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23 July 2021
Indonesian Man Sentenced for Illegally Using Social Security Number to Obtain EmploymentRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA –The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana announced today that RUDY GUNAWAN, age 41, a citizen of Indonesia, was sentenced on July 20, 2021 to time served by the Honorable Wendy B. Vitter on one count of possession of fraudulent immigration documents. Additionally, the Court ordered GUNAWAN to pay a $100 special assessment cost.
According to court documents, United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers received information that GUNAWAN was in the United States illegally and using a Social Security card bearing the name and number of another person. On September 28, 2020, CBP officers encountered GUNAWAN at his place of employment, Samurai Sushi (Slidell, Louisiana). An officer asked for identification and GUNAWAN produced a U.S. Social Security card and claimed to be a U.S. citizen from Puerto Rico. GUNAWAN later admitted that he knew that the U.S. Social Security card was falsely made and that he had obtained the card from an individual in Memphis, Tennessee for $700. He also admitted that the name and number on the card were not lawfully issued to him and that he purchased the fraudulent documents in order to be able to stay within the United States and work.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of United States Customs and Border Protection and the Social Security Administration in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jon Maestri is in charge of the prosecution.
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IRS Officer Sentenced for Obstructing Tax LawRead the Press Release
A former IRS officer was sentenced today to three years in prison for obstructing federal tax laws, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Prerak Shah.
Former Revenue Officer Sonya Vivar, 55, pleaded guilty in November to one count of corrupt endeavor to obstruct or impede the due administration of internal revenue laws. She was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman.
According to plea papers, Ms. Vivar admitted she attempted to conceal her personal relationship with C.J.B., the subject of an IRS investigation, from the IRS and U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.
At the time, C.J.B. was operating a business that was delinquent on its employment taxes.
C.J.B. had purchased the company only after Ms. Vivar was assigned to oversee collection efforts against it. Ms. Vivar was aware that C.B.J. had acquired the company and sold its assets at a profit or transferred the assets into newly formed business entities.
At Friday’s sentencing hearing, the judge found that due to the defendant’s crimes, the IRS lost the opportunity to collect more than $4 million in taxes.
IRS – Criminal Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rob Boudreau and Jay Weimer are prosecuting the case.
Idaho Woman Ordered to Pay over $5000 in Restitution for Improperly Storing Food in Campsite at Grand Teton National ParkRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Bob Murray announced today that BELINDA J. ARVIDSON, 50, of Idaho was ordered to pay $5,826.99 in restitution for improper food storage, a misdemeanor offense, in Grand Teton National Park. The sentence was handed down by United States Magistrate Judge Mark L. Carman in Mammoth Hot Springs, Wyoming, on July 20, 2021. Arvisdon will also serve four years of unsupervised release.
While camping in Grand Teton National Park, Arvidson failed to properly store garbage and beverages resulting in a grizzly bear receiving a food reward when it found the unattended garbage and drink at the campsite. Individuals camping in the area took photos and videos of the grizzly bear while it was in Arvidson’s campsite rummaging through the trash and other food items. The campground contained multiple warning signs about bears and proper food storage as well as bear boxes in which food and other items could be stored.
Due to the bear receiving a food reward, upon locating the bear, it was tranquilized, collared, and relocated by boat to another area of the park. It could pose a danger to humans if the bear were to have another similar incident, and euthanizing the bear may become necessary. The amount of restitution to be paid by Arvisdon covers the National Park Service’s costs for this operation, including the cost of a GPS collar now necessary to track the bear’s movement
Grand Teton National Park Superintendent Chip Jenkins said, “Irresponsible behaviors have consequences, and many times it is the wildlife that pays the ultimate price. We all have responsibilities to preserve and protect the incredible wild animals of Grand Teton National Park and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.”
Grizzly bears and black bears thrive in Grand Teton National Park and the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway. Odors attract bears into parking lots, campgrounds, and picnic areas. All food and items with a smell must be stored in a bear-resistant food storage locker or in a hard-sided vehicle with the doors locked and windows closed day and night. Never store food, garbage, or toiletries in tents. For information about bear safety in Grand Teton National Park visit Safety in Bear Country - Grand Teton National Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov).
This crime was investigated by the National Park Service and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Hambrick. For questions relating to Grant Teton National Park, please contact Denise Germann at [email protected] or 307-739-3393.
Horse Doping Drug Company’s Sales Director Pleads Guilty in Manhattan Federal CourtRead the Press Release
Audrey Strauss, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that defendant MICHAEL KEGLEY JR. pled guilty today to his role in the distribution of adulterated and misbranded drugs with the intent to defraud and mislead, in connection with the charges filed in United States v. Navarro et al., 20 Cr. 160 (MKV). KEGLEY pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil, and will be sentenced by Judge Vyskocil on November 22, 2021.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “Michael Kegley promoted and sold unregulated performance enhancing substances intended for use by those engaged in fraud and unconscionable animal abuse in the world of professional horseracing. This conviction underscores that our Office and our partners at the FBI are committed to the prosecution and investigation of corruption, fraud, and endangerment at every level of the horse racing industry.”
According to the allegations contained in the Superseding Information, the prior Indictments[1], other filings in this case, and statements during court proceedings:
The charges in the Navarro case arise from an investigation of widespread schemes by racehorse trainers, veterinarians, performance-enhancing drug (“PED”) distributors, and others to manufacture, distribute, and receive adulterated and misbranded PEDs and to secretly administer those PEDs to racehorses competing at all levels of professional horseracing. By evading PED prohibitions and deceiving regulators and horse racing officials, participants in these schemes sought to improve race performance and obtain prize money from racetracks throughout the United States and other countries, including in New York, New Jersey, Florida, Ohio, Kentucky, and the United Arab Emirates (“UAE”), all to the detriment and risk of the health and well-being of the racehorses. Trainers who participated in the schemes stood to profit from the success of racehorses under their control by earning a share of their horses’ winnings, and by improving their horses’ racing records, thereby yielding higher trainer fees and increasing the number of racehorses under their control. Veterinarians and drug distributors, such as KEGLEY, who worked as the director of sales for an unregistered distributor of equine drugs, profited from the sale and administration of these medically unnecessary, misbranded, and adulterated substances.
Among the misbranded and adulterated PEDs marketed and sold by KEGLEY was the drug “SGF-1000,” which was compounded and manufactured in unregistered facilities. SGF-1000 was an intravenous drug promoted as, among other things, a vasodilator capable of promoting stamina, endurance, and lower heart rates in horses through the purported action of “growth factors” supposedly derived from sheep placenta. Despite marketing, selling, and administering SGF-1000, KEGLEY acknowledged in intercepted calls that he, along with a co-defendant involved in the sale of SGF-1000, did not know the actual contents of SGF-1000. Nevertheless, KEGLEY’s sales of that drug persisted, aided by the claim that SGF-1000 would be untestable in horses by law enforcement.
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U.S. Attorney Strauss praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI New York Office’s Eurasian Organized Crime Task Force and its support of the FBI’s Integrity in Sports and Gaming Initiative.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Money Laundering and Transnational Criminal Enterprises Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Sarah Mortazavi, Andrew C. Adams, Anden Chow, and Benet Kearney are in charge of the prosecution.
[1] As to Kegley’s co-defendants, the entirety of the texts of the Indictments and the descriptions of the Indictments set forth herein constitute only allegations and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Honduran National Guilty of Soliciting Murder-For-Hire of Family MembersRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Honduran national residing in Port Arthur has pleaded guilty to federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei today.
Santos Orellana-Hernandez, 47, pleaded guilty to use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire, tampering with a witness by intimidation and threats, and conspiracy to commit witness tampering. Orellana-Hernandez entered his guilty plea today before U.S. District Judge Thad Heartfield.
“Public safety in the Eastern District of Texas is enhanced by the excellent partnerships we have between local and federal law enforcement. In this case, as soon as the Port Arthur Police Department learned of the defendant’s plot to kill his Port Arthur family’s relatives in Honduras, they coordinated with the FBI, who moved swiftly to prevent any bloodshed,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. “I also commend the tremendous work of the investigative and prosecutorial team, which flew to Honduras to interview witnesses and prepare the criminal case against Mr. Orellana-Hernandez. Because of the excellent work of law enforcement in this matter, lives were saved.”
“Today’s announcement highlights the FBI's efforts in Beaumont, the FBI Legal Attaché office, and its local law enforcement and international partners to tirelessly and aggressively utilize all available investigative tools and methods at their disposal,” said Houston FBI Special Agent in Charge Perrye K. Turner. “Law enforcement and the public must continue to work together to ensure our communities’ safety.”
“We appreciate the continued collaboration of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI on this case,” said Port Arthur Police Chief Timothy Duriso. “We will continue to work closely with our federal partners to make Port Arthur a safer place.”
According to information presented in court, from January to March of 2020, Orellana-Hernandez, residing in Port Arthur, Texas, solicited the murder of two extended family members residing in Honduras. Specifically, Orellana-Hernandez solicited Gustavo Ramires, a person located in Honduras, to kill Orellana-Hernandez’s mother-in-law, G.V., and brother-in-law, J.A.V. The purpose of the intended murders was revenge against Orellana-Hernandez’s soon-to-be ex-wife, who was seeking a divorce from Orellana-Hernandez in Jefferson County, Texas. Orellana-Hernandez reportedly told E.A.V. that he would make her “cry tears of blood.”
Orellana-Hernandez offered to pay Ramires $200,000 in Honduran Lempira (approximately $8,000 in U.S. dollars) upon proof that Ramires had killed G.V., J.A.V., and two other individuals. Orellana-Hernandez directed Ramires to perform the killings on or after April 21, 2020, the date when the divorce was to become final. Ramires was additionally instructed to provide photographic proof of the killings before he would receive payment. Ramires later placed a recorded telephone call to Orellana-Hernandez, in which the two discussed the murder-for-hire plot, using coded language such as “planting the corn,” to refer to the killings. Ramires later told investigators that “planting the corn” meant burying the victims’ bodies.
