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29 July 2021
Former Medical Student Sentenced for Online Sextortion SchemeRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Canadian man was sentenced to 40 years in prison today for orchestrating an online sextortion scheme and producing images of child sexual abuse.
“The defendant repeatedly engaged in the sexual exploitation and extortion of numerous young girls using threats and fear to commit devastating crimes,” said Raj Parekh, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “As this case demonstrates, we will aggressively pursue perpetrators of this unfathomable form of abuse – no matter how long it takes – to help bring a measure of justice and healing for the victims.”
According to court documents, Marco Viscomi, 36, of Ontario, was first identified by the Virginia Beach Police Department (VBPD) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in 2012. In January 2012, a father of two girls, then ages 13 and 17 years old, reported to the VBPD that his daughters had been sexually extorted by someone they met online. The person online threatened the girls and forced the sisters to engage in sexually explicit conduct while he watched online from Canada. The VBPD and HSI traced the culprit to Ontario and identified Viscomi as the person responsible. Viscomi was a 26-year-old medical student at that time.
“After nearly a decade, this case is finally coming to a close because of the relentless work of law enforcement,” said Raymond Villanueva, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations Washington, D.C. “Viscomi manipulated young victims into engaging in sexually explicit conduct, and then, once identified, fought tirelessly to avoid facing charges for his actions. Today, justice was served, and another child predator is behind bars.”
Additional investigation uncovered Viscomi had engaged in similar sextortion conduct with hundreds of other victims, but not all victims were able to be identified. HSI was able to identify and locate over 70 such minors, including several sets of sisters who Viscomi terrorized online. In July 2012, Viscomi was charged in federal court in the Eastern District of Virginia and arrested in Canada. He fought extradition to the United States until December 2019, when the Canadian courts finally ordered him to be extradited to Norfolk to face the charges.
Raj Parekh, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Raymond Villanueva, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations Washington, D.C.; and Paul Neudigate, Chief of Virginia Beach Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Rebecca Beach Smith.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth M. Yusi and E. Rebecca Gantt prosecuted the case.
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 U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the 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.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:12-cr-134.
Former MacDill Airman Sentenced to More Than 15 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Exploiting Children Using the InternetRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew has sentenced Trevor Mayer (24, Sheldon, Iowa) to 15 years and 8 months in federal prison for producing material depicting the sexual exploitation of children. Mayer was also ordered to serve a 15-year term of supervised release and to register as a sex offender.
Mayer had pleaded guilty on December 15, 2020.
According to court documents, Mayer sought out children as young as 13 years old online and asked them to send him sexually explicit images using a popular online messaging application (app) or to engage in sexually explicit conduct and livestream the video to him. At times, Mayer attempted to coerce his victims by threatening to harm them or by bribing them with gift cards. When the victims complied, Mayer then used a separate app to surreptitiously record the sexually explicit images and videos without his victims’ knowledge. Mayer also downloaded images depicting the sexual abuse of children as young as 6 years of age.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Colin McDonell.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Former Colorado Judge Sentenced for Obstructing Federal Investigation of Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
DENVER - A former Colorado state court judge was sentenced Wednesday in the District of Colorado to a year and one day in prison for obstructing a federal task force investigation of a large-scale cocaine trafficking organization.
Ryan Kamada, 42, of Windsor, Colorado, pleaded guilty on June 30, 2020. According to court documents, beginning in or around October 2018, a federal task force was investigating a drug trafficking organization that was distributing large quantities of cocaine throughout northern Colorado. One of the members of the organization was a drug trafficker who lived in Greeley, Colorado. Kamada learned about the investigation in his official capacity as a judge and then disclosed details of the investigation to a friend, who then tipped off the target individual. Kamada had known the drug trafficker since high school.
“By leaking the existence of a search warrant to help his close friend avoid possible criminal exposure, Ryan Kamada abused the power of his judicial position and violated the trust that the people of Colorado placed in him” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This prosecution confirms that no person – even a judge – is above the law.”
“Public officials charged with upholding the law must be held to the same standard by which they judge others,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Matt Kirsch for the District of Colorado. “Former Judge Kamada has been held properly accountable for his breach of that public trust.”
“The FBI has a solemn responsibility to investigate allegations of public corruption and the abuse of power by any public servant,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael Schneider of the FBI’s Denver Field Office. “The actions of Ryan Kamada were not only illegal, but they also interfered with a federal investigation and undermined public trust in our judicial system. This sentence highlights the commitment of the FBI and our partners to root out corruption. FBI Denver thanks the Greeley Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their dedication throughout this investigation.”
Beginning in January 2019, Kamada served as a District Court Judge of the 19th Judicial District of Colorado. While serving as the “on call” judge one evening in April 2019, Kamada received a phone call from a task force officer who was seeking a search warrant related to the investigation into the drug trafficker. The task force officer pointed out to Kamada that he was associated with the drug trafficker on social media. As a result, Kamada recused himself from the case. Early the next morning, Kamada called his best friend, Geoffrey Chacon, who had also known the drug trafficker since childhood. Kamada told Chacon that law enforcement was “watching” the drug trafficker’s house, car, and phone, and instructed Chacon to “stay away” from the drug trafficker. Chacon subsequently informed the drug trafficker about the warrant and modified Chacon’s own behavior to avoid law enforcement attention.
The information that Chacon provided to the drug trafficker also caused the drug trafficker to change his pattern of conduct and substantially interfered with the task force’s investigation. After Chacon relayed the information that he received from the judge to the drug trafficker, Chacon destroyed records of his communications with the drug trafficker to impair efforts by law enforcement to tie Chacon to the drug trafficker. In November 2019, Chacon pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of destruction of records with the intent to obstruct a federal investigation and he is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 27.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Kirsch of the District of Colorado; and Special Agent in Charge Michael H. Schneider of the FBI’s Denver Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI’s Denver Field Office investigated the case, with substantial assistance from the Greeley Police Department.
Trial Attorney John Taddei of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Fields of the District of Colorado prosecuted the case.
Former Colorado Judge Sentenced for Obstructing Federal Investigation of Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
A former Colorado state court judge was sentenced Wednesday in the District of Colorado to a year and one day in prison for obstructing a federal task force investigation of a large-scale cocaine trafficking organization.
Ryan Kamada, 42, of Windsor, pleaded guilty on June 30, 2020. According to court documents, beginning in or around October 2018, a federal task force was investigating a drug trafficking organization that was distributing large quantities of cocaine throughout northern Colorado. One of the members of the organization was a drug trafficker who lived in Greeley, Colorado. Kamada learned about the investigation in his official capacity as a judge and then disclosed details of the investigation to a friend, who then tipped off the target individual. Kamada had known the drug trafficker since high school.
“By leaking the existence of a search warrant to help his close friend avoid possible criminal exposure, Ryan Kamada abused the power of his judicial position and violated the trust that the people of Colorado placed in him,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This prosecution confirms that no person – even a judge – is above the law.”
“Public officials charged with upholding the law must be held to the same standard by which they judge others,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Matt Kirsch for the District of Colorado. “Former Judge Kamada has been held properly accountable for his breach of that public trust.”
“The FBI has a solemn responsibility to investigate allegations of public corruption and the abuse of power by any public servant,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael Schneider of the FBI’s Denver Field Office. “The actions of Ryan Kamada were not only illegal, but they also interfered with a federal investigation and undermined public trust in our judicial system. This sentence highlights the commitment of the FBI and our partners to root out corruption. FBI Denver thanks the Greeley Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their dedication throughout this investigation.”
Beginning in January 2019, Kamada served as a District Court Judge of the 19th Judicial District of Colorado. While serving as the “on call” judge one evening in April 2019, Kamada received a phone call from a task force officer who was seeking a search warrant related to the investigation into the drug trafficker. The task force officer pointed out to Kamada that he was associated with the drug trafficker on social media. As a result, Kamada recused himself from the case. Early the next morning, Kamada called his best friend, Geoffrey Chacon, who had also known the drug trafficker since childhood. Kamada told Chacon that law enforcement was “watching” the drug trafficker’s house, car and phone, and instructed Chacon to “stay away” from the drug trafficker. Chacon subsequently informed the drug trafficker about the warrant and modified Chacon’s own behavior to avoid law enforcement attention.
The information that Chacon provided to the drug trafficker also caused the drug trafficker to change his pattern of conduct and substantially interfered with the task force’s investigation. After Chacon relayed the information that he received from the judge to the drug trafficker, Chacon destroyed records of his communications with the drug trafficker to impair efforts by law enforcement to tie Chacon to the drug trafficker. In November 2019, Chacon pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of destruction of records with the intent to obstruct a federal investigation, and he is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 27.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Kirsch of the District of Colorado and Special Agent in Charge Michael H. Schneider of the FBI’s Denver Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI’s Denver Field Office investigated the case, with substantial assistance from the Greeley Police Department.
Trial Attorney John Taddei of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Fields of the District of Colorado prosecuted the case.
Federal Grand Jury Indicts 18 for Roles in Drug Trafficking Organization Operating in HuntingtonRead the Press Release
Over 47 Pounds of Fentanyl, 6.5 Pounds of Methamphetamine, 4.5 Pounds of Cocaine, 2 Pounds of Heroin, 14 Firearms and More Than $335,000 Seized
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – After a lengthy investigation, 18 individuals have been indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) operating in Huntington. Seventeen of these individuals are charged with conspiracy to distribute a variety of drugs including fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, cocaine base (crack), oxycodone, and heroin. Other charges in the indictment include the distribution and possession with intent to distribute various drugs and using a telephone to facilitate a felony drug trafficking offense. The indictment was returned under seal on July 28, 2021 and unsealed today after the arrest of 14 defendants.
Earlier today, federal agents and officers from various law enforcement agencies executed arrest and search warrants in numerous locations in and around Huntington. Federal agents also executed a search warrant last week in Columbus, Ohio, leading to the seizure of approximately 36 pounds of fentanyl and the arrest of Brayan Luces.
The indictment alleges that Brayan Luces frequently supplied William Raeshaun Byrd of Huntington with large quantities of fentanyl and cocaine. The investigation revealed that Byrd often received multi-kilogram shipments of fentanyl and cocaine from Luces which were transported from Columbus to Huntington by vehicle. Byrd supplied multiple individuals including Christopher Leon Vest with fentanyl and cocaine. Vest in turn supplied Scott Lee Midkiff and Erica Antionette Kirker with fentanyl and methamphetamine. Byrd, Vest, Midkiff, and Kirker all distributed significant quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine to other dealers in the Huntington area. This DTO utilized multiple residences throughout Huntington to store and prepare various drugs for distribution. Other individuals in the conspiracy distributed and or assisted in the distribution of methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, cocaine base (crack), oxycodone and heroin in the Huntington area and other locations in West Virginia.
“The hard work and dedication of our law enforcement partners has led to the disruption of this dangerous DTO that was distributing large amounts of illegal drugs in the Huntington area,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston. “I want to thank the FBI and our federal, state, and local partners that conducted the lengthy investigation and the many law enforcement officers who assisted in today’s takedown. Our efforts in this case should reassure the people of Huntington that we will continue to work tirelessly to identify and prosecute drug dealers at all levels in order to keep our communities safe.”
