives us more resources to identify, investigate and arrest online predators. The FBI will continue to work hand in hand with our partners to pursue these criminals to protect our children."
The case was investigated by the Gainesville Police Department, North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Frank Williams prosecuted the case.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Four Louisville Men Indicted on Federal Drug and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
LOUISVILLE, KY. – A federal grand jury in Louisville, Kentucky returned an Indictment charging Andre Ross, Robert Ross, Cory Ross, and Seiko Ross, all of Louisville, with violations of federal drug and firearms laws.
According to the Indictment Andre Ross, age 45, Cory Ross, age 29, Robert Ross, age 27, and Seiko Ross, age 37, are charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine, also known as “crack.” Andre Ross, Cory Ross, Robert Ross, and Seiko Ross are also individually charged with possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Andre Ross, Robert Ross, and Seiko Ross are also individually charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
If convicted at trial, the defendants face a minimum of 5 years in prison, a maximum sentence of life, a maximum $1,000,000 fine, and not more than 5 years of supervised release.
The Indictment follows the filing of Criminal Complaints on August 13, 2021, charging Andre Ross, Robert Ross, and Cory Ross with possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, and possession of a firearm during and in relation to a federal drug trafficking crime.
According to the Criminal Complaints, on Thursday, August 12th, Detectives with the Louisville Metro Police Department’s Major Case Team and Special Agents from the Louisville FBI Safe Streets Task Force executed federal search warrants which included the following locations in the Newburg neighborhood:
- 4211 Norene Lane, Apt. 4, Louisville, Kentucky
- 5108 Crafty Drive, Apt 5, Louisville, Kentucky
- 5318 Russett Boulevard, Apt 2, Louisville, Kentucky
During the execution of the search warrants, law enforcement officers recovered 17 firearms, including assault rifles, handguns, and shotguns, a large quantity of ammunition, as well as approximately 1200 grams of various suspected illegal controlled substances.
Andre Ross, Robert Ross, and Cory Ross are in federal custody. Seiko Ross is currently in the custody of the Louisville Metropolitan Department of Corrections.
“The charges set forth in the Indictment are the result of the ongoing work of LMPD and the strong working relationships it maintains with our federal law enforcement agencies,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett. "This type of collaboration is crucial as we continue to focus our efforts on the most significant drivers of violence in Louisville."
“FBI Louisville is committed to helping reduce the unacceptable level of violence that is plaguing our city. These arrests should send a loud and clear message to violent criminals that the FBI Safe Streets Task Force will deploy its collective strength to ensure the safety and security of our neighborhoods,” said Acting Special Agent in Edward J. Gray of the FBI’s Louisville Field Office. “This is just the beginning.”
LMPD’s Chief Erika Shields commented, “The culmination of this joint, targeted investigation has resulted in some of the most violent offenders being taken off the city’s streets. LMPD is grateful to have such strong federal partnerships and looks forward to further dismantling organized criminal activity.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Dyke is prosecuting the case. The case is being investigated by the FBI and LMPD.
The FBI Safe Streets Task Force consists of investigators from Louisville Metro Police Department, Nelson County Sheriff’s Office, Bullitt County Sheriff’s Office, and FBI Louisville. Special Agents from FBI Knoxville and FBI Indianapolis also assisted in yesterday’s operation.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
###
Fort Thompson Man Sentenced for Involuntary ManslaughterRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Dennis Holmes announced that a Fort Thompson, South Dakota, man convicted of Involuntary Manslaughter was sentenced on August 16, 2021, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.
Patrick Dion, age 55, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100, and restitution in the amount of $7,126.48.
Dion was indicted by a federal grand jury on February 8, 2021. He pled guilty on May 10, 2021.
The conviction stemmed from an incident that occurred on January 14, 2021, in Fort Thompson. Dion was driving his vehicle while intoxicated and failed to yield for a pedestrian in a marked crosswalk. The victim died instantly.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Crow Creek Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy Morley prosecuted the case.
Dion was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Former Ironworkers Treasurer Sentenced for Stealing Union FundsRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Scott Russell Merritt, 41, of Celoron, NY, who was convicted of theft from a labor union, was sentenced to serve two years probation and ordered to pay restitution totaling $50,850.21 by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo, who handled the case, stated that between May 2011, and August 2018, the defendant was the treasurer of Ironworkers Local 470. As treasurer, Merritt embezzled $50,850.21 in union funds to pay various personal expenses.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor Management Standards, under the direction of the Boston-Buffalo District Director Jonathan Russo.
# # # #
Former Bixby High School Teacher Pleads Guilty After Recording Inappropriate Video of his StudentsRead the Press Release
A former Bixby High School teacher who was caught using his cell phone to inappropriately record underneath a female student’s skirt pleaded guilty today in federal court, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
Jason Scott Byrd, 46, of Jenks, pleaded guilty to attempted receipt of child pornography; video voyeurism in Indian Country; and obstruction of justice by corruptly destroying records, documents, or other objects. He will be sentenced on Dec. 16, 2021.
“Jason Byrd violated the trust placed in him as a teacher in the Bixby community. It was extremely difficult for the victim to know she was inappropriately filmed by a teacher she trusted and in her school, a place where she should feel safe,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “The alert witness who saw and reported the crime is to be commended. He exposed Byrd’s criminal acts and helped ensure the safety of his fellow students.”
On Aug. 25, 2020, Byrd was observed walking closely behind the victim holding his iPhone underneath the victim’s skirt for several seconds. The witness noticed the red recording square and timer on the screen, indicating the phone was actively recording. The video was taken in a stairwell as students were returning to class after a fire drill. The witness reported the incident to two Bixby Police Department school resource officers. The victim was unaware she was being recorded.
Byrd was brought to a school office and held until law enforcement could question him, but he was briefly left unattended with his phone. Byrd admitted that when he saw law enforcement, he began deleting photographs and video, making them unrecoverable.
When questioned, Byrd initially denied the allegations but then indicated he was sorry and that he had a problem. He admitted to taking the video of the victim, as well as taking several similar photos or videos of other students over the past year. He said those photos and videos were taken using the same cell phone.
In a written plea agreement, Byrd admitted that between Aug. 1, 2019, and Aug. 25, 2020, he intentionally attempted to use a camera to record and receive images of the victim and other students’ pubic areas. He further admitted that he captured those private images without their consent and under circumstances in which the individuals had a reasonable expectation of privacy. He further stated that on Aug. 25, 2020, he knowingly destroyed evidence on his phone so it would be unusable in a trial.
The crimes occurred within the boundaries of the Muscogee Nation reservation. Bryd, a Cherokee Nation citizen, started teaching at Bixby High School in 2008.
The Muscogee (Creek) Nation Lighthorse Police Department, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and Bixby Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Nassar is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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 www.justice.gov/psc.
Floridians Charged and Convicted in Connection with International Enterprise that Operated Sexually Exploitive “Child Modeling” WebsitesRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – A series of charges and convictions were announced today in connection with an international enterprise based in Florida that operated subscription-based sexually exploitive “child modeling” websites.
According to court documents, Kenneth Power (deceased at 58, of Weston), was a principal member of the Newstar Enterprise – an internet-based business aimed at for-profit sexual exploitation of vulnerable children under the guise of “child modeling” through a collection of websites called the Newstar Websites. Patrice Eileen Wilowski-Mevorah, 53, of Tampa, and Mary Lou Bjorkman, 58, of Lutz, recently pleaded guilty to laundering money for the Newstar Enterprise. Other members of the Newstar Enterprise resided in Europe. Kenneth Power’s wife, Tatiana “Tanya” Power, 41, of Weston, is currently pending trial on money laundering charges in connection with the Newstar Enterprise.
According to court documents, founded around 2005, the Newstar Enterprise built, maintained, hosted and operated the Newstar Websites on servers in the United States and abroad. To populate the Newstar Websites with content, Newstar Enterprise members sourced, enticed, solicited and recruited males and females under the age of 18, some of whom were prepubescent, to use as “child models” for the Newstar Websites. Using the recruited child-victims, the Newstar Enterprise produced more than 4.6 million sexualized images and videos to distribute and sell on the Newstar Websites. Some of those images and videos, though non-nude, depicted minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. For example, images and videos sold on the Newstar Websites depicted children as young as 6 years old in sexual and provocative poses, wearing police and cheerleader costumes, thong underwear, transparent underwear, revealing swimsuits, pantyhose, and miniskirts. Most of the child-victims—recruited from Ukraine, Moldova and other nations in Eastern Europe—were particularly vulnerable due to their age, family dynamics and poverty. Law enforcement officers have disabled the servers hosting the Newstar Websites.
The Newstar Enterprise maintained a membership list for subscribers and customers of the Newstar Websites, who originated from 101 nations across the world. Images in the websites’ galleries were freely available to the public to preview, but greater access and more content required purchasing a subscription. The sale of purported “child modeling” content on the Newstar Websites generated more than $9.4 million during the course of the conspiracy. To process, receive and distribute this money, Newstar Enterprise members fraudulently opened merchant and bank accounts in the United States and laundered proceeds using a bogus jewelry company.
To date, four members of the Newstar Enterprise have been charged in connection with the Newstar Websites. See chart below for case statuses.
Name
Case Number
Charge(s)
Status
Maximum Penalty
Tatiana Power
8:21-cr-244-MSS-AAS
Conspiracy to commit money laundering; international promotion money laundering; concealment money laundering
Indicted,
pending trial
100 years’ imprisonment
Kenneth Power
8:21-cr-00032-SDM-AAS
Conspiracy to advertise child pornography; conspiracy to distribute child pornography
Defendant deceased; case dismissed
60 years’ imprisonment
Patrice Wilowski-Mevorah
8:21-cr-00206-MSS-TGW
Conspiracy to commit money laundering
Pleaded guilty, sentence pending
20 years’ imprisonment
Mary Lou
Bjorkman
8:21-cr-00227-SDM-AAS
Conspiracy to commit money laundering
Pleaded guilty, sentence pending
20 years’ imprisonment
A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The defendants have also been notified that the United States intends to forfeit a total of $9.4 million, which are alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offenses, in addition to real property located in Florida.
These cases were investigated by Homeland Security Investigations in Tampa, with substantial assistance provided by Homeland Security Investigations offices in Fort Lauderdale, Athens, and the Hague, as well as the IRS Criminal Investigation in Tampa.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank Murray of the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorney Kyle Reynolds of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) are prosecuting these cases.
