Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
28 July 2021
Raleigh Gang Member Sentenced to 8 Years for Possessing a Firearm as a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Raleigh gang member was sentenced today to 96 months in prison for Possession of Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
According to court documents and information presented in court, Wayne Dominic Bennett, Jr., 25, also known as “Banga Loc,” was arrested after a search of his residence and a vehicle in which he was traveling, resulted in the seizure of a stolen .40 caliber handgun, less than a gram of fentanyl, and a semi-automatic 7.62 caliber assault rifle loaded with a 30-round magazine.
The investigation, led by agents and task force officers assigned to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Raleigh-Durham Safe Streets Task Force, revealed that Bennett, a validated member of the Eight Trey Gangster Crip street gang, had engaged in a video chat with another suspected gang member where he had displayed a firearm. Agents were able to identify Bennett because of a visible facial tattoo of a Pyrex Cup. A review of social media and evidence from other sources also showed Bennett in possession of firearms. Bennett, who was on post-release supervision after serving a state prison sentence for selling cocaine, was ultimately caught after FBI agents and Raleigh Police Department Officers surveilled him at his listed probation address in Raleigh.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. The FBI Raleigh Durham Safe Streets Task Force and the Raleigh Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Crosby prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:20-cr-00531-BO-1.
###
Prior Convicted Murderer Found Guilty of Attempted Home Invasion Robbery and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Jan W. Sharp announced that Rufus E. Dennis, 43, of Omaha, Nebraska, was convicted today in federal court in Omaha after a three-day jury trial. Dennis was found guilty of one count of Attempted Interference with Interstate Commerce by way of Robbery, one count of possessing a firearm during and in furtherance of a crime of violence, and one count of felon in possession of a firearm due to his prior murder conviction and one count of possession of a stolen weapon. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. will sentence Dennis on November 5, 2021 at 2:00 p.m. Dennis faces up to twenty years in prison for the attempted robbery, no less than five years and up to life for possessing a firearm in furtherance of that crime of violence, and up to ten years in prison on each of the remaining firearms charges.
The evidence at trial showed that Rufus E. Dennis “cased” a family’s home on four separate occasions in January, 2020 while he was gathering information about the home and the family’s movements. A single mother of two young children lived in the home, and Dennis planned to do physical harm to that woman in the presence of her elderly mother once he gained entry to the residence. Dennis ultimately planned to “leave no witnesses behind,” and to shoot anyone who saw his face during the home invasion. In furtherance of that plan, Dennis unwittingly attempted to buy hand guns from an undercover officer and recruited a confidential informant with the FBI to act as his lookout and getaway driver for the home invasion. Dennis attempted to break into vehicles on the property that he believed a drug dealer was parking at the home with the hopes that the vehicles would contain drugs or drug proceeds.
On the morning of the planned home invasion, agents, investigators, and officers with the Greater Omaha Safe Streets Task Force executed a search and arrest warrant at Dennis’ residence and recovered a stolen firearm that contained Dennis’ DNA on it. Dennis hoped to trade the rifle for a handgun with the undercover officer prior to invading the home.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bellevue Police Department, and the Omaha Police Department.
Previously convicted member of the Pueblo of Laguna pleads guilty to federal assault charges in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Joshua Mendez, 40, of New Laguna, New Mexico, and an enrolled member of the Laguna Pueblo, pleaded guilty on July 22 to two counts of an indictment charging him with assault resulting in serious bodily injury and domestic assault by a habitual offender in Indian Country.
A grand jury returned an indictment against Mendez for these offenses on Sept. 10, 2020. According to his plea agreement, on March 20, 2020, Mendez assaulted his girlfriend, Jane Doe, at her residence in Cibola County, New Mexico, on the Pueblo of Laguna. When John Doe attempted to intervene, Mendez stabbed John Doe several times with a knife. As a result of Mendez’s attack, John Doe suffered serious injuries that required hospital treatment.
Mendez was previously convicted on two separate occasions in Pueblo Court in the Pueblo of Laguna for committing battery upon another victim, who was his girlfriend at the time, on Feb. 6 and Oct. 17 in 2017.
Mendez is currently in custody pending sentencing. He faces up to 15 years in prison.
The Laguna Division of the Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case with assistance from the Laguna Criminal Investigations Bureau. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elisa Dimas is prosecuting the case.
Previously Convicted Felon Charged with Illegal Possession of HandgunRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man was arrested yesterday on charges of illegally possessing a handgun, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Lamont Nelson, 26, of Newark, New Jersey is charged by complaint with one count of illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He is scheduled to appear this afternoon by videoconference before U.S. Magistrate Judge André Espinosa.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On or about October 8, 2020, detectives from the Newark Police Department encountered Nelson on the sidewalk as he appeared nervous and touched a black bag on his shoulder. Law enforcement observed the handle of a firearm inside of the bag. Law enforcement recovered a Colt model Pocket Positive .32 Caliber 6-shot revolver, bearing serial number 81259, loaded with six (6) rounds of .32 caliber ammunition from the bag. Nelson is a convicted felon and not permitted to possess a handgun under federal law.
The maximum penalty for illegal possession of the firearm is 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Field Division, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Toby C. Taylor; and detectives of the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Brian O’Hara, with the investigation leading to today’s charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexandra Tsakopoulos Saker and Edeli Rivera of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s OCDETF Unit.The charge and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defense Counsel: Laura Sayler, Assistance Federal Public Defender, Newark
Parkersburg Man Pleads Guilty to Firearm and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Parkersburg man pleaded guilty today to federal firearm and drug charges.
According to court documents and statements made in court, officers with the Parkersburg Police Department arrested Jonathan Ray Sindledecker, 40, on January 17, 2020 due to outstanding warrants. When officers approached Sindledecker at a Go-Mart store near the intersection of 16th Street and St. Mary’s Avenue, he ran around the store into an alley. As Sindledecker was running, he attempted to pull a pistol with an obliterated serial number from his waist area. Upon doing so, Sindledecker lost his balance and fell to the ground. Officers apprehended Sindledecker and located the pistol nearby. Officers also located a quantity of methamphetamine, digital scales and a small amount of cash on Sindledecker. Sindledecker knew he was prohibited from possessing the firearm due to prior felony convictions for unlawful entry and manufacture of a controlled substance in Wood County Circuit Court. Sindledecker admitted that he intended to distribute the methamphetamine to others.
Sindledecker pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and faces up to 30 years in prison when he is sentenced on October 20, 2021.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Parkersburg Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe is handling the prosecution.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:20-cr-00050.
###
Orange Park Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison for Sexually Exploiting A ChildRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Gregory Thomas Garcia (35, Orange Park) to 16 years in federal prison for child sex trafficking. The court also ordered Garcia to forfeit a 2015 Ford Focus vehicle that he had used in committing the offense. After serving his term of imprisonment, Garcia will be required to register as a sex offender. A hearing to determine restitution to the victim has been scheduled for October 12, 2021. Garcia had pleaded guilty on April 6, 2021.
According to court documents, in September 2020, an agent with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) became aware of messages exchanged between Garcia and the child victim. The messages, dating back to at least October 2019, reflected that Garcia was using the internet to entice the child victim to engage in commercial sex acts. The messages also appeared to reflect ongoing exploitation of the child victim.
When interviewed, the child victim confirmed that Garcia had contacted her and offered to pay her for sex. The child victim disclosed that on one occasion, Garcia had planned to pick the child victim up at her high school, and on another occasion, dropped her off at her high school. The child victim disclosed that, ultimately, Garcia had sexually exploited her on more than 20 occasions. The child victim also provided the HSI agent with additional communications that she had exchanged with Garcia using a popular online messaging application.
From September 21-23, 2020, the HSI agent, posing as the child victim, communicated with Garcia via the same online messaging app. In these communications, Garcia agreed to meet the child victim in a parking lot and pay her $100 in exchange for the child victim allowing Garcia to sexually abuse her. On September 23, 2020, Garcia obtained money to pay the child victim for sex, as well as a soda and candy for the child victim, and then traveled to meet her. Upon arrival, Garcia was arrested. During an interview with law enforcement, Garcia admitted that he had paid the child victim for sex on multiple occasions and that he knew the child victim, who was 16-17 years old, was underage.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura Cofer Taylor.
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 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.
This case resulted from the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s efforts to collaborate with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to detect, investigate, and prosecute coercive human trafficking. This includes the trafficking of minors, forced labor, transnational sex trafficking, and sex trafficking of adults by force, fraud, or coercion. Information on the Department of Justice’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
Omaha Man Sentenced for Sex Trafficking of a MinorRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that Glenn Whitney, 26, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha for Sex Trafficking of a Minor. The Honorable Brian C. Buescher sentenced Whitney to 250 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal prison system. After his release from prison, Whitney will serve 5 years of supervised release and will be required to register as a sex offender.
Federal agents began investigating in September 2020, after an Omaha foster child was reported missing. The investigation showed that the 16-year-old victim engaged in commercial sex acts in the Omaha area with Whitney directing the minor victim, including where to conduct acts and how much to charge, and receiving financial proceeds from those acts.
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 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.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Omaha Police Department, and the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office.
Nine MS-13 Gang Members Indicted in Racketeering and Violent Crime ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Nashville, Tennessee, has returned a 60-count indictment charging nine members of La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) with a racketeering conspiracy spanning more than seven years.
Those charged in the second superseding indictment are: Carlos Ochoa-Martinez, 31, aka “El Serio;” Jason Sandoval, 35, aka “Bin Laden;” Jorge Flores, 29, aka “Peluche;” Kevin Tidwell, 28, aka “Miklo;” all of Nashville; Jose Pineda-Caceres, 22, aka “Demente;” Franklin Hernandez, 22, aka “Happy;” Luis Colindres, 24, aka “Listo;” Gerson Serrano-Ramirez, 34, aka “Frijole;” and Juan Melendez, aka “Shaggy.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, MS-13 is a national and transnational gang composed largely of individuals of Salvadoran or Central American descent. The purpose of the MS-13 enterprise includes preserving and protecting the power, territory, reputation and profits of the enterprise through the use of intimidation and violence, including murder and promoting the enterprise through acts of murder, robbery, drug trafficking and other criminal activities. Branches or “cliques” of MS-13 operate throughout the United States, including in Nashville.
The indictment charges members of one such clique operating in Nashville, specifically the Thompson Place Locos Salvatrucha clique, with committing a wide range of offenses, including the murder of seven individuals, the attempted murder of an additional five individuals, drug distribution, robberies, kidnappings and assaults. More specifically, the indictment charges the following acts of violence occurring over an approximately 17-month period:
Date
Offense/Predicate Act
April 6, 2016
J.A. murdered
July 31, 2016
L.R. murdered, during the gang’s attempt to murder R.R.
Jan. 18, 2017
Attempted murder of R.V.
Feb. 18, 2017
Attempted murder of H.V., L.A., and H.S.
Feb. 25, 2017
Attempted murder of H.S.
May 21, 2017
A.G. murdered
May 27, 2017
J.F. murdered; and attempted murder of L.R.L.
June 1, 2017
Assault of deputized federal officer
June 17, 2017
Kidnapping and assault of C.R.