“The suspects charged in this indictment made a business out of selling dangerous, illegal drugs,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Mike Nordwall. “Today’s arrests send the message that their business venture is over. We will not tolerate brazen drug dealers operating in plain view near schools and in the community we all call home. The FBI focuses on dismantling these types of criminal organizations from the top down. I want the community in and around the Huntington area to know we, alongside our partners, are committed to making it a safer place for everyone.”
“The Cabell County Sheriff’s Department is proud to have participated in this long-term drug investigation with the FBI and other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies,” said Cabell County Sheriff Chuck Zerkle. “Through our collaborative efforts, we have removed many drug dealers from our streets, some of which have plagued our community for over 10 years.”
Those charged include:
William Raeshaun Byrd, 31, Huntington
Marvin Jerome Calvin, 40, Huntington
Mark Anthony Chandler, 30, Huntington
Kimberly Ann Combs, 44, Huntington
Robert Lamont Congleton, 41, Huntington
Reginald Jerome Hairston, 43, Huntington
Marcus Allen Johnson, 37, Huntington
Erica Antoinette Kirker, 34, Huntington
Brayan Luces, 24, Columbus, Ohio
Aaron Scott Midkiff, 36, Huntington
Edward Shane Midkiff, 34, Huntington
Scott Lee Midkiff, 35, Huntington
William Edward Nellons, Jr., 37, Huntington
Leonard Brandon Joe Rice, 34, Louisa, Kentucky
Dennis Wayne Snyder, 31, Hurricane
Ricky Lee Taylor, 57, Charleston
Christopher Leon Vest, 33, Huntington
Dillon Andrew Young, 28, Sissonville
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Southern West Virginia TOC-West Task Force consisting of the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Hurricane Police Department, and the Marshall University Police Department, with support from the West Virginia State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West. The Ohio Highway Patrol, the Kentucky State Police, and the FBI and DEA in Columbus also assisted in the investigation.
Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Courtney L. Cremeans are prosecuting this case for the government.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:21-cr-00109.
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Fayette County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Fayette County man pleaded guilty to a federal drug crime.
According to court documents, Anthony Maurice Bell, 54, of Oak Hill, possessed more than 400 grams of a substance containing fentanyl and a firearm in Oak Hill on January 26, 2021. Bell admitted that he intended to sell the fentanyl.
Bell pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison when he is sentenced on November 4, 2021.
“The excellent work of the Oak Hill Police Department and the Central West Virginia Drug Task Force in this case prevented a significant amount of dangerous fentanyl from being distributed throughout our communities,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston. “Fentanyl is the leading cause of overdose deaths in our state and the U.S. Attorney’s Office is working with law enforcement throughout the District to identify fentanyl dealers and hold them accountable.”
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Nick Miller is handling the prosecution.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-00016.
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Fairbanks Area Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
FAIRBANKS – A North Pole, Alaska, man was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Ralph Beistline to 15 years in federal prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release for possession of child pornography after a prior conviction for sexual abuse of a minor.
According to court documents, Jason Patzke, 47, downloaded, accessed, and deleted pornographic videos depicting children as young as four and five years old engaged in sexual acts with adults.
In June 2018 the Federal Bureau of Investigation downloaded the videos in question from a BitTorrent account they later linked to Jason Patzke. During an interview with FBI detectives, Patzke admitted downloading child pornography images and videos. He stated that he deleted the images from his computer using a scrubber program.
Patzke was subject to increased penalties due to prior State of Alaska felony convictions for sexual abuse of an 11-year-old in 2001 and indecent exposure involving teenagers in 2004.
“The streets and children in the Fairbanks area are safer today with Patzke in federal prison for the next 15 years,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Bryan Wilson, District of Alaska. “We are committed to aggressively prosecuting and holding accountable those who create, possess or distribute child pornography, particularly those with a history of abusing children. We can never rest as long as even one child is being robbed of their childhood in this horrific manner.”
“Sexual exploitation of children is one of the most egregious offenses against one of our most vulnerable populations,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Adam Pierce of the FBI’s Anchorage Field Office. “The defendant knowingly exploited innocent children, including toddlers, for his own indulgence. Those who engage in such conduct should expect to be held accountable.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Doty prosecuted the case.
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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood combines 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.
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Erie Man Pleads to Child Sexual Exploitation ChargeRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal laws relating to the sexual exploitation of children, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.
Cody A. Neely, 33, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that from May 2019 to October 2019, Neely received computer images and movies depicting prepubescent minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. A forensic examination of Neely’s digital devices revealed thousands of items of child sexual abuse material.
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 (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Judge Haines scheduled sentencing for December 7, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Neely.
Eagle Grove Man to Federal Prison for Meth ConvictionRead the Press Release
A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced July 27, 2021, to 5 years in federal prison.
Donovan Lalor, 50, from Eagle Grove, Iowa, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
At the plea hearing, Lalor admitted that he conspired to distribute more than 5 pounds of pure methamphetamine from January 2019 through March 2020 in the Wright and Webster County areas. Lalor admitted he regularly obtained up to half-pound quantities of meth for redistribution along with other co-conspirators. Their source was a residence located within 1,000 feet of a protected location, namely, Greenwood Park in Eagle Grove, Iowa.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Lalor remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison. Lalor was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment and must serve a term of 8 years of supervised release following imprisonment.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Wright County Sheriff’s Office, Eagle Grove Police Department, and Iowa Criminalistics Laboratory.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-3012.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Dominican National Pleads Guilty to Social Security Misuse and Making False StatementRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national previously residing in Taunton pleaded guilty today to false representation of a Social Security number and making a false statement relating to health care matters.
Reynold Pereyra Diaz, 39, pleaded guilty to one count of false representation of a Social Security number and one count of making a false statement relating to a federal health care program. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs deferred acceptance of the plea until sentencing, which is scheduled for Nov.18, 2021. Pereyra Diaz was arrested and charged in December 2019.
Pereyra Diaz used the name and identifiers of a U.S. citizen for at least 18 years, including to obtain a Massachusetts driver’s license and to apply for MassHealth benefits. In addition, during a traffic stop in 2015, Pereyra Diaz provided police with a driver’s license in the victim’s name and was found in possession of 15 baggies containing a substance believe to be cocaine located in a hidden compartment of his vehicle. As a result, Pereyra Diaz was indicted under the victim’s name on drug trafficking charges, which were later dropped. Pereyra Diaz also applied for a $48,000 car loan under the victim’s identity in 2016.
A search of Pereyra Diaz’s residence in December 2018 recovered a marriage license under his true name as well as a driver’s license, birth certificate, Social Security card and bank cards under the victim’s stolen identity.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security’s Investigation’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF), a specialized field investigative group comprised of personnel from various local, state, and federal agencies with expertise in detecting, deterring, and disrupting organizations and individuals involved in various types of document, identity, and benefit fraud schemes.
The charges of false representation of a Social Security number and making a false statement relating to a federal health care program each provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; and Phillip M. Coyne, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General, made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations; U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General; U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; and the Lynn, Lawrence and Taunton Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin A. Saltzman of Mendell’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Danville Man Sentenced to 114 Months in Prison for Brandishing a Firearm During a Robbery of the Casey’s General Store in DanvilleRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – A Danville, Ill., man, Courtland Rowell, Jr., 21, of the 900 block of Moore Street has been sentenced to 114 months for obstruction of commerce by robbery and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
At Rowell’s sentencing hearing, U.S. District Court Judge Colin S. Bruce sentenced Rowell to 30 months of imprisonment for the obstruction of commerce by robbery charge, and an additional 84 months for brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Both sentences were ordered to be served consecutively. Rowell was also ordered to pay restitution to the victim of the offense.
The charges arose from a late-night robbery of the Casey’s General Store at 845 East Voorhees Street in Danville on June 3, 2019. Rowell and another individual entered the store wearing masks and dark clothing. Brandishing a firearm, Rowell ordered the store’s employees to comply while his partner cleared out the register. Law enforcement was alerted to the robbery in progress and captured Rowell as he fled from the scene. Charges are still pending in the Central District of Illinois against another individual related to this offense.
Rowell pled guilty to the charges on March 18, 2021.
The Department of Justice’s recent renewed commitment to Project Safe Neighborhoods establishes four fundamental principles to guide efforts to reduce violent crime: 1) build trust and legitimacy within communities; 2) invest in community-based prevention and intervention programs; 3) target enforcement and priorities to focus resources on identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the most significant drivers of gun violence and other violent crime; and, 4) measure results with the goal to reduce the level of violence in our communities and not to increase the number of arrests and prosecutions as if they were ends in themselves. For more information on the Project Safe Neighborhoods program visit https://www.justice.gov/psn
“To help make our community safer, the United States Attorney’s Office remains fully vested in all of the pillars of project Safe Neighborhoods. We will continue to work with our law enforcement and State’s Attorney partners to prosecute the most deserving violent offenders in the proper forum while at the same time marshaling all available Department of Justice resources to promote the other three pillars.” Said Acting United States Attorney Doug Quivey. A holistic approach to reduce gun violence to include full community cooperation is essential.”
The Danville Police Department and Vermilion County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Freres represented the government in the prosecution in coordination with the Vermilion County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Cortland County Man Pleads Guilty to Sexually Exploiting a ChildRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Lawrence Berry, 27, of Marathon, New York pled guilty today to one count of conspiracy to sexually exploit a child and five counts of sexual exploitation of a child, announced 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, Berry admitted that he conspired with Brittany Berry (who has already pleaded guilty to the same charges) to sexually exploit a 3-year-old minor child in August and September of 2018 and that he directed Brittany Berry to sexually exploit the child on five different occasions for the purpose of creating and sending images and videos (live and recorded) of the sexual abuse to him over the internet.
Sentencing is scheduled for November 23, 2021 in Utica before United States District Judge David N. Hurd. Berry faces a minimum sentence of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison on each of the six counts of conviction. He also will be required to spend at least 5 years and up to a lifetime term on post-imprisonment supervised release. 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. Upon release from prison Berry will be required to register as a sex offender in any state where he lives, is employed, or is a student.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the City of Cortland Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Gadarian and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian LaRochelle 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), and is designed to marshal 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.
Cook County Man Sentenced to 64 months in Prison for Possessing Firearms as a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – A Dolton, Ill., man, Jerry Caldwell, 59, of the 14000 block of Shepard Drive has been sentenced to 64 months in the Bureau of Prisons for possessing firearms as a convicted felon.
At Caldwell’s sentencing hearing on July 12, 2021, Senior U.S. District Court Judge Michael M. Mihm found Caldwell was responsible for possessing three handguns, one of which had an obliterated serial number. At the time of sentencing, Judge Mihm rejected Caldwell’s testimony that he bought the guns because he intended to turn them over to a nonprofit organization that worked to remove guns from the street.
The charges arose from a drug investigation conducted by the Kankakee Area Metropolitan Enforcement Group. Law enforcement learned that Caldwell was attempting to purchase several handguns from a detainee at the Jerome Combs Detention Center in Kankakee, who was trying to sell the guns through a third party while he was in custody. During covertly recorded phone calls, Caldwell told the seller that he was purchasing the guns so he could resell them to another individual in Chicago. On April 1, 2020, Caldwell traveled to Kankakee County and purchased the guns. During a traffic stop, law enforcement arrested him and seized the three handguns he purchased. Officers also seized a shotgun and AK-47-style rifle from a residence in Kankakee that Caldwell declined to purchase.