This investigation benefited from foreign law enforcement cooperation and substantial assistance by the Republic of Bulgaria, Supreme Cassation Prosecution Office and National Investigation Service; the Republic of Moldova, Office of the Prosecutor General and National Inspectorate of Investigations; the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Department for Combating Crime Cybercrime Office, Public Prosecution Service (North-Holland Unit); the Italian Republic; and the Czech Republic, Supreme Public Prosecutor’s Office, Czech Police.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Floridians Charged and Convicted in Connection with International Enterprise that Operated Sexually Exploitive ‘Child Modeling’ WebsitesRead the Press Release
A series of charges and convictions were announced today in connection with an international enterprise based in Florida that operated subscription-based sexually exploitive “child modeling” websites.
According to court documents, Kenneth Power (deceased at 58, of Weston), was a principal member of the Newstar Enterprise – an internet-based business aimed at for-profit sexual exploitation of vulnerable children under the guise of “child modeling” through a collection of websites called the Newstar Websites. Patrice Eileen Wilowski-Mevorah, 53, of Tampa, and Mary Lou Bjorkman, 58, of Lutz, recently pleaded guilty to laundering money for the Newstar Enterprise. Other members of the Newstar Enterprise resided in Europe. Kenneth Power’s wife, Tatiana “Tanya” Power, 41, of Weston, is currently pending trial on money laundering charges in connection with the Newstar Enterprise.
According to court documents, founded around 2005, the Newstar Enterprise built, maintained, hosted and operated the Newstar Websites on servers in the United States and abroad. To populate the Newstar Websites with content, Newstar Enterprise members sourced, enticed, solicited and recruited males and females under the age of 18, some of whom were prepubescent, to use as “child models” for the Newstar Websites. Using the recruited child-victims, the Newstar Enterprise produced more than 4.6 million sexualized images and videos to distribute and sell on the Newstar Websites. Some of those images and videos, though non-nude, depicted minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. For example, images and videos sold on the Newstar Websites depicted children as young as 6 years old in sexual and provocative poses, wearing police and cheerleader costumes, thong underwear, transparent underwear, revealing swimsuits, pantyhose and miniskirts. Most of the child-victims - recruited from Ukraine, Moldova and other nations in Eastern Europe - were particularly vulnerable due to their age, family dynamics and poverty. Law enforcement officers have disabled the servers hosting the Newstar Websites.
The Newstar Enterprise maintained a membership list for subscribers and customers of the Newstar Websites, who originated from 101 nations across the world. Images in the websites’ galleries were freely available to the public to preview, but greater access and more content required purchasing a subscription. The sale of purported “child modeling” content on the Newstar Websites generated more than $9.4 million during the course of the conspiracy. To process, receive and distribute this money, Newstar Enterprise members fraudulently opened merchant and bank accounts in the United States and laundered proceeds using a bogus jewelry company.
To date, four members of the Newstar Enterprise have been charged in connection with the Newstar Websites. The chart below shows the statuses of each case.
Name
Case Number
Charge(s)
Status
Maximum Penalty
Tatiana Power
8:21-cr-244-MSS-AAS
Conspiracy to commit money laundering; international promotion money laundering; concealment money laundering
Indicted,
pending trial
100 years’ imprisonment
Kenneth Power
8:21-cr-00032-SDM-AAS
Conspiracy to advertise child pornography; conspiracy to distribute child pornography
Defendant deceased; case dismissed
60 years’ imprisonment
Patrice Wilowski-Mevorah
8:21-cr-00206-MSS-TGW
Conspiracy to commit money laundering
Pleaded guilty, sentence pending
20 years’ imprisonment
Mary Lou
Bjorkman
8:21-cr-00227-SDM-AAS
Conspiracy to commit money laundering
Pleaded guilty, sentence pending
20 years’ imprisonment
A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The defendants have also been notified that the United States intends to forfeit a total of $9.4 million, which are alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offenses, in addition to real property located in Florida.
These cases were investigated by Homeland Security Investigations in Tampa, with substantial assistance provided by Homeland Security Investigations offices in Fort Lauderdale, Athens, and the Hague, as well as the IRS-Criminal Investigation in Tampa. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided investigative assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank Murray of the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorney Kyle Reynolds of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) are prosecuting these cases.
This investigation benefited from foreign law enforcement cooperation and substantial assistance by the Republic of Bulgaria, Supreme Cassation Prosecution Office and National Investigation Service; the Republic of Moldova, Office of the Prosecutor General and National Inspectorate of Investigations; the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Department for Combating Crime Cybercrime Office, Public Prosecution Service (North-Holland Unit); the Italian Republic; and the Czech Republic, Supreme Public Prosecutor’s Office, Czech Police.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Firearm Discovered During Jefferson Parish Traffic Stop Results in 37 Month Sentence for Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana announced today that TERRELL RICHARDSON (“RICHARDSON”), age 37, of Westwego, Louisiana, was sentenced to thirty-seven (37) months imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Martin L. C. Feldman for being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. Additionally, RICHARDSON was ordered to serve three (3) years of supervised release and pay a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court documents, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s deputies stopped RICHARDSON after he committed a traffic violation on N. Causeway Blvd. in Metairie, Louisiana. Law enforcement smelled marijuana and proceeded to search RICHARSON’s vehicle. They discovered a reportedly stolen and loaded, SCCY Industries Model CPX-2, nine-millimeter caliber semi-automatic firearm, bearing serial number 192060. RICHARDSON possessed the firearm after having been convicted on January 22, 2002 of a federal felony offense.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This matter was handled by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives along with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Duane A. Evans is prosecuting the case.
Felon Who Shot at Occupied Vehicle Sentenced to More than Eight Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who shot at an occupied vehicle in an apartment complex parking lot was sentenced today to more than eight years in federal prison.
Eric James Lyle, age 34, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 31, 2021 guilty plea to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
At the guilty plea, Lyle admitted that on September 7, 2020, he possessed a Glock 42 .380 pistol, after previously being convicted of a felony offense. An on-duty police officer parked near the Mead Apartment Complex observed the shooting and later recovered the firearm and six shell casings from the parking lot. Surveillance video showed Lyle discharging the firearm multiple times towards a black SUV as the SUV left the parking lot.
Lyle was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Lyle was sentenced to 105 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Lyle is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa C. Williams and investigated by the Cedar Rapids Safe Streets Task Force. The task force is composed of representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cedar Rapids Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21-CR-0001.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Felon Charged with Unlawfully Possessing a Firearm at Albany International AirportRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Josef Jarvis, age 32, of Albany, appeared in federal court today on a charge of unlawfully possessing a firearm as a felon at the Albany International Airport on August 16, 2021.
The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Antoinette T. Bacon; Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and Albany County Sheriff Craig D. Apple, Sr.
The criminal complaint alleges that Jarvis, who has prior felony convictions for racketeering and weapons offenses, possessed a loaded handgun while attempting to pass through a security checkpoint at Albany International Airport on August 16, 2021.
The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
If convicted, Jarvis faces up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
Jarvis appeared today before United States Magistrate Judge Christian F. Hummel, who ordered him detained.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and the Albany County Sheriff’s Office, as well as the Transportation Security Administration. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping.
Federal Jury Convicts Ripley Felon for Illegally Possessing Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Michael Shane Rogers, 37, of Ripley has been found guilty of illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition. Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph C. Murphy Jr., announced the guilty verdict today.
According to information presented in court, on August 6, 2018, an ATF Special Agent received information from a confidential informant that Rogers—who was on probation—illegally possessed a firearm as a convicted felon at his house in Lauderdale County.
On August 9, 2018, ATF Special Agents and several Lauderdale County Sheriff's Officers went to the residence on Curve Nanikpoo Road in Ripley, Tennessee. Before law enforcement could reach the door, Rogers came out of the house and stated that he knew why they were there and that he had the "same the thing as last time." (This admission referred to his 2011 arrest for possession of marijuana with intent and a firearm.) Rogers gave written consent to search the property and signed a Miranda waiver.
Investigators found an unloaded .22 caliber rifle behind the front door and .30-06 ammunition in the living room in a nightstand drawer. During a recorded statement, Rogers acknowledged possessing the firearm and ammunition. After being transported to the Lauderdale County Sheriff's Office, Rogers gave a second interview acknowledging that he was a convicted felon and possession of the firearm and ammunition. He concluded the interview with "I guess I'm going to federal prison. I had the gun in the house. I knew the risk. It was mine."
As a result of his prior felony conviction, Rogers is prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 9, 2021, before U.S. District Judge Mark S. Norris, where Rogers faces up to 120 months of imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean G. Hord and Assistant U.S. Attorney Audrey Calkins are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. SAUSA Hord is currently assigned from the 25th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
###
Federal Court Finds Miami-Area Tax Preparer in Contempt for Violating Permanent InjunctionRead the Press Release
A federal court in the Southern District of Florida has held a Miami-area tax preparer in contempt for violating a permanent injunction that barred her from preparing, filing or assisting in the preparation or filing of federal tax returns for others.
The United States filed a complaint against Milagros Espinal on Feb. 7, 2011, that alleged that she had prepared returns for customers that claimed deductions for fraudulent medical expenses, charitable contributions and unreimbursed employee business expenses. According to the complaint, an IRS review of returns she prepared uncovered errors in 97% of the returns the agency examined. The parties contemporaneously filed a consent order, in which Espinal agreed to a full bar on return preparation. On Feb. 16, 2011, the court issued a permanent injunction.
On Dec. 29, 2020, the United States filed a motion for an order to show cause, requesting an evidentiary hearing and alleging that Espinal was in contempt. According to the motion, during a deposition in an unrelated civil case, Espinal testified that her profession was “income tax, taxes.” The motion alleged that a subsequent Department of Justice investigation revealed that Espinal had continued to prepare fraudulent returns, that she had never stopped doing so, despite the injunction, and that she continued to act as a “ghost” preparer, and does not sign the returns she prepares. The court granted that motion and held an evidentiary hearing on April 15, 2021.
In holding Espinal in contempt today, the court found that the United States proved by clear and convincing evidence that Espinal continued to prepare returns notwithstanding the injunction. According to the court’s order, Espinal attempted to mask her violations by acting as a “ghost” preparer, meaning that she did not sign the returns she prepared and instead instructed customers to submit the returns to the IRS as though the customers prepared them on their own. The court noted that paid preparers are required to sign the returns they prepare and that failing to do so is a violation of federal law.