July 25, 2017
Kidnapping and assault of X.A. to prevent him/her from cooperating with law enforcement
Sept. 24, 2017
H.Z. and Y.H. murdered
Sept. 24, 2017
A.L. murdered; gang members then burned a car with A.L.’s body in the trunk
As alleged in the indictment, MS-13 gang members often target individuals for violence based on the gang’s belief that an individual is a rival gang member or a potential witness to crimes committed by the MS-13 members. MS-13 members are required to follow various rules, chief among them being that cooperation with law enforcement is strictly prohibited, and it is well understood within the gang that anyone who assists the authorities will be punished with death; that members are required to confront, fight and/or kill rival gang members when possible; and that members are required to retaliate quickly and viciously against anyone who disrespects or threatens the gang’s authority, power, reputation or control of a neighborhood. Participation in such violent acts by a member increases the respect accorded to that member, results in that member maintaining or increasing their position in the gang, and could result in a promotion to a leadership position.The defendants are charged with RICO conspiracy, murder and other violent crimes in aid of racketeering, witness tampering, causing death through the use of a firearm, using a firearm during a crime of violence, possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, and violations of the Controlled Substances Act, among other crimes. The statutory penalties for the charged offenses range from a statutory maximum of 10 years to life imprisonment. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Mary Jane Stewart of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee; Special Agent in Charge Mickey French of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Deputy Special Agent in Charge Nicholas Nelson of Homeland Security Investigations; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Brett Pritts of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); U.S. Marshal Denny King; Metropolitan Nashville Police Chief John Drake; and Director David Rausch of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation made the announcement.
Trial Attorney Matthew Hoff of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ahmed Safeeullah are prosecuting this case.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation.
An indictment is merely an accusation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Nigerian Money Launderer Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding Texas Employees Retirement SystemRead the Press Release
AUSTIN – For a scheme that defrauded the Texas Employees Retirement System, Olumide Bankole Morakinyo, 38, a Nigerian national residing in Canada, was sentenced today to eight years in prison and repayment of $975,863 in restitution to multiple victims for conspiracy to commit money laundering.
“This Defendant’s scheme and those like it victimize our most vulnerable citizens and cost taxpayers billions each year,” said U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff. “Our office will use all of the available legal tools to identify and bring to justice those who commit cyber-enabled fraud and launder the proceeds.”
According to court documents, Morakinyo conspired with Lukman Shina Aminu, a resident of New Hampshire, to create unauthorized accounts for participants in the Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS) internet portal. Personally identifiable information (PII) of various ERS participants was used to make changes to their accounts in the ERS internet portal. Bank deposit information on file in the system was changed to re-route retirement payments to debit cards controlled by Aminu. Aminu, who possessed the physical debit cards, would withdraw money under instructions from Morakinyo and then transfer or deposit that money at Morakinyo’s direction.
The debit cards were also used for cash withdrawals and to purchase money orders for personal expenses and for buying used vehicles to be shipped overseas to Nigeria and Benin for resale. With these international automobile transactions, Morakinyo and his conspirators laundered the fraud proceeds by concealing the source of the funds and making the money appear to be legitimate income.
“Today’s sentencing of Olumide Morakinyo highlights how seriously IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS CI) and our law enforcement partners take the issue of identity theft,” said IRS CI Special Agent in Charge Richard Goss of the Houston Field Office. “We will continue to pursue those criminals who prey on innocent victims, stealing their identities to promote tax and other frauds. This sentencing should send a clear message to would-be criminals, that you will be caught and you will be punished.”
U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman also ordered that Morakinyo be placed on three years of supervised release after completing his prison term. Aminu, charged in a separate indictment, was sentenced on December 18, 2019, to 51 months in prison.
“I would like to thank the United States Attorney’s Office, IRS CI, and Department of Public Safety’s (DPS) Texas Rangers Public Integrity Unit for their partnership, dedication and hard work on this case,” stated FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs. “By working together, we were able hold Morakinyo accountable for his role in this fraud scheme, which caused hardship and suffering to victims in Texas and other parts of the United States.”
The FBI, IRS CI and the DPS Texas Rangers Public Integrity Unit investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Galdo and Neeraj Gupta prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
###
Navajo man charged with second-degree murder in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Isaiah Augustine Bob, 36, of Montezuma Creek, Utah, and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, appeared in federal court in Las Cruces, New Mexico, on July 27 for an initial appearance on an indictment charging him with second-degree murder in Indian Country.
According to the indictment, on Dec. 4, 2020, Bob killed a man in McKinley County, New Mexico, on the Navajo Nation. Bob was arrested in Oklahoma and transported back to the District of New Mexico. He is currently in custody pending a detention hearing scheduled for July 30. If convicted, Bob faces up to life in prison.
An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Department of Public Safety. Assistant United States Attorney Novaline D. Wilson is prosecuting the case.
National Leader of Outlaw Motorcycle Gang Admits Illegally Possessing A FirearmRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Suffolk County, New York admitted today to illegally possessing a firearm, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Keith Richter, a/k/a “Conan,” 62, of Bay Shore, New York, pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty to an Information charging him with one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Richter is the national president of the Pagan’s Motorcycle Club (the “Pagans”)—an outlaw motorcycle gang known by law enforcement to engage in illegal activity including narcotics trafficking, weapons trafficking, and violent crimes.
On or about February 20, 2021, the Pagans hosted a party in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. While Richter was traveling from the party to his home in Suffolk County, New York, law enforcement pulled the vehicle over in Mercer County, New Jersey. Law enforcement recovered a loaded Ruger P345 .45 caliber handgun from a front-seat compartment in the vehicle. As a result, law enforcement obtained a warrant for Richter’s arrest, which was executed on February 26, 2021.
Richter was previously convicted of felony offenses, including conspiracy to commit murder and aggravated assault in aid of racketeering, for which he served a sixteen-year term of imprisonment.
The offense to which Richter pleaded guilty carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 3. 2021.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Newark Division, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Toby C. Taylor; special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Newark Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Susan A. Gibson; the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, under the direction of District Attorney Timothy D. Sini; the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of William A. Daniel; and the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Colonel Patrick J. Callahan, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensured that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Frazer, R. Joseph Gribko, and Samantha C. Fasanello, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Newark.
21-339
Defense counsel: James R. Froccaro, Jr., Esq., Port Washington, New York
Money Launderer for Mexican Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Mexican National who jointly operated Tienda Mexicana González Bros., a small convenience store and market in Southeast Portland, was sentenced to federal prison today for using the business and its money transmission licenses to launder millions of dollars in drug proceeds on behalf of a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization operating in the Portland Metropolitan Area.
Jesus González Vazquez, 37, of Jalisco, Mexico, was sentenced to 132 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release.
“Money launderers who help drug trafficking organizations transfer their illegal proceeds are equally culpable for the path of destruction caused by illegal drugs. While drug trafficking organizations can quickly replace low-level couriers and dealers when they are arrested by law enforcement, it’s much harder for these organizations to quickly replace savvy, large volume money launderers like Mr. González Vazquez and his brother Mr. Romo. Mr. González Vazquez’s prosecution and lengthy prison sentence will challenge this organization’s ability to profit from their crimes and sends a strong message that money laundering is a serious crime with significant consequences,” said Scott Erik Asphaug, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
“Drug cartels thrive on their lust for money and power,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer, who oversees HSI operations in the Pacific Northwest. “Operating under the guise of a small convenience store, Vazquez funneled millions of drug profits back to Mexico. This sentence is a successful step towards removing the ability of the cartels to collect their profits from the poison they inject into our communities.”
“This case highlights the importance of teaming with our federal and local partners in order to address these and other related large-scale issues,” said Interim Chief Claudio Grandjean of the Gresham Police Department. “The opioid crisis is ravaging so many in our communities across the region and across the country. I’m proud of the part the Gresham Police Department was able to play in holding those accountable who seek to profit from others’ misery.”
According to court documents, beginning in 2018, two men, Samuel Diaz and Faustino Monroy, organized, led, and ran a drug trafficking organization, based in Mexico, responsible for trafficking hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine and heroin into Oregon for distribution. Diaz and Monroy worked closely with two associates, Edgar Omar Quiroz and Gerson Fernando Martinez-Cruz, who ran a Portland distribution cell. At its peak, Quiroz and Martinez-Cruz’s cell was responsible for distributing as much as 77 pounds of methamphetamine and 55 pounds of heroin weekly in and around Portland.
The organization’s numerous sources of supply would import large quantities of illegal drugs that were taken to stash houses throughout the metro area where they were processed and prepared for sale. A large network of local drug dealers would then distribute user quantities of each drug. The organization would routinely change stash locations, rotate vehicles and phones, and pay individual couriers to take time off to avoid detection by law enforcement.
In approximately 2011, González Vazquez moved to Oregon and began working with his co-defendant and brother, Juan Antonio Romo, 46, also of Jalisco, at the González Bros. market. During this time, the market was an authorized agent for Sigue Corporation; Servicio UniTeller, Inc.; and Continental Exchange Solutions/Ria Financial, three large money services businesses known primarily for international money wires. Between January 2015 and October 2019, the majority of money transfers initiated at the market were conducted by González Vazquez and Romo.
On a continuing basis, González Vazquez and Romo would receive the proceeds of the Diaz-Monroy organization’s illegal drug sales in the form of bulk cash delivered by couriers to the González Bros. market. González Vazquez and Romo would wire the money to various DTO contacts throughout Mexico, structuring the transfers into multiple smaller transactions to avoid detection by the money services businesses or financial regulators. According to the government’s evidence, between January 2015 and October 2019, González Vazquez and Romo laundered at least $19 million dollars in drug proceeds from the market.
In addition to laundering the DTO’s proceeds, González Vazquez also performed other illegal functions for the organization, including facilitating the purchase of weapons in the U.S. to smuggle to Mexico, facilitating large drug transactions, assisting the escape of a fugitive to Mexico, assisting various drug dealers obtain false driver’s licenses, and helping DTO associates illegally enter the U.S.
In October 2019, González Vazquez and many of his co-defendants were arrested as part of a coordinated, multi-agency law enforcement operation. Investigators executed federal search warrants at more than a dozen locations throughout the Portland area, seizing 22 pounds of methamphetamine, quantities of heroin and cocaine, and seven firearms. González Vazquez and his co-defendants arrested as part of the takedown joined several others already in state custody on related charges. In total, law enforcement seized 51 firearms, including assault rifles, shotguns, and handguns, from defendants affiliated with the Diaz-Monroy drug trafficking organization.
On October 24, 2019, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a 61-count superseding indictment charging González Vazquez and 41 others for their roles in the drug trafficking and money laundering conspiracy.
On March 24, 2021, González Vazquez pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit money laundering.
During his sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge Michael H. Simon ordered González Vazquez to forfeit all assets seized by law enforcement during the investigation, including body armor, firearms, magazines, several dozen cell phones, and more than $250,000 in criminally-derived proceeds seized by law enforcement.
González Vazquez is the twentieth defendant sentenced for his role in the conspiracy. Defendants have been sentenced to as much as 235 months in prison. 24 defendants are awaiting sentencing and one is pending trial. Diaz, Monroy, and several other defendants are fugitives believed to be in Mexico.
Acting U.S. Attorney Asphaug, Special Agent in Charge Hammer, and Interim Chief Grandjean made the announcement.
This case was investigated by HSI Portland and the Gresham Police Department with assistance from the FBI; U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; Oregon State Police; Portland Police Bureau; and the Multnomah, Clackamas, and Clark County Sheriff’s Offices. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon prosecuted the case.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.
Missouri Fugitive Arrested in Guatemala, Returned to United StatesRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Noel, Missouri, man has been arrested in the Republic of Guatemala and returned to the United States to face a federal indictment for kidnapping the 4-year-old daughter of a woman whose body was discovered in a suitcase last year.
Mahamud Tooxoow Mahamed, 39, a Somali national, was charged in an indictment returned on Aug. 20, 2019. The indictment alleges that Mahamed kidnapped a minor victim (identified in court documents as Jane Doe 1) and transported her from Missouri to Iowa.