The Department of Justice’s recent renewed commitment to Project Safe Neighborhoods establishes four fundamental principles to guide efforts to reduce violent crime: 1) build trust and legitimacy within communities; 2) invest in community-based prevention and intervention programs; 3) target enforcement and priorities to focus resources on identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the most significant drivers of gun violence and other violent crime; and, 4) measure results with the goal to reduce the level of violence in our communities and not to increase the number of arrests and prosecutions as if they were ends in themselves.
“The prosecution of this case falls squarely into the third pillar of Project Safe Neighborhoods, said Acting United States Attorney Doug Quivey. The illegal gun trade helps fuel the violence plaguing our community and the broader surrounding area. Working closely with our law enforcement partners, we remain committed to curtailing it.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Kankakee Area Metropolitan Enforcement Group, Kankakee Police Department, and Kankakee County Sheriff’s Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Bryan Freres represented the government in the prosecution.
Citizen of Dominican Republic Sentenced to 37 Months for Distributing Fentanyl in Troy and RensselaerRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Junior Rafael Arias Soto, age 50, a citizen of the Dominican Republic and a resident of Troy, New York, was sentenced today to 37 months in prison for distributing fentanyl in the cities of Rensselaer and Troy.
The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Antoinette T. Bacon and Ray Donovan, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division.
As part of his guilty plea, Arias Soto admitted that between June 2019 and June 2020, he distributed at least 155 grams of a fentanyl mixture to customers in Troy and Rensselaer.
Chief United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby also imposed a 2-year term of supervised release, to begin after Arias Soto’s release from prison. Arias Soto has been in custody since his arrest in June 2020 and is subject to deportation following the completion of his prison sentence.
This case was investigated by the DEA, with assistance provided by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Rensselaer Police Department and the Troy Police Department, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmet J. O’Hanlon.
Cayuga County Man Pleads Guilty to Receipt and Possession of Child Pornography, and to Unlawful Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Richard J. Potter, Jr., age 57, of Springport, New York, pled guilty today to charges of receipt and possession of child pornography, and to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. 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).
In pleading guilty before United States District Judge David N. Hurd in Utica, Potter admitted that from June 2018 to in or about January 2019, he used the Internet to search for and receive child pornography. Potter also admitted that on January 23, 2019, he possessed a total of 33,066 images and 206 videos of child pornography on 35 separate electronic devices, and 451 images of child pornography in a cloud storage account that he maintained and controlled.
Potter, who was previously convicted in 2003 of a crime related to the sexual abuse of a minor, faces at least 15 years and up to 40 years in prison for the child pornography crimes, as well as a term of supervised release of between 5 years and life. Upon his release from prison, Potter will be required to register as a sex offender in any state where he lives, is employed, or is a student.
Potter also pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, admitting that on January 23, 2019, he possessed a 12-gauge shotgun. For this offense, Potter faces up to 10 years in prison.
A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the statute the defendant violated, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
This case was investigated by the FBI Syracuse Mid-State Child Exploitation Task Force. This task force is comprised of FBI Special Agents and Investigators of the New York State Police, Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI). The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian S. LaRochelle as a 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.
California-Based Narcotics Trafficker Sentenced to Nearly Five Years in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and Other Drugs to Maryland and Other East Coast CommunitiesRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis sentenced Ana Christina Avalos a/k/a “Christina Cazares-Quintero”, age 35, of Phelan, California, to 57 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Division; Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department; Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department and Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police.
According to her plea agreement, between at least December 2018 and January 2020, Avalos conspired with others to distribute and posses with the intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and marijuana. Avalos and a co-conspirator resided in California and acted as international narcotic importers for a drug trafficking organization.
Along with a co-conspirator, Avalos supplied narcotics to fellow co-conspirators who then shipped narcotics from the west coast to the east coast of the United States. A New York based co-conspirator supplied co-conspirators in Maryland, Washington D.C., and the Northern Virginia areas. Avalos regularly traveled to the New York area to collect money from accomplices and other narcotic customers.
For example, on May 21, 2019, Avalos received $9,000 as partial payment for a drug transaction totaling in $22,500. In exchange, Avalos provided the associate with cocaine. Over the course of the next month, at Avalos’s instruction, a co-conspirator made payments to Avalos by depositing money orders into Avalos’s checking account.
Law enforcement also captured three phone calls between Avalos and co-conspirators in which they discuss the quality, logistics, and potential financial gain from trafficking-controlled substances. Additionally, there were a number of drug-laden packages shipped from the west coast to the east coast as part of the drug trafficking conspiracy. Law enforcement captured four parcels and discovered approximately 505 grams of cocaine, approximately 5.73 pounds of marijuana, approximately 9.2 grams of marijuana, and 28 pounds of marijuana inside the respective parcels.
As stated in the plea agreement, on January 8, 2020 law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at several locations important to the drug trafficking organization, including Avalos’s and a co-conspirator’s shared California residence, a Virginia residence, and another co-conspirator’s California residence. Officers recovered approximately 500 grams of marijuana, a .38 caliber revolver, and a semi-automatic handgun from Avalos’s residence. As a result of a search warrant conducted at a co-conspirator’s California residence and a co-conspirator’s Virginia residence, officers seized four cell phones, a drug ledger, drug packaging materials, two heat sealers, approximately 17 pounds of marijuana, one kilogram of cocaine, approximately 48 grams of heroin, and other drug packaging tools.
In total, officers recovered approximately 866 grams of fentanyl, approximately 1,505 grams of cocaine, and at least 36,897 grams of marijuana.
This case is 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 that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the DEA, the Maryland State Police, and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin B. Pulice and Timothy F. Hagan who prosecuted the case.
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California Man Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Thousands of Donors to Scam Political Action Committees by Impersonating U.S. Senate Candidates and CampaignsRead the Press Release
Audrey Strauss, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced the guilty plea today of JOHN PIERRE DUPONT, a/k/a “John Gary Rinaldo,” in connection with a years-long scheme to defraud thousands of donors to scam political action committees that impersonated numerous U.S. Senate campaigns and candidates. DUPONT pled guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft before U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman.
U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “In impersonating campaigns and candidates to raise money for fake political action committees, John Pierre Dupont took advantage of thousands of vulnerable individual donors who believed they were contributing to causes they believed in. Instead, hundreds of thousands of dollars that were intended to be legitimate donations were instead stolen by the defendant for his own personal enrichment. With today’s guilty plea, Dupont has admitted to his scheme and now faces a significant term of incarceration.”
According to the allegations in the Indictment, court filings, and statements made during court proceedings:
From 2015 through 2019, DUPONT defrauded thousands of donors who believed they were donating to three political action committees established by DUPONT (the “Scam PACs”), or to campaigns the Scam PACs falsely claimed to support. DUPONT’s scheme resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars being donated through websites he controlled and operated, none of which was donated to campaigns or causes.
The websites purported to be raising money in support of senate campaigns and candidates, a candidate for governor, and a candidate for president. Another website operated by DUPONT purported to be raising money “to unite immigrant families,” falsely claiming that donations to the Foundation for Sanity in Politics PAC would “go to help pay our volunteer attorneys’, doctors’, nurses’ and social workers’ costs and pay for transportation to unite immigrant families.” In fact, that PAC had no volunteers or staff, and dedicated no funds to paying for any action or advocacy.
DUPONT’s scheme targeted victims throughout the country, raising funds based on fraudulent representations that the donations would support the relevant causes, candidates, and campaigns. In reality, all of the money raised was kept and used by DUPONT, including to continue perpetrating the fraud through additional fundraising and overhead expenditures. None of the money donated to the Scam PACs was spent on political contributions, and DUPONT failed to report the donations, as required, in filings with the Federal Election Commission.
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DUPONT, 82, of Blythe, Ca, pled guilty to one count of wire fraud, which carried a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory two years in prison consecutive to any other sentence imposed. The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the judge. Sentencing before Judge Berman is scheduled for October 21, 2021, at 10:00 a.m.
Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding investigative work of the Special Agents of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
If you think you are a victim of the scheme alleged in this press release, please contact Wendy Olsen, Victim & Witness Services for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, at 866-874-8900.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex Rossmiller is in charge of the prosecution.
Buffalo Man Who Ran Cross-Country Drug Conspiracy Going to Prison for More Than 10 YearsRead 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 Antwan Hugley, a/k/a Twan; a/k/a Anthony Carter; a/k/a Juan Luis Rodriguez-Martinez; 42, of Atlanta, GA, who pleaded guilty to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute, and distributing, five kilograms or more of cocaine, and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking activities, was sentenced to serve 130 months in prison by Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Adler, who handled the case, stated that between 2010 and June 29, 2016, the defendant conspired with others to sell cocaine. Hugley obtained kilogram bricks of cocaine from Georgia and Texas for distribution in the Buffalo area and elsewhere. At various times in 2013 and 2014, the FBI seized cocaine from multiple individuals who purchased their cocaine from the defendant. Also in 2014, the defendant possessed a firearm while in a vehicle with his wife. It was Hugley’s firearm, and he possessed this firearm at other times during drug transactions.
In 2015 a Greyhound bus entered Canada via the Peace Bridge Port of Entry. Law enforcement officers searched a bag, which had originated in Atlanta, GA, found it to contain five kilograms of cocaine. The bag was intended for delivery in Buffalo and belonged to Hugley. A Greyhound employee in Buffalo reported that an unknown man came to pick up the luggage in Buffalo, but abruptly walked away when told “I hope your luggage wasn't the one with a lot of drugs.”
In 2016, Hugley was arrested in Orlando, Florida and found to have in his possession a driver's license with his picture in the name Juan Luis Rodriguez-Martinez. He also had a piece of paper with the social security number for Martinez and several credit/debit cards in that name. The defendant had a bank account in that name which revealed nearly $90,000 in and out of the account in about 15 months. The expenses were primarily related to hotels, planes, and rental cars in Houston, Atlanta, and Rochester, NY, which were locations associated with the Hugley’s drug-trafficking activity.
The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Stephen Belongia, Special Agent-in-Charge, and the Houston Police Department, under the direction of Police Chief Troy Finner.
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Boston Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Armed Robbery of Brockton Cell Phone StoreRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston in connection with the March 2019 robbery of a T-Mobile store in Brockton and shooting at police officers as he and his co-defendants fled the scene.
Darius Carter, 28, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to 14 years in prison and three years of supervised release. The government recommended a sentence of 217 months in prison. On March 31, 2021, Carter pleaded guilty to interference with commerce by robbery; conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery; discharging, brandishing, using and carrying a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence; and being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.
Darius Carter and co-defendants Diovanni Carter and Stephan Rosser-Stewart were charged in March 2019. Diovanni Carter was convicted by a federal jury and sentenced to 270 months in prison in September 2020. Rosser-Stewart has pleaded not guilty and is pending trial.
According to the charging documents, on the evening of Jan. 26, 2019, Darius Carter and, allegedly, Rosser-Stewart entered a T-Mobile store in Brockton. It is alleged the men were carrying semi-automatic firearms, which they pointed at the store manager as they demanded cash and electronics. Carter struck the store manager in the head with a firearm and demanded that the manager open the door to a rear room with a large safe containing cell phones and cash. The men allegedly stole approximately $25,000 in cash and electronics, left the store and fled in a getaway vehicle driven by Diovanni Carter.