The court also found that the returns Espinal filed in violation of the injunction contained numerous fraudulent claims. In particular, the order concludes that Espinal frequently fabricated fuel tax credits and that she included more than $269,095 in fabricated or overstated deductions on the returns she prepared for the customers who testified at the contempt hearing. According to the order, the court will impose a sanction on Espinal on a later date.
Acting Assistant Attorney General David A. Hubbert of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
Return preparer fraud is one of the IRS’s’ Dirty Dozen Tax Scams and taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant. (More information can also be found here.) The IRS has information on its website for choosing a tax preparer, has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers, and offers information on how to avoid “ghost” tax preparers, whose refusal to sign a return should be a red flag to taxpayers.
In the past decade, the Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.
Ex-Fort Gordon soldier sentenced to federal prison for possession of child pornographyRead the Press Release
AUGUSTA, GA: A former U.S. Army soldier training at Fort Gordon has been sentenced to federal prison after admitting to possession of child pornography.
Bryan S. Stills, 26, of Fort Gordon, was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to Possession of Child Pornography, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Dudley H. Bowen also ordered Stills to pay $18,000 in restitution to the victims, to serve 15 years of supervised release following completion of his prison sentence, and to register as a sex offender. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Our law enforcement partners work tirelessly to protect the most vulnerable members of our society,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “This sentence will hold Bryan Stills accountable for his victimization of children.”
As described in court documents and testimony, in October 2019 the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) alerted investigators from the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command (CID) after detecting child pornography being downloaded to an email account. Investigators identified the source as Stills, who at the time was serving as a Private Second Class in training at Fort Gordon with the 369th Signal Battalion. Investigator searched Stills’ living quarters and seized electronic devices with more than 1,000 images and videos of child pornography.
Stills subsequently was discharged from the Army.
“Child exploitation presents a serious danger to children,” said Edward LaBarge, director of the Major Cybercrime Unit, U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command (CID). “This sentencing demonstrates our commitment to seeking justice for the children that are victimized by this horrendous conduct, and pursuing those accused of child pornography offenses.”
The case was investigated by the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator Tara M. Lyons.
Evanston Woman Charged with Insider TradingRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — An Evanston woman used insider information obtained from her husband to purchase shares of a company ahead of its acquisition by her husband’s employer, according to a federal criminal charge filed today by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago.
In August and September 2019, DENISE GREVAS made $286,960 in illegal profits from the purchase and sale of securities in a Washington state-based pharmaceutical company that was a target for acquisition and later acquired by an overseas-based pharmaceutical company that had an office in Deerfield, Ill., and employed Grevas’s husband, according to a criminal information filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Grevas used material, non-public information about the expected acquisition to purchase shares in the Washington company ahead of a public announcement of the acquisition on Sept. 16, 2019, the charge alleges. After the announcement, the Washington company’s stock price increased and Grevas sold her shares for the profit, the charge alleges.
The information charges Grevas, 60, with one count of securities fraud. The charge, which was filed by the Securities and Commodities Fraud Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago, is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison. Arraignment in federal court in Chicago has not yet been scheduled.
The charge was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which filed a civil enforcement action against Grevas, provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared Hasten and Jason Yonan represent the government in the criminal case.
The public is reminded that an information is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Essex County Man Sentenced to 27 Months in Prison for Role in Conspiracy to Defraud Banks of $250,000 Using Stolen Credit Cards and ChecksRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 27 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to defraud two banks of $250,000 using stolen credit cards and blank checks, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Allen Varice, 25, of East Orange, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Judge Wigenton imposed the sentence by videoconference today.
Varice’s conspirators – Dashawn Duncan, 27, of South Orange; Alexander Varice, 22, of South Orange; and Nasheed Jackson, 24, Tamir Duval, 22, and Qshaun Brown-Guinyard, 27, all of Newark, previously pleaded guilty before Judge Wigenton to informations charging each with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Duncan and Jackson were sentenced last month and each received a two-year sentence. Duval, Alexander Varice, and Brown-Guinyard are awaiting sentencing.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From August 2018 through August 2019, Allen Varice and his conspirators engaged in a scheme to use stolen credit cards and/or checks to fraudulently make purchases and withdraw money from two banks, leaving the banks to bear the losses of the scheme.
The credit cards and blank checks were stolen from various New Jersey-based U.S. Postal Service facilities and never reached their intended recipients. After obtaining the stolen credit cards, Allen Varice and his conspirators used them to make unauthorized purchases at various retail stores and to withdraw cash from automated teller machines (ATMs) in New Jersey and elsewhere. They altered the date, payee, and amount of the stolen checks prior to deposit. Allen Varice and his conspirators then fraudulently withdrew money at various ATMs from third-party account holders’ accounts.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Wigenton sentenced Varice to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution of $43,364.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, in Newark, under the direction of Acting Inspector in Charge Rodney M. Hopkins, Newark Division, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Blake Coppotelli of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
Drug Bust in Pontoon Beach Leads to 7-Year Prison Term for St. Louis ManRead the Press Release
Pontoon Beach, Ill. – A St. Louis man who tried to buy cocaine in Illinois has been sentenced to over 7 years in prison. Steve P. Kennedy, 51, appeared at the federal courthouse in East St. Louis on Tuesday and was sentenced to 87 months behind bars for attempting to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Kennedy pled guilty to the charges in May.
The offenses all occurred on August 12, 2020, when, according to court documents, Kennedy and a co-defendant, Stephen Brown, drove to a restaurant in Pontoon Beach, Illinois, intending to purchase 2 kilograms of cocaine. The man they were meeting was a confidential source working at the direction of law enforcement. DEA agents arrested Kennedy and Brown at the restaurant shortly after they arrived.
At the time of his arrest, Kennedy was carrying a .22 caliber semi-automatic pistol with an attached silencer and seven loaded magazines, along with $33,000 in cash. Kennedy has a prior felony drug conviction from Mississippi that prohibits him from lawfully possessing a gun.
Brown had another $5,000 in his car and was also charged. His sentencing will be held in October.
As part of the sentence, Chief United States District Judge Nancy J. Rosenstengel ordered Kennedy to forfeit his interest in the seized cash, pay a $150 fine, and serve a 3-year term of supervised release. The case was investigated by the DEA in Fairview Heights.
Domestic Abuse Call Results in Six-Year Prison Sentence for Oklahoma City Man Found in Illegal Possession of Ammunition After Previous Felony ConvictionsRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – Yesterday, CARL RAMON BROWN, II, 46, of Oklahoma City, was sentenced to serve six years in federal prison for illegal possession of ammunition after previously being convicted of a felony, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On March 2, 2021, a federal grand jury returned a one-count Indictment that charged Brown with illegal possession of ammunition. Federal law prohibits a person who has previously been convicted of felony from possessing a firearm or ammunition. On March 31, 2021, Brown pleaded guilty to the Indictment.
Public records reflect that, on February 22, 2020, Oklahoma City Police officers responded to a priority domestic call involving Brown. Upon arriving at the scene, the officers discovered Brown was in possession of a firearm and threatened to shoot his girlfriend. These threats were made in the presence of his girlfriend’s mother and minor children. Officers located Brown nearby. Brown admitted to officers that he gave his firearm to a third party prior to their arrival. Officers located nine rounds of ammunition on his person, leading to Brown’s arrest. Before possessing the ammunition, Brown had been convicted of multiple felonies in Oklahoma County, including armed robbery, assault and battery on a police officer, and carrying a firearm during parole.
On August 16, 2021, U.S. District Judge Bernard M. Jones sentenced Brown to serve 72 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In support of this sentence, Judge Jones cited the nature of the crime and Brown’s previous criminal history.
This case is the result of investigations by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Oklahoma City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary E. Walters prosecuted the case.
This case is part of "Operation 922," the Western District of Oklahoma’s local implementation of the national Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. "Operation 922" prioritizes prosecution of federal gun crimes connected to domestic violence.
Reference is made to public filings for more information.
Detroit man admits to drug chargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Patrick Collins, of Detroit, Michigan, has admitted to a drug charge, Acting United States Attorney Randolph J. Bernard announced.
Collins, 31, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances.” Collins admitted to working with others to distribute cocaine base, also known as “crack,” and heroin from the summer of 2020 to October 2020 in Monongalia County.
Collins faces up to 20 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda E. Wesley is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives and the Mon Metro Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Defendant Sentenced to 15 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – Kenneth Apt, 53, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Holly A. Brady upon his plea of guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tina L. Nommay.
Apt was sentenced to 180 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.
According to documents in this case, Apt was traveling northbound near downtown Fort Wayne on September 27, 2019 when his Ford pickup truck left the roadway, struck, and then knocked over two city light poles. When Fort Wayne Police Department officers arrived at the scene of the crash, they observed the Ford pickup truck on the side of the road and an unconscious male in the driver’s seat. The driver was Apt.
In Apt’s pants pocket, Officers found a yellow jar with a pink lid that contained a substance that field tested positive for cocaine. Apt was then taken to a nearby hospital where tests showed he had cocaine in his system. As Apt was being transferred from the EMS cot to an emergency room cot, a FWPD officer observed a plastic clip on Apt’s right hip. When Apt was subsequently moved, the officer located a loaded 9mm Ruger handgun in a black holster.
Apt’s prior criminal history over a 30-year period included 11 felony convictions. As a result of his criminal history, Apt was determined to be a Career Offender for which he faced a 15 year mandatory minimum sentence of imprisonment.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the assistance of the Fort Wayne Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley J. Miller Lowery.
###
Dallas Man Used Stolen Credit Cards to Buy Tires in Four StatesRead the Press Release
WACO – A Dallas man was sentenced today to 57 months in prison and ordered to pay $341,520 in restitution for conspiring to commit identity theft.
According to court documents, Brandon Decorwyn Alexander, 30, unlawfully acquired victims’ credit card numbers to rent vehicles and purchase tires starting in August 2017. Over 15 credit cards involving over 41 different merchants were fraudulently used. The defendant, along with co-conspirators, would call tire shops in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma and order tires using the stolen credit card information. He would then pick up the tires using vehicles he rented with the fraudulent credit card information.
On November 10, 2020, Alexander pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit identity theft.
Eboni Simone Arps, 30, from Waco participated in the scheme. Arps pleaded guilty to a misprision of a felony on November 9, 2020 and was sentenced to 12 months in prison, one year of supervised release and a $200 fine.
U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff of the Western District of Texas and Limestone County Sheriff Murray Agnew made the announcement.
The Limestone County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Gloff prosecuted the case.
###
Corrections officer indicted for providing meth and sex to an inmateRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 38-year-old Beeville woman has been arrested on charges of attempting to bring meth to an inmate with whom she also had a sexual relationship, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer Lowery.