Mahamed, who has been a fugitive from justice since the indictment, was recently arrested in Guatemala, expelled from that country, and returned to the United States. His initial court appearance was held today in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo. He remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing on Aug. 2, 2021.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the original federal criminal complaint, the body of Jessica McCormack, of Noel, was discovered on July 29, 2019, near Missouri Highway 59 between Lanagan, Mo., and Noel. The last time McCormack was seen alive, the affidavit says, was when law enforcement officers responded to a call at her home on July 16, 2019. Also present in the residence were Mahamed, who was identified as McCormack’s paramour, and McCormack’s three daughters, identified in court documents as Jane Doe 1 (four years old), Jane Doe 2 (two years old), and Jane Doe 3 (six months old).
McCormack’s children could not be located after her body was discovered and identified. An Amber Alert was issued for McCormack’s three children, who were located at a residence in Des Moines, Iowa, and taken into state custody on Aug. 8, 2019. According to the affidavit, a woman who formerly worked with Mahamed at the Tyson plant in Noel told law enforcement officers that Mahamed arrived at her Des Moines residence with the children on Aug. 5, 2019. She discovered he had left on Aug. 8, 2019, the affidavit says, when she found a note from Mahamed informing her that he could not care for the children.
Investigators confirmed with the father of McCormack’s oldest child that Mahamed did not have his consent to take Jane Doe 1 outside the state of Missouri.
The charge contained in this indictment is simply an accusation, 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 Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by the FBI, the McDonald County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the Des Moines, Iowa, Police Department.
Mineral County man sentenced for firearms chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Kendu Woodard, of Keyser, West Virginia, was sentenced this week to 24 months of incarceration for a firearms charge, Acting United States Attorney Randolph J. Bernard announced.
Woodard, also known as “Kenneth Barmore,” 43, pleaded guilty in March 2021 to one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.” Woodard, a person prohibited from having a firearm because of a prior conviction, has admitted to having a 9mm pistol in February 2019 in Mineral County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberley D. Crockett prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Miami Woman Indicted for Wire Fraud and Identity Theft Related to COVID-19 PandemicRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Miami woman was indicted yesterday in connection with allegedly filing for and obtaining fraudulent pandemic-related loans and using those funds for personal expenses.
Danielle Miller, 31, was indicted on three counts of wire fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft. Miller was arrested on a criminal complaint on May 11, 2021.
According to the charging documents, from in or around July 2020 through May 2021, Miller allegedly devised and executed a scheme to fraudulently obtain pandemic-related relief loans funded by the federal government – including Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) funds through the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) as well as Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) and related unemployment benefits. To execute the scheme, Miller allegedly used the personal identifying information of at least five individuals to open bank accounts and to apply for more than $900,000 in SBA loans. It is further alleged that Miller misused various identities to apply for PUA benefits. Additionally, it is alleged that Miller possessed counterfeit driver’s licenses in the victims’ names but bearing Miller’s photograph.
As alleged in court documents, Miller maintained an active social media presence via her Instagram account, which had more than 34,000 followers. Posts to this account included a post showing Miller at various luxury hotels in California where transactions were made using the bank account in one of the victim’s names. For example, the luxury hotel Petit Ermitage posted a $5,500 charge to this bank account in September 2020, a few days after Miller’s Instagram account posted a photo of Miller that was geotagged to the Petit Ermitage.
The charges of wire fraud each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of aggravated identity theft provide for a mandatory sentence of two years in prison to be served consecutively to any other sentenced imposed, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The investigation is being 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.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell and Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Abely, Chief of Mendell’s Criminal Division, is prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Maple Grove Man Pleads Guilty to $9.6 Million Scheme to Defraud the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection ProgramRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Maple Grove man pleaded guilty today to fraudulently applying for $9,619,046.46 from the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program, of which he fraudulently obtained and misappropriated more than $1.7 million, announced Acting U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk.
According to court documents, Aditya Raj Sharma, 47, was the founder, CEO, and president of Crosscode Inc., a cloud-based software development company originally headquartered in Maple Grove, Minnesota. In November 2019, Sharma was removed as an officer and terminated from the company by Crosscode’s board of directors. Between May 2020 and July 2020, Sharma created three separate technology companies, Kloudgaze Inc., Neoforma LLC, and Mokume LLC.
From April 2020 through August 2020, Sharma applied for 16 loans for $9,619,046.46 through the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) from ten different lenders by submitting false and fraudulent applications under the names of his various technology companies. As part of his fraud scheme, Sharma submitted fabricated supporting records, made false statements about the number of employees he had and the amount of payroll expenses he incurred, and made false statements about the relevant corporate entities and intended use of the loan proceeds.
For example, on April 26, 2020, Sharma submitted an application in the name of “Crosscode dba Kloudgaze” seeking a $562,500 PPP loan. On the application Sharma falsely stated that “Crosscode dba Kloudgaze” was in operation on February 15, 2020, even though Sharma did not create Kloudgaze until May 2020. In addition, Sharma falsely stated that he was the 100% owner and CEO of Crosscode, that Crosscode did business under the name of Kloudgaze, and that “Crosscode dba Kloudgaze” had approximately 29 employees on its payroll even though records from the State of Minnesota show Sharma paid no wages to a single Kloudgaze employee. In support of the application, Sharma included fraudulent supporting documentation, including fabricated bank account statements.
As a result of Sharma’s fraud scheme, lenders approved three of his PPP applications and deposited $1,773,600 in PPP funds into bank accounts controlled by Sharma. Rather than using the funds for permissible business expenses, Sharma used the money to pay off unrelated legal debts, fund new business ventures, transfer approximately $14,000 to a financial account in India, and pay for home improvements, including landscaping and the installation of a $64,300 backyard pool at his residence.
During the investigation, law enforcement obtained warrants to seize approximately $674,980.76 in fraudulent proceeds held in multiple bank accounts controlled by Sharma. As part of the plea agreement, these seized funds will be forfeited by Sharma to the Unites States.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew S. Ebert and Jordan L. Sing.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Settles Civil Fraud Lawsuit Against Clothing Companies and Their Former CEO for Misrepresenting the Value of Goods to Avoid Paying Customs DutiesRead the Press Release
Audrey Strauss, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Peter C. Fitzhugh, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), and Marty Raybon, Acting Director, Field Operations, New York, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”), announced today that the United States has settled civil fraud claims brought under the False Claims Act against STARGATE APPAREL, INC. (now named EXCEL APPAREL CORP.) (“STARGATE”), RIVSTAR APPAREL, INC. (“RIVSTAR”), and JOSEPH BAILEY. Stargate and Rivstar are apparel companies headquartered in New York, New York, and BAILEY is the companies’ former CEO and owner. As alleged in the Government’s lawsuit, filed in 2019, BAILEY, STARGATE, and RIVSTAR employed a variety of schemes to defraud the United States by submitting invoices to CBP that falsely understated the true value of the clothing that they imported into the United States in order to avoid paying millions of dollars in customs duties. RIVSTAR is no longer operating.
Under the civil settlement approved today by U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken, BAILEY will pay $3.2 million to the United States, and STARGATE, RIVSTAR, and the employee stock ownership plan that currently owns the companies will together pay a total of $2.8 million to the United States. BAILEY, STARGATE, and RIVSTAR admitted and accepted responsibility for their conduct as further described below. As part of the settlement, STARGATE and RIVSTAR (to the extent that it resumes operations) will also implement a written compliance policy that will include measures designed to ensure that they pay duties on the full, actual value of all future imports and otherwise comply with applicable customs laws and regulations. Last year, BAILEY pled guilty and was sentenced to six months in prison for engaging in certain of the conduct related to STARGATE imports that is at issue in the Government’s civil complaint. This civil settlement is in addition to the $1,661,617 forfeiture amount that BAILEY was ordered to pay in the criminal proceedings.
U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “Stargate, Rivstar, and their former president engaged in a variety of fraudulent schemes to short-change the Government of customs duties owed for imported clothing by falsely under-reporting its value. This settlement, along with the separate criminal action against Bailey, demonstrate that our Office will hold companies, as well as their executives, accountable when they try to evade paying the legally required custom duties on imported goods.”
HSI Special Agent in Charge Peter C. Fitzhugh said: “For over a decade these clothing companies used ‘double-invoice’ schemes to underpay customs duties that were owed to the U.S. for garments being imported into the country, resulting in millions of dollars in customs duties lost. HSI worked closely with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York to achieve this settlement, requiring the defendants not just to accept responsibility, but also to pay the Government $6 million and enhance their compliance policies.”
CBP Acting Director of New York Field Operations Marty Raybon said: “The settlement reached today is a testament to the dedication of our partners in the United States Attorney's Office, Homeland Security Investigations, and the men and women of CBP in enforcing our nation’s trade laws and punishing those perpetrating this type of fraud.”
The Government’s complaint alleges that in order to avoid customs duties, from 2004 through 2015 (the “Covered Period”), STARGATE, RIVSTAR, and BAILEY engaged in two types of “double invoicing” schemes to fraudulently underpay customs duties owed to the United States in connection with the garments that they brought into the country. Under the first scheme, the exporter would provide one invoice that reflected the amount Defendants actually paid the exporter for the goods, and a second invoice that fraudulently reflected a fabricated lower amount that was submitted to CBP. These two invoices were virtually identical (e.g., same invoice number, description of goods, quantity of goods), except that they included different prices for the same shipments of goods. Under the second scheme, the exporter also would provide two invoices, which together reflected the actual price paid for the shipment. However, Defendants would only submit one of the invoices to CBP. The other invoice, which purported to be for “samples,” “accessories,” “commissions,” or “testing costs,” reflected an additional payment made by Defendants for the same goods described in the first invoice and was not submitted to CBP. The purpose of each of these two schemes was the same – to fraudulently under-report the value of the goods in order to pay less duties.
As part of the settlement, BAILEY, STARGATE, and RIVSTAR admit, acknowledge, and accept responsibility for the following conduct:
STARGATE Conduct:
- During the Covered Period, Stargate’s primary supplier was Taizhou Jiali Garments Co. Ltd. and its affiliated manufacturers (collectively, “Taizhou”), which are all located in China. At the direction of BAILEY, STARGATE engaged in two different fraudulent schemes that involved the preparation and use of false and inaccurate invoices to underreport the actual value of goods imported from Taizhou in order to avoid paying the customs duties due. BAILEY knew that this conduct was wrong and in violation of customs laws.
- As part of the first scheme, from 2007 through 2010, at BAILEY’S direction, Taizhou provided STARGATE with two sets of invoices for each shipment of goods. One invoice, referred to in email communications as the “pay by” invoice, reflected the actual price paid by STARGATE for the goods. The second invoice reflected a fake, lower price for the goods and was the invoice that STARGATE presented to CBP through its customs broker. Stargate, at the direction of Bailey, routinely declared this false, lower value on CBP entry forms in order to pay lower customs duties on goods imported from Taizhou.
- Beginning around 2010 and continuing through at least 2015, BAILEY and STARGATE engaged in a second scheme. At BAILEY’S direction, Taizhou provided two separate sets of invoices for a given shipment that together reflected the true price Stargate actually paid for the goods. The first invoice, typically entitled the “commercial invoice,” described the goods purchased, and was submitted to CBP by STARGATE’s customs broker. The second invoice purported to reflect amounts paid by Stargate for “sample” goods and was not submitted to CBP. The “sample” invoice was not, in fact, for samples actually purchased by STARGATE. Rather, STARGATE used the “sample” invoice to make an additional payment to Taizhou for the goods purchased by STARGATE that were described in the “commercial invoice,” while hiding the full value of those goods from CBP. STARGATE, at the direction of BAILEY, routinely declared only the values recorded on the “commercial invoices,” which were less than the full price paid for the goods, on CBP entry forms in order to pay lower customs duties on goods imported from Taizhou.