Orellana-Hernandez was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 20, 2020 and taken into federal custody. In early June, while jailed, Orellana-Hernandez conspired with another person to intimidate E.A.V. in an attempt to make her withdraw the murder-for-hire accusation. On Nov. 4, 2020, the grand jury returned a superseding indictment that added the witness tampering charges.
Orellana-Hernandez faces up to 20 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 was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John B. Ross and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean C. Day.
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Henryetta Resident Found Guilty by Federal Jury of Sexual Abuse of ChildRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, announced today that Kendall Len Burgess, age 22, of Henryetta, Oklahoma was found guilty by a federal jury of Aggravated Sexual Abuse in Indian Country, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1151, 1153, 2241(c) and 2246(2)(B) and Abusive Sexual Contact in Indian Country, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1151, 1153, 2244(a)(5) and 2246(3). The defendant was acquitted on one count of Assault by Striking, Beating, or Wounding in Indian Country. The jury trial began with testimony on Monday, July 19, 2021 and concluded on Wednesday, July 21, 2021 with the guilty verdicts. The defendant is facing imprisonment for not less than 30 years to life for the crimes the jury found he committed.
During the trial, the United States presented evidence that the defendant perpetrated various sexual acts on a seven-year-old victim.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma ultimately prosecuted the case because the defendant is a member of a federally-recognized Indian tribe and the crime occurred in Okmulgee County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, and within the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The guilty verdicts were the result of an investigation by the Henryetta Police Department, Okmulgee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma in Muskogee, presided over the trial and ordered the completion of a presentence report. Sentencing will be scheduled following completion of the report. Burgess was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal pending the imposition of sentencing.
Special Assistant United States Attorney L.C. Wright and Assistant United States Attorney Edith Singer represented the United States.
Hartford Man Charged with Illegally Possessing Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, David Sundberg, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Hartford Police Chief Jason Thody today announced that a federal grand jury in Hartford has returned an indictment charging LAMONT FIELDS, 23, of Hartford, with unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition.
The indictment was returned on July 20 and Fields was arrested last night. He appeared today via videoconference before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas O. Farrish who ordered Fields detained.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, on March 24, 2021, Hartford Police arrested Fields after officers found him in possession of a loaded .357 Glock 31 pistol. The investigation revealed that the firearm had been reported stolen in Atlanta, Georgia.
It is further alleged that, on May 13, 2021, while Fields was released on bond in his state case related to his March 24 arrest, Hartford Police arrested Fields after officers found him in possession of a loaded 9mm “ghost gun.” Fields was again released on bond.
It is alleged that analysis by the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) determined that the ghost gun seized from Fields is likely the firearm that was used on May 4, 2021, to shoot three victims in Hartford, killing one and seriously wounding the other two.
It is alleged that Fields’ criminal history includes state felony convictions in 2017 for carrying a dangerous weapon, and in 2018 for criminal possession of a weapon. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
The indictment charges Fields with one count of possession of a firearm by a felon, and one count of possession of ammunition by a felon. Each offense carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
Acting U.S. Attorney Boyle stressed that an indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force and the Hartford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ruff.
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.
Haines City Man Receives Twelve Years in Prison for Tallahassee Drug Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA –Taree Lamott Armstrong, 30, of Haines City, Florida, has been sentenced to twelve years in federal prison after pleading guilty to multiple drug-trafficking offenses. Jason R. Coody, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the sentence.
According to court documents, on March 25, 2020, Armstrong was stopped by a trooper with the Florida Highway Patrol for having a license plate attached to the wrong vehicle. During the traffic stop, the trooper found approximately $1520 and two bags of marijuana in Armstrong’s pockets. A search of Armstrong’s vehicle revealed cocaine, crack cocaine, hydrocodone, 43.6 grams of methamphetamine, and 2.25 pounds of marijuana. Armstrong was arrested on state charges and released on bond.
On July 2, 2020, Armstrong was a passenger in a traffic crash which occurred in Tallahassee. During the accident investigation, officers of the Tallahassee Police Department discovered that Armstrong attempted to hide two black bags which contained marijuana, crack cocaine, and drug paraphernalia associated with the sale of controlled substances. Officers also discovered approximately $1453 in Armstrong’s pockets. Armstrong was arrested on state charges and was again released on bond.
On August 4, 2020, Armstrong was federally indicted for the previous drug-related charges. Armstrong was arrested by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with the assistance of the Florida Highway Patrol, on August 6, 2020, to address the federal charges. Upon his arrest, agents seized methamphetamine, marijuana, synthetic marijuana, approximately $1160 in cash, and two digital scales from his vehicle.
Armstrong’s prior criminal history includes nine felony convictions, several of which involve narcotics distribution and violence against law enforcement officers. Given the nature of his prior felony convictions, Armstrong qualified as a Career Offender and was subject to increased Federal sentencing penalties.
“Those who repeatedly commit serious crimes are deserving of significant prison sentences,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Coody. “This career criminal has demonstrated his unwillingness to abide by the law, committing repeated drug crimes – while on bond for identical violations. Given the outstanding work of our state, local, and federal law enforcement partners, he will no longer be distributing drugs in our community.”
“As always, the Drug Enforcement Administration is committed to working with our law enforcement partners as these relationships are vital to protecting our communities,” said DEA Miami Field Division Acting Special Agent in Charge La Verne Hibbert. “The strong partnership with the Florida Highway Patrol and Tallahassee Police Department allowed us to quickly coordinate efforts that led directly to another career criminal being taken off our streets.”
This sentence resulted from an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Florida Highway Patrol, and the Tallahassee Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys James A. McCain prosecuted the case.
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 works 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. Here in Tallahassee, the Sheriff’s ALLinLEON initiative has focused on enforcement, but also engaged community volunteers to regularly take at-risk youth to places of worship, activated Neighborhood Crime Watch programs, and conducted other activities to target neighborhoods that are perennial hotspots for violence. The effort also aims to help connect individuals who are reentering the community from incarceration with education, job skills and substance abuse treatment.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html
Grand Island Man Sentenced for Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that John Wizinsky, 57, of Grand Island, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for Distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Chief United States District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Wizinsky to 262 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin an 8-year term of supervised release.
On October 10, 2019, a confidential informant purchased 52 grams of actual methamphetamine from Wizinsky at the Pump and Pantry in Grand Island. On September 28, 2020, Wizinsky was arrested on his federal warrant, and he had another 25 grams of actual methamphetamine in his rear pocket. Wizinsky was responsible for 77 grams actual methamphetamine and was found to be a career offender for having two prior felony convictions for controlled substance offenses.
This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol.
Four More Individuals Face Charges Related to the Kidnapping and Death of an Osage Nation CitizenRead the Press Release
Eleven defendants from the Joplin, Missouri, area have now been charged in a third superseding indictment for a kidnapping conspiracy that led to the death of an Osage citizen and for attempting to obstruct the ensuing federal investigation.
“The 11 defendants charged were allegedly involved in either the kidnapping and resulting death of Jolene Walker Campbell or with threatening witnesses and concealing evidence to cover up their crimes,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “This indictment reflects a year’s worth of thorough investigative work and commitment from FBI special agents and federal prosecutor Kevin Fletcher to provide justice for the victim and her family.”
Jolene Walker Campbell’s body was discovered on July 15, 2020, in a remote field in Mayes County within the boundaries of the Muscogee Nation. The victim’s identity was initially unknown. Through an investigation involving the FBI, Mayes County Sheriff’s Office, Muscogee Nation Lighthorse Police Department and the Joplin Police Department, Ms. Walker Campbell was soon identified. The kidnapping and resulting death is alleged to have occurred between July 4 and 5, 2020.
Brothers Tre Robert Allan Ackerson and Lane Ryan Bronson along with Jacob Ryan Scribner and Kimberly Kay Grissom are newly charged in the third superseding indictment. Grissom is Ackerson and Bronson’s mother. The two brothers are in state custody in Missouri. Scribner and Grissom remain at large. All other defendants are in custody or are on pre-trail release.
Defendants Breanna Lynn Sloan, Tre Robert Allen Ackerson and Lane Ryan Bronson, all non-Indians, are charged with a kidnapping conspiracy that resulted in the death of Jolene Walker Campbell, a citizen of the Osage Nation. According to the indictment, the defendants conspired with one another and others to kidnap the victim whom they suspected was a federal informant. On July 4, 2020, Bronson allegedly pointed a gun at the victim’s head and forced her into a vehicle in Joplin, Missouri. Between July 4 and July 5, 2020, Ackerson and Sloan are alleged to have transported the victim across state lines into Oklahoma, through both the Cherokee and Muscogee Nations, and left her body in a field in Mayes County within the boundaries of the Muscogee Nation. Counts 1-3 relate to the kidnapping and death of Ms. Walker Campbell.
In count 4, the trio is further charged with desecrating the victim’s body by disposing of it to conceal the crime and to impede any possible investigation and prosecution.
Chloe Louise Stith, David William Morris, Breanna Lynn Sloan, Morgan Lee Bowman, Sarah Michelle Humbard, Megan Louise Detherage, Ariel Sue Paige Divine, Tre Robert Allen Ackerson, Lane Ryan Bronson, Jacob Ryan Scribner, and Kimberly Kay Grissom are charged in Count 5 with conspiracy to tamper with a witness, victim, and informant by using and threatening physical force. From July 5, 2020, to the date of the third superseding indictment (July 20, 2021) the defendants allegedly intimidated, threatened, and used physical force against at least four victims/witnesses/informants to prevent them from communicating with agents regarding the death of Ms. Walker Campbell.
Chloe Louise Stith, Ariel Sue Paige Divine, Tre Robert Allen Ackerson and Layne Ryan Bronson are charged in Count 6 with disposing of the victim’s belongings and her body on July 5, 2020, to make them unavailable as evidence in an investigation into the killing.
Breanna Lynn Sloan, Morgan Lee Bowman, Megan Louise Detherage, Tre Robert Allen Ackerson, and Lane Ryan Bronson are charged with tampering with a witness, victim, and informant in Count 7. On July 7, 2020, the defendants allegedly bound and blindfolded two witnesses, kidnapped them, and took them to a remote location. According to the indictment, the defendants then shot at Witness 1 with a semi-automatic rifle and told the witness to “dance” while Witness 2, still blindfolded, was forced to listen to the gunshots and Witness 1 scream. The two were then warned not to speak with law enforcement. In Count 8, the same defendants are charged for attempting to destroy evidence of the assault by cleaning one of the witnesses’ car with bleach.