A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment Aug. 11 against Jolienne Salinas. Yesterday, law enforcement took her into custody. She is set to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jason B. Libby at 10:15 a.m. tomorrow.
Salinas is a correctional officer at FCI Three Rivers, a medium security federal correctional institution with an adjacent minimum security satellite camp.
The indictment alleges that in early May 2020, Salinas provided or attempted to provide meth to an inmate. Additionally, she allegedly engaged in a sexual relationship with the inmate from approximately September 2019 to May 2020.
If convicted, Salinas faces up to 20 years in prison for providing narcotics for an inmate, while the sexual relations charge carries a possible 15-year-term of imprisonment. She also faces a $250,000 possible fine on each count of conviction.
Department of Justice-Office of the Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Barbara J. De Pena is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Connecticut Nurse Sentenced for Tampering with Liquid MorphineRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Connecticut nurse was sentenced today in federal court in Springfield for tampering with liquid morphine prescribed to a patient.
Danielle Works, 42, of Stafford Springs, Conn., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 20 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On March 30, 2021, Works pleaded guilty to one count of tampering with a consumer product.
“Ms. Works took morphine away from a hospice patient who instead received diluted morphine in her final hours of life – it is hard to imagine a more vulnerable victim,” said Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell. “She caused a patient in her care to suffer needlessly, and she put lives at serious risk by working while under the influence of narcotics. Health care professionals who do such things warrant federal prosecution.”
“Patients must have confidence in their health care provider that they are receiving appropriate medical care,” said Jeffrey Ebersole, Special Agent in Charge of the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations, New York Field Office. “We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to protect the public health and bring to justice those who tamper with medications and deny patients access to the treatments they need.”
“Residents of Massachusetts depend on our state’s medical professionals to offer the highest level of care,” said Department of Public Health Acting Commissioner Margret Cooke. “DPH is committed to ensuring that our residents are receiving the best quality care at all congregate care facilities in the Commonwealth, and it is essential that we continue to hold accountable those who neglect this duty of care.”
On Jan. 27, 2018, Works tampered with a bottle of morphine prescribed to a patient at Governor’s Center, a nursing facility in Westfield, by removing the morphine from the bottle and diluting the remaining morphine with another substance. The morphine was prescribed to a hospice patient, who subsequently received diluted doses of the medication shortly before her death. After ingesting the morphine, Works was observed to be significantly impaired while providing care to patients at the nursing facility.
Acting U.S. Attorney Mendell; FDA SAC Ebersole; and Acting Commissioner Margret R. Cooke of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Looney of Mendell’s Health Care Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.
Columbus woman pleads guilty to Social Security fraudRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Roxanne Bates, 52, of Columbus, Ohio, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to one count of theft of public money, acknowledging that she took her mother’s Social Security benefits for almost eight years after her mother died.
According to court documents, Bates’ mother died in January 2012. Before she died, she was receiving disability benefits from the Social Security Administration. Those benefits should have ceased when she died, but the Social Security Administration was not notified of the death and continued to pay benefits totaling $146,143.
The benefits were deposited into a bank account controlled by Bates’ mother. On a regular basis, Bates knowingly and willfully stole the money by withdrawing it from the account using a debit card with her late mother’s name on it.
An audit by the Social Security’s Office of Inspector General detected the theft. Agents interviewed Bates in August 2020 and she acknowledged that she took money out of the account after her mother died.
Theft of public money is a crime punishable by up to ten years in prison, but the court will apply federal sentencing guidelines to determine an appropriate sentence. The plea agreement requires Bates to repay the money she stole.
The Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General and the United States Secret Service cooperatively investigated this case.
Vipal J. Patel, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, announced the plea entered today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Norah McCann King. Special Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Landry is representing the United States in this case.
# # #
Charlotte Man Is Sentenced to 25 Years for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Raymond Baucom, 39, of Charlotte, was sentenced today to 25 years in prison for receipt of child pornography, announced William T. Stetzer, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. U.S. District Judge Max O. Cogburn Jr. also ordered Baucom to serve a lifetime of supervised release and to register as a sex offender after he is released from prison.
Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department joins Acting U.S. Attorney Stetzer in making today’s announcement.
According to court documents and information introduced at the sentencing hearing, law enforcement became aware that, between December 2017 and October 2018, an individual later identified as Baucom was using the internet to download child pornography. During a search of Baucom’s residence in Charlotte, law enforcement retrieved Baucom’s cell phone. A forensic analysis of the cell phone revealed that Baucom possessed 58 videos and 950 images of child pornography, some of which depicted the sadistic and masochistic sexual abuse of prepubescent minors. Court records also show that some of the images and videos contained identified victims of 40 different known series of child pornography.
In 2002, Baucom was convicted in Mecklenburg County of Indecent Liberties with a Child and was sentenced to a probationary term, which was later revoked for failing to register as a sex offender.
Baucom pleaded guilty to receipt of child pornography on September 16, 2020. He is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
CMPD investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfredo De La Rosa of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ offices and the 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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Central Falls Man Admits to Trafficking Crack CocaineRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A Central Falls man with an extensive criminal record, including convictions for drug trafficking, assault, breaking and entering, and domestic assault, today pleaded guilty in federal court to possession with the intent to distribute more than 28 grams of a mixture containing cocaine base (crack cocaine), announced Acting United States Attorney Richard B. Myrus.
David Leite,43, was arrested by Cranston Police in September 2019, following an investigation that included surveillance of Leite’s activities, two purchases from him of crack cocaine, and the issuance of two court-authorized search warrants for his residence and one of his vehicles.
On September 24, 2019, as Cranston Police were preparing to execute a court-authorized search of Leite’s residence, detectives received information that on that day Leite would be transporting a significant quantity of narcotics to Cranston. Leite was observed leaving his home in a motor vehicle and was followed into Cranston where he was soon stopped by police.
According to information presented to the court, when officers approached Leite’s vehicle they smelled a strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle, and observed multiple cell phones, and a significant amount of loose cash in the center cup holder. Leite was asked to step out of the vehicle.
A search of the vehicle resulted in the discovery of a bag containing 38.1 grams of crack cocaine and a bag containing 11.45 grams of cocaine salts, hidden behind the faceplate of the vehicle’s radio. Officers also seized, among other items, $13,340 in cash and two cell phones. On the same day, law enforcement executed the court-authorized search of Leite’s residence and seized a digital scale and other items used in the packaging and distribution of narcotics and a total of $2,679 in U.S. currency.
Leite, first charged in Rhode Island state court on September 25, 2019, appeared in federal court on September 30, 2019, and was charged in this matter by way of a federal criminal complaint. He has been detained in federal custody since his initial appearance in U.S. District Court.
Leite is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., on November 30, 2021.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey P. Veroni.
The matter was investigated by the Cranston Police Department, Central Falls Police Department, and the Rhode Island DEA Drug Task Force.
###
Buffalo Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Prostitution Charges Involving Multiple VictimsRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y.--U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr., announced today that Michael McDonald, a/k/a George Jackson, a/k/a Rabbit, 42, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to three counts of interstate travel for purposes of prostitution. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys John D. Fabian and Aaron J. Mango, who are handling that case, stated that in April 2013, the defendant transported Victim 1 from New York to New Jersey, where the Exxxotica Fan Choice Awards were being held. When McDonald transported Victim 1 to New Jersey, the purpose was for Victim 1 to engage in commercial sex acts in New Jersey. In May 2017, the defendant transported Victim 2 from New York to Florida, where Victim 2 had a court date. When McDonald transported Victim 2 to Florida, the purpose was for Victim 2 to engage in commercial sex acts in Florida. In January 2018, the defendant transported a third victim from New York to Florida, where, among other things, a boat party was planned in Miami. When McDonald transported the victim to Florida, it was for the purpose of engaging in commercial sex acts.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Stephen Belongia, and the Cheektowaga Police Department, under the direction of Chief Brian Gould.
Sentencing is scheduled for December 14, 2021, at 2:00 p.m. before Judge Sinatra.
# # # #
Bradford, PA Man Indicted for Acquiring Illegally Transported Protected PlantsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Bradford, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of receipt, acquisition or purchase of illegally transported protected plants and falsification of records, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.
The two-count Indictment named Shane Michael Trout, 37, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment presented to the court, Trout received, acquired or purchased American ginseng plants that had been illegally transported in interstate commerce and falsified records relating to the purchase and sale of these plants
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of $40,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Paul S. Sellers is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement, conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Boston Man Pleads Guilty to Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man pleaded guilty today to his role in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy.
Derrick Hobson, 41, of Boston, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for Jan. 4, 2022.
In June 2020, Hobson was charged along with 23 others as part of Operation Snowfall. According to the charging documents, beginning in November 2018, law enforcement investigated drug trafficking activities by Boston-based street gang members and associates in the Commonwealth Development in Brighton, formerly known as Fidelis Way, a multi-apartment public housing development. It is alleged that the defendants, through their drug trafficking activities, assumed control over multiple apartments, where they stored, cooked, packaged and sold drugs. As a result, their activities caused a blight of the development and reduced the quality of life of the other residents.
The investigation also targeted large-scale drug suppliers and their associates. It is alleged that the targets continued to distribute cocaine and cocaine base throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and shutdown. Hobson is the sixth defendant to plead guilty in the case.
Hobson supplied cocaine to members of the conspiracy.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute cocaine, after the filing of a notice of prior conviction, provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, at least six years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $2 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; Douglas Bartlett, Acting U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Boston Police Acting Commissioner Gregory Long made the announcement. Assistance with the investigation was provided by the Braintree, Cambridge, Canton, Randolph and Weymouth Police Departments; the Suffolk, Norfolk and Bristol County District Attorneys’ Offices; and the Suffolk, Plymouth and Norfolk County Sheriffs’ Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaitlin O’Donnell and Timothy Moran of Mendell’s Organized Crime and Gang Unit are prosecuting the case.
The operation was conducted by a multi-agency task force through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply. More information on the OCDETF program is available here: https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf/about-ocdetf.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Boat Operators Plead Guilty in Smuggling Death in La JollaRead the Press Release
Assistant U. S. Attorneys Jimmy N. Rotstein (619) 546-8573, Colin M. McDonald (619) 546-9144, and Victor P. White (619) 546-8439
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – August 18, 2021
SAN DIEGO – Victor Alfonso Soto Aguilar and Jose Ramon Geraldo Romero pleaded guilty in federal court today in connection with their roles as operators of a panga boat that attempted to smuggle fourteen Mexican citizens into the United States in open ocean waters, ultimately resulting in the death of one passenger.