Police responded and a high-speed chase ensued that reached over 70 mph in residential neighborhoods. During the chase, Darius Carter and, allegedly, Rosser-Stewart fired eight rounds at the pursuing police cruisers.
Darius Carter and Rosser-Stewart were apprehended and according to court documents, the stolen phones, cash and the three firearms used in robbery were recovered. Diovanni Carter was apprehended in March 2019.
Darius Carter and his co-defendants were prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to prior criminal convictions.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; John Gibbons, U.S. Marshal of the District of Massachusetts; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz; Plymouth County Sheriff Joseph D. McDonald Jr.; and Brockton Police Chief Emanual Gomes made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Glenn MacKinlay, Chief of Mendell’s Organized Crime & Gang Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Beaver Falls Man Admits Lying on Firearms Purchase FormsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, has pled guilty to a charge of making a false statement to purchase firearms, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.
Calvin Brady Jr, age 24, plead guilty before Judge David S. Cercone on July 29, 2021.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on December 12, 2020, the Brady Jr. purchased four Taurus, model GC3, 9mm caliber pistols from Rural King Holdings LLP, a federal firearm licensee in Monaca, PA. During the purchase, two males accompanied the defendant. Surveillance footage shows the defendant and the two males browse firearms, one of the males select three extended pistol magazines, and the defendant purchased four pistols and the extended magazines.
The following day, the New Jersey State Police arrested the two males who accompanied the defendant during the purchase of the pistols and extended magazines. The arrest occurred following a highspeed chase, during which the two males threw firearms from their vehicle. Following the arrest, New Jersey law enforcement recovered three Taurus pistols from the side of the road. A firearms trace of the recovered pistols revealed that the defendant bought the firearms the day prior from Rural King in Beaver, PA.
Prior to purchasing the pistols, the defendant certified to the federal firearm licensee that he was purchasing the firearms for himself. The investigation revealed that the defendant lied when he made this statement as he was purchasing the firearms for another, which is a violation of federal law.On December 17, 2020, federal agents arrested the defendant while he was an occupant in a vehicle. During the arrest, law enforcement recovered a firearm in the driver’s possession. An examination of the firearm’s serial number revealed that it was the fourth pistol purchased by the defendant on December 12, 2020.
Judge Cercone scheduled sentencing for Dec. 2, 2021. The law provides for a term of imprisonment of not more than ten years, a $250,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not more than three years and/or a special assessment of $100. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court ordered Brady Jr to remain detained.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation that lead to the prosecution of Calvin Brady Jr.
Aventura Veterinarian Pleads Guilty to Receiving and Possessing Child Pornography and to Creating an Animal Crush VideoRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – Prentiss K. Madden, a licensed veterinarian who recorded himself sexually abusing dogs, shared the bestiality videos on-line, and collected on-line child pornography, pled guilty today in Miami federal court.
During the hearing before U.S. District Judge Jose E. Martinez, Madden admitted that he repeatedly accessed a Dropbox account containing images of child pornography, received child pornography photographs and videos through social media chats, talked about child sexual abuse during chats, and stored thousands of child pornography images in his Dropbox account and cellular telephones. Madden also admitted that he produced videos of himself engaged in sexual activity with dogs and shared them with others in chats. Madden kept these bestiality videos, as well as chats about bestiality, in his cellular telephones.
Madden pleaded guilty to three counts of receipt of child pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252(a)(2); one count of possession of child pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252(a)(4)(B); and one count of creation of an animal crush video, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 48(a)(2)(B), a federal statute that punishes acts of animal torture, including bestiality.
Madden’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 8, 2021, at 11:30 a.m., before Judge Martinez. Madden faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, and a maximum penalty of 87 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Anthony Salisbury, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office; and Alfredo Ramirez, Director, Miami Dade Police Department, made the announcement.
HSI Miami and Miami Dade Police Department investigated the case, with assistance from Hialeah Police Department, U.S Customs and Border Protection, and Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Hudock 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 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.
If you have information regarding this case, or you believe you or a family member may have been a victim, please contact the HSI tip line at 1-866-347-2423.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case no. 21-cr-20248.
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Aroostook County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: An Aroostook County man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.
According to court records, between approximately July 2018 and May 2019, members of the conspiracy obtained methamphetamine in western and southern states from sources in Mexico. Zane Willhide, 24, and his co-conspirators then distributed the drugs in Aroostook County and other parts of central and northern Maine.
Willhide faces between 10 years and life in prison and a fine of up to $10 million. He also faces between five years and a lifetime of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated this case with the assistance of multiple state and local law enforcement agencies.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Alien Sentenced for Federal CrimesRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A former Jackson resident, who is an alien from India, was sentenced to serve 15 months in prison and pay $4,710 in restitution for money laundering and firearms offenses, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca.
An original indictment naming ten defendants in the United States and abroad, charged Lovepreet Singh, an Indian national then residing and working as an interstate truck driver based in Indianapolis, IN, with acts supporting a conspiracy defrauding multiple victims, as part of an international tech support and telemarketing fraud scheme
According to the indictment and testimony in court, beginning in 2015 and continuing through 2018, Singh conspired with nine other defendants, located across the United States and in India, to commit the federal offenses of wire fraud, mail fraud, and bank fraud, in addition to offenses of money laundering, aggravated identity theft, and passing fictitious obligations.
Conspirators in Mississippi and elsewhere would obtain the telephone numbers and email addresses of computers belonging to various individuals throughout the United States. Conspirators established and operated various business entities such as World Tech Assistance, and US Support Inc., in Mississippi and elsewhere in the United States. Conspirators engaged telephone calling centers in India, which would place calls to the United States numbers and appear to be coming from United States-based toll-free numbers. Conspirators would call victims in the United States, advising the victims that malware and ransomware were infecting the victims’ computers and devices, and that the victims should contact the conspirators for assistance.
Conspirators misrepresented themselves as “Apple Support” or “Microsoft” or other legitimate and known technical support services, and offered their assistance to remove the software, in return for payment. Victims responded to the conspirators’ phone calls and pop up messages to send monies and payments, by wire, check and other means. Victims also granted conspirators access to the victims’ bank accounts and to the victims’ computers, permitting the conspirators to further enrich themselves by fraudulent appropriation and taking of the money and property of the victims.
Victims sent money and payments to conspirators in Mississippi and in India. Conspirators in Mississippi would also send payments and monies to their co-conspirators in India.
In March, 2021, Singh pled guilty to one count of money laundering, in that Singh admitted to receiving and transmitting money obtained by his codefendants as a result of the fraud scheme, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the United States Marshals Service who assisted with the nationwide search and arrests of defendants.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Theodore Cooperstein.
Accountant Indicted for Embezzling More Than $140,000 in Tribe FundsRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – An accountant for the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe made her initial appearance in federal court today for allegedly embezzling more than $140,000 from the Tribe.
As alleged in court documents, from March 2018 to July 2018, Linnie Arline Craner, 48, issued at least 18 checks — totaling over $140,000 — from the Tribe’s business checking account for her personal benefit. Craner allegedly falsified information in the Tribe’s accounting system so that it appeared the checks were made out to vendors for legitimate business purposes. But those checks were deposited into Craner’s personal bank account and used to pay off her auto loans.
Craner is charged with three counts of wire fraud and one count of embezzlement and theft from an Indian tribal organization. If convicted, she faces a statutory maximum penalty of 25 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. A jury trial has been scheduled to begin on September 27, 2021, before U.S. District Judge Andrew P. Gordon.
Acting U.S. Attorney Christopher Chiou for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Aaron C. Rouse for the FBI made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Fang is prosecuting the case.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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28 July 2021
Wood County man admits to violation against a minorRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Steven Lockhart, of Davisville, West Virginia, has admitted to trying to meet a minor for sex, Acting U.S. Attorney Randolph J. Bernard announced.
Lockhart, 57, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor.” Lockhart admitted to using his phone to entice a minor in Harrison County to engage in sexual activity in April 2020.
Lockhart faces at least 10 years and up to life 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 Danae DeMasi-Lemon is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bridgeport Police Department investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Winslow Man Sentenced for Benefits FraudRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Winslow man was sentenced today in federal court for Social Security fraud, health care fraud and theft of government money, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.
U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Robert Curtis, 63, to three years of probation, including six months of home confinement. He was also ordered to pay $92,071.90 to the Social Security Administration (“SSA”) and $25,307.35 to the Maine Department of Health & Human Services (“ME/DHHS”) in restitution. Curtis pleaded guilty on March 31, 2021.
According to court records, Curtis was a recipient of Social Security Disability Insurance (“SSDI”) benefit payments beginning in February 2011. SSDI benefits are paid to people who are blind or disabled. He also was a recipient of MaineCare coverage beginning in April 2010 and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit payments beginning in February 2011. These programs have reporting requirements for work activity and income, which can affect eligibility for benefits.
During the time he was receiving benefits under these programs, Curtis worked as a medication deliverer. He also served as the lead plaintiff in a civil suit for lost wages, alleging that he should have been classified as an employee instead of an independent contractor, for which he was awarded $21,472.42. He failed to inform SSA or ME/DHHS of his work activity and income, despite periodic reminders that he was required to report it. He also denied any such activity to SSA in a continuing disability review in 2013, and to ME/DHHS in annual reviews in 2011 through 2017, because he knew it could affect his eligibility for benefits. As a result, he improperly received over $92,000 in SSDI benefits, almost $12,000 in SNAP benefits, and over $13,000 in MaineCare benefits.
SSA’s Office of the Inspector General and ME/DHHS investigated this case.
Windsor Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Role in Northeast "Grab and Go" Theft SchemeRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that AYSIA RYAN, 22, of Windsor, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 36 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for participating in an extensive commercial larceny spree.
This case stems from “Operation American Steal,” a long-term multi-agency investigation into numerous “grab and go” thefts from various retail fashion stores in Connecticut and nearby states. A “grab-and-go” scheme is a type of theft where one or more perpetrators enter a retail store, grab as many items of clothing or other goods as they can carry, leave the store without paying for the merchandise, and depart in a waiting getaway vehicle.
Ryan was part of a network of individuals who in 2019 and 2020 committed more than 50 grab and go thefts from Polo Ralph Lauren, T.J. Maxx, Balenciaga, Burberry, Macy’s, Marshalls, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Tommy Hilfiger and other stores in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York. They then transported the stolen merchandise to Connecticut and sold the items on the internet or the street.
Ryan participated in at least 23 thefts resulting in losses of more than $40,000.
Judge Bryant ordered Ryan to pay $22,900 in restitution.
On September 15, 2020, a grand jury returned a six-count indictment charging Ryan and seven other individuals. Ryan has been detained since November 6, 2020. On April 28, 2021, she pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to transport and possess stolen property.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Hartford, New Canaan, Wrentham (Mass.), Auburn (Mass.) and Nassau County (N.Y.) Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Margaret Donovan and Brendan Keefe.
Wilkes-Barre Man Indicted on Drug Trafficking and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON -The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on July 27, 2021, Modest Moreno, age 31, of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking and firearms charges.