Tre Robert Allen Ackerson, Lane Ryan Bronson, and Jacob Ryan Scribner are charged in Count 9 with tampering with a witness, victim, and informant when they allegedly carjacked Witness 1 to remind and warn the witness not to speak with law enforcement about the federal investigation. The incident occurred on July 19, 2020, two days after the news reported that the body found in Oklahoma was Ms. Walker Campbell.
Breanna Lynn Sloan is charged in Count 10 with tampering with a witness, victim, or informant by corrupt persuasion when on Aug. 8, 2020, she allegedly offered Witnesses 1 and 2 $1,000 if the witnesses recanted their testimony in Missouri state court against Tre Robert Allen Ackerson for the carjacking discussed in Count 9.
In Count 11, David William Morris, Sarah Michelle Humbard and Lane Ryan Bronson are charged with threatening physical force against Witness 2 with intent to hinder the witness’ testimony in Missouri state court. On Aug. 11, 2020, Morris and Humbard allegedly reminded Witness 2 about the death of Ms. Walker Campbell, warned that the witness was playing with fire, and directed the defendant to drive to a hotel in Carthage, Missouri, where they met Bronson. The indictment states that Bronson then demanded that Witness 2 appear in court the next day and change his testimony about Tre Robert Allen Ackerson or he would pay.
Chloe Louise Stith and Lane Ryan Bronson are charged in Count 12 with tampering with a witness, victim and informant. On Aug. 13, 2020, the two defendants allegedly covered Witnesses 3 and 4’s eyes with duct tape, bound their hands with zip ties, forced them into a car, and took them to a remote location. Bronson then allegedly beat Witness 3 while making Witness 4 watch. He stated that he heard Witness 4 was talking about the disappearance of Ms. Walker Campbell. He then allegedly warned that witness 4 would be beaten if the witness spoke to law enforcement.
Chloe Louise Stith and Jacob Ryan Scribner are charged in Count 13 with conspiracy to retaliate against a witness, victim and informant. On Aug. 22, 2020, the two allegedly conspired together and with others to retaliate against Witness 4 for speaking to authorities.
Finally, in Count 14, Tre Robert Allen Ackerson, Jacob Ryan Scribner, and Kimberly Kay Grissom are charged with conspiracy to retaliate against a witness, victim and informant. On April 26, 2021, they are alleged to have conspired together and with others to retaliate against Witness 3.
An indictment is merely an allegation and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Below is a list of defendants named in the indictment:
Chloe Louise Stith, 34
David William Morris, 34
Breanna Lynn Sloan, 22
Morgan Lee Bowman, 26
Sarah Michelle Humbard, 24
Megan Louise Detherage, 27
Ariel Sue Paige Divine, 29
Tre Robert Allen Ackerson, 27
Lane Ryan Bronson, 28
Jacob Ryan Scribner, 33
Kimberly Kay Grissom, 46
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Fletcher is prosecuting the case. AUSA Fletcher is a prosecutor from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Iowa. He volunteered to assist prosecution efforts here in the Northern District of Oklahoma due to increased jurisdictional responsibilities regarding crimes involving Native American victims or defendants and that occur within the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and Cherokee Nation Reservations.
Fort Smith Trio Sentenced to over 38 Years Combined in Federal Prison for Firearms PossessionRead the Press Release
FORT SMITH – Trio sentenced to over 38 years combined in federal prison on one count each of Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm. The Honorable Judge P.K Holmes, III, presided over the sentencing hearing’s in the United States District Court in Fort Smith.
According to court documents, In November 2020, members of the 12th/21st Drug Task Force (DTF) received information that Charlene M. Elmore, 26, and Frankie Leon Hunter, 29, possessed numerous firearms that were suspected to have been stolen. Elmore was a parolee with an active absconder warrant issued by the Arkansas Parole Board due to her absconding from parole supervision on or about July 31, 2020. Hunter was also a parolee. On November 9, 2020, DTF members went to their residence in Fort Smith, Arkansas. When DTF members arrived at the residence, they saw Elmore, the driver, and Hunter, the passenger, leaving in a green Chevrolet Equinox. Patrol officers attempted a traffic stop, but Elmore stopped only when her vehicle became disabled. Elmore and Hunter were taken into custody. After Elmore and Hunter were taken into custody, law enforcement officers returned to the residence where Jeremy Robinson, 29, another parolee living at the residence, answered the door. Arkansas State Parole Officers had parole search waivers on file for all three individuals that allowed them to search the residence. Eighteen firearms were found, six of which had been reported stolen in Roland, Oklahoma.
Elmore was sentenced yesterday to 92 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
Hunter was sentenced on July 21, 2021 to 192 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release.
Robinson was sentenced on June 10, 2021 to 180 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
The 12th/21st Drug Task Force investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyra Jenner prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Former prison guard admits role in major south Georgia drug trafficking conspiracyRead the Press Release
WAYCROSS, GA: A former prison guard has admitted participating in a drug trafficking operation in south Georgia that included smuggling contraband to inmates.
Jessica Azaelae Burnett, a/k/a “The Madam,” 41, of Douglas, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty in U.S. District Court to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Methamphetamine and Marijuana, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Burnett’s guilty plea exposes her to a statutory penalty of up to 20 years in prison and substantial financial penalties, followed by a minimum of three years of supervised release after completion of any prison sentence. There is no parole in the federal system. As part of her plea agreement, Burnett also agrees to the forfeiture of five firearms seized during the investigation.
“Compromised corrections officers who breach prison security to provide contraband to inmates represent a significant danger not only to inmates and guards, but also to citizens outside prison walls who are within reach of unmonitored jail communications from smuggled cell phones,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “Jessica Burnett is rightfully being held accountable for violating her oath and endangering the community.”
Burnett, who was a sergeant and a senior guard with CoreCivic, the private prison company that operates Coffee County Correctional Facility, admitted working with other conspirators in distribution of methamphetamine and marijuana. Her role in the conspiracy included smuggling cell phones, drugs and other contraband into the state prison.
Burnett is one of 48 defendants indicted in Operation Sandy Bottom, the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force investigation centered in the Sand Ridge neighborhood on the east side of Douglas, Ga., in an area known as “the bottoms.” The 57-count indictment, USA v. McMillan et. al, was unsealed in January 2021 and alleges that the conspiracy, controlled by a subset of the violent Gangster Disciples street gang, used guns, violence and fear to control methamphetamine trafficking operations throughout the community and to enable contraband distribution inside Georgia prisons.
Altogether, the indictment charged the 48 defendants with a total of 129 felonies. With Burnett, 20 of the defendants await sentencing after pleading guilty; that includes another former prison guard: Idalis Qua Dazia Harrell, 24, of Douglas, a former guard at Coffee County Correctional Facility, who pled guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Methamphetamine and Marijuana. The remaining defendants are awaiting trial, and are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The investigation began in 2018 when the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office Drug Unit, responding to complaints about the increasing level of violence and drug activity in the Sand Ridge neighborhood of Douglas, enlisted the assistance of the FBI and the Coastal Georgia Violent Gang Task Force. The indictment alleges that the conspiracy controlled multiple “trap houses” to store and distribute illegal drugs, primarily methamphetamine, and was coordinated by leaders of the Gangster Disciples who distributed drugs throughout Coffee, Bacon, Emanuel, Jeff Davis, Pierce and Wheeler counties, along with other parts of Georgia.
Investigators infiltrated the operation, intercepting multiple kilograms of drugs and nearly two dozen illegally possessed firearms, along with seven vehicles and more than $12,000 in cash identified as drug-trafficking proceeds.
Cell phones were used by some of the conspirators in Operation Sandy Bottom to facilitate drug trafficking throughout south Georgia from inside the state prison system.
“Not only did Burnett jeopardize the safety of staff and inmates at the Coffee County Correctional Facility, her actions fostered criminal activity inside and outside the facility,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “By violating her sworn oath she betrayed every honest, hard-working officer and she will be held accountable.”
“CoreCivic is committed to the safety and security of our employees, those in our care, and the communities we serve. The facility management team at Coffee Correctional Facility fully supported this investigation and appreciate the efforts of all agencies involved in preventing further introduction of contraband into correctional facilities,” said Vance Laughlin, CoreCivic’s Managing Director of Operations.
Operation Sandy Bottom 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. It is being investigated by the FBI and the FBI Coastal Georgia Safe Streets Violent Gang Task Force; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Marshals Service; the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office and the Coffee County Drug Unit; the Georgia Department of Corrections; the Jeff Davis County Sheriff’s Office; Pierce County Sheriff’s Office; Bacon County Sheriff’s Office; Emanuel County Sheriff’s Office; Lanier County Sheriff’s Office; the Blackshear Police Department; Nicholls Police Department; Douglas Police Department; Alma Police Department; the Glynn County Police Department; the Brunswick Police Department; the Swainsboro Police Department; and the Coffee County Department of Family and Children Services.
The cases is being prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph McCool, Frank Pennington II and E. Greg Gilluly, with asset forfeitures coordinated by Xavier A. Cunningham, Section Chief of the Asset Forfeiture Recovery Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Former U.S. Government Employee Pleads Guilty to Sexual Abuse and Obscenity Offenses Committed over 14 YearsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A California man pleaded guilty today to sexual abuse and admitted to the abusive sexual contact of numerous women, as well as photographing and recording dozens of nude and partially nude women without their consent during his career as a U.S. government employee.
According to court documents, Brian Jeffrey Raymond, 45, of La Mesa, was most recently employed by the U.S. government at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City, Mexico. Raymond departed Mexico after an adult woman was observed nude and screaming for help from his balcony on May 31, 2020. The woman reported she had no memory of events after consuming drinks and food provided by Raymond.