During a proceeding before U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen S. Crawford, Soto and Geraldo admitted that they piloted a panga boat loaded with 14 Mexican citizens from Mexico into the United States. As part of their guilty pleas, Soto and Romero admitted that the panga boat was loaded beyond capacity, which resulted in temporary engine failure that caused the boat to stall in open ocean waters in the middle of the night. They further admitted that when they arrived near Marine Street Beach in La Jolla, California, they stopped the boat approximately 80 yards from shore and instructed all 14 passengers to remove their life jackets and jump into the water without regard to whether any of them knew how to swim. They also assured many of the passengers that the water was shallow. One passenger, Rogelio Perez Gutierrez, jumped out of the boat, could not stay afloat, and drowned as a result of the smuggling attempt.
United States Border Patrol, the Coast Guard, and San Diego Lifeguards ultimately responded to this event and rescued a number of individuals who had jumped into the ocean at the direction of Soto and Romero. The other passengers on the panga boat were paying between $12,000 and $15,000 to be brought into the United States; they stated they feared for their lives throughout the ocean journey.
“Another life has been tragically lost as a result of smugglers’ reckless actions,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “Smugglers do not care about the safety of their human cargo. They care only about profits, and the U.S. Attorney’s office is committed to bringing them to justice for these callous crimes.” Grossman commended the excellent work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jimmy N. Rotstein, Colin M. McDonald and Victor P. White, and as well as the HSI agents, Coast Guard officers, Border Patrol agents, Customs and Border Protection officers and San Diego Lifeguards, for their efforts in connection with the case.
“What’s really alarming is the callousness of these smugglers and their blatant disregard for the safety of those aboard the vessel,” said HSI San Diego Acting Special Agent in Charge Chad Plantz. “As seen in this case, the criminal networks who profit from these smuggling ventures prioritize profit over the well-being and livelihood of those who hire them. HSI stays committed to working closely with our law enforcement partners and prosecutors to continue to disrupt these illegal smuggling operations and bring to justice, those who violate U.S. law.”
“Callous disregard for the safety of their passengers is a common trait among smugglers,” said Brandon Tucker, Deputy Director of Air Operations for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Air and Marine Operations in San Diego. “Their actions have consequences for the people they smuggle. They put people in danger, and now, they themselves will face the consequences of their actions.”
“The Coast Guard’s primary concern is the safety of life at sea,” said Capt. Tim Barelli, Sector Commander, USCG Sector San Diego. “This case is just one example of the disregard for human life these smugglers have, and we urge people not to place their lives in the hands of smugglers who ultimately care only about the money they will receive.”
Soto and Romero are scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge John A. Houston on December 13, 2021 at 10:00 a.m.
DEFENDANTS Case Number 21cr1665-JAH
Victor Alfonso Soto Aguilar Age: 37 Mexico
Jose Ramon Geraldo Romero Age: 24 Mexico
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Attempted Bringing In at Other Than a Port of Entry Resulting In Death– Title 8, U.S.C., Sections 1324(a)(1)(A)(i), (v)(II), and (a)(1)(B)(iv)
Maximum penalty: Death or life in prison and $250,000 fine
Attempted Bringing In for Financial Gain – Title 8, U.S.C., Section 1324(a)(2)(B)(ii)
Maximum penalty: Fifteen years in prison and $250,000 fine; mandatory minimum of five years in custody
AGENCIES
Homeland Security Investigations
United States Coast Guard
San Diego Lifeguards
United States Border Patrol
Customs and Border Protection
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is part of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), which was established by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in June 2021 to marshal the investigative and prosecutorial resources of the Department of Justice, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to enhance U.S. enforcement efforts against the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. The Task Force focuses on disrupting and dismantling smuggling and trafficking networks that abuse, exploit, or endanger migrants, pose national security threats, and are involved in organized crime. JTFA consists of federal prosecutors and attorneys from U.S. Attorney’s Offices along the Southwest Border (District of Arizona, Southern District of California, Southern District of Texas, and Western District of Texas), from the Criminal Division and the Civil Rights Division, along with law enforcement agents and analysts from DHS’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Patrol. The FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration are also part of the Task Force.
Bellevue man pleads guilty to profiting on inside information on Netflix securities tradesRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 50-year-old Bellevue, Washington man who made more than $1.5 million dollars using inside information to trade in Netflix securities pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Seattle, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Junwoo Chon, is one for four men charged in the scheme that involved two former Netflix software engineers illegally providing proprietary subscriber data in advance of Netflix’s earnings announcements. Chon is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones on December 3, 2021.
The others charged by Information in the case are Netflix software engineers Ayden Lee, 33, of San Jose, California, and Sung Mo Jun, 49, of Bellevue, Washington. Jun’s brother, Joon Jun, 45, of Issaquah, Washington is also charged in the case. The Jun brothers are scheduled for plea hearings on August 30, 2021.
“Insider trading is not a victimless crime,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Gorman. “When someone on one side of the trade has non-public information, they have an advantage over the person on the other side – the person who ultimately loses money on their securities trade. The integrity of our financial markets demands a fair and level playing field.”
According to the records filed in the case, from July 2016, to February 2017, Sung Mo Jun was employed by Netflix as a software engineer. He had access to Netflix’s internal subscriber data and had been trained by the company that such data was material, non-public information. Nevertheless, Jun disclosed that information to his close friend, Junwoo Chon, and his brother, Joon Jun, with the knowledge that the two intended to use the information to profit on the purchase and sale of Netflix securities. Between July 2016 and April 2017, Jun’s brother, Joon Jun, made $215,419 and co-conspirator Junwon Chon made $521,400. After Chon made these significant profits on the illegal insider trading, he secretly provided Sung Mo Jun with $60,000 in cash as Sung Mo Jun’s share of the profits.
After Sung Mo Jun left Netflix, he obtained additional non-public information about subscriber data from another Netflix employee, software engineer Ayden Lee, 33, of San Jose, California. Jun not only passed that information on to his brother and Chon, he also used it to make his own trades. Between April 2017 and July 2019, Sung Mo Jun made a profit of $434,086 by trading in Netflix stock and options with this inside information.
In his plea agreement, Junwoo Chon also admitted to receiving inside information from Sung Mo Jun concerning another technology company located in California. He also admitted that he received inside information from a source at a third technology company located in Seattle and traded on the inside information with respect to those technology companies. Chon’s profits from trading on that inside information was less than $2,000.
All told the insider trading attributable to insider Sun Mo Jun in Netflix securities resulted in an illicit gain of $1,170,905. Joon Jun is responsible for illicit profits of $1,106.208. Chon is responsible for illicit profits of $1,642,855 and Lee is connected to illicit profits of $453,465.
Insider trading is punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $5 million fine. The judge will determine the appropriate sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has filed a separate civil enforcement action against the defendants.
The case is being investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin Arnold.
Arkansas Man Sentenced to Prison and Ordered to Pay Almost $6M in Restitution for His Role in TRICARE Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
WACO – An Arkansas man was sentenced today to 24 months in prison and ordered to pay $5,918,446 in restitution for his role in a scheme to defraud TRICARE, a health care program of the U.S. Department of Defense.
According to court documents, Theodis Lamond Jefferson, 37, a former United States Army Service Member, received more than $5.9 million from January 2015 to June 2015 from pharmacies and groups that provided and marketed compounded medications. Compounded medications are personalized dosages or formulas normally made for patients who cannot tolerate certain ingredients in commercially manufactured medications. Jefferson defrauded TRICARE by making and receiving unlawful payments for the prescription of compounded drugs to TRICARE beneficiaries. Jefferson paid bribes to prescribing physicians and kickbacks to TRICARE beneficiaries, who unlawfully enriched themselves from TRICARE reimbursements for covered compounded drugs.
On December 8, 2020, Jefferson pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of illegal payment and one count of payment of illegal fee.
“This defendant stole millions of dollars from a government healthcare program that supports our servicemembers and their families,” said U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff. “This sentence sends a strong message that those who use bribes and kickbacks to steal taxpayer dollars from important programs will be identified, investigated and prosecuted.”
“The TRICARE Program is vital to the health and well-being of our warfighters, retirees, and their families,” said Michael Mentavlos, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Department of Defense Inspector General Defense Criminal Investigative Service - Southwest Field Office. “Today's announcement underpins the steadfast commitment of DCIS and our investigative partners to bring to justice those who look to enrich themselves by jeopardizing the healthcare of our warfighters and defrauding the American taxpayer.”
The U.S. Army Criminal Investigative Division investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Gloff prosecuted the case.
###
Angier, NC Resident Sentenced for Conspiring to Defraud the North Carolina Medicaid SystemRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – An Angier, North Carolina man, Ruben Samuel Matos, was sentenced today to 42 months in prison and three years of supervised release for conspiracy to commit health care fraud. On September 18, 2020, Matos pled guilty to the charge. As part of sentencing, Matos was also ordered to pay $1,997,883 in criminal restitution to the North Carolina Fund for Medical Assistance.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, between 2014 and 2017, Matos conspired with multiple individuals and businesses to defraud the North Carolina Medicaid system by submitting over $3.6 million in false and fraudulent claims for the reimbursement of behavioral health services. Medicaid is a federally funded health care benefit program that helps pay for medical-related services for low-income individuals and their families. In North Carolina, Medicaid is administered by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Health Benefits.
Matos initially partnered with Reginald Van Reese, Jr., a Raleigh, NC resident who was previously convicted of conspiracy in a related case. As part of the scheme, Matos and Reese canvassed low-income neighborhoods to identify eligible Medicaid recipients and collect their personal information, including Medicaid identification numbers. The beneficiary information was then sold and supplied to behavioral health business operators for the unlawful purpose of generating fraudulent claims for reimbursement of services that were never rendered.
Matos and Reese worked closely with co-conspirator Antonio Deon Fozard, a Durham, NC resident who controlled multiple behavioral health entities, including Group Service and In Touch of Care. Fozard, Matos, and Reese defrauded the North Carolina Medicaid system by incorporating stolen Medicaid beneficiary and clinician data into false billings for these entities and enlisting “note writers” to fabricate supporting medical documentation for use in the event of an audit.
In furtherance of a similar Medicaid fraud scheme, Matos and Reese later partnered with Luis Angel Lozada, a Clayton, NC resident who owned and operated Cornerstone Family Services Group, a purported behavioral health business in Zebulon, NC. According to the investigation, Cornerstone used stolen Medicaid beneficiary and clinician data to back-bill the Medicaid system and recruited note writers to prepare bogus medical records to substantiate the claims.