- During the Covered Period, STARGATE also imported goods that it purchased from Tex-Prime International, Ltd., and its affiliated manufacturers (collectively “Tex-Prime”), which are located in China. Beginning in at least 2004 and continuing through 2014, STARGATE, at the direction of BAILEY, also engaged in two different fraudulent schemes that involved the preparation and use of false and inaccurate invoices to underreport the actual value of goods imported from Tex-Prime in order to avoid paying the customs duties due.
- The first scheme involved Tex-Prime providing two nearly identical invoices for each shipment that differed only in the stated price. The first invoice reflected the amount that STARGATE actually paid for the imported goods. The second invoice (frequently identified by a “C” suffix following the invoice number, or the term “Custom” following the invoice number in the file name), reflected a false and inaccurate lower price and was the invoice that STARGATE submitted to CBP through STARGATE’s customs broker. STARGATE, at the direction of BAILEY, routinely declared the values recorded on this second, false invoice on CBP entry forms in order to pay lower customs duties on goods imported from Tex-Prime.
- The second scheme also involved Tex-Prime providing two invoices. In this scheme, the two invoices together reflected the actual price paid by STARGATE for the shipment. The first invoice, entitled a “commercial invoice,” described the goods purchased and was submitted to CBP by STARGATE’s customs broker. The second invoice, entitled a “statement,” purported to be an invoice for accessories charges, commissions, testing charges, or samples. This second invoice was not submitted to CBP and in reality reflected an additional payment made by STARGATE to Tex-Prime for the same shipment. STARGATE, at the direction of BAILEY, routinely declared only the values recorded on the “commercial invoices,” which were less than the full price paid for the goods, on CBP entry forms in order to pay lower customs duties on goods imported from Tex-Prime.
- Through the practices described above, STARGATE misrepresented the value of the goods it purchased and imported into the United States. STARGATE and BAILEY were aware at all times that the reported information was incorrect and grossly understated the actual value of the imported goods, but continued to make the incorrect entries in order to reduce the amount of duties owed. As a result of their conduct, STARGATE and BAILEY underpaid customs duties that were due and owing to the United States.
RIVSTAR Conduct:
- During the Covered Period, RIVSTAR imported goods purchased from Pacific Potential Trading Co., Ltd., and its affiliated entities (together, “Pacific Potential”), as well as from Dongguan Bestsign and Trading Co., Ltd., and its affiliated entities (together, “Bestsign”), all of which are located in China.
- During the Covered Period, at RIVSTAR’s request and BAILEY’s direction, Pacific Potential and Bestsign provided two sets of invoices for each shipment imported into the United States by RIVSTAR. The first invoice described the goods imported and was submitted to CBP by RIVSTAR’s customs broker. The price reflected on the invoices declared to Customs did not reflect the full price RIVSTAR paid for the merchandise. The second invoice purported to be for “testing costs” relating to the imported goods and was not submitted to CBP. Together, the two invoices reflected the true total price that RIVSTAR paid for the goods; RIVSTAR, however, did not declare the amount reflected on the invoice for “testing costs” to CBP. For the most part, the amounts reflected on the invoice for “testing costs” were not for actual testing, but instead reflected an additional payment made by RIVSTAR to Pacific Potential and Bestsign for the same shipment that was not declared to CBP. To the extent that any such payments actually related to testing costs, such charges were still dutiable and should have been declared to CBP.
- Through these practices, RIVSTAR at BAILEY’s direction misrepresented the value of the goods it purchased and imported into the United States. RIVSTAR and BAILEY were aware at all times that the reported information was incorrect and grossly understated the actual value of the imported goods, but continued to make the incorrect entries in order to reduce the amount of duties owed. As a result of their conduct, RIVSTAR and BAILEY underpaid customs duties that were due and owing to the United States.
The conduct in this matter was first brought to the attention of federal law enforcement by a whistleblower who filed a lawsuit under the False Claims Act.
Ms. Strauss thanked U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations for their assistance with the case.
The civil case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Frauds Unit, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Dominika Tarczynska is in charge of the matter.
Manchester Woman Sentenced to 54 Months for Participating in Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CONCORD –Chrystal Callaghan, 43, of Manchester, was sentenced to 54 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, fentanyl and crack cocaine, Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in the spring of 2020, investigators received information from confidential sources that Chrystal Callaghan and her co-defendant son, Jovan Callaghan, were selling crack cocaine and fentanyl from their residence in Manchester. Law enforcement officers learned that Chrystal Callaghan and another co-conspirator, Melissa Gazaway, would travel to New York to purchase crack cocaine. On three separate occasions, officers conducted lawful traffic stops of their vehicle returning from New York and seized over 300 grams of crack cocaine. In late 2020, confidential sources conducted six controlled purchases of fentanyl and crack cocaine from the three co-defendants.
On December 24, 2020, investigators executed a search warrant at the Manchester residence and seized over one kilogram of fentanyl and a firearm, along with large amounts of cash and drug use and packaging materials.
Chrystal and Jovan Callaghan previously pleaded guilty on March 30,2021. Jovan Callaghan is awaiting sentencing. Gazaway pleaded guilty on April 20, 2021 and awaits sentencing.
“Drug traffickers continue to pose a serious threat to the health and safety of New Hampshire’s residents,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley. “We work closely with our law enforcement partners to hold drug dealers accountable for their unlawful and dangerous conduct.”
“DEA is committed to bring to justice poly drug traffickers like Ms. Callaghan,” said Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle. “This investigation demonstrates the strength of collaborative law enforcement efforts in New Hampshire.”
This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the New Hampshire State Police, the Manchester Police Department, and the Nashua Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Georgiana L. MacDonald and Jennifer Cole Davis.
###
Man from Gallup pleads guilty to second-degree murder in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Darrell Desiderio, 44, of Gallup, New Mexico, and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, pleaded guilty on July 26 in federal court to second-degree murder in Indian Country. Desiderio will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled.
According to Desiderio’s plea agreement and other court records, on June 7, 2018, Desiderio and a co-defendant, Ervin Yazzie, conspired to kidnap a victim, identified as John Doe, and take the victim’s truck. Yazzie pleaded guilty on Feb. 3, 2020.
Yazzie admitted to luring the victim to Desiderio to assist Desiderio in acquiring a vehicle. Under the pretense that Desiderio “knew some women who would want to ‘party,’” Yazzie and the victim picked up Desiderio and drove north of Gallup to a remote area. Desiderio ordered the victim to pull over and pressed a knife to the victim’s throat. During a struggle for the keys to the vehicle, Desiderio stabbed the victim in the neck and continued to stab him. The victim died as a result of the wounds inflicted by Desiderio. The murder occurred in McKinley County, New Mexico, on the Navajo Nation.
By the terms of the plea agreement, Desiderio faces 20 to 30 years in prison.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department, Gallup Police Department, McKinley County Sheriff’s Office and New Mexico State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph M. Spindle is prosecuting the case.
Louisiana Tax Preparer Pleads Guilty to Second Tax Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Louisiana woman pleaded guilty today to a conspiracy to defraud the United States.
According to court documents, from January through April 2015, Brittany Patterson, of Jefferson Parish, and others conspired to file false tax returns for clients of Pelicans Income Tax and Payroll Services, a return preparation business located in Kenner and Westwego, Louisiana. Patterson and others prepared client returns reporting false income and withholdings in order to generate larger tax refunds. Patterson also filed a return for herself that claimed a false dependent, after obtaining the dependent’s personal identifying information from a client without the client’s knowledge. In total, Patterson and her co-conspirators caused a tax loss to the IRS of more than $550,000.
Patterson is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 5, 2022, and faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison. She also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
On Nov. 14, 2019, Patterson pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to defraud the United States for filing false returns for clients of another tax preparation business, Crown Tax Service LLC. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 5 for that case.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans for the Eastern District of Louisiana made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Jessica Kraft and William Montague of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carter Guice of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana are prosecuting the case.
Louisiana Tax Preparer Pleads Guilty to Second Tax Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Louisiana woman pleaded guilty today to a conspiracy to defraud the United States.
According to court documents, from January through April 2015, Brittany Patterson, of Jefferson Parish, and others conspired to file false tax returns for clients of Pelicans Income Tax and Payroll Services, a return preparation business located in Kenner and Westwego, Louisiana. Patterson and others prepared client returns reporting false income and withholdings in order to generate larger tax refunds. Patterson also filed a return for herself that claimed a false dependent, after obtaining the dependent’s personal identifying information from a client without the client’s knowledge. In total, Patterson and her co-conspirators caused a tax loss to the IRS of more than $550,000.
Patterson is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 5, 2022, and faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison. She also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
On Nov. 14, 2019, Patterson pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to defraud the United States for filing false returns for clients of another tax preparation business, Crown Tax Service LLC. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 5 for that case.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans for the Eastern District of Louisiana made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Jessica Kraft and William Montague of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carter Guice of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana are prosecuting the case.
Little Rock Man Guilty of Trafficking Methamphetamine in Nacogdoches, TexasRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Little Rock, Arkansas, man has pleaded guilty to federal drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei today.
Leanthony Ray Moses, 44, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Zack Hawthorn.
“Today’s plea is just another example of how there is no substitute for the diligent and thorough work of our local law enforcement partners,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. “Thanks to the quick thinking of the stopping officer, three kilograms of methamphetamine—originally destined for our East Texas communities—has been taken off the street.”
According to information presented in court, on Sep. 17, 2019, Moses was stopped by a local law enforcement officer for a traffic violation. The officer’s canine partner alerted to the presence of drugs in the vehicle. During a search, nearly three kilograms of methamphetamine were discovered.
Moses was indicted by a federal grand jury on Nov. 20, 2019. He faces up to life in federal prison at sentencing. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Nacogdoches Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald S. Carter.
###
Lebanon Man Sentenced for Fentanyl DistributionRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine—A Lebanon, Maine man was sentenced today in federal court for distributing fentanyl, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.
Chief U.S. District Judge Jon D. Levy sentenced Angel Valle, 55, to 10 years in prison and four years of supervised release. Valle pleaded guilty in February 2020.
According to court records, an FBI investigation revealed that Valle distributed fentanyl in the Lebanon area. During the investigation, Valle and two associates sold fentanyl to a confidential informant on two occasions in May 2019. In total, Valle and his associates distributed approximately 500 grams of fentanyl to the informant.
The FBI Safe Streets Gang Task Force of New Hampshire investigated the case, with the assistance of the Maine State Police. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case as part of the Department of Justice’s Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge, a program designed to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids.
Leader of New Rochelle Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to More Than 7 Years in Prison for Distributing CocaineRead the Press Release
Audrey Strauss, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that ULYSSES LOPEZ was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Nelson S. Román to 87 months in prison for leading a drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed kilograms of cocaine out of a grocery store located in New Rochelle, New York. LOPEZ pled guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith C. McCarthy on August 27, 2020.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “Today’s sentence sends a message that destructive drug trafficking in our communities will not be tolerated. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to keep our neighborhoods free of addictive and dangerous narcotics.”
According to the allegations in the Indictment, and statements made in court filings and during court proceedings:
From April 2018 up to October 2018, ULYSSES LOPEZ, together with six charged co-defendants, conspired to distribute five kilograms and more of powder cocaine. LOPEZ was the leader and organizer of the drug trafficking conspiracy, which operated out of several buildings in the vicinity of, and including, the SuperMercado Mexico located in New Rochelle, New York, which was owned and operated by LOPEZ and his father and co-defendant, Valentino Lopez (“Valentino”).