“Brian Raymond betrayed the trust granted to him as a U.S. government employee representing the United States abroad by engaging in years of predatory conduct sexually abusing, exploiting, and recording vulnerable women he targeted in the United States and around the world,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “As demonstrated by Raymond’s prosecution and plea, the Department of Justice and its law enforcement partners will use all of the tools at our disposal to hold accountable those who victimize women.”
During the subsequent investigation, law enforcement agents recovered hundreds of photographs and videos depicting more than 20 unconscious and nude or partially nude women from Raymond’s cell phones, iCloud account, and other electronic devices. Raymond created these materials starting at least as early as 2006 and continuing up until May 30, 2020. Raymond’s hand is visible in photographs and videos manipulating his victims’ eyes, mouths, and limbs and fondling their breasts and buttocks. Raymond is also seen lying in bed with unconscious women on two different occasions. The women experienced memory loss during their time with Raymond and had no knowledge of the photographs, videos or physical contact. Internet history recovered from Raymond’s devices revealed searches for unconscious women, as well as searches for the side effects of prescription drugs combined with alcohol, for example, “ambien and alcohol side effects,” “Ambien dissolve,” “Ambien and alcohol pass out” and “passed out and carried.”
“Thanks to the coordinated efforts of law enforcement here and abroad, Brian Raymond was brought to justice for the sexual and exploitive crimes he repeatedly committed against numerous women,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips for the District of Columbia. “We hope that this guilty plea brings some solace to his many victims.”
In the plea agreement, Raymond admitted he engaged in sexual intercourse with two of the victims depicted in the recordings when both were incapable of appraising the nature of the conduct or consenting to it. These offenses occurred on May 30, 2020, and March 26, 2020, in Raymond’s embassy-leased residence in Mexico City. Additionally, Raymond admitted that over the course of 14 years he recorded and/or photographed at least 24 unconscious and nude or partially nude women and touched the breasts, buttocks, groin area and/or genitalia of numerous women while they were incapable of consent. Raymond transported these obscene materials, specifically 479 photographs and videos of 20 unconscious and nude or partially nude women, into the United States. While under investigation, Raymond attempted to delete the photographs and videos from his devices and internet accounts and made materially false statements to law enforcement.
“Today’s guilty plea of Brian Jeffrey Raymond sends a strong message: The Diplomatic Security Service is committed to making sure U.S. government employees who engage in predatory behavior for which they can be charged with a criminal offense face serious consequences,” said Acting Assistant Director for Domestic Operations Julia Sweeney of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS). “Our strong relationships with the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. and foreign law enforcement partners around the world continue to be essential in the pursuit of justice.”
“Brian Jeffrey Raymond’s guilty plea is a step in the right direction in the pursuit of justice for the many victims of his predatory behaviors,” said Assistant Director in Charge Steven M. D’Antuono of the FBI’s Washington Field Office. “The FBI is grateful to the brave women who came forward to provide information to further this investigation and put a stop to Raymond’s actions.”
Raymond will be sentenced at a date to be determined and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison, a fine of $250,000, a term of supervised release of at least five years and mandatory restitution. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Trial Attorneys Jamie Perry and Danielle Hickman of the Justice Department’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney April Russo of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case.
The FBI and the Department of State’s DSS Office of Special Investigations are investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and National Security Division provided valuable assistance.
The Department of Justice gratefully acknowledges the Government of Mexico, to include the Fiscalía General de la República and the Fiscalía General de Justicia de la Ciudad de México, for their extraordinary efforts, support and cooperation during the investigation.
If you believe you have been a victim, have information about Raymond or know of someone who may have information about Raymond, the FBI requests that you fill out this secure, online questionnaire, email FBI at [email protected] or call 1-800-CALL-FBI.
Former U.S. Government Employee Pleads Guilty to Sexual Abuse and Obscenity Offenses Committed over 14 YearsRead the Press Release
A California man pleaded guilty today to sexual abuse and admitted to the abusive sexual contact of numerous women, as well as photographing and recording dozens of nude and partially nude women without their consent during his career as a U.S. government employee.
According to court documents, Brian Jeffrey Raymond, 45, of La Mesa, was most recently employed by the U.S. government at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City, Mexico. Raymond departed Mexico after an adult woman was observed nude and screaming for help from his balcony on May 31, 2020. The woman reported she had no memory of events after consuming drinks and food provided by Raymond.
“Brian Raymond betrayed the trust granted to him as a U.S. government employee representing the United States abroad by engaging in years of predatory conduct sexually abusing, exploiting, and recording vulnerable women he targeted in the United States and around the world,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “As demonstrated by Raymond’s prosecution and plea, the Department of Justice and its law enforcement partners will use all of the tools at our disposal to hold accountable those who victimize women.”
During the subsequent investigation, law enforcement agents recovered hundreds of photographs and videos depicting more than 20 unconscious and nude or partially nude women from Raymond’s cell phones, iCloud account, and other electronic devices. Raymond created these materials starting at least as early as 2006 and continuing up until May 30, 2020. Raymond’s hand is visible in photographs and videos manipulating his victims’ eyes, mouths, and limbs and fondling their breasts and buttocks. Raymond is also seen lying in bed with unconscious women on two different occasions. The women experienced memory loss during their time with Raymond and had no knowledge of the photographs, videos, or physical contact. Internet history recovered from Raymond’s devices revealed searches for unconscious women, as well as searches for the side effects of prescription drugs combined with alcohol, for example, “ambien and alcohol side effects,” “Ambien dissolve,” “Ambien and alcohol pass out,” and “passed out and carried.”
“Thanks to the coordinated efforts of law enforcement here and abroad, Brian Raymond was brought to justice for the sexual and exploitive crimes he repeatedly committed against numerous women,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips for the District of Columbia. “We hope that this guilty plea brings some solace to his many victims.”
In the plea agreement, Raymond admitted he engaged in sexual intercourse with two of the victims depicted in the recordings when both were incapable of appraising the nature of the conduct or consenting to it. These offenses occurred on May 30, 2020, and March 26, 2020, in Raymond’s embassy-leased residence in Mexico City. Additionally, Raymond admitted that over the course of 14 years he recorded and/or photographed at least 24 unconscious and nude or partially nude women and touched the breasts, buttocks, groin area and/or genitalia of numerous women while they were incapable of consent. Raymond transported these obscene materials, specifically 479 photographs and videos of 20 unconscious and nude or partially nude women, into the United States. While under investigation, Raymond attempted to delete the photographs and videos from his devices and internet accounts and made materially false statements to law enforcement.
“Today's guilty plea of Brian Jeffrey Raymond sends a strong message: The Diplomatic Security Service is committed to making sure U.S. government employees who engage in predatory behavior for which they can be charged with a criminal offense face serious consequences,” said Acting Assistant Director for Domestic Operations Julia Sweeney of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS). “Our strong relationships with the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. and foreign law enforcement partners around the world continue to be essential in the pursuit of justice.”
“Brian Jeffrey Raymond’s guilty plea is a step in the right direction in the pursuit of justice for the many victims of his predatory behaviors,” said Assistant Director in Charge Steven M. D’Antuono of the FBI’s Washington Field Office. “The FBI is grateful to the brave women who came forward to provide information to further this investigation and put a stop to Raymond’s actions.”
Raymond will be sentenced at a date to be determined and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison, a fine of $250,000, a term of supervised release of at least five years and mandatory restitution. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Trial Attorneys Jamie Perry and Danielle Hickman of the Justice Department’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney April Russo of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case.
The FBI and the Department of State’s DSS Office of Special Investigations are investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and National Security Division provided valuable assistance.
The Department of Justice gratefully acknowledges the Government of Mexico, to include the Fiscalía General de la República and the Fiscalía General de Justicia de la Ciudad de México, for their extraordinary efforts, support and cooperation during the investigation.
If you believe you have been a victim, have information about Raymond or know of someone who may have information about Raymond, the FBI requests that you fill out this secure, online questionnaire, email FBI at [email protected] or call 1-800-CALL-FBI.
Former Tech Employee at Blue Ridge School District Sentenced to 30 Months' ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A former technology coordinator who worked for Blue Ridge Community School District in Farmer, City, Ill., Joshua Raymer, 45, was sentenced on July 22, 2021, to 30 months in federal prison, to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release, in relation to a scheme that defrauded the district of approximately $336,276 over two years.
Raymer pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud in connection with the scheme in February 2021. According to court documents, during the time Raymer carried out the scheme, from April 2016 to December 2018, he falsely represented to a district official that computer switches had failed, and replacements were needed to maintain the district’s computer system. Raymer repeatedly used his position to have the district order and pay for more than 100 computer switches that it did not use or need, from two separate vendors, at a total cost of more than $400,000. Another 28 computer switches were ordered that were never paid for that resulted in a loss to the vendor of approximately $106,200.
When Raymer received the switches, he admitted that he sold them as if they were his personal property and used the money for himself. Acting under his name and doing business as “The Bored Woodworker,” Raymer contacted at least five different buyers and negotiated a purchase price for the switches that had been shipped to and paid for by the Blue Ridge school district. Raymer then shipped the switches to his buyers and had payments issued to himself or his business name.
At the sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge Sue E. Myerscough also ordered Raymer to pay $460,373.77 in restitution. Raymer is required to pay $336,276 to the school district and its insurer and $106,200 to a computer vendor. The judge also ordered Raymer to pay an additional $17,897.77 to Special Olympics Illinois in relation to a theft from that organization, where Raymer worked following his employment with the school district. Raymer had agreed to pay restitution in relation to that uncharged conduct as part of his plea agreement.
“The Farmer City Police Department deserves praise for an outstanding investigation,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Douglas J. Quivey. “Public corruption at any level of government simply cannot be tolerated. Our school children deserve quality technology, and prosecution with a resulting prison sentence that includes restitution serves to restore a needed level of public trust and reminds us all that those who decide to cheat will pay a stiff price.”
The charges were investigated by the Farmer City, Ill., Police Department, with the full cooperation of the school district, which referred the matter to law enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Bass represented the government in the prosecution.
Former Springfield Business Owner Charged in Fraudulent Loan SchemeRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – A federal indictment was unsealed today, charging Chad William Rudicel, 52, formerly of Springfield, Tennessee, with seven counts of wire fraud, one count of mail fraud, and two counts of aggravated identity theft, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Mary Jane Stewart for the Middle District of Tennessee. Rudicel was arrested by FBI agents at him home in Largo, Florida, earlier this morning.