Antonio Fozard and Luis Lozada pleaded guilty to health care fraud charges in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina and are currently awaiting sentencing.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the North Carolina Medicaid Investigations Division investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam F. Hulbig prosecuted the case for the government.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:20-CR-307.
Albany County Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Christopher Pratt, age 57, of Albany, pled guilty today to the distribution, receipt and possession of 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 Judge Mae A. D’Agostino, Pratt admitted that he distributed and received child pornography over the internet through a peer-to-peer file sharing program. Pratt also admitted that he possessed numerous images of child pornography on his personal laptop, and that he created a folder on his laptop, labeled “JB” for “jailbait,” in which he stored images of child pornography that he had downloaded from the internet.
Pratt faces at least 5 years and up to 20 years in prison, and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life, when he is sentenced on December 20, 2021. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. Additionally, Pratt will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
This case was investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, including investigators from the Albany County Sheriff’s Office and New York State Police Computer Crimes Unit, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rachel Williams and Katherine Kopita.
This case is 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
84-Year-Old Armed Bank Robber Sentenced to over 21 YearsRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. –Robert Francis Krebs, 84, of Tucson, Arizona, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps to 262 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Krebs was previously convicted by a jury for armed bank robbery. Krebs was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $8,385.
On January 12, 2018, Krebs used a BB gun to rob two bank tellers of over $8,000 at a Pyramid Federal Credit Union in Tucson, Arizona. Krebs was arrested the following day at a motel where he had been residing. Krebs has an extensive prior criminal history and was on a term of probation in Florida when he committed this robbery.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tucson Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. Raquel Arellano and Christine A. Melton, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-18-00263-TUC-JGZ
RELEASE NUMBER: 2021-051_Krebs# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.34-Count Federal Indictment Charges 12 Defendants in Alleged Drug Trafficking Conspiracy out of Anderson CountyRead the Press Release
Greenville, South Carolina --- Acting United States Attorney M. Rhett Dehart announced today that, on Thursday, August 12, 2021, a joint team of 130 federal, state, and local law enforcement officers simultaneously executed 20 federal search warrants and arrested 12 individuals charged in a 34-count federal indictment for their roles in a drug trafficking organization that operated primarily out of Anderson County.
During the operation, presumed to be the largest operation of its kind ever in Anderson County, agents located approximately 15 kilograms of cocaine, with a street value of approximately $500,000; 5 ounces of heroin; 18 pounds of marijuana; 10 guns; hundreds of rounds of ammunition; $245,000 in cash; and 3 cars.
“Organized crime – particularly that involving drug and guns – presents our communities with serious challenges,” said Acting U.S. Attorney DeHart. “Fortunately, our office, along with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, does not rest in our efforts to dismantle such organizations and bring them to justice. While the charges in this case speak for themselves, our commitment to stopping violent drug gangs will never waver.”
“Citizens of Anderson County should feel safer knowing that these alleged poly-drug traffickers have been removed from their community,” said the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division Robert J. Murphy. “These defendants have been charged with distributing a variety of illegal drugs, and while doing so, protecting their ill-gotten gain with weapons. This investigation was a success because DEA and its law enforcement partners presented a united front to protect and serve the communities in which we live.”
“Public safety strategies and successes start with collaboration among our law enforcement agencies,” stated ATF Special Agent in Charge Vince Pallozzi. “Removing violent criminals from the community, disrupting major drug trades, and retrieving numerous firearms from very dangerous individuals are proven ways to have a major impact on bringing back safety and security to neighborhoods.”
“The commitment shown by our Detectives and Deputies assigned to our Special Investigations Division, working in concert with our Federal, State and local partners speaks volumes,” said Anderson County Sheriff Chad McBride. “The entire Division poured effort into this investigation for an extended period of time. That effort, along with our strong commitment to the DEA Greenville Resident Office’s HIDTA Task Force, resulted in the successful seizure of a large quantity of illegal drugs and firearms that were bound for the streets of Anderson County. We take pride in the results of this investigation.”
“Our employees have worked countless hours on this case, including nights and weekends and spending time away from their families,” said City of Anderson Police Chief James Stewart. “This case has made a difference in our community, and getting these dangerous drugs off the street will make a major impact. We appreciate the partnership on the task force and cooperation that we have with the DEA office.”
The 34-count indictment charges the defendants with various drug trafficking and firearms-related offenses that include: drug trafficking conspiracy; possession with intent to distribute cocaine, crack cocaine, and marijuana; distribution of methamphetamine, cocaine, and crack cocaine; maintaining a stash house; felon in possession of firearm and ammunition; and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.
The following defendants are in custody:
- Dillinger Maston Bolden, a/k/a “Nuke,” 40, of Anderson
- Roosevelt Lavar Cousar, 44, of Anderson
- Terrance Antonio Martin, a/k/a “Buck,” 34, of Anderson
- Kadarrius Ahmad Brownlee, a/k/a “Quan,” 23, of Anderson
- Daiquon Jermaine Smith, 26, of Spartanburg
- Desmond Laquan Muller, 32, of Columbia
- Terrance Jarel Goss, 32 of Anderson
- Darius Tyvone Sadler, 29, of Anderson
- Christopher Reese Bell, 36, of Anderson
- Renardo Lakeith Reed, 38, of Anderson
- Montez Obrien Hatten, 32, of Anderson
- Elysia Nicole Scott, 32, of Anderson
- Tyrone Terrell Dubose, 51, of Anderson (charged in a separate, but related criminal complaint).
Three other individuals were arrested on various state charges.
Agents with the Greenville Resident Office of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) led the investigation with the support and significant participation from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office, the City of Anderson Police Department, the United States Marshals Service, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services, the 10th Circuit Solicitor’s Office, the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Abbeville County Sheriff’s Office.
This investigation is an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Assistant United States Attorneys Sloan P. Ellis and Brandi B. Hinton are prosecuting the case.
Acting U.S. Attorney DeHart stated that all charges against these defendants are merely accusations and that all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
#####
17 August 2021
“11 Hunnit” Gang Member Sentenced to Nearly a Decade in Prison for RICO ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A member of the 11 Hunnit street gang from the Hill District neighborhood of Pittsburgh has been sentenced in federal court to 117 months’ imprisonment on his conviction for violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.
United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Dionte Griffin (aka “L Gzz”, aka “Fat Boi, aka “El Gwopo”), 25, formerly of the Hill District neighborhood of the City of Pittsburgh, following his April 7, 2021, guilty plea to one count of RICO conspiracy.
According to information presented to the Court, Griffin, a member of the violent street gang known as “11 Hunnit,” conspired with codefendants Sydney Pack, Richard Kelly, and others, to conduct and participate in the affairs of the 11 Hunnit gang through a pattern of racketeering activity consisting generically of acts involving murder, robbery, and the distribution of controlled substances. Mr. Griffin acknowledged his personal participation in certain overt acts that were done in furtherance of the RICO conspiracy, which included a January 2016 shooting of a rival gang member, an October 2016 shooting of a rival gang member, the unlawful possession of fentanyl and firearms, and his participation – along with other members of 11 Hunnit – in several publicly available rap music videos designed to intimidate rival gangs and enhance 11 Hunnit’s reputation as a violent enterprise.
During the proceeding, District Judge Bissoon urged Griffin to abandon gang life following the service of his sentence, noting that participation in street gangs would inevitably lead Griffin to further imprisonment or death. Following his sentence of imprisonment, Griffin will be supervised for five years by the United States Probation Office. Judge Bissoon ordered Griffin not to associate with any gang members as a condition of his supervision.
Assistant United States Attorney Jerome A. Moschetta prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Kaufman commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, together with the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Griffin. This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Wheeling man admits to firearms chargeRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Randolph Michael Smith, of Wheeling, West Virginia, has admitted to a firearms charge, Acting United States Attorney Randolph J. Bernard announced.
Smith, 42, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.” Smith, a person prohibited from having firearms because of prior convictions, admitted to having a 9mm semi-automatic pistol in August 2020 in Ohio County.
Smith faces up to 10 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Clayton J. Reid is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives and the Wheeling Police Department investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.
Washington man sentenced to 10 years in prison for meth trafficking on Flathead Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Washington man who admitted to bringing methamphetamine to the Flathead Indian Reservation for redistribution was sentenced today to 10 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
Alberto Escareno-Sanchez, 27, of Sunnyside, Washington, pleaded guilty in March to possession with intent to distribute meth.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.
The government alleged in court documents that in January 2019, Flathead Tribal Police officers pulled over a vehicle in which Escareno-Sanchez was a passenger. During a later search of the vehicle pursuant to a warrant, investigators found meth, a firearm, and other drug paraphernalia. In July 2020, law enforcement served a search warrant on Escareno-Sanchez’s residence and found meth, heroin, two handguns, and $14,286 in currency. The defendant told law enforcement that the drugs, a gun, and the money belonged to him. In addition, confidential informants assisted Escareno-Sanchez with distributing pounds of meth in Flathead and Lake Counties and indicated to law enforcement that the defendant made trips to Washington to get meth for distribution on the Flathead Reservation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara J. Elliott prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Northwest Drug Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations.
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
Warner Woman Arrested for Making False Statements and Helping a Fugitive Avoid ApprehensionRead the Press Release
CONCORD - Heather Akins, 30, of Warner, was arrested today for making efforts to prevent the United States Marshals Service from apprehending a fugitive.
On July 19, 2021, a federal grand jury indicted Akins on one count of making a false statement to a federal agent and one count of accessory after the fact. The indictment charges that Akins made a materially false statement about the whereabouts of a fugitive and assisted the fugitive to hinder the efforts of the U.S. Marshals to apprehend the fugitive.
Akins appeared for a video arraignment and was released pending trial.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service with assistance from the Warner Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles L. Rombeau.
The charges in the indictment are only allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###
Virginia Man Sentenced for Role in Multimillion-Dollar Investment-Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Virginia man was sentenced today in the Eastern District of Virginia to 14 years in prison for his role in an investment fraud scheme in which he and his co-conspirators stole approximately $5.7 million from victim investors.
According to court documents, James Leonard Smith, 65, of Midlothian, was convicted by a federal jury of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering on Oct. 30, 2020, after a four-day trial.