According to Acting United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, the indictment alleges that Moreno distributed and possessed with the intent to distribute cocaine, heroin and fentanyl between June 2021 and July 13, 2021, in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. The indictment also alleges that Modesto, a person prohibited from possessing a firearm, possessed a Ruger handgun.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Luzerne County Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny P. Roberts is prosecuting the case.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 30 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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West Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. residents indicted on firearms and drug trafficking chargesRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Twelve people are facing multiple firearms and drug charges after a federal Grand Jury handed down a firearms and drug trafficking indictment on July 21, 2021, Acting United States Attorney Randolph J. Bernard announced.
The twelve West Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. residents are facing charges involving a firearms and drug trafficking conspiracy in Berkeley County and elsewhere from April 2019 to December 2020. Fifteen firearms were seized as part of the investigation, and so far three have been recovered in Washington, D.C. Those charged are:
- Tyrone Greenfield, also known as “Tidy,” 44, of Martinsburg, West Virginia
- Antonio Paul Brown, 37, of Martinsburg, West Virginia
- Jerome Winecoff, also known as “Q,” 43, of Washington, D.C.
- Hope Julia Clemons, 31, of Martinsburg, West Virginia
- Marcus Purnell, also known as “Mo,” 34, of Oxon Hill, Maryland
- Jennifer Lynn Dick, 46, of Martinsburg, West Virginia
- Charles Grant, Jr., 60, of Waldorf, Maryland
- Matthew Crimm, 29, of Bunker Hill, West Virginia
- Brandon Dale Benjamin, 24, of Bunker Hill, West Virginia
- Samuel Curtis Taylor, 54, of Martinsburg, West Virginia
- Sean Amos Robinson, also known as “Zoo,” 36, of Martinsburg, West Virginia
- Craig Orndoff, 34, of Martinsburg, West Virginia
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The FBI; U.S. Marshals Service; Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives; the West Virginia Air National Guard; the Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the West Virginia State Police; the Harpers Ferry Police Department, and the Metropolitan Police Department of Washington, D.C. investigated. The EPDTF consists of the West Virginia State Police, Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Ranson Police Department, the Charles Town Police Department, and the Martinsburg Police Department.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Virginia Inmate Pleads Guilty to Involvement in Pandemic Unemployment Benefits SchemeRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Virginia inmate pleaded guilty today to his involvement in a scheme to obtain pandemic-related unemployment benefits by using the personal identifying information of over 30 other Virginia prison inmates.
According to court documents, in 2020, Michael Lee Lewis, Jr., 41, of Chesapeake, was incarcerated at the Augusta Correctional Center. Beginning in May 2020, he worked with Mary Landon Benton, 38, of Portsmouth, and Angelica Cartwright-Powers, 35, of Norfolk to collect the personally identifiable information of other inmates to fraudulently apply for Virginia unemployment benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lewis provided Benton and Cartwright-Powers information for inmates at the Augusta Correctional Center, resulting in approximately twenty-one successful unemployment claims for inmates there. Benton, with the help of Lewis and the others, submitted successful applications for Virginia unemployment benefits for 31 inmates, and Cartwright-Powers submitted successful applications for four inmates.
Lewis and his co-conspirators, along with the prisoners whose information was used for the unemployment applications, shared the proceeds of the crimes, which amounted to over $330,000. Although the conspirators initially obtained $436,834, the Virginia Employment Commission was able to reclaim some of the disbursed funds after discovering the fraud.
Benton and Cartwright-Powers have since pleaded guilty to their respective roles in the conspiracy. Lewis pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud and is scheduled to be sentenced on December 2. He faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Raj Parekh, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Joseph V. Cuffari, Inspector General for the Department of Homeland Security; Derek Pickle, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Washington, DC Regional Office, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; and Paul Haymes, Chief of Investigations, Virginia Department of Corrections, Special Investigations Unit, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Gantt is prosecuting the case.
This investigation was conducted under the auspices of “Operation Checkmate,” the Virginia Department of Corrections Inmate Unemployment Insurance Fraud Task Force. The task force is led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, DOL-OIG, DHS-OIG, and the Virginia Department of Corrections. This investigation included assistance from the U.S. Secret Service’s Richmond Field Office, the Portsmouth Police Department, and the Virginia Employment Commission.
On May 17, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-33.
Two St. Joseph Men Indicted for Heroin Trafficking, Illegal FirearmsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Two St. Joseph, Missouri, men have been indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute heroin and for illegally possessing firearms.
Roderick A. Hughes, 48, and Franklin T. Hicks Jr., also known as “Frankie,” 40, were charged in a seven-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Wednesday, July 21. That indictment was unsealed and made public today following their arrest.
The federal indictment alleges that Hughes and Hicks participated in a conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin from Sept. 1, 2019, to March 26, 2021.
In addition to the drug-trafficking conspiracy, Hughes and Hicks are charged together with one count of possessing heroin with the intent to distribute and one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. They allegedly were in possession of a silver revolver (with no marking), a Glock 9mm handgun, a Stoeger 9mm handgun, and a Jennings Bryco 9mm handgun on Feb. 23, 2021. Hughes and Hicks are also charged together with one count of being felons in possession of the Glock 9mm handgun, Stoeger 9mm handgun, and Jennings Bryco 9mm handgun.
Hicks is also charged with one count of possessing heroin with the intent to distribute, one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and one count of being a felon in possession of firearms. Hicks allegedly possessed a Rock Island Armory .380-caliber handgun and a Ruger 9mm handgun on Jan. 22, 2021.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Byron H. Black. It was investigated by the St. Joseph, Mo., Police Department, the Buchanan County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Trash Company Executive Agrees to Plead Guilty to Conspiracy and to Cooperate with Federal Investigation into City Hall CorruptionRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO - Paul Fredrick Giusti, the former Group Government & Community Relations Manager for the San Francisco group of a waste management company, was charged in an information filed yesterday with one count of conspiracy to bribe a local official and commit honest services fraud and has agreed in a plea agreement to plead guilty and cooperate with federal investigators in the corruption investigation into San Francisco City Hall, announced Acting United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Craig D. Fair, and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Daniels.
Giusti, 65, of San Francisco, was originally charged in a federal criminal complaint filed on November 18, 2020, that alleged Giusti, who worked in the San Francisco group of the waste management company, was a central player in helping the company bribe Mohammed Nuru, then San Francisco’s Director of the Department of Public Works (DPW), with a continuous stream of benefits and money, ultimately worth over $1 million, to influence Nuru to perform official acts that would favor the waste management company.
The federal information filed yesterday elaborates on the steps Giusti allegedly took to bribe Nuru. According to the information’s allegations, Nuru was a powerful San Francisco public official who, in his position as DPW Director, presided over the rate process governing how much the waste management company could charge residents of San Francisco for solid waste collection services. Nuru further influenced rates known as “tipping fees” that the company charged DPW when DPW dumped materials at one of the company’s facilities. Nuru’s power and influence over City business also extended beyond DPW matters to other City departments and agencies.
The information alleges that between 2014 and January 2020, Giusti conspired with others to direct a stream of payments and benefits from the waste management company to Nuru, directly or through his designees. The payments and benefits included gifts, services, financial contributions to organizations, and other things of value including the following: (1) payments of approximately $150,000 per year, in $30,000 installments, from 2014 into 2019 to a San Francisco non-profit organization, knowing that Nuru ultimately controlled this money; (2) $60,000 from 2016 to 2019 to fund the annual DPW holiday party, made as “holiday donations” to the Lefty O’Doul’s Foundation for Kids; (3) a job provided to Nuru’s son at the waste management company’s subsidiary; and (4) internships funded by the waste management company for Nuru’s son in the summer of 2017 and summer of 2018 at a San Francisco non-profit on whose board Giusti served. The information alleges these payments and benefits were made with the knowledge and approval of Giusti’s supervisor and were intended to reward or influence Nuru in exchange for official acts or influence in matters that would benefit the waste management company, all while depriving San Francisco of the honest services of its DPW Director.
Giusti has agreed to cooperate with federal investigators in the ongoing federal investigation. According to a court filing, “Mr. Giusti has signed a cooperation plea agreement in which he has agreed to plead guilty and testify, provide documents, and otherwise assist in the government’s investigation.”
Giusti was arraigned today on the information in federal magistrate court before United States Magistrate Judge Alex G. Tse. He is currently scheduled to make his initial appearance on August 9, 2021, before United States District Judge Chhabria in San Francisco, however, a notice of related case has been filed, the ultimate result of which may be a change in time and place of the hearing. Giusti remains out of custody on bond.
The charges contained in the information are mere allegations. As in any criminal case, the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Giusti is charged with one count of conspiracy to bribe a local official and to commit honest services fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371. If convicted of this charge, he faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or gross loss, whichever is higher. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
The case is being prosecuted by the Corporate Fraud Strike Force of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The case is being investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation and the FBI.
Trafficking meth with firearm lands felon back in prisonRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A Texas Syndicate gang member has been ordered to federal prison for possessing a semi-automatic handgun in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime and possession with intent to distribute meth, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Benjamin Govella, 42, Corpus Christi, pleaded guilty May 4.
Today, U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton ordered him to serve a 72-month sentence for the meth trafficking. He also received an additional 60 months for the firearms charge which must be served consecutively to the other sentence imposed. Following the 132-month term of imprisonment, Govella must also serve three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard how authorities had originally conducted a traffic stop in early 2020. They subsequently arrested him on a parole violation and for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The investigation revealed the Sig Sauer 9mm semi-automatic pistol had been stolen. Govella had also discussed drug trafficking while he was in jail.
On Nov. 18, 2020, authorities executed a federal arrest warrant on Govella, who was riding a bicycle near an apartment complex in Corpus Christi. At that time, he possessed a backpack containing a Ruger SR9C 9mm pistol and nearly 50 grams of pure meth as well as two loaded magazines and a scale.
Govella will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Corpus Christi Police Department (CCPD) conducted the investigation with the assistance of the CCPD Narcotics Vice Investigations Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Reid Manning prosecuted the case.
Tomah Man Sentenced to over 17 Years for Using Minors to Produce Child PornographyRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Shannon R. Donoho, 43, Tomah, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 210 months in federal prison for possessing child pornography and using minors to produce child pornography. This prison term is to be followed by 25 years of supervised release. Donoho was convicted of these charges on May 13, 2021, after a three-day jury trial in federal court in Madison.
The investigation in this case began when law enforcement downloaded child pornography made available by Donoho on an online file sharing network. Following a search warrant executed at Donoho’s home, law enforcement recovered hundreds of images and videos of child pornography from the defendant’s computers and external storage devices. These images and videos included depictions of children as young as five years old engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Law enforcement also determined Donoho used hidden cameras to record at least two children with whom he had personal relationships between 2016 and 2018. The defendant secretly recorded these victims, who were under the age of 12 at the time, as they showered and used the bathroom at his home and the home of a former girlfriend. The resulting videos and screenshots focused on the victims’ genitals and were also saved to Donoho’s computers and external hard drives. He produced the images using multiple hidden GoPro cameras.