According to the indictment, Rudicel owned Ellis & Rudicel Welding (E&R), a steel fabrication and welding company located in Springfield, Tennessee. In the summer of 2015, Rudicel offered to purchase Brown’s Welding and Steel Services / Brown Cliff Crane (Brown’s Welding), another steel welding and fabrication business. The owner of the business gave Rudicel access to the books and records of the business so that Rudicel could have the business appraised. Rudicel never actually purchased Brown’s Welding but instead, in the spring of 2016, Rudicel sought funding from Thermo Communications Funding, LLC (Thermo). As part of the loan agreement, Rudicel falsely claimed that E&R had performed work for Brown’s Welding in the amount of $279,700. E&R had not, in fact, performed any work for Brown’s Welding, and Brown’s Welding did not owe E&R any money. Rudicel gave Thermo fabricated invoices and forged the signature of the owner of Brown’s Welding on a number of documents. Further, Rudicel falsely represented to Thermo that the owner of Brown’s Welding had consented to the deal. Rudicel did not repay the loan to Thermo but instead, took out another loan in the amount of $25,000 from an investment company called New Hope Properties, LLC, which he promised to repay within two months. Rudicel opened a bank account in the name of “Brown’s Welding and Crane Service,” and deposited the check into that account. He then wrote Thermo a check for $25,000 out of that account, but that check was returned for insufficient funds because Rudicel had already spent the money he received from New Hope.
In March 2017, Rudicel applied for another loan, this time from Construction Finance LLC. Rudicel applied for that loan in the name of the owner of Brown’s Welding, without his knowledge, and forged the owner’s signature on several documents. Rudicel gave Construction Finance several false invoices and job contracts that made it appear that Brown’s Welding had entered into contracts with various clients, and that Brown’s Welding had subcontracted that work to E&R. Rudicel falsely made it appear as though E&R was owed approximately $531,000. Several of these false documents contained the forged signatures of a Brown’s Welding employee and representatives of the purported clients. In addition to the forged signatures, these invoices and contracts were false and fraudulent because neither E&R nor Brown’s Welding had entered into contracts with these clients, nor completed the work, nor were they owed money by any of these clients.
If convicted, Rudicel faces a mandatory two-year sentence on each aggravated identity theft count and up to 20 years and a $250,000 fine on each wire and mail fraud count.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn W. Booth is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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Former Pharmaceutical Sales Representative Indicted in Compounded Prescription Drug SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A former pharmaceutical sales representative was charged today for his role in a scheme to defraud a telecommunications company’s health care plan by billing for medically unnecessary compounded prescriptions, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Carmine A. Mattia Jr. 60, of Cedar Grove, New Jersey, was indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and three counts of health care fraud. He will have his initial appearance on a date to be determined.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Compounded medications are specialty medications mixed by a pharmacist to meet the specific medical needs of an individual patient. Although not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), they are properly prescribed when a physician determines that an FDA-approved medication does not meet the health needs of a particular patient, such as if a patient is allergic to a dye or other ingredients in the prescription.
The scheme centered on Mattia’s work as a sales representative for a marketing company and various compounding pharmacies, for which he sold compounded medications, including pain creams, scar creams, wound creams, and metabolic supplements/vitamins. Mattia was also a full-time employee of the telecommunications company and was a union representative for the company’s employees.
Between April 2016 and July 2016, Mattia participated in a conspiracy to submit fraudulent prescriptions for compounded medications to the telecommunications company’s health care plan. The compounding pharmacies paid Mattia a commission in exchange for each prescription for compounded medication Mattia caused to be billed to the company’s health care plan.
To fraudulently increase his profits as a sales representative, Mattia recruited Individual-1 to receive medically unnecessary compounded medications. Mattia paid Individual-1 to induce Individual-1 to receive these medications. Mattia also secured the signature of a New Jersey doctor, Robert Agresti, on prescription forms for Individual-1. Agresti and Individual-1 did not have a doctor/patient relationship, Agresti did not determine if Individual-1 needed the compounded medications selected, and he did not examine Individual-1. Agresti pleaded guilty on June 26, 2018, to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and is awaiting sentencing.
Mattia’s participation in the scheme caused a loss to the telecommunications company’s health care plan of approximately $100,000.
The conspiracy charge and substantive health care fraud charges each carry a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr. in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s indictment.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emma Spiro and Sean M. Sherman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit in Newark.
The charge and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Former Payroll Administrator Found Guilty of $1.5 Million Fraud Against Longtime EmployerRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A longtime payroll administrator was found guilty today of wire fraud and other charges for a scheme in which she embezzled more than $1.5 million from her former employer, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Robert E. Bornstein, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division.
Eleanor Milligan, 61, of Silver Spring, Md., was found guilty of a total of 13 counts, including wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and first-degree theft. The verdict followed a trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Honorable Timothy J. Kelly scheduled sentencing for Oct. 22, 2021.
According to the government’s evidence, except for brief periods, Milligan worked from 1998 to 2016 for a company based in Washington, D.C. Beginning in at least or about August 2009, and continuing until in or about March 2016, Milligan used her fellow employees’ names and personal identifying identification without authority to transmit false payment requests to herself through the employer’s payroll processing system. In total, Milligan caused more than $1.5 million in fraudulently obtained payments to be direct-deposited into accounts under her control and otherwise paid for her benefit.
In announcing the verdict, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillips and Acting Special Agent in Charge Bornstein commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). They commended the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Chad Byron and Michon Tart, Victim-Witness Service Coordinator Tonya Jones, Supervisory Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling, and Litigation Technology Specialist Jeanie Latimore-Brown. Finally, they acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Diane Lucas and Christine Macey, who prosecuted the matter.
Former Niceville Avionics Engineer Pleads Guilty to Federal Income Tax CrimesRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Mark D. Schneider, 60, formerly of Niceville, Florida, pled guilty yesterday to multiple federal tax crimes, announced Jason R. Coody, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. Schneider, who lived in Niceville during the commission of his offenses, was recently arrested by the United States Marshals Service after becoming a fugitive when he failed to appear on the day of his trial in Pensacola in January 2021.
At his guilty plea, Schneider admitted in federal court that, while living in Niceville and then in Huntsville, Alabama, he evaded paying his federal income taxes between 2007 and 2016. Schneider agreed that the taxes he evaded payment on totaled over $200,000. During the plea, he also confirmed that he attempted to obstruct the Internal Revenue Service investigation into his criminal behavior by mailing false and fictitious documents, fraudulently trying to claim tax refunds, and interfering with federal grand jury subpoenas. When Schneider failed to appear for his federal jury trial in Pensacola in January, a warrant was issued for his arrest. The United States Marshals Service found Schneider working at a hotel outside Cleveland, Ohio, and took him into custody. At his guilty plea, Schneider also admitted to failing to appear to court as directed by Court Order.
“The United States relies on the payment of taxes to defend our country and maintain its operations,” stated Acting United States Attorney Coody. “We will investigate and prosecute those who falsely misrepresent their income – whether by traditional evasion or the filing of fraudulent documents. Notwithstanding, falsification and flight, this defendant has been held to account as a result of the collective efforts of IRS Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Marshals Service.”
“The defendant has demonstrated a flagrant pattern of evasion as indicated by his own admission to a years-long scheme to evade his tax obligations and further by his failed attempt to evade answering to the related charges by becoming a fugitive,” said Special Agent in Charge Brian Payne of IRS Criminal Investigation. “Thanks to our partnership with the U.S. Marshals, Mr. Schneider will now be held accountable for all of his attempts to elude justice.”
Schneider’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 15, 2021, at 10:30 am, at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola before the Honorable United States District Judge M. Casey Rodgers. Schneider faces up to 30 years imprisonment on the tax related crimes. He faces up to 10 years, consecutively, for failing to appear in court as ordered.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and the United States Marshals Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David L. Goldberg and Kaitlin Weiss.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Former New Mexico State Police officer convicted of distribution of marijuana and methamphetamineRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Daniel Capehart, 36, of Bloomfield, New Mexico, was convicted on July 22 by a federal jury of three counts of distribution of marijuana and methamphetamine, two of which occurred within 1,000 feet of a school and playground, in Farmington, New Mexico.
According to court records, on June 15, 2018, Capehart, then a patrol officer with the New Mexico State Police, conducted a traffic stop during which he came into contact with a 16-year old passenger identified as Jane Doe 1 in Farmington. Capehart requested Jane Doe 1’s phone number, email address and date of birth. Capehart then gave Jane Doe 1 a business card with his personal cell phone number. Approximately an hour after the traffic stop concluded, Capehart began texting Jane Doe 1.
On June 19, 2018, Jane Doe 1 reported the incident and text messages to the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office. Law enforcement immediately launched an investigation into Capehart’s conduct. As part of this investigation, Jane Doe 1 allowed law enforcement to use her phone and pretend to be her in further communications with Capehart.
On June 20, 2018, Capehart offered to provide marijuana to Jane Doe 1, unaware he was communicating with law enforcement. In exchange, still believing he was communicating with a 16-year old girl, Capehart asked for “selfies” as payment. After Capehart instructed Jane Doe 1 on how to avoid being caught with marijuana and the two agreeing on a delivery point that was close to Jane Doe 1’s Farmington home, in the early morning hours of June 21, 2018, Capehart delivered marijuana to the agreed location.
Over the next two days, Capehart continued sending messages to whom he thought was Jane Doe 1. After Capehart asked to speak with the 16-year old, detectives had an undercover deputy speak with the defendant in three separate recorded phone calls. In those calls, Capehart continued to discuss marijuana believing he was speaking with a 16-year-old girl.
On June 23, 2018, Capehart again offered to provide marijuana to Jane Doe 1. Not realizing he was communicating with law enforcement, Capehart specified a location in Farmington that was within 1,000 feet of Farmington High School and Brookside Park playground. Capehart delivered the marijuana intended for the 16-year-old that same day.