According to the evidence presented at trial, from around 2014 to 2017, Smith participated in a worldwide scheme through Chimera Group Ltd., a purported investment company based out of the United Kingdom. The fraud operated as an advance-fee scheme in which the defendants acted as promoters who promised to pay the victims a sum of money at a later date in exchange for an up-front payment. Among other misrepresentations, Smith and his co-conspirators told potential victims that their principal payments would be protected based on letters of credit and other documents that purported to be from a large financial institution. However, these documents were fabricated, sometimes with the assistance of Smith himself. The evidence also showed that Smith and his co-conspirators used escrow attorneys, who were themselves part of the scheme, in order to give the victims the impression that their money would remain secure until the defendants’ promises had been kept. Smith and his co-conspirators stole at least $5.7 million from their victims.
Co-conspirator Stuart Jay Anderson, 54, of Aliso Viejo, California, an escrow attorney involved in the scheme, was sentenced to four years in prison on Dec. 3, 2020. Co-defendant James Michael Johnson, 70, of Richmond, was sentenced to more than eight years in prison on March 5. Co-defendant Brian Michael Bridge, 48, of London, England, a fugitive, was also charged in the superseding indictment, and is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Raj Parekh of the Eastern District of Virginia; Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Criminal Investigations Group; and Special Agent in Charge Stanley M. Meador of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, FBI’s Richmond Field Office, and the Virginia State Corporation Commission investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Vasanth Sridharan and Christopher Jackson of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael C. Moore of the Eastern District of Virginia prosecuted the case.
The Criminal Division’s Fraud Section plays a pivotal role in the Justice Department’s fight against white collar crime around the country.
Virginia Man Sentenced for Role in Multimillion-Dollar Investment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Virginia man was sentenced today to 14 years in prison for his role in an investment fraud scheme in which he and his co-conspirators stole approximately $5.7 million from victim investors.
According to court documents, James Leonard Smith, 65, of Midlothian, was convicted by a federal jury of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering on October 30, 2020, after a four-day trial.
According to the evidence presented at trial, from around 2014 to 2017, Smith participated in a worldwide scheme through Chimera Group Ltd., a purported investment company based out of the United Kingdom. The fraud operated as an advance-fee scheme in which the defendants acted as promoters who promised to pay the victims a sum of money at a later date in exchange for an up-front payment. Among other misrepresentations, Smith and his co-conspirators told potential victims that their principal payments would be protected based on letters of credit and other documents that purported to be from a large financial institution. However, these documents were fabricated, sometimes with the assistance of Smith himself. The evidence also showed that Smith and his co-conspirators used escrow attorneys, who were themselves part of the scheme, in order to give victims the impression that their money would remain secure until the defendants’ promises had been kept. Smith and his co-conspirators stole at least $5.7 million from their victims.
Co-conspirator Stuart Jay Anderson, 54, of Aliso Viejo, California, an escrow attorney involved in the scheme, was sentenced to four years in prison on December 3, 2020. Co-defendant James Michael Johnson, 70, of Richmond, was sentenced to more than eight years in prison on March 5. Co-defendant Brian Michael Bridge, 48, of London, England, a fugitive, was also charged in the superseding indictment and is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Acting U.S. Attorney Raj Parekh of the Eastern District of Virginia; Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Criminal Investigations Group; and Special Agent in Charge Stanley M. Meador of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, FBI’s Richmond Field Office, and the Virginia State Corporation Commission investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael C. Moore and Trial Attorneys Vasanth Sridharan and Christopher Jackson of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 3:19-cr-117 and 3:19-cr-178.
Vacaville Felon Pleads Guilty to Being a Felon in Possession of AmmunitionRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Guy Joseph Bass, 29, of Vacaville, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of ammunition, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, On Sept. 18, 2020, police officers arrested Bass on an outstanding arrest warrant. During the arrest, Bass admitted he had a firearm on his person. A search of his person uncovered a Glock style privately made firearm, also known as a “ghost gun,” loaded with an extended magazine containing 17 rounds. Bass cannot possess a firearm or ammunition because he was previously convicted of a felony offense.
Additionally, on Nov. 28, 2020, police officers approached a parked vehicle Bass was sitting in. A search of the vehicle led to the discovery of a different privately made .223 caliber AR-style pistol and a 30‑round magazine loaded with at least nine rounds of ammunition.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Vacaville Police Department, the Solano County District Attorney’s Office, the FBI’s Solano County Violent Crimes Task Force, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella is prosecuting the case.
U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez is scheduled to sentence Bass on Dec. 7, 2021. Bass faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Two Operation Stolen Innocence Defendants Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Shuntae Kirksey, 26, of Tallahassee, Florida was sentenced yesterday to 210 months in federal prison after pleading guilty on April 18, 2021, to one count of production of child pornography. Destin Banks, 32, of Tallahassee, Florida was sentenced yesterday to 130 months in federal prison after pleading guilty on May 6, 2021, to one count of coercing or enticing a minor to engage in prostitution. Jason R. Coody, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the sentencing.
“These sentences further affirm our commitment to the protection of our most vulnerable,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Coody. “Through concerted efforts like Operation Stolen Innocence, we will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute those who prey upon our children.”
“Operation Stolen Innocence continues to increase the safety and security of our local communities and highlights the strong law enforcement partnership between HSI and the Tallahassee Police Department,” said HSI Tampa Assistant Special Agent in Charge Micah McCombs.
“We are pleased to see two more offenders, who posed a significant threat to this community, taken off of our streets,” said Chief Lawrence Revell. “Operation Stolen Innocence has produced a continuous flow of arrests on those individuals that prey on our children. Additionally, these arrests speak volumes of the dedication and diligent work of our investigators and every agency we have worked with along the way in this fight to dismantle sexual exploitation in Tallahassee. This is a fight that we will never give up on.”
Kirksey and Banks’ prison sentence will be followed by 10 years supervised release and they both will be required to register as a sex offender and will be subject to all sex offender conditions.
Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Spaven prosecuted this case which was the result of a collaborative investigation by the Tallahassee Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations as part of Operation Stolen Innocence, a multi-agency coordinated effort by the United States Marshals Service, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, and the Office of State Attorney, Second Judicial Circuit, to combat human trafficking in the Tallahassee area.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Two Kansas Men Guilty of Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – Two Kansas men are facing prison sentences after taking part in a pair of bank robberies. A federal jury convicted Michael Shiferaw, 22, of Olathe of two counts of Armed Bank Robbery, and two counts of Discharging a Firearm in Connection with a Bank Robbery. Kenya Breakfield, 23, of Olathe pleaded guilty to one count of Armed Bank Robbery and one count of Discharging a Firearm in Connection with a Bank Robbery.
According to court documents, in October 2018, Shiferaw and Breakfield went into a Wells Fargo bank in Leawood, Kansas wearing face masks and carrying handguns. Shiferaw fired a shot into the ceiling upon entering. He then pointed a gun at the tellers and forced them to fill a duffel bag with money. The men fired another round into the ceiling, yelling “happy holidays” before fleeing the bank with the money.
In March 2019, the men robbed the Commerce Bank in Roeland Park, Kansas. This time Breakfield remained in the vehicle as the getaway driver, and Shiferaw entered the bank alone. Shiferaw fired four rounds during the robbery, including one aimed at a customer trying to enter the bank. The defendants were arrested shortly after the second robbery, and law enforcement recovered the firearm used in both crimes. Prosecutors agreed to drop the charges against Breakfield in connection with the Commerce Bank robbery in exchange for his guilty plea in the Wells Fargo case. Shiferaw elected to go to trial.
A Bank Robbery conviction carries a maximum of 25 years in prison for each count. A conviction of Discharging a Firearm During a Bank Robbery carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, consecutive with any other sentence.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Olathe Police Department, Leawood Police Department, Roeland Park Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service investigated the case.Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Flannigan prosecuted the case.
###
Texas Man Sentenced to Prison for Theft of Firearms in MississippiRead the Press Release
Oxford, Miss. – A Killeen, Texas man was sentenced to more than three years in prison for his role in stealing firearms from a pawnshop in Clarksdale, Mississippi.
Dominic Deshawn Turner was sentenced on Monday to 39 months imprisonment by Senior District Court Judge Neal B. Biggers for conspiracy to steal firearms from a federally licensed firearm (FFL) dealer. The sentence marks the conclusion of a two-year long investigation and prosecution of a 2019 robbery of Krosstown Trade & Pawn in Clarksdale, Mississippi. Co-defendants Corey Alonzo Brown of Killeen, Texas, Raheim Trayvon Avery of Grenada, Mississippi, and Corey Kintrell Lewis of Clarksdale, Mississippi have all been previously sentenced to prison for their roles in the robbery.
Court records show that on February 20, 2019, Krosstown Trade & Pawn in Clarksdale, Mississippi was robbed at gunpoint and the owner, who was working in the store at the time, was physically assaulted during the robbery. Five individuals stole 25 firearms and more than $49,000.00 worth of jewelry. The suspects fled the scene and ATF and the Clarksdale, Mississippi Police Department began investigating the incident.
Nine days after the Krosstown robbery, several firearms and jewelry stolen from the business were recovered by detectives from the Killeen, Texas Police Department. As a result of a combined investigation by ATF Agents and local law enforcement agencies in Texas and Mississippi, law enforcement positively identified five individuals as suspects in the robbery in Mississippi and uncovered a conspiracy to traffic firearms from Mississippi to Texas. ATF Agents in Mississippi also located and recovered additional stolen firearms in Clarksdale and Grenada, Mississippi in the possession of individuals who were prohibited from lawfully possessing firearms.
All five suspects from the robbery were identified and prosecuted. One suspect passed away prior to arrest. The remaining four suspects entered guilty pleas to federal charges and were ultimately convicted. Each of the defendants was sentenced to terms of imprisonment and required to pay restitution to the FFL dealer. Corey Lewis was sentenced to 87 months in prison, Raheim Avery was sentenced to 40 months, and Corey Brown was sentenced to serve 24 months in prison.
“Effective collaboration and coordination between ATF Agents and local law enforcement officers across multiple states was critical to the success of this investigation and prosecution,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “Not only were they able to bring justice to the victim of this crime, but they were able to recover many of the firearms stolen, preventing future violent crimes.”
“The sentence imposed today lets gun traffickers know that they will pay a price for their crimes,” said ATF New Orleans Field Division Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn. “ATF will continue to investigate firearm thefts to cut the pipeline of crime guns. This was good teamwork with our law enforcement partners and an example of ATF’s dedication to investigate individuals that feed violent gun crime.”