In sentencing Donoho, Judge Conley emphasized the defendant’s supervisory control over the two identified victims that he recorded. This supervisory control included babysitting them and giving them rides to school. Judge Conley found that Donoho’s manipulation of his position of trust was an aggravating factor, as was the subsequent traumatization of these children following the discovery of the secret recordings.
The charges against Donoho were the result of an investigation conducted by the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation and the Tomah Police Department. The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julie S. Pfluger and Taylor L. Kraus.
Tiverton Man Charged with Enticement, Transporting a Minor with Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A 20-year-old Tiverton man is facing charges in federal court in Providence on allegations that he allegedly enticed and transported a 13-year-old from Pennsylvania to Tiverton with the intent to engage in sexual activity.
William Stewart was arrested by Tiverton Police on July 5, 2021, one day after allegedly arriving with the minor at the home of his grandparents. It is alleged that Stewart picked up the minor late in the evening of June 30 at or near the victim’s grandparents’ home in Pennsylvania. The minor was reported missing on the morning of July 1. It is alleged that Stewart engaged in sexual contact with the minor on multiple occasions while en route to Rhode Island, and while at his grandparent’s home.
Stewart is charged by way of a federal criminal complaint with transportation of a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, interstate travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, and coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in illicit sexual activity, announced Acting United States Attorney Richard B. Myrus.
According to a criminal complaint filed with the court, it is alleged that Stewart, who was living with his father in Pennsylvania, and the 13-year-old, who was living with grandparents in Pennsylvania, exchanged communications via Snapchat prior to meeting in person on June 30. In Snapchat communications obtained by court order as part of a Pennsylvania State Police missing juvenile investigation, while the two talked about traveling to Rhode Island together, the minor told Stewart that she was 13 years old.
According to court documents, while the two were en route to Rhode Island, Stewart allegedly made stops in Philadelphia and Camden, NJ, prior to arriving at a motel in New London, CT. Stewart and the minor stayed at a motel in New London for three days, in the room of an acquaintance of Stewart. While there, it is alleged that Stewart had sexual contact with the minor multiple times. Stewart purchased a wig to disguise the minor. The two then drove to Rhode Island, arriving at the home of Stewart’s grandparents on July 4.
According to the criminal complaint, on July 5, the minor contacted a friend via Snapchat and asked for help. The minor allegedly tried to leave Stewart on at least two occasions, but Stewart threatened harm with a knife.
Based on information provided by Pennsylvania law enforcement, Tiverton Police went to the home of Stewart’s grandparents where they located the missing minor and Stewart in the basement of the residence. As part of their investigation, Tiverton Police conducted a court-authorized search of the residence and seized multiple items including a black knife, a wig, and bedding. Stewart is currently detained at the Adult Correctional Institutions on state charges brought in this matter.
A federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney G. Michael Seaman, with the assistance of Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. McAdams.
The investigation is being conducted by the Tiverton Police Department, the FBI, and Homeland Security Investigations.
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Three California Residents Plead Guilty to Failing to Assist Customs Officers at Local Border CrossingsRead 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 Ahmad Sami, 46, Ceasar Sami, 21, and Rania Alkanj, 33, all of Corona, California, pleaded guilty to failing to assist customs officers. The charges carry a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a fine of $100,000.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey T. Fiut, who is handling the cases, stated that in 2018, the defendants drove or attempted to drive multiple luxury vehicles into the United States without declaring to customs officers that the vehicles were intended to be sold within the United States.
On June 3, 2018, Ahmad Sami and Ceasar Sami drove a Range Rover into the United States through the Peace Bridge Port of Entry. On June 27, 2018, at the Rainbow Bridge Port of Entry, Ahmad Sami entered the United States in a black GMC Sierra, and Alkanj entered in a Ford F-150. On two other occasions in June 2018, Ahmad Sami and Alkanj traveled across the Rainbow Bridge together in a Jeep Wrangler and a white GMC Sierra. In July 2018, the defendants attempted to transport three additional vehicles into the United States, but each vehicle was denied entry. On July 16, 2018, at the Blue Water Bridge Port of Entry in Port Huron, Michigan, Ahmad Sami attempted to cross the border in a Toyota Camry and Alkanj attempted to cross in a Toyota RAV4, but customs officers turned away each of these vehicles. Less than a week later, Ceasar Sami tried to drive a Chevy Colorado into the United States at the Lewiston Bridge Port of Entry, but this vehicle was also denied entry.
The defendants failed to declare to customs officers that the vehicles were intended to be sold within the United States, resulting in each defendant owing duty and related fees to the United States Government. Ahmad Sami owed $20,681.09; Alkanj owed $15,735.99; and Ceasar Sami owed $965.71.
The pleas are the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly, and Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy.
Ahmad Sami and Ceasar Sami are scheduled to be sentenced before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy on August 19, 2021, at 2:00 p.m. and September 24, 2021, at 4:00 p.m., respectively. Alkanj is scheduled to be sentenced before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder, Jr. on August 24, 2021, at 2:00 p.m.
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Thibodaux Man Pleads Guilty in Federal Court to Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Ellison C. Travis announced that Dillon M. Guidry, age 28, of Thibodaux, Louisiana, pled guilty before Brian A. Jackson to attempted coercion and enticement of a minor. As a result of his conviction, Guidry faces a significant term of imprisonment, a fine, and a period of supervised release.
According to admissions made during his plea, on or about March 17, 2021, an FBI online covert employee (“OCE”), herein referred to as “OCE 1,” while working in an undercover capacity in the Middle District of Louisiana and posing as a 13-year-old female, posted a message on a social media mobile application (“Mobile App”). On March 18, 2021, Guidry contacted OCE 1 on the Mobile App. During his communication with OCE 1, Guidry indicated that he was a 28-year-old male and acknowledged the age of OCE 1 as 13 years old. During the same conversation, Guidry and OCE 1 exchanged phone numbers.
From approximately March 18 through May 20, 2021, Guidry engaged in sexually explicit text messages with OCE 1. During these text messages, Guidry misrepresented his identity, and claimed that his name was “James from Gonzales.” On April 14, 2021, Guidry asked OCE 1 whether they could have sexual intercourse. OCE 1 replied that she was not on birth control and asked Guidry to bring condoms when they met to have sexual intercourse. Also, on April 14, 2021, Guidry sent OCE 1 a picture of his face, which law enforcement officers later used to match with Guidry’s photo on the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office sex offender registration website. On April 22, 2021, Guidry asked OCE 1 if she has any friends that he could have sexual intercourse with. When OCE 1 replied yes, Guidry asked for the friend’s age. OCE 1 replied “13 like me.”
On April 27, 2021, OCE 1 provided Guidry with a telephone number utilized by a second OCE (“OCE 2”) working in an undercover capacity in the Middle District of Louisiana and posing as a 13-year-old female. On or about April 27, 2021, Guidry texted OCE 2. OCE 2 advised Guidry that she was 13 years old. From approximately April 27 through May 20, 2021, Guidry engaged in sexually explicit text messages with OCE 2.
On April 29, 2021, Guidry texted OCE 2 about meeting in person to have sexual intercourse. OCE 2 asked when they would meet, and Guidry replied that they would meet on May 20, 2021. Guidry explained that he would meet OCE 1 and OCE 2 at OCE 1’s house. On May 20, 2021, Guidry traveled to a location designated by OCE 1, located within the Middle District of Louisiana, for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity with two females who Guidry believed to be 13-year-olds. While driving to the meeting location, Guidry stopped and purchased condoms. Guidry arrived in the area of the meeting location in Baton Rouge, Louisiana at approximately 6:45 PM. Based on the aforementioned communications, law enforcement officers arrested Guidry for various child exploitation offenses.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ellison C. Travis stated, “Our children are among the most vulnerable in our society. This plea demonstrates our dedication to protecting children from predators who seek to exploit them. I want to thank our prosecutors, the FBI, and our state and local law enforcement agencies for their partnership and collaboration on this case.”
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Homeland Security, the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office, Louisiana State Police, and the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Edward H. Warner and Assistant United States Attorney Jamie A. Flowers Jr., who also serves as Deputy Chief for the United States Attorney’s Office.
Texas Man Sentenced for $24 Million COVID-19 Relief Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Coppell businessman was sentenced today to more than 11 years in prison for wire-fraud and money-laundering offenses in connection with his fraudulent scheme to obtain approximately $24.8 million in forgivable Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Prerak Shah and Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
Dinesh Sah, 55, of Coppell, pleaded guilty on March 24. He was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Karen Gren Scholer, who also ordered him to pay $17,284,649.79 in restitution.
According to court documents, Sah submitted 15 fraudulent applications, filed under the names of various purported businesses that he owned or controlled, to eight different lenders seeking approximately $24.8 million in PPP loans.
He claimed that these businesses had numerous employees and hundreds of thousands of dollars in payroll expenses when, in fact, no business had employees or paid wages consistent with the amounts claimed in the PPP applications.
Sah further submitted fraudulent documentation in support of his applications, including fabricated federal tax filings and bank statements for the purported businesses, and falsely listed other persons as the authorized representatives of certain of these businesses without the authority to use their identifying information on the applications.
“Congress passed the Paycheck Protection Program to help struggling businesses stay afloat, not to fund faux entrepreneurs’ luxury lifestyles,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Prerak Shah. “Even as COVID-19 devastated companies around the nation, Mr. Sah sapped millions of dollars from the relief fund that could have helped them. He exploited the pandemic for personal gain, and we are proud to hold him accountable.”
“Today’s sentence serves as a clear reminder that individuals who exploit COVID-relief programs to enrich themselves will be held accountable under the law,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. “The Department of Justice and its law enforcement partners remain committed to aggressively pursuing and bringing to justice those who steal federal funds intended to help legitimate small businesses.”
Based upon his false statements and fabricated documents, Sah received over $17 million in PPP loan funds and diverted the proceeds for his personal benefit, using them to purchase multiple homes in Texas, pay off the mortgages on other homes in California, and buy a fleet of luxury cars, including a Bentley convertible, Corvette Stingray, and Porsche Macan. Sah also sent millions of dollars in PPP proceeds in international money transfers. As part of his guilty plea, Sah agreed to forfeit, among other property, eight homes, six luxury vehicles, and more than $9 million in fraudulent proceeds that the government has seized to date.
“This sentencing serves as a deterrent to all who would attempt to commit fraud against any of the COVID-19 relief programs,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher J. Altemus Jr. of the IRS – Criminal Investigation Dallas Field Office. “These programs are here to help during a pandemic, not for fraudsters like Sah to take advantage of for their own personal gain.”
The Dallas Field Offices of the FDIC-OIG, IRS-Criminal Investigation, and U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration investigated the case. Assistant Deputy Chief Anna G. Kaminska of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Section Chief Katherine Miller of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erica Hilliard and Dimitri Rocha handled the asset-forfeiture component of the case.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, through the PPP. In April 2020, Congress authorized over $300 billion in additional PPP funding.
The PPP allows qualifying small businesses and other organizations to receive loans with a maturity of two years and an interest rate of 1%. PPP loan proceeds must be used by businesses on payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities. The PPP allows the interest and principal on the PPP loan to be forgiven if the business spends the loan proceeds on these expense items within a designated period of time after receiving the proceeds and uses at least a certain percentage of the PPP loan proceeds on payroll expenses.