Law enforcement also developed a confidential source (CS) who had prior dealings with Capehart and she agreed to cooperate. As part of the CS’s cooperation, she allowed law enforcement to use her phone to pretend to be the CS when communicating with Capehart. In those messages, Capehart devised a plan in which the CS would tell him when she was driving with someone who had methamphetamine. Capehart would conduct a traffic stop of the friend’s vehicle, locate the methamphetamine, and provide a portion of the methamphetamine to the CS in exchange for sex. Capehart was unaware that he was communicating this plan to law enforcement and that the CS’s friend would be an undercover agent.
On June 28, 2018, Capehart executed the plan and conducted the traffic stop. Capehart arrested the undercover agent and located the methamphetamine in the undercover agent’s pocket. After booking the undercover agent in jail, in the early morning hours of June 29, 2018, Capehart drove to a park located by the CS’s home in Bloomfield. Capehart then delivered more than five grams of methamphetamine by bathrooms in the park, which was also located within 1,000 feet of Central Primary Elementary School. Capehart was arrested later that day.
A sentencing date has not been scheduled. Capehart faces a mandatory minimum of 5 years and up to 40 years in prison on the methamphetamine count.
The FBI, San Juan County Sheriff’s Office, High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Region II Narcotics Task Force, and Farmington Police Department investigated this case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico is prosecuting the case.
The HIDTA Region II Narcotics Task Force is comprised of officers and investigators from the Farmington Police Department, San Juan County Sheriff’s Office, Bloomfield Police Department and Aztec Police Department, and is part of the HIDTA program created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988. HIDTA is a program of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) which provides assistance to federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States and seeks to reduce drug trafficking and production by facilitating coordinated law enforcement activities and information sharing.
Former New Bedford Man Pleads Guilty to False Pandemic Unemployment ClaimsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former New Bedford man pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston yesterday to federal wire fraud charges arising from claims for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) funds.
Arthur Pacheco, 47, previously of New Bedford, Mass., pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for Nov. 18, 2021. Arthur Pacheco was arrested and charged in December 2020 with his wife Tiffany Pacheco, who is scheduled to plead guilty on Aug. 30, 2021.
According to court documents, Tiffany was hired by the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) in April 2020, shortly after her release from federal prison following a conviction for aggravated identity theft. While employed by DUA, Tiffany allegedly misused her position to submit fraudulent PUA claim information on behalf of herself and her husband, Arthur, who was incarcerated in Texas until Sept. 4, 2020, and thus ineligible for PUA funds.
After Arthur was released from custody, he placed three calls to DUA regarding an appeal of his claim for PUA benefits. Arthur conveyed false information about the timing of his incarceration, including stating during one call that he had only been incarcerated for about one month. In addition, Arthur referenced an employment letter that he could provide to substantiate his unemployment claim. DUA then received a supposed letter from a Massachusetts retailer, indicating that the retailer withdrew a January 2020 job offer due to COVID-19. In fact, the letter was a forgery, and this retailer did not extend any job offer to Arthur in January 2020, at which time he was incarcerated in Texas.
The charges of wire fraud 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. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security’s Investigation’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF), a specialized field investigative group comprised of personnel from various local, state, and federal agencies with expertise in detecting, deterring, and disrupting organizations and individuals involved in various types of document, identity, and benefit fraud schemes.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; and Nikitas Splagounias, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigation made the announcement. The New Bedford Police Department, Massachusetts Parole Board and Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance, Program Integrity Unit provided valuable assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bill Abely and Dustin Chao of Mendell’s Criminal Division are 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 remaining defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Member of Latin Kings Massachusetts State Leadership Sentenced for Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The former Second-in-Command, or Cacique, of the Massachusetts Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (Latin Kings) was sentenced yesterday on racketeering charges.
Angel Roldan, a/k/a “King Big A,” 35, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel to seven years in prison and three years of supervised release. In February 2020, Roldan pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy.
From at least 2018 through 2019, Roldan served as the Cacique, or second-in-command, of the Latin Kings in Massachusetts. As part of this leadership role, Roldan sought out “paperwork” concerning Latin Kings members who provided information to law enforcement. Once the informant and status as an informant was confirmed, Roldan organized violence against them, both inside the prison system and on the street. During the investigation, Roldan was also captured on a recording selling a cooperating witness approximately 100 grams of fentanyl and a firearm.
The Latin Kings are a violent criminal enterprise comprised of thousands of members across the United States. The Latin Kings adhere to a national manifesto, employ an internal judiciary and use a sophisticated system of communication to maintain the hierarchy of the organization. As alleged in court documents, the gang uses drug distribution to generate revenue, and engages in violence against witnesses and rival gangs to further its influence and to protect its turf.
In December 2019, a federal grand jury returned an indictment alleging racketeering conspiracy, drug conspiracy and firearms charges against 62 leaders, members and associates of the Latin Kings. Roldan is the 37th defendant to be sentenced in the case.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendel; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Correction; and New Bedford Police Chief Joseph C. Cordeiro made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was also provided by the FBI North Shore Gang Task Force and the Bristol County and Suffolk County District Attorney’s Offices. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Philip A. Mallard and Lauren Graber of Mendell’s Criminal Division are prosecuted the case.
The operation was conducted by a multi-agency task force through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply. More information on the OCDETF program is available here: https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf/about-ocdetf.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Alabama Correctional Supervisor Convicted for Allowing Inmate AbuseRead the Press Release
After a three-day trial, a federal jury convicted former Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) shift commander Willie Burks, 42, of failing to stop an officer under his command from assaulting an inmate at ADOC’s Elmore Correctional Facility.
The evidence at trial established that when Burks watched calmly as his subordinate, Sergeant Ulysses Oliver, took a handcuffed and compliant inmate out of an observation room, threw him onto the ground, and then punched, kicked, and beat him with a baton. Rather than intervene, as Burks had been trained to do, Burks stood silent until the end of the beating, at which time he commented, “That’s fair.” When Oliver turned himself in for using excessive force, triggering an investigation, Burks instructed Oliver to write in his report that Burks had told him to stop, even though that was not true, in order to cover up his failure to intervene.
“The Constitution requires officers to take reasonable steps to stop excessive force when they know of it and have the power to stop it,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Defendant Burks defied the Constitution, and ignored his oath as a law enforcement officer, when he casually watched a handcuffed and defenseless inmate in his custody being assaulted by an officer under his command. We stand ready to hold officers who commit federal civil rights violations inside of jails and prisons accountable for their misconduct.”
“Correctional officers have an incredibly difficult and important job,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Sandra J. Stewart for the Middle District of Alabama. “Although a vast majority of them serve with honor, cases like this damage public trust and make the job they do more difficult. When officers abandon their oath to protect and serve, and turn a blind eye to criminal conduct, they must be held accountable. This office is committed to prosecute anyone who violates the law.”
“When a law enforcement officer accepts his or her oath of office, they also accept the higher standard they must adhere to,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge James Jewell of the FBI’s Mobile Division. “The abuse of prisoners should not, and will not, be tolerated by the men and women of the FBI and their work in this case was exemplary. The cooperation of the multiple agencies involved in this case, and most specifically the Alabama Department of Corrections, is a testament to their dedication to the administration of justice.”
“We condemn in the strongest possible terms Burks’ behavior and blatant violation of his sworn oath to serve,” said Chief Law Enforcement Officer Arnaldo Mercado for the Alabama Department of Corrections’ Law Enforcement Services Division. “We extend our thanks to the DOJ for its assistance in bringing forth justice in this case.”
Burks is the fourth correctional officer to be convicted in federal court in connection with this assault. Former ADOC Sergeant Ulysses Oliver previously pleaded guilty for assaulting the inmate, and former Corrections Officers Briana Mosley and Leon Williams, who were also present during the assault, previously pleaded guilty for failing to intervene.
Burks will be sentenced in November. He faces a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Mobile Division and ADOC’s Law Enforcement Services Division. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Counts of the Middle District of Alabama, and Trial Attorneys Katherine DeVar and David Reese of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
Separately, the Department of Justice is prosecuting a civil case against Alabama and ADOC that alleges a pattern or practice of excessive force by ADOC security staff in violation of the United States Constitution. See United States v. Alabama, No. 2:20-cv-01971-RDP (N.D. Ala.).
Former Alabama Correctional Supervisor Convicted for Allowing Inmate AbuseRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – After a three-day trial, a federal jury convicted former Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) shift commander Willie M. Burks III, 42, of failing to stop an officer under his command from assaulting an inmate at ADOC’s Elmore Correctional Facility. The jury rendered its guilty verdict on July 21, 2021.
The evidence at trial established that Burks watched calmly as his subordinate, Sergeant Ulysses Oliver, took a handcuffed and compliant inmate out of an observation room, threw him onto the ground, and then punched, kicked, and beat him with a baton. Rather than intervene, as Burks had been trained to do, Burks stood silent until the end of the beating, at which time he commented, “that’s fair.” When Oliver turned himself in for using excessive force, triggering an investigation, Burks instructed Oliver to write in his report that Burks had told him to stop, even though that was not true, in order to cover up his failure to intervene.
“The Constitution requires officers to take reasonable steps to stop excessive force when they know of it and have the power to stop it,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Defendant Burks defied the Constitution, and ignored his oath as a law enforcement officer, when he casually watched a handcuffed and defenseless inmate in his custody being assaulted by an officer under his command. We stand ready to hold officers who commit federal civil rights violations inside of jails and prisons accountable for their misconduct.”
“Correctional officers have an incredibly difficult and important job,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Sandra J. Stewart for the Middle District of Alabama. “Although a vast majority of them serve with honor, cases like this damage public trust and make the job they do more difficult. When officers abandon their oath to protect and serve, and turn a blind eye to criminal conduct, they must be held accountable. This office is committed to prosecute anyone who violates the law.”
“When a law enforcement officer accepts his or her oath of office they also accept the higher standard they must adhere to,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge James Jewell of the FBI’s Mobile Division. “The abuse of prisoners should not, and will not, be tolerated by the men and women of the FBI and their work in this case was exemplary. The cooperation of the multiple agencies involved in this case, and most specifically the Alabama Department of Corrections, is a testament to their dedication to the administration of justice.”