After being arrested, and while detained at the Westchester County Jail, LOPEZ attempted to obstruct justice by encouraging one of his charged codefendants, Felipe Barajas, to provide false statements to the Government regarding their relationships and Barajas’s use of his residence to store cocaine on LOPEZ’s behalf.
Six of the charged defendants, including LOPEZ, Valentino, and Barajas, have pled guilty and been sentenced. Valentino was sentenced on June 25, 2021, to 60 months in prison for his role in the drug trafficking conspiracy. The seventh defendant remains a fugitive.
* * *
In addition to his prison sentence, LOPEZ, 41, of New Rochelle, New York, was sentenced to four years of supervised release, and forfeiture of $150,000 and a Mercedes Benz ML350.
Ms. Strauss praised the excellent work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Emily Deininger, David Felton, and Celia Cohen are in charge of the prosecution.
La Porte City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for CyberstalkingRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, IOWA – A La Porte City man, Austin Michael Kiler, was sentenced today by United States District Court Chief Judge John A. Jarvey to 21 months in prison for Cyberstalking. Kiler was ordered to serve two years of supervised release to follow his prison term, as well as pay $ 100 to the Crime Victims’ Fund. On March 26, 2021, Kiler was found guilty following a jury trial.
According to court documents, Austin Michael Kiler, age 24, was in a relationship with an identified victim between the winter of 2018 and March 2019. After their relationship ended, the victim began dating another person. Kiler then electronically and physically followed the victim and the new partner. As a result, the victim obtained a civil protective order against Kiler. Over the next nine months the victim reported to the police multiple instances in which Kiler had been stalking them—which included Kiler driving by the victim’s known residence, Kiler driving by the new partner’s residence, numerous fake dating/social media accounts that continuously contacted the victim and the new partner, and contact with the victim through spoofed text messages. One of the text messages the victim received contained information leading them to believe Kiler had been watching them through the windows of their home.
Evidence on Kiler’s electronic devices revealed calendar events regarding the whereabouts of the victim, screenshots of the victim and the new partner’s dating/social media profiles, evidence of Kiler having created fake online personas, as well as videos and photos— taken through a window—of the victim and the new partner engaged in sexual activities. Geolocation data from Kiler’s accounts corroborated nearly all the victim’s reported sightings of Kiler.
Acting United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Iowa City Police Department investigated the case.
KC Man Charged in Investigation of Firearms Stolen from Vehicles in Entertainment DistrictRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri, man has been charged in federal court with illegally possessing firearms as part of an ongoing investigation into a rash of car thefts that have occurred in local entertainment districts.
Nathan Mack, 31, was charged in a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., on Monday, July 26, with being a felon in possession of firearms.
The federal criminal complaint alleges that Mack was in possession of a Taurus 9mm handgun and a Canik 9mm handgun on Saturday, July 24. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearms or ammunition. Mack has prior felony convictions for robbery and armed criminal action.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, law enforcement was investigating the thefts of dozens of firearms stolen from vehicles near the city’s entertainment districts. In the early morning hours of Saturday, July 24, Kansas City police officers were conducting surveillance in and around the Westport Entertainment District. At about 3:37 a.m., officers saw Mack get out of the driver’s seat of a Chevrolet Cruz in a parking lot near the intersection of 42nd Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. Officers recognized Mack, whom the affidavit says was in possession of a firearm, as a convicted felon, and he was taken into police custody.
Officers found a Canik 9mm handgun, which had been reported as stolen from a vehicle a week earlier, on the driver’s side floorboard. Officers also found a Taurus 9mm handgun in between the front passenger seat and door of the vehicle.
The charge contained in this complaint is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge 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 Sean T. Foley. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Justice Department Requires Substantial Divestitures in Gray’s Acquisition of Quincy to Protect American Consumers and Small BusinessesRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice announced today that it will require Gray Television Inc. and Quincy Media Inc. to divest 10 broadcast television stations in seven local markets as a condition of resolving a challenge to Gray’s proposed $925 million acquisition of Quincy.
The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division filed a civil antitrust lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to block the proposed merger. At the same time, the department filed a proposed settlement that, if approved by the court, would resolve the suit by remedying competitive harms alleged in the complaint, through the divestitures and related conditions.
“Without the required divestitures, Gray’s acquisition of Quincy threatens significant competitive harm to cable and satellite TV subscribers and small businesses that advertise on broadcast television,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Richard A. Powers of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “I am pleased that we have been able to reach a complete resolution of the department’s concerns, thanks in part to the parties’ commitment to engage in good faith settlement talks from the outset of our investigation.”
According to the complaint, without the divestitures the merger would eliminate head-to-head competition between Gray and Quincy broadcast television stations in seven local markets, which are centered in: Tucson, Arizona; Rockford, Illinois; Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Paducah, Kentucky; Eau Claire, Wisconsin; Madison, Wisconsin; and Wausau, Wisconsin.
The combined company likely would charge cable and satellite companies higher retransmission fees to carry its broadcast television stations in those local markets, resulting in higher monthly cable and satellite bills for millions of Americans. The merger also would enable the combined company to charge local businesses higher prices to advertise on its broadcast television stations in those local markets.
Under the terms of the proposed settlement, Gray and Quincy must divest 10 broadcast television stations to Allen Media Holdings LLC or an alternative acquirer approved by the United States. Allen Media currently owns and operates 14 broadcast television stations in 12 local markets.
Gray is a Georgia corporation with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. Gray owns 165 television stations in 94 local markets. In 2020, Gray reported revenues of $2.4 billion.
Quincy is an Illinois corporation headquartered in Quincy, Illinois. Quincy owns 20 television stations in 16 local markets. In 2020, Quincy earned revenues of approximately $338 million.
As required by the Tunney Act, the proposed settlement, along with a competitive impact statement, will be published in the Federal Register. Any person may submit written comments concerning the proposed settlement during a 60-day comment period to Scott Scheele, Chief, Media, Entertainment, and Communications Section, Antitrust Division, U.S. Department of Justice, 450 Fifth Street NW, Suite 7000, Washington, D.C. 20530. At the conclusion of the 60-day comment period, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia may enter the final judgment upon finding it is in the public interest.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Justice Department Issues Guidance on Federal Statutes Regarding Voting Methods and Post-Election "Audits"Read the Press Release
Today the U.S. Department of Justice announced the release of two guidance documents to ensure states fully comply with federal laws regarding elections, specifically federal statutes affecting methods of voting and federal constraints related to post-election “audits.”
“The right of all eligible citizens to vote is the central pillar of our democracy, and the Justice Department will use all of the authorities at its disposal to zealously guard that right,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The guidances issued today describe certain federal laws that help ensure free, fair, and secure elections. Where violations of such laws occur, the Justice Department will not hesitate to act.”
“The Department of Justice is committed to protecting the right to vote for all Americans and ensuring states are complying with federal voting laws,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Whether through litigation or the issuance of official guidance, we are using every tool in our arsenal to ensure that all eligible citizens can exercise their right to vote free from intimidation, and have their ballots counted.”
The first guidance document, entitled “Guidance Concerning Federal Statutes Affecting Methods of Voting,” provides guidance regarding how eligible citizens cast their ballots. The guidance document addresses efforts by some states to permanently adopt their COVID-19 pandemic voting modifications, and by other states to bar continued use of those practices, or to impose additional restrictions on voting by mail or early voting. In addition, this guidance document discusses federal statutes the department enforces related to voting by mail, absentee voting and voting in person.
The second guidance document, entitled “Federal Law Constraints on Post-Election Audits,” provides information on the how states must comply with federal law when preserving and retaining election records and the criminal penalties associated with the willful failure to comply with those requirements. This guidance document also details the statutes that prohibit the intimidation of voters and the department’s commitment to act if any person engages in actions that violate the law.
Today’s announcements follow Attorney General Garland’s recent commitment to expand the Justice Department’s efforts to safeguard voting rights. For a list of the department’s actions to protect voting rights, click here.
More information about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting laws is available on the Department of Justice’s website at www.justice.gov/crt/about/vot.
Complaints about discriminatory voting practices may be reported to the Voting Section of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division at 1-800-253-3931.
If jurisdictions have questions about the constraints federal law places on the methods of voting they are using or propose to use, or questions about the constraints federal law places on post-election “audits” regarding protections for voters and federal election records, they should contact the Voting Section of the Civil Rights Division.
For the guidance document on methods of voting, click here.
For the guidance document on post-election “audits,” click here.
Justice Department Files Retaliation Lawsuit Against Wilson County, North Carolina, Emergency CommunicationsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a lawsuit against Wilson County, North Carolina, alleging that Wilson County Emergency Communications (WCEC) engaged in unlawful retaliation in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 when it terminated an employee after she disclosed to supervisors that she had been sexually harassed while on the job.
Title VII is a federal statute that not only prohibits employers from discriminating on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin and religion, but also from retaliating against employees for engaging in activities protected by Title VII, such as complaining about discrimination.
As alleged in the lawsuit, filed in the Eastern District of North Carolina, Jennifer Riddle began working as a telecommunicator trainee for WCEC in 2017. Soon after she began her employment, she was sexually harassed by the Assistant Director of WCEC. According to the filing, Riddle complained of the harassment, and an investigation ensued. After WCEC’s investigation substantiated Riddle’s complaints, the county terminated the Assistant Director. However, as alleged in the lawsuit, soon after the Assistant Director’s termination, Riddle began experiencing hostility from her supervisor and co-workers, culminating in a transfer and, ultimately, termination, when she disclosed to the supervisors on her new shift that she had previously been sexually harassed and that WCEC failed to effectively deal with her harasser.
“The Civil Rights Division will not tolerate attempts by employers to silence victims of sexual harassment,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Discouraging employees from reporting potential harassment and discrimination to their supervisors stands in the way of efforts to identify and root out sex harassment in workplaces across the country. We will continue to hold employers accountable and take action to ensure that employees are free to come forward to report discrimination or harassment in the workplace.”
Riddle filed a charge of discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The EEOC’s Charlotte District Office investigated the charge and made a reasonable cause finding. After unsuccessful conciliation efforts, the EEOC referred the charge to the Justice Department.
The United States, through this lawsuit, seeks to require WCEC to develop and implement policies that would prevent retaliation. The United States also seeks monetary relief for Riddle to compensate her for damages that she sustained as a result of the alleged retaliation.
The full and fair enforcement of Title VII is a top priority of the Justice Department’s Employment Litigation Section of the Civil Rights Division. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division and the jurisdiction of the Employment Litigation Section is available on its websites at www.justice.gov/crt/ and https://www.justice.gov/crt/employment-litigation-section.
This case is being handled by Senior Trial Attorney Christopher Woolley and Trial Attorney Vendarryl Jenkins of the Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section.
Jury Convicts Two of Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – On Tuesday, July 27, 2021, a jury in federal court convicted two men of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and attempt to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Jack P. Staton, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans.
According to the evidence presented, Antony Daniel Abreu, 33, of Queens, New York, and Darrell Young, 47, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, arranged to purchase 17 kilos of cocaine from an individual in Gulfport. The defendants shipped a car from Philadelphia that contained a hidden compartment in the trunk in which they hid cash. At the time of their arrest on April 20, 2020, the defendants were staying in an AirBnB rental in Gulfport where law enforcement found saran wrap, duct tape, dryer sheets and other materials for packing the cocaine. Overall, law enforcement seized over $200,000 as part of this operation. Prosecutors utilized phone dumps from 8 different seized cell phones along with recorded phone calls to show the conspiracy stretched as far as the Dominican Republic.
Abreu and Young are scheduled to be sentenced on November 4, 2020. Each faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Darren J. LaMarca commented, “Thanks to the efforts of the agents of Homeland Security Investigations and the officers of the Harrison County Sheriff’s office, these major drug dealers are out of circulation. They will no longer peddle poison throughout the nation.”