The Fraud Section leads the Department of Justice’s prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the CARES Act. In the months since the CARES Act was passed, Fraud Section attorneys have prosecuted more than 100 defendants in more than 70 criminal cases. The Fraud Section has also seized more than $65 million in cash proceeds derived from fraudulently obtained PPP funds, as well as numerous real-estate properties and luxury items purchased with such proceeds. More information can be found at: https://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/cares-act-fraud.
Anyone with general information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Texas Man Sentenced for $24 Million COVID-19 Relief Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Texas man was sentenced today to more than 11 years in prison for wire-fraud and money-laundering offenses in connection with his fraudulent scheme to obtain approximately $24.8 million in forgivable Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans.
Dinesh Sah, 55, of Coppell, pleaded guilty on March 24, 2021. According to court documents, Sah submitted 15 fraudulent applications, filed under the names of various purported businesses that he owned or controlled, to eight different lenders seeking approximately $24.8 million in PPP loans. Sah claimed that these businesses had numerous employees and hundreds of thousands of dollars in payroll expenses when, in fact, no business had employees or paid wages consistent with the amounts claimed in the PPP applications. Sah further submitted fraudulent documentation in support of his applications, including fabricated federal tax filings and bank statements for the purported businesses, and falsely listed other persons as the authorized representatives of certain of these businesses without the authority to use their identifying information on the applications.
“Today’s sentence serves as a clear reminder that individuals who exploit COVID-relief programs to enrich themselves will be held accountable under the law,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Department of Justice and its law enforcement partners remain committed to aggressively pursuing and bringing to justice those who steal federal funds intended to help legitimate small businesses.”
“Congress passed the Paycheck Protection Program to help struggling businesses stay afloat, not to fund faux entrepreneurs’ luxury lifestyles,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Prerak Shah for the Northern District of Texas. “Even as COVID-19 devastated companies around the nation, Mr. Sah sapped millions of dollars from the relief fund that could have helped them. He exploited the pandemic for personal gain, and we are proud to hold him accountable.”
“This sentencing serves as a deterrent to all who would attempt to commit fraud against any of the COVID-19 relief programs,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher J. Altemus Jr. of the IRS–Criminal Investigation Dallas Field Office. “These programs are here to help during a pandemic, not for fraudsters like Sah to take advantage of for their own personal gain.”
“The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration aggressively pursues those who endeavor to defraud programs afforded to the American people under the CARES Act,” said J. Russell George, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA). “We appreciate the efforts of the Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners in this effort.”
Based upon his false statements and fabricated documents, Sah received over $17 million in PPP loan funds and diverted the proceeds for his personal benefit, using them to purchase multiple homes in Texas, pay off the mortgages on other homes in California and buy a fleet of luxury cars, including a Bentley convertible, Corvette Stingray and Porsche Macan. Sah also sent millions of dollars in PPP proceeds in international money transfers. As part of his guilty plea, Sah agreed to forfeit, among other property, eight homes, six luxury vehicles and more than $9 million in fraudulent proceeds that the government has seized to date.
In addition to the prison sentence, Sah was ordered to pay $17,284,649.79 in restitution.
The Dallas Field Offices of the FDIC-OIG, IRS-Criminal Investigation and U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration investigated the case.
Assistant Deputy Chief Anna G. Kaminska of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Section Chief Katherine Miller of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erica Hilliard and Dimitri Rocha handled the asset-forfeiture component of the case.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, through the PPP. In April 2020, Congress authorized over $300 billion in additional PPP funding.
The PPP allows qualifying small businesses and other organizations to receive loans with a maturity of two years and an interest rate of 1%. PPP loan proceeds must be used by businesses on payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities. The PPP allows the interest and principal on the PPP loan to be forgiven if the business spends the loan proceeds on these expense items within a designated period of time after receiving the proceeds and uses at least a certain percentage of the PPP loan proceeds on payroll expenses.
The Fraud Section leads the Department of Justice’s prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the CARES Act. In the months since the CARES Act was passed, Fraud Section attorneys have prosecuted more than 100 defendants in more than 70 criminal cases. The Fraud Section has also seized more than $65 million in cash proceeds derived from fraudulently obtained PPP funds, as well as numerous real-estate properties and luxury items purchased with such proceeds. More information can be found at: https://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/cares-act-fraud.
Anyone with general information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Syracuse Man Sentenced to Ten Years for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Thomas Sczerbaniewicz, age 53, of Syracuse, was sentenced today to serve 120 months (ten years) in federal prison for possessing child pornography. The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Antoinette T. Bacon and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
As part of his previously entered guilty plea, Sczerbaniewicz admitted that he was convicted of possessing child pornography in 2009, was on supervised release for that offense at the time he committed the current offense in January 2021, and committed the new offense while in the bathroom of his sex offender counseling service using a mobile phone to access the internet and view child exploitation images.
Senior United States District Judge David N. Hurd also sentenced Sczerbaniewicz to four (4) months imprisonment for violating the terms of his supervised release (to be served concurrently with his 120-month sentence) and to a new 15-year term of supervised release to begin following his imprisonment. Sczerbaniewicz also will be required to continue to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
Sczerbaniewicz’s case was investigated by the FBI Syracuse Mid-State Child Exploitation Task Force, comprised of FBI Special Agents and Investigators of the New York State Police, Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), after a referral from the United States Probation Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Gadarian as a 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.
St. Louis man pleads guilty to drug trafficking and weapons charges resulting in deathRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Floyd Barber, 25, of St. Louis, Missouri, appeared before United States District Court Judge Ronnie L. White on today’s date and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with an intent to distribute controlled substances, conspiracy to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime resulting in death.
On October 3, 2017, Barber and others traveled in a vehicle to the 4700 block of Goodfellow Boulevard in St. Louis to buy controlled substances from an individual. After buying drugs from this individual and leaving the area, Defendant and his associates returned to the area to steal drugs, money, and other valuables from that same individual. Barber and one or more of his associates were armed with loaded firearms.
During the robbery, Barber and one or more of his accomplices shot the victim multiple times. The victim died from his gunshot wounds.
The judge has not set a sentencing date.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case.
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St. Croix Man Occupying a Marijuana Grow Operation Sentenced to over Five Years in Federal Prison for Carrying of a Firearm during a Drug Trafficking Offense and Illegal Use of WAPA UtilityRead the Press Release
St. Croix, USVI – United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced today that Troy Lance Patterson age 52, of St. Croix was sentenced on July 27, 2021 in federal court by Judge Wilma Lewis to a term of sixty months of incarceration for Carrying of a Firearm during a Drug Trafficking Offense followed by four months of incarceration on the Illegal Use of Utility charge, to be served consecutively. Patterson had pled guilty to the charges on October 20, 2020.
According to court documents, aerial surveillance of Patterson’s Anna’s Hope, Christiansted residence revealed that the residence was a potential marijuana cultivation site. On September 18, 2019, federal agents executed a federal search warrant at the residence and located Patterson in possession of an unlicensed, loaded, and operable .38 special revolver, which the agents confiscated. During the subsequent search of Patterson’s residence, agents located over 80 rounds of ammunition, multiple scales, plastic baggies, approximately 168 gross grams of cocaine hydrochloride, approximately 117 grams of marijuana, and $12,473.00 in U.S. currency.
Federal agents also located a multi-room indoor marijuana grow operation containing marijuana plants for which electricity was supplied by way of an unauthorized Water and Power Authority (WAPA) utility connection, violations of federal and Virgin Islands law.
Patterson was also sentenced to a term of four years supervised release, was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $3969 to the V.I. Water and Power Authority, was fined $1000, and was ordered to pay a special assessment fee of $100. The confiscated $12,473.00 in U.S. currency, firearm and ammunition were forfeited.
The case was being investigated by the Virgin Islands Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa P. Ortiz.
Springfield Woman Sentenced for Theft of Government MoneyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Springfield woman was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for stealing more than $260,000 in government benefits.
Debbie Moore, 57, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to five years of supervised release, with the first six months served under house arrest, and was ordered to pay restitution of $261,933. The government recommended a sentence of 18 months in prison. In September 2020, Moore pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government money.
From November 2003 through February 2018, the Social Security Administration deposited $261,933 in Social Security Retirement benefits intended for Moore’s aunt-in-law into a bank account controlled by Moore after her aunt-in-law had passed away. Moore used the money for various personal expenses.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell and Jack Jermaine, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine G. Curley of Mendell’s Springfield Branch Office prosecuted the case.
Six Indicted in International Scheme to Defraud Qatari School Founder and then Launder over $1 Million in Illicit ProceedsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A federal grand jury indictment unsealed this week alleges an elaborate scheme to steal more than $1.1 million from a businessperson attempting to finance the construction of a school for children in Qatar – and the subsequent laundering of illicit proceeds through bank accounts around the world.
The three-count indictment returned on April 29 and unsealed Monday charges three U.S.-based defendants who were arrested last week – as well as three defendants believed to be in Africa – with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to engage in money laundering, and aggravated identity theft.
The criminal complaint that initiated the prosecution in February was also unsealed Monday, revealing that Ramon Olorunwa Abbas – also known by his social media handle of “Ray Hushpuppi” – was initially charged in this case. Court documents ordered unsealed today show that Abbas, a 37-year-old Nigerian national, pleaded guilty on April 20. A version of Abbas’ plea agreement filed late Tuesday outlines his role in the school-finance scheme, as well as several other cyber and business email compromise schemes that cumulatively caused more than $24 million in losses.
“The defendants allegedly faked the financing of a Qatari school by playing the roles of bank officials and creating a bogus website in a scheme that also bribed a foreign official to keep the elaborate pretense going after the victim was tipped off,” said Acting United States Attorney Tracy L. Wilkison. “Mr. Abbas, who played a significant role in the scheme, funded his luxurious lifestyle by laundering illicit proceeds generated by con artists who use increasingly sophisticated means. In conjunction with our law enforcement partners, we will identify and prosecute perpetrators of business email compromise scams, which is a massive and growing international crime problem.”
“Mr. Abbas, among the most high-profile money launderers in the world, has admitted to his significant role in perpetrating global BEC fraud, a scheme currently plaguing Americans,” said Kristi K. Johnson, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “His celebrity status and ability to make connections seeped into legitimate organizations and led to several spin-off schemes in the U.S. and abroad. Today’s announcement deals a crucial blow to this international network and hopefully serves as a warning to potential victims targeted with this type of theft.”
According to the indictment, Abbas allegedly conspired with Abdulrahman Imraan Juma, a.k.a. “Abdul,” 28, of Kenya, and Kelly Chibuzo Vincent, 40, of Nigeria, to defraud the Qatari businessperson by claiming to be consultants and bankers who could facilitate a loan to finance construction of the planned school. Juma allegedly posed as a facilitator and consultant for the illusory bank loans, while Abbas played the role of “Malik,” a Wells Fargo banker in New York, according to court documents. Vincent, in turn, allegedly provided support for the false narratives fed to the victim by, among other things, creating bogus documents and arranging for the creation of a fake bank website and phone banking line.
Yusuf Adekinka Anifowoshe, a.k.a. “AJ,” 26, of Brooklyn, New York, allegedly played a role in the fraud, assisting Abbas with a call to the victim posing as “Malik.” Special agents with the FBI arrested Anifowoshe in New York on July 22.