“We condemn in the strongest possible terms Burks’ behavior and blatant violation of his sworn oath to serve, said Chief Law Enforcement Officer Arnaldo Mercado for the Alabama Department of Corrections’ Law Enforcement Services Division. “We extend our thanks to the DOJ for their assistance in bringing forth justice in this case.”
Burks is the fourth correctional officer to be convicted in federal court in connection with this assault. Former ADOC Sergeant Ulysses Oliver previously pleaded guilty for assaulting the inmate, and former Corrections Officers Briana Mosley and Leon Williams, who were also present during the assault, previously pleaded guilty for failing to intervene.
Burks will be sentenced in November. He faces a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Mobile Division and ADOC’s Law Enforcement Services Division. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Counts of the Middle District of Alabama, and Trial Attorneys Katherine DeVar and David Reese of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division.
Separately, the Department of Justice is prosecuting a civil case against Alabama and ADOC that alleges a pattern or practice of excessive force by ADOC security staff in violation of the United States Constitution. United States v. Alabama, No. 2:20-cv-01971-RDP (N.D. Ala.).
Felon Indicted on Federal Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that QUINCY JACKSON, age 31 of New Orleans, Louisiana, was charged on July 23, 2021 in a single count indictment by a Federal Grand Jury for violating the Federal Gun Control Act, Title 18 United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2).
According to court documents, JACKSON was previously convicted of manslaughter, possession of heroin, and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Being a felon, JACKSON is prohibited from possessing a firearm. He is charged with having a Glock semi-automatic handgun on July 5, 2021. If convicted of this offense, JACKSON faces a maximum term of ten (10) years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00, up to three (3) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
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.
The case was investigated by the New Orleans Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles D. Strauss.
* * *
Federal Jury Finds Former Nurse Guilty of Fraudulently Obtaining and Tampering with Opioid Pain KillerRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY- Nathan Pehrson, 41, of Sandy, was convicted by a federal jury in the District of Utah of three counts related to fraudulently obtaining and tampering with the pain killing narcotic hydromorphone, a powerful schedule II opioid drug that is used to treat patients with moderate to severe pain.
The jury found that during Pehrson’s employment as a nurse at an Intermountain Healthcare facility on a surgical and trauma ward, that he diverted hydromorphone from pre-loaded syringes for his personal use, replaced the pain medication with saline solution, and then returned the syringes containing greatly reduced amounts of the pain killer hydromorphone for medical use by other hospital staff. Pehrson was also convicted of making false statements to a special agent from the Food and Drug Administration about his illegal activity while under investigation for his crimes. Pehrson’s sentencing is scheduled for October 12th.
“Today’s guilty verdicts are proof that healthcare providers will be held accountable for stealing, using, or tampering with opioid pain medications meant for patients that are suffering,” said Acting United States Attorney Andrea T. Martinez. “The opioid epidemic has many faces, and no one is immune from the problems that we face in society with drug addiction. I commend the hospital staff who reported the defendant’s illegal activity to federal law enforcement.”
“The FDA oversees the U.S. drug supply to ensure that it is safe and effective, and those who knowingly tamper with medicines put patients’ health at risk,” said Special Agent in Charge Charles L. Grinstead, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Kansas City Field Office. “We will continue to protect the public health and bring to justice health care professionals who take advantage of their unique position and compromise their patients’ health and comfort by tampering with needed drugs.”
Assistant United States Attorneys from the Utah U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case against Pehrson. Special Agents from the Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations conducted the investigation.
Federal Grand Jury B Indictments Announced- JulyRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the July 2021 Federal Grand Jury B.
The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.
Nicholas Scott Avery, Chelsea Marie Fishinghawk. Carjacking. On June 17, 2021, Avery, 30, and Fishinghawk, 23, allegedly aided and abetted each another when they attempted to take a 2008 Maroon Honda Accord from the victim by force, violence, and intimidation. The FBI and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. 21-CR-330
Dustin James Gullett. Coercion and Enticement of a Minor; Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor by Force in Indian Country; Receipt of Child Pornography. Gullett, 41, of Ardmore, is charged with coercion and enticement of a minor, aggravated sexual abuse of a minor by force, and receipt of child pornography. The crimes allegedly took place from March 5, 2021, to March 8, 2021, and the victim was between 12 and 16 years old. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Bartlesville Police Department, and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. 21-CR-324
Joseph Dale Irby. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. Irby, 30, of Tulsa, is charged with being a felon in possession of a Strassell’s Machine Inc. 9 mm Luger caliber pistol and 37 rounds of associated ammunition. The FBI and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. 21-CR-331
Russell Rudolph Johnson. Assault of an Intimate/Dating Partner by Strangling and Suffocating in Indian Country; Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country; Carrying, Using, Brandishing, and Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence. Johnson, 47, of Tulsa, is charged with strangling an intimate partner on June 21, 2021. He is further charged with shooting the woman with a firearm the same day. Finally, he is charged with discharging the firearm during a crime of violence. The Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office and FBI are the investigative agencies. 21-CR-334
Rafael Gomez Medina; Daniel Rico Nolasco; Anabel Rodriquez Cervantes. Drug Conspiracy; Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute. Medina, 51, of Tulsa, Nolasco, 42, of Tulsa, and Rodriguez, 33, of Oklahoma City, are charged with conspiring together and with others to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. The trio are further charged possessing with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. The Drug Enforcement Administration is the investigative agency. 21-CR-325
David Anthony Romannose. Aggravated Sexual Abuse by Force and Threat in Indian Country; Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country. Romannose, 44, of Stilwell, allegedly sexually abused a minor between 12 and 16 years of age on July 4, 2017. See initial charging press releases here. The FBI, Oneida Indian Nation Police Department, and Craig County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies. 21-CR-332
Johnny Wayne Rose, Jr. Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor. Rose Jr., 40, of Mannford allegedly attempted to entice an individual he believed to be a minor to engage in sexual activity. The Roger’s County Sheriff’s Office is the investigative agency. 21-CR-326
Adam Douglas Sherwood. Drug Conspiracy; Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute; Unlawful Use of a Communication Facility; Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking Crimes. As early as 2018, Sherwood, 43, of Wyandotte, co-conspirator 1, and others known to the grand jury allegedly conspired to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. On May 23, 2020, Sherwood and co-conspirator 1 aided and abetted each other to knowingly possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Sherwood further used a cell phone to send or receive at least 13 texts communicating about the distribution of the drug. Sherwood and co-conspirator 1 possessed a Lorcin Engineering Company .380 ACP caliber single action pistol and a Sturm, Ruger & Co. .22 MWR caliber double-action revolver. Additionally, Sherwood is alleged to have distributed methamphetamine to a number of drug dealers and drug users across Northeast Oklahoma for a period of over least two years dating back to early 2018. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Drug Enforcement Administration, and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. 20-CR-307
Kip Jerome Shotpouch. Coercion and Enticement of a Minor in Indian Country; Possession of Child Pornography. Shotpuch, 37, of Jay, is alleged to have knowingly enticed and coerced a minor into engaging in sexual activity on April 17, 2016. He is further charged with possessing one or more child pornography images and video files of children younger than 12 years old. At the time of the crime, Shotpouch was a bailiff at the Delaware County Courthouse. U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies. 21-CR-333
Aleta Necole Thomas; Pepper Jones; Katrina West. False Statement to a Financial Institution (Counts 1-18); Aggravated Identity Theft (Counts 16-17). Pepper Jones, 42, and Katrina West, 38, both of Tulsa, are newly charged in this superseding indictment. Thomas, 42, of Tulsa, was previously charged. In total, Thomas, Jones, and West, together and separately, are alleged to have fraudulently applied for and received more than $795,000 worth of Paycheck Protection Program forgivable loans administered by the Small Business Administration under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Some of the false businesses the defendants allegedly used to apply for the loans included the Lead Us Kids Home Daycare, Coming Correction Community Ministries, Coming Correct Community Ministries II, and Lead Us Kids Daycare II. The Office of Inspector General Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System; U.S. Department of Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are the investigative agencies. 21-CR-239
Brandon Tyler Trammell. Theft in Indian Country - Over $1,000. Trammell, 25, of Sand Springs, is charged with stealing a 2006 Pontiac G6 Sedan. The FBI and Bixby Police Department are the investigative agencies. 21-CR-327
East Hartford Man Sentenced to More Than 3 Years in Federal Prison for Fentanyl DistributionRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that CURON JOHNSON, also known as “Buck,” 31, of East Hartford, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to 37 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in the summer of 2020, Hartford Police learned that Kyle Pitts, also known as “Bark,” and others, were selling fentanyl, and that Pitts was using his apartment on Farmington Avenue in West Hartford to store fentanyl. Between August and October 2020, Hartford Police and the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force made multiple controlled purchases of fentanyl from Pitts, Johnson and Jabari Walcott, of Hartford.
Johnson has been detained since his arrest on November 4, 2020. On April 29, 2021, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, fentanyl. This is Johnson’s second federal narcotics-related conviction.
Pitts and Walcott pleaded guilty to the same charge and await sentencing.
The FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force includes members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, New Britain Police Department, West Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian P. Leaming.
Dominican Republic Man Apprehended in a High-Speed Boat Chase Sentenced to 135 Months in Federal Prison for Trafficking over 1,000 Kilograms of CocaineRead the Press Release
St. Thomas – U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced that a Dominican Republic national was sentenced today in federal court on St. Thomas to 135 months in prison for trafficking over 1,000 kilograms of cocaine.
According to court documents, Dany Perez-Brito, 45, was one of three individuals apprehended on December 11, 2018 onboard a go-fast vessel loaded with over 5,000 bales containing a total of approximately 1,132 kilograms of cocaine. A United States Coast Guard (USCG) aircraft detected the go-fast style vessel about 65 nautical miles north of San Juan, Puerto Rico. After the boat was detected by USCG aircraft and maritime personnel, the go-fast vessel led authorities on a ten-hour chase in international waters between Puerto Rico and St. Thomas until the go-fast boat finally became dead in the water approximately 96 nautical miles north of St. Thomas. In court, Perez-Brito admitted to having conspired to transport the cocaine by boat from Venezuela to Puerto Rico, for which he expected to be paid $200,000.