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Buckner and Annette Williams prosecuted the case.
Judge Sentences “11 Hunnit” Gang Member to 5 Years for Crack Cocaine Distribution SchemeRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A former resident of Wilkinsburg, PA, has been sentenced in federal court to five years’ imprisonment on his conviction for violating the federal narcotics laws, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.
United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines imposed the sentence on Sanzio Williams, 33, formerly of Wilkinsburg, Allegheny County (PA).
According to information presented to the Court, Williams conspired with others in the Western District of Pennsylvania to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base (in the form commonly known as “crack”). Williams was indicted and charged with drug trafficking following a months-long wiretap investigation targeting the narcotics trafficking activity of the “11 Hunnit” neighborhood street gang operating in the Hill District neighborhood of Pittsburgh (and elsewhere). In addition to his five-year term of imprisonment, the Court sentenced Williams to four years of supervised release under the supervision of the United States Probation Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Jerome A. Moschetta prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Kaufman commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police (Bureau of Narcotics Investigations) who led the multi-agency investigation in this case, which also included the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office and the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General. This Greater Pittsburgh Safe Streets Task Force investigation was a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Jefferson County residents indicted on drug trafficking chargesRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Eight people are facing multiple drug charges after a federal Grand Jury handed down a drug trafficking indictment on July 21, 2021, Acting United States Attorney Randolph J. Bernard announced.
The eight Jefferson County residents are facing charges involving a drug trafficking conspiracy to distribute cocaine base and cocaine hydrochloride in Jefferson County and elsewhere from July 2018 to June 2021. During the investigation, investigators seized over sixty grams of cocaine base. Those charged are:
- Antonio Junior Guerrero, also known as “Mula,” 29, of Ranson, West Virginia
- Michael Lynch, 57, of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia
- Camren Allen Klimes, also known as “Cam,” 27, of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia
- Christin Blake Hoffman, 35, of Ranson, West Virginia
- Crystal Farmer, 42, of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia
- Robert Gordon Farmer, 44, of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia
- James T. Cogle, also known as “Cricket,” 53, of Jefferson County, West Virginia
- Shaquan Osullivan Kelly, 24, of Ranson, 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 West Virginia Air National Guard; the Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the West Virginia State Police, the DEA Task Force Montgomery County, Maryland; and the Frederick, Maryland, HIDTA group 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.
Jefferson County Felon Guilty of Federal Firearms Violation After Shooting DogRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Port Arthur man has pleaded guilty to a federal firearms violation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei today.
Lou Arrington Welch, 32, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Zack Hawthorn.
“The fact that Welch would shoot an innocent animal speaks not only to his depravity, but also to his dangerousness. As a felon with a cruel heart, he is exactly the kind of person that should not be permitted to possess a firearm,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. “Getting guns out of the hands of prohibited persons makes all of us—including man’s best friend—safer.”
According to court documents, on Dec. 29, 2020, Port Arthur Police responded to a call reporting gunshots and the shooting of a dog. When police arrived on scene, officers discovered the wounded dog and learned from the dog’s owner that Welch had previously threatened to shoot her dog. While officers were at the scene, Welch drove past, and officers unsuccessfully attempted to flag him down. Officers followed Welch in a marked unit and attempted to pull him over. However, Welch accelerated, and a chase ensued. Police eventually managed to stop and arrest Welch. Police recovered a pistol from the car, and Welch admitted to officers that he had shot the dog. Further investigation revealed Welch had previously been convicted of felony drug violations in Jefferson County. As such, Welch is prohibited from owning or possessing firearms or ammunition. The dog ultimately survived its injuries.
Welch was indicted by a federal grand jury on Feb. 3, 2021. He faces up to 10 years in federal prison. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Port Arthur Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Grove.
###
Illegal Possession of Drugs and Guns Result in Time in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – Three men charged with drug trafficking and firearms charges in three separate cases have been sentenced to time in federal prison, Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced.
Henry Cota, Jr., 38, of Ontario, California, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. to spend 135 months (11 years, 3 months) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release. Cota was charged in a superseding indictment in January 2020 and pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine on March 17, 2021. The charges stemmed from an investigation into shipments of methamphetamine that were sent in March, April and July 2019 to individuals in the Shreveport area. During an investigation into these shipments, agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service learned that Cota, along with another co-defendant, were shipping the packages containing methamphetamine from post offices in the California area to Shreveport for distribution.
The DEA and United States Postal Inspection Service conducted this investigation and Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Aaron Crawford prosecuted the case.
Percy Charles Johnson, 36, of Shreveport, Louisiana, was sentenced by United States District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to spend 33 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. On February 20, 2020, officers with the Shreveport Police Department responded to a welfare check at an apartment complex in Shreveport. Officers found Johnson sleeping on a hallway floor and he had a loaded pistol in his pocket. Johnson is a convicted felon and knew that he was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition. His prior felony conviction was for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in Caddo Parish in 2009.
In another case involving a convicted felon illegally possessing a firearm, United States District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote sentenced Steven Randell Johnson, 29, also of Shreveport, to spend 20 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. On May 3, 2020, while patrolling the Line Avenue area, an officer with the Shreveport Police Department heard gunfire nearby and went to investigate. The officer observed a vehicle being driven down the street with the driver’s side front door open. Another responding officer saw an adult male jump from the vehicle and run into a nearby residence. Law enforcement officers stopped the vehicle and ordered the driver, determined to be Johnson, to exit the vehicle and he complied. The officer observed a semi-automatic pistol on the front passenger floorboard and Johnson admitted to officers that the pistol, which was loaded with 19 live rounds and one in the chamber, belonged to him. He has prior felony convictions for second degree cruelty to a juvenile (2015) and simple burglary (2012), and is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
The ATF and Shreveport Police Department conducted both investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth D. Reeg and Earl M. Campbell prosecuted the cases.
These cases are 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. PSN is 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. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.
# # #
Idaho Falls Drug Trafficker Pleads Guilty in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Kevin Ralph Nixon, 54, of Idaho Falls, entered a guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael M. Gonzalez, Jr., today. Nixon was originally indicted by a federal grand jury on August 27, 2019. Sentencing is set for November 8, 2021, before Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye at the federal courthouse in Pocatello.
According to court records, Nixon was arrested after a vehicle, in which he was a passenger, was involved in a pursuit with Idaho State Police that ended in a collision in a commercial area near downtown Idaho Falls. The driver of the vehicle ran away. Nixon stayed at the vehicle and was contacted by police. Nixon was found to be in possession of methamphetamine and admitted he was involved in a drug trafficking transaction that was observed by law enforcement earlier in the day.
Nixon is facing a maximum term of twenty years in federal prison, a fine of $1 million, and at least three years of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Gonzalez credited the cooperative efforts of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Idaho State Police-District 6, and the Idaho Falls Police Department, which led to charges.
This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney Office’s specially deputized Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA), Blythe H. McLane, funded by the Eastern Idaho Partnership (EIP) and the State of Idaho. The EIP is a coalition of local city and county officials in eastern Idaho as well as the Idaho Department of Correction.
The EIP SAUSA program allows law enforcement to utilize the federal criminal justice system – through the EIP SAUSA – to prosecute, convict, and sentence violent, armed criminals and drug traffickers. These criminals often receive stiffer penalties than they might in state courts.
This program was created in January 2016. Since that time, approximately 172 defendants have been indicted by the EIP SAUSA. Of these defendants, 125 have been indicted on drug trafficking charges. Collectively, the defendants indicted under the program have been sentenced to 7,408 months (approximately 617 years) in federal prison, representing an average prison sentence of 53.3 months (4.4 years). Defendants indicted for drug trafficking offenses serve, on average, approximately 58.69 months (4.8 years) in federal prison.
###
Husband and Wife Plead Guilty to Selling Turtles in Violation of the Lacey ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that VINCENT FELIX RIVERE, age 48, and MEGAN LYNN SHOEMAKER, age 36, former residents of Springfield, Louisiana, pleaded guilty on July 27, 2021 to selling Louisiana Common box turtles in violation of the Lacey Act .
On July 13, 2017, a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agent arrived at the Office Depot parking lot in Covington, LA to arrange a previously negotiated undercover purchase of 29 Louisiana Common box turtles from RIVERE. RIVERE and SHOEMAKER were waiting at the location. The undercover USFWS agent greeted them, and RIVERE and SHOEMAKER began removing sacks containing Louisiana common box turtles from the trunk of his car. The undercover agent then paid RIVERE $680.00 in cash for the 29 Louisiana Common box turtles.
After the transaction, a traffic stop was performed. RIVERE was operating the vehicle and was in possession of the $680 he had received from undercover USFWS agent. An agent checked the serial numbers on the money that RIVERE possessed and it matched the serial numbers on the money that had been provided from the undercover USFWS agent.
If convicted, RIVERE faces a maximum term of imprisonment of up to five years, not more than three years on supervised release, a fine of $20,000.00, and a mandatory special assessment of $100.00. SHOEMAKER faces a maximum term of imprisonment of up to one year, not more than one year on supervised release, a fine of $10,000 and a mandatory special assessment of $25.00. Sentencing is scheduled for October 26, 2021 before the Honorable Wendy B. Vitter.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Homeland Security Investigations and the United Postal Service in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jon Maestri is in charge of the prosecution.
* * *
Former Security Supervisor Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud Scheme Using the Stolen Identity Information of Coworkers and Job Applicants from His CompanyRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Ricardo Carter II, age 37, of Camp Springs, Maryland, pleaded guilty yesterday to federal charges of bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, in connection with a check kiting and credit scheme using the stolen identity information of coworkers and job applicants to open fraudulent bank and credit accounts, causing more than $119,000 in losses to victim financial institutions.
The guilty plea was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner and Special Agent in Charge Bo Keane of the United States Secret Service - Baltimore Field Office.
According to his guilty plea agreement, from January 2015 to December 2017, Carter used stolen names, date of births, and social security numbers to open fraudulent bank accounts at financial institutions in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. He then used the fraudulently opened accounts to execute fraud schemes.
Specifically, once Carter opened a bank account using a stolen identity, he deposited nonsufficient funds checks into the account, then withdrew the value of the check in cash before the check cleared or transferred the funds into another account, using the money for his personal benefit. When Carter used a stolen identity to open a credit account, he used the credit card associated with the account for personal expenditures, causing a loss to the bank and adversely affecting the victim’s credit score. Carter used the stolen identities to open a large number of bank accounts at multiple financial institutions, executing the scheme in multiple jurisdictions, and timing the withdrawal of cash from the deposited checks before those checks could clear.
Carter admitted that in order to execute the check kiting and credit scheme, he used his position as a Security Supervisor at Company A to open accounts using the stolen identities of individuals who worked for or applied to work for Company A. By using his access to the personal identification information of those victims, Carter abused his position of trust with Company A.
On September 23, 2019, a federal grand jury in the District of Maryland returned an indictment against Carter, charging him with bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. On July 2, 2020, Carter was released pending trial on conditions, including that he not violate any local, state, or federal laws. In October 2020, while on pre-trial release, Carter applied to rent an apartment in Largo, Maryland, which was not the residence approved by the U.S. Pre-Trial Services Office. In the application to the apartment management company (Victim 6), Carter falsely listed Company A as his employer and used the social security number of another individual, without that person’s knowledge or permission. Carter submitted a fraudulent letter and pay stubs to Victim 6, both purportedly from Company A, falsely verifying Carter’s employment at Company A, in order to obtain Victim 6’s approval of Carter’s rental application. After Carter did not pay his rent, on March 22, 2021, Victim 6 asked Company A to authenticate the letter. Company A confirmed that the document was fraudulent. In total, Carter failed to pay at least $11,854.30 in rent owed to Victim 6.