The conspirators allegedly defrauded the victim out of more than $1.1 million.
The proceeds of the fraud allegedly were laundered in several ways. According to the indictment, Abbas was assisted in laundering the proceeds of the fraud by Rukayat Motunraya Fashola, a.k.a. “Morayo,” 28, of Valley Stream, New York, and Bolatito Tawakalitu Agbabiaka, a.k.a. “Bolamide,” 34, of Linden, New Jersey. These two defendants also were arrested on July 22 by FBI agents.
Approximately $230,000 of the stolen funds allegedly were used to purchase a Richard Mille RM11-03 watch, which was hand delivered to Abbas in Dubai and subsequently appeared in Hushpuppi’s social media posts. Other illicit proceeds from the scheme were allegedly converted into cashier’s checks, including $50,000 in checks that were used by Abbas and a co-conspirator to fraudulently acquire a St. Christopher and Nevis citizenship, as well as a passport for Abbas obtained by creating a false marriage certificate and then bribing a government official in St. Kitts.
Court documents outline a dispute among members of the conspiracy, which allegedly prompted Vincent to contact the victim and claim that Abbas and Juma were engaged in fraud. After this contact, Abbas allegedly arranged to have Vincent jailed in Nigeria by Abba Alhaji Kyari, 46, of Nigeria. According to the affidavit, Kyari is a highly decorated deputy commissioner of the Nigeria Police Force who is alleged to have arranged for Vincent to be arrested and jailed at Abbas’ behest, and then sent Abbas photographs of Vincent after his arrest. Kyari also allegedly sent Abbas bank account details for an account into which Abbas could deposit payment for Vincent’s arrest and imprisonment.
Anifowoshe, Fashola and Agbabiaka were arrested in New York and New Jersey on July 22, and they are expected to be arraigned in Los Angeles in August. All three are currently free on bond.
A criminal complaint and an indictment contain allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Both conspiracy counts alleged in the indictment carry a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. Aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory two-year prison term.
The FBI is investigating this matter as part of Operation Top Dog. The FBI thanks the government of the United Arab Emirates and the Dubai Police Department for their substantial assistance in this matter. The FBI also thanks the Kenyan Office of Attorney General, Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, and Directorate of Criminal Investigations for their substantial assistance.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Khaldoun Shobaki of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in this matter.
Silvis Man Sentenced to 144 months in Prison for Attempted Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
Rock Island, Ill. – A Silvis, Ill., man, Michael Robert McKinney, 23, has been sentenced to 144 months in prison, to be followed by 20 years of supervised release, for attempted enticement of a minor.
On March 11, 2021, McKinney entered a plea of guilty to the indictment, which charged him with one count of attempted enticement of a minor. According to court documents McKinney traveled from Silvis, Ill., to Rock Island, Ill., after responding to an online advertisement. McKinney intended to meet with the father who posted the advertisement, in order to engage in oral sex with his eleven-year-old daughter.
McKinney has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals since his arrest on November 13, 2020.
“Working with the FBI and our other law enforcement partners, we will continue to prosecute those who intend to sexually harm children,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Douglas J. Quivey. “Hopefully, this case and others like it will serve to remind anyone with the inclination to prey upon children to think twice and to stop. Children and parents need to remain constantly vigilant and exercise caution when accessing the internet, communication apps, and similar platforms.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Cox stated, “Crimes against children are some of the most reprehensible acts that law enforcement is determined to prevent and punish. The FBI will use every available resource to find and arrest those intent on harming our children. Today’s sentence sends a clear message to others who seek to exploit the innocence of children online - law enforcement is watching, and you will be caught. The successful outcome of this case is credited to the Springfield Child Exploitation Task Force, a collaboration with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners.”
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from Rock Island Police, Illinois State Police, East Moline Police, Davenport Police, Galesburg Police, Knox County Sheriff’s Department and Macomb Police. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer L. Mathew represented the government in the prosecution.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. 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.
Sapulpa Man Sentenced to 15 years in Federal Prison for Attempting to Lure a Minor for SexRead the Press Release
A Sapulpa man who thought he was meeting a 14-year-old for sex but instead was met by deputies from the Rogers County Sheriff’s Office was sentenced today in federal court, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced Nicholas Robert Hale, 36, to serve 15 years in federal prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release. Hale pleaded guilty to attempted coercion and enticement of a minor in April.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners will identify, locate, and prosecute individuals, like Nicholas Hale, who seek to harm children,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “The Rogers County Sheriff’s Office and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chris Nassar and Sandy Urban are to be commended for taking this child predator off the streets.”
In a written plea agreement, Hale admitted that from Nov. 9, 2020, to Dec. 22, 2020, he used a social media app to persuade and entice an individual he believed was a minor to engage in sexual activity. Hale believed he was interacting with a 14-year-old male but instead was communicating with an undercover officer from the Rogers County Sheriff’s Office. The two eventually agreed to meet at a convenience store in Verdigris in order to have sex. When Hale arrived, he was arrested and found to be in possession of methamphetamine, a loaded pistol in the front driver’s side door and an AR-15 rifle in the trunk of the car. During the investigation, child pornography, also known as child sexual abuse material, was discovered on Hale’s electronic devices.
The Rogers County Sheriff’s Office opened the investigation into Hale after they received a tip that Hale had tried to entice a minor living within the Northern District of Oklahoma.
The Rogers County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation with assistance from the Creek County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sandra M. Urban and Christopher J. Nassar prosecuted the case.
The case was a part of the Justice Department’s Project Safe Childhood initiative. 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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
San Luis Obispo Man Agrees to Plead Guilty to Bribing County Supervisor to Vote on Issues Affecting His Cannabis BusinessesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Federal prosecutors today filed a criminal information charging a San Luis Obispo man with bribery for paying a county supervisor approximately $32,000 – most of that in cash – in exchange for the supervisor’s votes and influence on other votes affecting his cannabis business interests.
Helios Raphael Dayspring, a.k.a. “Bobby Dayspring,” 35, was charged in federal court with one count of bribery and one count of subscribing to a false 2018 income tax return that deliberately failed to report millions of dollars in income to the IRS.
Federal prosecutors today also filed a plea agreement in which Dayspring agreed to plead guilty to both felony offenses, pay $3.4 million in restitution to the IRS, and cooperate in the government’s ongoing investigation.
According to the court documents, Dayspring owned, operated, and/or had a controlling interest in multiple farms that grew cannabis in San Luis Obispo County. He also had ownership interests in businesses that sold marijuana to the public, including in Grover Beach. To further his interests in the farms that grew cannabis in San Luis Obispo County, Dayspring began paying bribes to a San Luis Obispo County supervisor in the fall of 2016 and continued doing so through November 2019.
In total, Dayspring paid the late Third District supervisor multiple bribes in cash and money orders totaling $32,000. In exchange, the supervisor voted on matters affecting Dayspring’s farms, including voting multiple times in favor of legislation that permitted Dayspring’s farms to operate before it had obtained final permitting approvals.
In addition to bribing the San Luis Obispo County supervisor, Dayspring admitted in his plea agreement that he and his business associate attempted to bribe the then-mayor of Grover Beach in exchange for two dispensary licenses in that city. The attempted $100,000 bribe took place during a dinner meeting in September 2017. The mayor did not respond to the offer, and Dayspring did not pay the bribe.
Dayspring also admitted that he substantially underreported his personal income on his federal tax returns for the years 2014 through 2018, which resulted in the IRS losing more than $3.4 million in tax revenue.
Dayspring has agreed to surrender in this case and make his first appearance in United States District Court in Los Angeles on August 25. Once he pleads guilty to the bribery and tax charges, Dayspring will face a statutory maximum penalty of 13 years in federal prison.
The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this matter, which is part of an ongoing public corruption investigation in San Luis Obispo County.
Any member of the public who has information related to this case or any other public corruption matter in San Luis Obispo County is encouraged to send information to the FBI’s tip line at tips.fbi.gov or to contact the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office at (310) 477-6565.
Assistant United States Attorney Thomas F. Rybarczyk of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section is prosecuting this case.
Rochester Man Pleads Guilty to Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Joshua Sattora, 37, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford to receipt of child pornography. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum of 20 years in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire, who is handling the case, stated that between December 26, 2017, and August 13, 2018, the defendant and co-defendant Rebecca Woodin engaged in a series of text messages during which Woodin sent approximately 14 sexually explicit images of a minor to Sattora. During this same time, the defendant sent images of child pornography to Woodin. In total, Sattora possessed at least 923 images and 362 videos of child pornography on two cellular telephones and three computers.
Rebecca Woodin was previously convicted and is awaiting sentencing.The plea is a result of an investigation by the Department of Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly; the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Stephen Belongia; the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Barry Chase; and the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, under the direction of District Attorney Sandra Doorley.
Sentencing is scheduled for November 3, 2021, before Judge Wolford.
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Rochester Drug Dealer Going to PrisonRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Jakeel Irvin, 27, Rochester, NY, who was convicted of conspiring to distribute, and distributing, 40 grams or more of fentanyl, was sentenced to serve 71 months in prison by U.S. District Judge David G. Larimer.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassie Kocher, who handled the case, stated that the defendant conspired with others to sell fentanyl in the area of Wilkins Street in Rochester between April and November 28, 2018. In furtherance of the conspiracy, Irvin utilized 133 Thomas Street to store, manufacture, and distribute controlled substances. On November 28, 2018, investigators executed a search warrant at the Thomas Street residence and recovered 81 baggies containing cocaine, 203 baggies containing a mixture of heroin and fentanyl, assorted drug paraphernalia, and packaging materials. A second search warrant was executed at the defendant’s residence on Bernard Street in Rochester and approximately $1,598 in the proceeds of illegal drug distribution were recovered. Irvin acted as a supervisor in the conspiracy, directing at least one other individual who worked at the Thomas Street drug house and who worked on Wilkins Street in the City of Rochester.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Barry Chase; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. DeVito, New York Field Division; and the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, under the direction of District Attorney Sandra Doorley.
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Red Lake Man Charged with Murder in the Shooting Death of a Red Lake Tribal Police OfficerRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Red Lake man has been arrested and charged with one count of second degree murder and four counts of assault with a dangerous weapon in connection to the shooting death of a Red Lake Tribal Police Officer, announced Acting U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk.
According to court documents, on July 27, 2021, officers with the Red Lake Tribal Police Department (“RLTPD”) responded to a call to conduct a welfare check on David Brian Donnell, Jr., 28, at his residence in Redby, Minnesota. Five RLTPD officers responded to Donnell’s residence. Upon arrival, the officers found Donnell standing outside on the porch and attempted to have him walk towards the officers, but Donnell instead went inside the residence. Because Donnell had an active tribal warrant and had refused to comply, the officers breached the door. Gunfire erupted from inside the residence in the direction of the officers. Officer Ryan Bialke was struck by gunfire through the front door. Gunfire continued from inside the house towards the other four officers on the scene. At one point, an RLTPD officer returned fire. Officers then retreated into the woods to escape the continued gunfire. Officer Bialke succumbed to his injuries and died on the scene. Shortly thereafter, officers arrested Donnell at a nearby residence.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI Headwaters Safe Trails Task Force, the Red Lake Tribal Police Department, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Melinda A. Williams is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.