The following agencies participated in the investigation: ATF Waco, TX Satellite Office, ATF Austin, TX Field Office, ATF Oxford, MS Field Office, Killeen, TX Police Department, Clarksdale, MS Police Department, Grenada, MS Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly Hampton and Philip Levy for the Northern District of Mississippi prosecuted the case.
T&A Crips member sentenced to 30 years in prisonRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A 26-year-old Columbus man was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 30 years in prison for participating in a local gang’s racketeering conspiracy.
Charles Carson pleaded guilty in February 2020 and accepted responsibility for the 2015 murder of Quincy Story. Carson shot and killed Story on S. James Road in Columbus.
According to court documents, Carson and 18 other defendants were charged as members and associates of the Trevitt and Atcheson Crips gang known as T&A. The gang derived its name from Trevitt and Atcheson streets in the King-Lincoln District of Columbus, where its members predominantly reside.
The murder victim, Story, was perceived as disrespecting a fallen associate of the T&A subgroup Waun Gang.
Beginning in June 2010, T&A members and associates conspired in a racketeering enterprise and engaged in murders, attempted murders, drug trafficking, firearms trafficking, witness tampering, robbery, assault and other crimes.
The gang controlled the neighborhood through intimidation, fear and violence. Gang members were expected to retaliate with acts of violence when their members and associates were disrespected, threatened, intimidated or subjected to acts of violence.
Specifically, co-conspirators are charged with five murders:
the murder of Franky Tention on July 1, 2012, in the area of 431 Ellison Street;
the murder of William Moore on March 15, 2013;
the murder of Marvin Ector on December 23, 2013, on East 5th Avenue;
the murder of Quincy Story on January 24, 2015; and
the murder of Deaonte Fisher on March 4, 2016.
Vipal J. Patel, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Roland Herndon, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Chris Hoffman, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant; and United States Marshal Pete Tobin announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson. Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin W. Kelley and Noah R. Litton are representing the United States in this case.
# # #
Stockton Woman Convicted of Sex Trafficking ChildrenRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — After a seven-day trial, a jury found Dawniel Santangelo, 43, of Stockton, guilty today of conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of a child, three counts of sex trafficking of a child, and one count of transporting a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to evidence presented at trial, between September 2018 and May 2019, Santangelo recruited 15-, 16-, and 17-year-old girls to engage in prostitution throughout Northern California and Southern Oregon. Santangelo enticed the girls to perform sex acts for strangers by providing alcohol, drugs, and creating a party atmosphere in motels in Stockton and Salinas. She then posted online prostitution ads depicting the victims and brought sex buyers to the motels to have sex with the victims in exchange for money that she and co-defendant, Lucious James Roy, 34, of Stockton, took from the victims. Santangelo also took the 17-year-old victim to a Ripon truck stop to engage in prostitution. Ultimately, the minor victims had sex with sex buyers in the motel rooms where Santangelo harbored them and on the streets of the cities where Santangelo took them. After the victims began engaging in commercial sex acts, Santangelo urged them to continue, falsely reassuring the 17-year-old victim that the experience was not that bad and offering to give the 16-year-old victim feminine products to keep her engaging in sex acts when she was menstruating.
In early May 2019, Santangelo and co-defendant Roy, recruited a 15-year-old runaway from the Modesto area to engage in prostitution. They drove the victim from Merced to Medford, Oregon, Santangelo’s former hometown, in order to put the 15-year-old to work engaging in prostitution. Once in Oregon, Santangelo advertised the victim’s commercial sex acts on the internet and harbored her in a motel room that she rented. After a few days in Oregon, the victim called her family for help, and Oregon police subsequently found the victim in Santangelo’s motel room along with Santangelo and Roy.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Stockton Police Department, the San Joaquin District Attorney’s Office, the Medford (Oregon) Police Department, and the Jackson County (Oregon) District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cameron L. Desmond and Brian A. Fogerty are prosecuting the case.
On April 12, 2021, Roy was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller to 17 years and seven months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of a child.
Santangelo is scheduled for sentencing by Judge Mueller on Nov. 8, 2021. Santangelo faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine. Her convictions on the sex trafficking of a child and transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity counts each carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.
Shelby County Couple Pleads Guilty to Selling Stolen Baby Formula OnlineRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A husband and wife pleaded guilty today for selling more than $300,000 in stolen items online, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and United States Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Patrick Davis.
Christopher John Andrukaitis, 31, of Chelsea, and Holly Hollon, 38, of Chelsea, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Annemarie Axon to one count of conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen goods. Andrukaitis and Hollon are scheduled to be sentenced on November 30th.
According to the plea agreement, between September 2018 and October 2020, Andrukaitis and Hollon owned and operated the Sweet Tea Sunshine Shop, an online eBay business. The online business was operated out of their residence in Shelby County, Alabama. Sweet Tea Sunshine Shop advertised products for sale, to include baby formula. The Sweet Tea Sunshine Shop received online orders for baby formula. Andrukaitis and Hollon personally filled those orders. The baby formula was stolen from various retail stores throughout the Northern District of Alabama. The stolen baby formula was shipped through the U.S. Postal Service or Federal Express to customers throughout the United States. In total, the Sweet Tea Sunshine Shop generated over $300,000 in proceeds from the sale of the stolen baby formula. Andrukaitis and Hollon used the fraudulent proceeds for their personal benefit.
The United States Secret Service Financial Crimes Task Force investigated the case along with the Alabaster Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robin Beardsley Mark is prosecuting the case.
Seven defendants indicted on federal charges in drug-trafficking conspiracyRead the Press Release
STATESBORO, GA: Seven defendants are accused of participating in a major drug trafficking conspiracy in an indictment newly unsealed in U.S. District Court.
The investigation in Operation Ace in the Hole II, under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), targeted the distribution of heroin and fentanyl-tainted heroin in the Vidalia, Ga., and greater Toombs County area, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Each of the defendants is charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Heroin, Eutylone (bath salts), Fentanyl, and Methamphetamine, a charge that carries a statutory penalty of up to 20 years in prison, and there is no parole in the federal system.
“The availability of deadly fentanyl and its chemical analogues has led to an alarming rise in overdoses and overdose deaths in the Southern District and throughout the nation,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “With our law enforcement partners, we will continue to seek the sources of these illegal drugs and bring their dealers to justice.”
After the federal indictment of 26 defendants in January 2020 in Operation Ace in the Hole, investigators with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, the Toombs County Sheriff’s Office, and others, continued seeking sources and suppliers of heroin and other illegal drugs throughout the Vidalia area. Operation Ace in the Hole II, as outlined in USA v. Page, et al., charges seven defendants as participants in the drug trafficking conspiracy. The indictment, returned in May 2021 by a U.S. District Court Grand Jury, was unsealed Monday, Aug. 16.
Those named in the indictment, and their charges, include:
- Creg Antonio Page, 45, an inmate at Georgia State Prison in Reidsville, Ga., charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, Heroin, Eutylone, Fentanyl, and Methamphetamine; Distribution of Heroin; two counts of Distribution of Heroin and Fentanyl; Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin, Fentanyl, Cocaine, and Methamphetamine; and three counts of Use of Communications Facility, a charge that describes using telephones to facilitate the drug-trafficking conspiracy;
- Phillip Adams, 36, of Lyons, Ga., charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, Heroin, Eutylone, Fentanyl, and Methamphetamine; Distribution of Heroin; Distribution of Heroin and Fentanyl; Distribution of Heroin; Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin, Fentanyl, Cocaine and Methamphetamine; and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime;
- Servontae Quarshawn Powell, 37, of Vidalia, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, Heroin, Eutylone, Fentanyl, and Methamphetamine; Distribution of Heroin; three counts of Distribution of Heroin and Fentanyl; and Distribution of Fentanyl;
- Debra Carol Strickland, 20, of Lyons, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, Heroin, Eutylone, Fentanyl, and Methamphetamine; Distribution of Heroin; Distribution of Heroin and Fentanyl; Distribution of Heroin; Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin, Fentanyl, Cocaine and Methamphetamine; and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime;
- Cameron Earl Williamson, 33, of Lyons, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, Heroin, Eutylone, Fentanyl, and Methamphetamine; and three counts of Use of Communications Facility;
- Erika Susan Highsmith, a/k/a Erika Susan Barrow, 28, of Lyons, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, Heroin, Eutylone, Fentanyl, and Methamphetamine; and Use of Communications Facility; and,
- Tiffany Hunt, 40, of Vidalia, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, Heroin, Eutylone, Fentanyl, and Methamphetamine; and Use of Communication Facility.
In addition to drugs seized during the investigation, the indictment also includes the seizure of six firearms.
Initial court appearances for all defendants have been held. Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Of the 26 defendants in Operation Ace in the Hole, 23 have entered guilty pleas; 17 of them have been sentenced, with terms of up to 188 months in prison. Three defendants are awaiting trial.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.
Operation Ace in the Hole II is being investigated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, the Toombs County Sheriff’s Office, the Vidalia Police Department, and the Lyons Police Department, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph McCool and Noah J. Abrams.
Seven Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Smuggling Cocaine on Board the Coastal Freighter Zumaque TracerRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell has sentenced seven Venezuelan nationals to federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine while onboard a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.
Name
Federal Prison Term
Astrubal Quijada Marin
9 years
Henry Jose Marquez
8 years
Rafael Antonio Querales Grafe
5 years, 10 months
Juan Carlos Diaz Morales
5 years, 10 months
Juan Carlos Acosta Hurtado
5 years, 10 months
Jose Rafael Colina
5 years, 10 months
Edwin Ramon Marcano Morales
5 years, 4 months
Five of the defendants had pleaded guilty between March and June 2020. Two of the defendants were convicted following bench trials on May 7, 2021.
According to court documents, the seven defendants were on board the Zumaque Tracer, a 256-foot Cameroon flagged coastal freighter, in the international waters of the Caribbean Sea, on a northwesterly course towards Grand Cayman.
The vessel exhibited multiple signs consistent with drug trafficking and inconsistent with the stated purpose of the voyage. The seven defendants were each aware that they were transporting cocaine intended for distribution.
In July 2019, the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Northland located the Zumaque Tracer and conducted a search of the vessel. The boarding team ultimately located and seized 143 bales containing approximately 4,225 kilograms of cocaine—worth approximately $105 million—concealed in the vessel’s aft wing ballast tanks.
This case was investigated by the Panama Express Strike Force, an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) comprised of agents and analysts from the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and U.S. Southern Command's Joint Interagency Task Force South. This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes and Special Assistant United States Attorney Nick Derenzo.