On April 5, 2021, after a U.S. Magistrate Judge found that Carter had violated his conditions of pre-trial release, Carter was directed to surrender to the U.S. Marshals Service by 3:00 p.m. Carter failed to report as directed and an arrest warrant was issued. Carter was subsequently apprehended in Florida on April 22, 2021.
Carter admitted that he fraudulently opened more than 100 bank and credit accounts using more than 10 stolen identities, resulting in a loss to the financial institutions of at least $119,733.94
As part of his plea agreement, Carter will forfeit at least $119,733.94, which are assets derived from or obtained as a result of Carter’s illegal activities, and will pay restitution in the full amount of the victims’ losses, which the parties stipulate is at least $131,588.24.
Carter faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison for bank fraud and a mandatory sentence of two years in federal prison, consecutive to any other sentence imposed, for aggravated identity theft. U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte has scheduled sentencing for November 30, 2021, at 11:00 a.m.
Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the Secret Service for its work in the investigation. Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes, who is prosecuting the case.
# # #
Former Car Dealership Owner Pleads Guilty to Wire FraudRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Joseph E. Stasney, a/k/a Buddy Stasney, 59, of Denver, N.C., appeared before U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell today and pleaded guilty to wire fraud, for executing a fraudulent auto loan scheme to obtain in excess of $250,000 from a financial institution, announced William T. Stetzer, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Robert R. Wells, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Charlotte Office and Tommy D. Coke, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which oversees Charlotte, join Acting U.S. Attorney Stetzer in making today’s announcement.
According to filed plea documents and today’s court hearing, Stasney was the owner of Buddy Stasney Buick GMC, Inc., (later named Buddy Stasney Automotive, Inc.), a used car dealership located in Lincolnton, N.C. Between February and December 2015, Stasney engaged in an auto loan scheme in which he fraudulently obtained money from a financial institution by submitting falsified loan applications on behalf of his victim-customers. As he admitted in court today, Stasney executed the loan scheme in a number of ways. After negotiating the sale of vehicles with prospective customers, Stasney fraudulently submitted loan applications on behalf of the customers that contained misrepresentations regarding the current status and terms of the transactions and loans, or submitted loan applications on behalf of customers who were not aware a loan application had been submitted in their name. In some instances, customers were falsely told their loan had not been processed when in fact it had. In other instances, Stasney defrauded customers who were refinancing loans by falsely telling them that the proceeds of their new loans had been used to pay off their existing loans, when, in fact, Stasney never paid off the customers’ prior auto loans and the victims remained obligated for those loans.
According to court documents, once the fraudulent loan proceeds were deposited into the car dealership’s bank account, Stasney diverted the funds and used a portion to pay for expenses unrelated to his business. Stasney admitted to defrauding the financial institution of more than $250,000, as a result of the fraudulent scheme.
Stasney was released on bond following his guilty plea. The maximum statutory penalty for the wire fraud charge is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
In making today’s announcement, Acting U.S. Attorney Stetzer commended the FBI and USPIS for leading the investigation, and thanked the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles for their invaluable assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caryn Finley and Graham Billings, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, is prosecuting the case.
Former Attorney and Therapist Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for Receiving Child Sexual Abuse Images Using A Popular Online AppRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. has sentenced John Robert Cooney (54, Orlando) to 12 years in federal prison for receiving images of children being sexually abused using an online social media application (app). The court also ordered Cooney to register as a sex offender and forfeit the electronic devices that he used to commit this offense.
Cooney had pleaded guilty on March 15, 2021.
According to court documents, on July 7, 2020, Cooney, a former attorney and therapist, received images depicting children as young as 1-2 years old being subjected to sadistic sexual abuse using a popular online messaging app. On August 21, 2020, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Cooney’s home and seized several computers and electronic devices. A forensic review of Cooney’s devices revealed more than 1,800 images and 2,400 videos depicting the sexual abuse of young children. In addition to receiving these images, Cooney was also trading and exchanging online cloud storage links to collections of child sexual abuse materials with other users on this mobile app.
This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda Daniels.
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.
Fentanyl Dealer Pleads Guilty to Distributing Narcotics Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Kimberly Fleer (27, Seffner) has pleaded guilty to distributing fentanyl to an individual, causing that individual’s death. Fleer faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years, and up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.
According to the plea agreement, on November 2, 2019, in Seffner, Florida Fleer distributed narcotics to an individual who injected the narcotics and died. Family members later found the individual and immediately called 911. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office responded, found two syringes as well as three baggies containing fentanyl near the victim’s body, and also recovered the victim’s cell phone. Text messages on the phone and surveillance footage confirmed Fleer had distributed narcotics to the victim that day, shortly before he died.
On November 5, 2019, Fleer sent a text message to a third party in which she stated, “a dude od on my stuff today n im extremely worried n trynna cover my tracks,” demonstrating she was aware the victim had died because of the narcotics she sold him. Nevertheless, she continued to distribute fentanyl, including to an undercover detective the same day she sent that message, as well as again on November 8, 2019.
Later on November 8, 2019, HCSO detectives made contact with Fleer while she was attempting to distribute fentanyl to the passenger in her vehicle. Detectives interviewed the passenger, who admitted she was there to buy narcotics from Fleer. Detectives located four plastic ring bags containing a white powder in the passenger side front door and another bag in the driver’s side front door handle. The bags tested positive for fentanyl. Law enforcement also recovered Fleer’s phone, which contained text messages she exchanged with the victim to arrange selling him drugs on the day he died.
The Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s Office conducted an autopsy and determined the victim’s cause of death was intoxication from the combined effects of fentanyl and other substances. The toxicology report revealed that the level of fentanyl in the victim’s blood was 0.053 mg/L, roughly ten times a fatal dose.
This case is part of the Middle District of Florida’s anti-opioid strategy to combat opioid trafficking and abuse. This case was investigated by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Diego F. Novaes.
Felon in Possession of Ammunition Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man was sentenced yesterday to 30 months in prison for being a felon in possession of ammunition.
According to court documents, Charles Allen Scott, 45, threatened a female witness at her residence by waving a firearm in the air and telling her, “I’m about to shoot you in the face” and “It’ll only take a couple of shots to kill you.” While in his vehicle at the residence, Scott pointed the firearm out of his sunroof and fired once. The San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) responded to the scene afterward and was able to locate a .357 caliber shell casing in the middle of the road in front of the witness’ residence.
Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) sent the recovered shell casing for testing through the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). A NIBIN lead notification then linked the shell casing recovered by SAPD to three other shootings in the San Antonio area.
Scott’s criminal history records revealed that he has multiple state felony convictions, including two for aggravated assault with deadly weapon of a non-family member with gun; one for unlawfully carrying a weapon; and two for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
On May 11, 2021, Scott pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition.
“The prosecution of this case demonstrates our unwavering commitment to the reduction of violent crime and to stopping repeat offenders like Scott from endangering members of the community,” stated U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff. “I am grateful for our partnership with state, local and federal law enforcement agencies as well as the use of NIBIN in our investigations.”
“The sentence in this case sends a clear message to other would-be offenders that ATF and the court take seriously the possession of ammunition by prohibited persons,” stated ATF Special Agent in Charge Fred Milanowski, Houston Division.
ATF investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Calve prosecuted the case.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence- based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
###
Essex County Man Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Role in Conspiracy to Defraud Banks of $250,000 Using Credit Cards and Stolen ChecksRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Dashawn Duncan, 27, of South Orange, New Jersey, was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for his role in conspiring to defraud two banks of $250,000 using stolen credit cards and blank checks, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Duncan, and coconspirators Nasheed Jackson, 24, of Newark, and Alexander Varice, 22, of South Orange, previously pleaded guilty by video before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton to Informations charging each of them with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Judge Wigenton imposed Duncan’s sentence today via video conference. Jackson was sentenced to 2 years on July 22, 2021, and Varice is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 7, 2021.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From August 2018 through January 2020, Varice, Jackson, and Duncan engaged in a scheme to use stolen credit cards or checks to fraudulently make purchases and withdraw money from two banks. The credit cards were stolen from facilities used by the U.S. Postal Service in Pine Brook and Warren, New Jersey, and never reached the intended cardholders. After obtaining the stolen cards, Varice, Jackson, and Duncan used them to make unauthorized purchases at various retail stores and to withdraw cash from automated teller machines (ATMs) in New Jersey and elsewhere. The blank checks were also stolen from various New Jersey-based post office facilities, and never reached their intended recipients. Varice and Jackson altered the date, payee, and amount of the stolen checks prior to deposit into a third-party account so that they could manually enter the amounts that they wanted to fraudulently withdraw from a victim bank ATM.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Wigenton sentence Duncan to five years of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Acting Inspector in Charge Rodney M. Hopkins in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Blake Coppotelli of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
Defense counsel: Jackson: Henry Klingeman Esq., Newark
Varice: Charles Alvarez Esq., Bloomfield, New Jersey
Duncan: K. Anthony Thomas Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, NewarkEnrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe sentenced to two years in federal prison for assault in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - William Monte Hosetosavit, 27, of Mescalero, New Mexico, and an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, was sentenced in federal court on July 27 to two years and seven months in prison for assault resulting in serious bodily injury in Indian Country.
Hosetosavit pleaded guilty on Nov. 7, 2019. According to the plea agreement, on April 5, 2019, Hosetosavit assaulted Jane Doe in Otero County, New Mexico, on the Mescalero Apache Reservation. Hosetosavit hit the victim in the face with his elbow causing prolonged disfigurement to her eye socket.
Upon completion of his sentence, Hosetosavit will be subject to three years of supervised release.
The Mescalero Agency of the Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron O. Jordan prosecuted the case.
Eleven People Arrested in Federal Drug and Firearms Case Involving Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine and Other DrugsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Eleven people have been arrested following their indictments on federal charges stemming from an investigation into a drug trafficking network based in Southeast Washington that sold cocaine, crack cocaine, Fentanyl, PCP, and other drugs.
The indictments were made public this week and announced today by Acting U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division Robert Bornstein, and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Most of the defendants were arrested by the FBI and MPD on Monday, July 19; all 11 remain in custody. A 12th individual was arrested on related charges. The arrests followed an extensive investigation into a ring that was primarily based in the areas of Martin Luther King Jr., Avenue SE, Mellon Street SE, and Malcolm X Avenue SE, in the Seventh Police District.
A total of 10 firearms have been seized during the investigation, along with PCP, crack, powder cocaine, heroin, pills, and over $2,500 in cash.
“This investigation is part of a broader effort to target violence, drug trafficking, and the possession of illegal firearms in the District of Columbia,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Phillips. “This work is critically important to protecting those who live and work in our community. The arrests reflect the coordination taking place at the federal and local levels every day.”
“The FBI’s Washington Field Office is engaged and working on a daily basis in partnership with MPD and other law enforcement agencies to reduce violent crime in the District of Columbia,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Bornstein. “This joint partnership with MPD’s Violence Reduction Unit is producing significant results, as demonstrated by the arrests and indictment being announced today. The FBI is committed to continuing to work aggressively to seek justice for those affected by violent crime and prevent additional innocent citizens from becoming victims.”
“Through the focused coordination and intense collaboration of MPD’s Violence Reduction Unit and our law enforcement partners, we are determined to remove the District’s most violent offenders from our streets,” stated MPD Chief Contee. “As alleged in the indictment, these individuals are responsible for many of the drug transactions in our neighborhoods and this is one step closer to making our communities safer for all.”
Those named in the indictment include: Delonta Chappell, 34; Dezmond Cunningham, 27; Anthony Graves, 30; Nico Griffin, 31; Wesley Leake, 31; Leon Linsday, 36; Kevonte Randall, 24; Barry Tyson, 21, and Shawn Wooden, 39, all of Washington, D.C.; Deshawn Loggins, 20, of Temple Hills, Md., and Ricky Lyles, 41, of Accokeek, Md. The 12th individual, Corenzo Mobery, 39, of Washington, D.C., was indicted on related drug and firearms charges.
The prosecutions followed a joint investigation by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Cross Border Safe Streets Task Force in partnership with MPD’s Narcotics and Special Investigations (NSID) Violence Reduction Unit. This partnership targets the most egregious and violent street crews operating in the District of Columbia. Assistance was provided by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Park Police, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Henek of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
The investigation had the sponsorship and support of the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF specializes in the investigation and prosecution of drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and related criminal enterprises.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
Eden Prairie Woman Charged with Illegally Straw Purchasing Multiple FirearmsRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – An Eden Prairie woman was charged today with illegally straw purchasing 14 firearms, announced Acting U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk.
According to court documents, between March 23, 2021, and July 10, 2021, Tess Fair, 21, has purchased 14 separate firearms at guns stores in the Twin Cities area. Fair illegally purchased thirteen 9-millimeter semi-automatic handguns and one .22 caliber AR style pistol. Surveillance video footage from one of the gun stores shows Fair purchasing a gun at the direction of another individual who is a documented member of the Minneapolis street gang Young and Thuggin’ (YNT). Two of the guns she purchased have been recovered at crime scenes in the Twin Cities area where one or more victims were shot.
“Buying guns on behalf of someone else who is prohibited from possessing guns is a federal crime,” said Acting U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk. “The straw buying process sets up a dangerous pipeline that too often puts firearms in the hands of criminals. Federal law enforcement is committed to interrupting that process.”
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Minneapolis Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey S. Paulsen 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.
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.
Eddington Man Sentenced for Possessing Firearms after Domestic Violence ConvictionRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine—An Eddington man was sentenced in federal court today for possessing firearms after being convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Amilio Christopher Samaroo, 56, to 10 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Samaroo pleaded guilty on May 11, 2021.
According to court records, in April 2020, law enforcement officers were called to Samaroo’s home. He and his wife had been arguing earlier in the day. When the police arrived at the house, Samaroo refused to leave and engaged in a standoff. Officers obtained a warrant for Samaroo’s arrest and a search warrant for the home. During the search, officers found multiple weapons that Samaroo had placed throughout the house, including a loaded J.C. Higgins bolt-action 20-gauge shotgun. Officers later found a handgun in the ceiling of the home and two boxes of ammunition. Samaroo was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition after a 2003 Wisconsin conviction for domestic abuse.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Maine State Police investigated the case.
Dupree Woman Sentenced for AssaultRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Dennis Holmes announced that a Dupree, South Dakota, woman convicted of Assault by Striking, Beating, or Wounding was sentenced on July 27, 2021, by U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno.
Cache Patricia Hebb, age 25, was sentenced to 6 months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $25.
Hebb was indicted by a federal grand jury on December 10, 2019. She pled guilty on July 27, 2021.
The conviction stemmed from an incident that occurred in Dupree on July 3, 2019, wherein Hebb used a hairbrush to discipline a child. Hebb used unreasonable force and caused bruising to the child.
This case was investigated by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the case.
Hebb was ordered to self-surrender to the U.S. Marshals Service on August 10, 2021.
District Man Charged with Sending Obscene Material to Minors and Attempting to Produce Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Glenn Matthews, 32, of Washington, D.C., has been detained pending trial following the filing of charges of attempted production of child pornography, attempted enticement, enticement of a minor, and sending obscene material to minors.
The charges, contained in a criminal complaint that was unsealed last week, were announced today by Acting U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips, Robert Bornstein, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division, and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Matthews was arrested on July 22, 2021, after he was charged in the complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The complaint alleges that, between July 2020 and November 2020, Matthews utilized the Instagram account SOUTHSIDEAREA to send ten different minors graphic images of himself and/or videos of himself masturbating. The complaint alleges that Matthews also tried to meet at least two of these children for sex, one of whom he suggested meeting at the Anacostia Metro Station. According to the complaint, Matthews also solicited explicit images of at least one purported minor and took a screenshot of an explicit image of another purported minor. The complaint alleges that he threatened to share the screenshot with others if the purported minor did not comply with his demands.
At a hearing on July 26, 2021, the Honorable Magistrate Judge G. Michael Harvey detained Matthews pending trial. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Aug. 20.
The charges in criminal complaints are merely allegations and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI Washington Field Office's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, composed of FBI agents and local, state, and federal partners. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney April Nicole Russo, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Alexis Spencer-Anderson.
People with information about these or other child exploitation crimes are encouraged to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.
Denver Police Partner with Federal Law Enforcement to Crack Down on Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
DENVER - The Denver Police Department (DPD), U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Denver Field Division (ATF), the Denver District Attorney’s Office, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announced an enhanced partnership in the fight against gun-related crime in Denver. The goal is identifying, arresting, and prosecuting the offenders most involved with violent crime in our community. The enhanced approach focuses on violent felons who carry or use firearms and who are also the most likely contributors to violence in Denver.
“If you commit a gun crime in Denver, you should know that federal, state, and local law enforcement will be working together to catch you and send you to jail for a long time,” said Acting United States Attorney Matt Kirsch.
“Gun-related crime has devastating, lasting effects on our community and this strategy is a smart evolution in our approach to addressing the problem of convicted violent felons with guns,” said Chief of Denver Police Paul M. Pazen. “Today, we stand together as law enforcement partners to put convicted violent felons on notice – if you choose to illegally possess or use a firearm in Denver, we will do everything within our authority to ensure you face the greatest penalties.”
“Partnerships such as this are one of ATF’s most powerful tools to protect the public,” said ATF Denver Special Agent in Charge David Booth. “We look forward to utilizing this enhanced process to continue protecting the public and bringing violent offenders to justice.”
The enhanced approach pairs an ATF agent who specializes in illegal firearms investigations with a dedicated DPD investigator to:
- respond to investigations in-progress to assist officers on-scene with gathering evidence and creating reports
- review cases involving Possession of a Weapon by a Previous Offender (POWPO) for prosecution by either the Denver District Attorney’s Office or the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado
- prioritize cases for the consideration of filing the most serious available charges based on connections to shootings, whether the crime occurred in a crime hotspot, and the likelihood of future violent activity
This work builds on Denver’s previous efforts at tackling gun violence through prosecutions targeted at the most dangerous offenders.
The enhanced process will be supported by new training delivered to all DPD officers to ensure gun charges are thoroughly documented from the outset of investigations and to enable officers to draw on federal investigative and prosecutorial resources in appropriate cases. Procedures will also feature regular communication between the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Denver District Attorney’s Office to determine the best outcomes in individual cases and ensure the most efficient and effective prosecutorial decisions.
A convicted violent felon possessing a firearm violates Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1), which carries penalties of up to ten years of imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. Federal law also creates mandatory minimum sentences of at least five years of imprisonment for possessing, brandishing, or discharging a firearm during the commission of other violent or drug crimes.
Examples of previous similar successful federal prosecutions of violent felons in possession of a firearm or ammunition include:
- In United States v. Rhyan Littlejohn-Connor, 20-cr-00341-RBJ, the defendant fired 12 shots at two people outside an apartment building on September 27, 2020, striking one in the head. He was convicted of being a felon in possession of ammunition in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). On June 14, 2021, the defendant was sentenced to 84 months of imprisonment in the federal Bureau of Prisons.
- In United States v. Herman Colbert, 19-cr-00321-RBJ, the defendant got into an altercation regarding a relationship dispute on July 2, 2019. During the fight, the defendant shot and killed the other person. The defendant was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1) and was sentenced to 120 months of imprisonment on February 4, 2021.
- In United States v. Joshua Taron Jones, 20-cr-00150-PAB, the defendant shot at six individuals in an apartment complex during a dispute on May 6, 2020. Investigators discovered a sawed-off shotgun in the defendant’s residence, and he was charged with possession of an unregistered short-barreled shotgun in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 5851(d). He was convicted and sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment on January 29, 2021.
- In United States v. Jarod Rajai Walker, 19-cr-00095-CMA, the defendant was involved in a shootout on February 20, 2019, where he shot and killed another person. The defendant was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). He was convicted and sentenced to 96 months’ imprisonment on September 25, 2019.
- In United States v. Nickie Nathanial Rico and Armando Rogelio Durete, 19-cr-00145-PAB, both defendants were involved in a shootout on September 16, 2018, in downtown Denver at the corner of 15th and Market. An innocent bystander was hit and seriously wounded by the gunfire. Both defendants were charged with being felons in possession of firearms and ammunition in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). Durete was convicted after trial and Rico pled guilty to the charge. Rico was sentenced on February 7, 2020, to 97 months imprisonment. Durete was sentenced on February 28, 2020, to 120 months imprisonment.
In a related effort, Metro Denver Crime Stoppers, DPD and ATF Denver are partnering to post billboards in the five areas of Denver identified as violent crime hot spots, which are the vicinities of South Federal Boulevard & West Alameda Avenue, Colfax Avenue & Broadway, East Colfax Avenue & North Yosemite Street, East 47th Avenue & North Peoria Street, and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard & North Holly Street. The billboards will encourage community members to report gun crime and illegal activity to help address and prevent gun violence, and the billboards will also promote securely storing firearms to prevent theft or misuse. The billboards are part of Denver’s Collaborative Crime Prevention Initiative that combines evidence-based precision policing in the identified hot spots with supports for residents provided by Denver city agencies and community-based organizations.
Delaware County Man Sentenced to over 22 Years for Abusing Three-Year-Old Child and Recording the AbuseRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that David Carbonaro, 28, of Upper Darby, PA, was sentenced to twenty-two years and one month in prison, lifetime supervised release, and was ordered to pay $38,000 in restitution by United States District Court Judge Chad F. Kenney for numerous child exploitation offenses including abusing a three-year-old in order to produce pornography.
The defendant pleaded guilty in November 2019 to charges of production, distribution, and possession of child pornography, stemming from his horrendous sexual abuse of minor child in his care when she was just a toddler. Carbonaro conducted “photo shoots” of Minor #1, as she is referred to in court documents, in sexualized poses and directed his co-defendant Kayla Parker, to sexually abuse Minor #1 for his viewing pleasure. Law enforcement came upon the evidence of these deplorable crimes while investigating the defendant for distributing child pornography over the internet. The search warrant executed at Carbonaro’s residence in Delaware County yielded thousands of images of child pornography in his collection, including nine images depicting the sexual abuse of Minor #1.
“This is a truly horrifying case. Sexually exploiting and abusing a three-year-old child is simply too awful for most people to even think about,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Williams. “Strong law enforcement collaboration between our Office, Homeland Security Investigations and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General resulted in justice for this defendant and his victims. Anyone we find abusing children in this District we will held accountable for their crimes.”
“Children are among the most vulnerable members of our Commonwealth, and thanks to the strong communication and collaboration with our federal and state law enforcement partners, we were able to hold the defendant accountable for his abhorrent crimes,” said Attorney General Josh Shapiro. “My Office will always stand up for survivors of sexual abuse.”
“Rescuing children from these predatory violators is a top priority for Homeland Security Investigations,” said Brian A. Michael, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations Philadelphia. “HSI Special Agents and our state and local partners will spare no resource and will exhaust every effort to hunt them down and bring them to justice. Working closely together with the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office as HSI did in this case, we will continue to investigate and prosecute those who commit the particularly heinous crimes of producing, distributing, and possessing child pornography.”
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Josh A. Davison.