This case was being investigated by the USCG, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations (AMO), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).
Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith J. Edwards is prosecuting the case, which 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.
Doctor and Wife Indicted for Genetic Testing Kickback and Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Pennsylvania doctor and his wife were charged today for their roles in schemes to solicit and receive kickbacks and bribes in exchange for ordering genetic tests, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced today.
Yitzchok “Barry” Kurtzer, 61, and Robin Kurtzer, 60, both of Monsey, New York, are charged by indictment with various counts for participating in a scheme to solicit and receive kickbacks and bribes in exchange for ordering genetic tests. Yitzchok Kurtzer is also charged with health care fraud related to the kickback scheme. Two of Yitzchok Kurtzer’s employees, Amber Harris and Shanelyn Kennedy, have each previously pleaded guilty for their roles in the kickback scheme, and Lee Besen and Kimberly Schmidt have also each previously pleaded guilty for a related cash-for-genetic tests scheme. Sentencings for each of those defendants is pending.
According to documents filed in this case:
Yitzchok Kurtzer was a primary care physician with separate offices in the Scranton, Pennsylvania, area. Robin Kurtzer helped manage those offices. Beginning in 2018, Yitzchok Kurtzer and Robin Kurtzer solicited and received monthly cash kickbacks and bribes in exchange for collecting samples from Medicare patients and sending them for genetic tests to clinical laboratories in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The cash kickbacks ranged up to $5,000, and the Kurtzers typically accepted the cash in one of Yitzchok Kurtzer’s offices, at times behind locked doors. At one point, the Kurtzers complained that they were not getting paid enough and negotiated for higher kickbacks and bribes.
The Kurtzers were recorded receiving and discussing many of their kickback and bribe payments. After Yitzchok Kurtzer accepted a $5,000 cash kickback, he counted the money and said, “Perfect. Didn’t short me.”
The Kurtzers used their employees in the scheme, including Harris and Kennedy, who each helped collect the DNA swabs in exchange for payments to them. Robin Kurtzer was recorded admitting that Harris and Kennedy should not have to be “bribed” to do their work, but Robin Kurtzer said that she had no trouble “giving them money” as long as they produced results.
Yitzchok Kurtzer correlated genetic test swab collection to bribe and kickback payments, regardless of medical necessity. He instructed his staff to stop collecting genetic test swabs when he missed receiving a bribe and kickback payment, and he increased the volume of genetic test swabs when the kickback and bribe payments resumed. He admitted in a recording that he provided a patient false information to get the patient to agree to be swabbed for a genetic test. And unless a patient actively sought their genetic test results, Yitzchok Kurtzer failed to review or otherwise use those results.
Even as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic substantially reduced in-patient visits, the Kurtzers continued their scheme. They went from receiving hand-delivered cash kickbacks and bribes to accepting payments by wire and through a cell phone money-transfer app. Yitzchok Kurtzer also offered to pay one of his employees to collect genetic test swabs from all of his patients who lived in nursing homes.
As a result of these schemes, Medicare was billed over $1.3 million for tests generated from Yitzchok Kurtzer’s practice.
The indictment contains the following charges:
Counts
Defendants
Charge
1
Yitzchok Kurtzer
Robin Kurtzer
Kickback Conspiracy
2 – 4
Yitzchok Kurtzer
Robin Kurtzer
Violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute
5 – 7
Yitzchok Kurtzer
Robin Kurtzer
Illegal Remunerations for Referrals to Laboratories
8 – 10
Yitzchok Kurtzer
Robin Kurtzer
Travel Act
11
Yitzchok Kurtzer
Health Care Fraud
The kickbacks, illegal remunerations, and health care fraud charged in Counts 2 through 7 and 11 are each punishable by a maximum of 10 years in prison. The kickback conspiracy and Travel Act charges in Counts 1 and 8 through 10 are each punishable by a maximum of five years in prison. All 11 counts are also punishable by a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr. in Newark; IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael Montanez in Newark; and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Philadelphia Regional Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Maureen R. Dixon, with the investigation leading to the charges. She also thanked the FBI Scranton Field Office, FBI Philadelphia Division, and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua L. Haber of the Health Care Fraud Unit and Acting Principal Assistant U.S. Attorney Rahul Agarwal.
The charges and allegations against Yitzchok Kurtzer and Robin Kurtzer are merely accusations, and they are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Department of Justice Announces Launch of Firearms Trafficking Strike Forces to Crack Down on Sources of Crime GunsRead the Press Release
FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS, Ill. – The U.S. Department of Justice today launched five cross-jurisdictional strike forces to help reduce gun violence by disrupting illegal firearms trafficking in key regions across the country. Leveraging existing resources, the regional strike forces will better ensure sustained and focused coordination across jurisdictions and help stem the supply of illegally trafficked firearms from source cities, through other communities, and into five key market regions: New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area/Sacramento Region and Washington, D.C.
Each strike force region will be led by designated United States Attorneys, who will collaborate with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and with state and local law enforcement partners within their own jurisdiction (where firearms are used in crimes) as well as law enforcement partners in areas where illegally trafficked guns originate. These officials will use the latest data, evidence, and intelligence from crime scenes to identify patterns, leads, and potential suspects in violent gun crimes.“All too often, guns found at crime scenes come from hundreds or even thousands of miles away. We are redoubling our efforts as ATF works with law enforcement to track the movement of illegal firearms used in violent crimes. These strike forces enable sustained coordination across multiple jurisdictions to help disrupt the worst gun trafficking corridors,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Department of Justice will use all of its tools – enforcement, prevention, intervention, and investment – to help ensure the safety of our communities – the department’s highest priority.”
According to gun trace data, a significant number of firearms recovered in Chicago originate outside the Chicago area. The new strike force will help ensure sustained and focused coordination between law enforcement and prosecutors in Chicago and their counterparts in those other locations. The Southern District of Illinois stands ready to assist in these efforts as needed.
The strike forces represent one important, concrete step in implementing the
Department’s Comprehensive Violent Crime Reduction Strategy, which was announced on May
26, 2021. The comprehensive strategy supports local communities in preventing, investigating, and prosecuting gun violence and other violent crime—and requires U.S. Attorneys’ offices to work with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement, as well as the communities they serve, to address the most significant drivers of violence in their districts. In guidance to federal agents and prosecutors as part of that comprehensive strategy, the Deputy Attorney General made clear that firearms traffickers providing weapons to violent offenders are an enforcement priority across the country.Since April 2021, the Department has taken the following steps to reduce and prevent violent crime, especially the gun crime that is often at the core of the problem: • April 8, 2021 – Attorney General Garland, alongside President Biden, announced four concrete steps for addressing gun violence: ATF would propose a new rule within 30 days to help curb the proliferation of so-called ghost guns, ATF would propose a new rule within 60 days on stabilizing braces used to convert pistols into short-barreled rifles, the Department would publish model state extreme risk protection order legislation within 60 days; and ATF would begin preparing a thorough and detailed new public study of firearms trafficking for the first time in 20 years.
• In April 2021, the Office of Justice Programs also made clear when existing grant funds could be used to support Community Violence Intervention (CVI) programs.
• On May 7, 2021, meeting the Attorney General’s announced timeline, ATF issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to update outdated firearms definitions and to help address the proliferation of ghost guns.
• May 26, 2021, the Attorney General announced the Department’s comprehensive strategy to reduce violent crime, including an overall Department Violent Crime Reduction Strategy, the strengthening of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), and a directive to U.S. Attorneys to work with their local partners in addressing the increase in violence that typically occurs over the summer
(with specific support from DOJ law enforcement agencies)• On June 7, meeting the Attorney General’s announced timeline, ATF issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to clarify that the restrictions imposed by the National Firearms Act apply when stabilizing braces are used to convert pistols into short-barreled rifles.
• On June 8, meeting the Attorney General’s announced timeline, the Department published model state extreme risk protection order legislation.
• On June 22, 2021, the Attorney General announced that the Department would be forming five Firearms Trafficking Strike Forces within 30 days.
On, June 23, 2021, the Attorney General, alongside President Biden, announced steps that ATF would take to hold rogue gun dealers accountable for their actions. They include applying a “no tolerance” policy for federal firearms licensers (FFLs) that willfully commit violations that endanger public safety; designating points of contact for state and local government officials to report concerns about rogue FFLs; formalizing the use of public safety factors for inspection prioritization; sharing inspection information with states that regulate firearms dealers themselves; resuming the practice of notifying revoked dealers on how to dispose of their inventory and the potential criminal consequences of continuing to engage in the business; increasing ATF’s resources for inspections;and publicly posting disaggregated inspection information to ATF’s website.
Department of Justice Announces Launch of Firearms Trafficking Strike Forces to Crack Down on Sources of Crime GunsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The U.S. Department of Justice has launched five cross-jurisdictional strike forces to help reduce gun violence by disrupting illegal firearms trafficking in key regions across the country. Leveraging existing resources, the regional strike forces will better ensure sustained and focused coordination across jurisdictions and help stem the supply of illegally trafficked firearms from source cities, through other communities, and into five key market regions: New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area/Sacramento Region, and Washington, D.C.
Each strike force region will be led by designated United States Attorneys, who will collaborate with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and with state and local law enforcement partners within their own jurisdiction (where firearms are used in crimes), as well as law enforcement partners in areas where illegally trafficked guns originate. These officials will use the latest data, evidence, and intelligence from crime scenes to identify patterns, leads, and potential suspects in violent gun crimes.
“All too often, guns found at crime scenes come from hundreds or even thousands of miles away. We are redoubling our efforts as ATF works with law enforcement to track the movement of illegal firearms used in violent crimes. These strike forces enable sustained coordination across multiple jurisdictions to help disrupt the worst gun trafficking corridors,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Department of Justice will use all of its tools – enforcement, prevention, intervention, and investment – to help ensure the safety of our communities – the department’s highest priority.”
According to gun trace data, a significant number of firearms recovered in Washington, D.C. originate from outside the city. The new strike force will help ensure sustained and focused coordination between law enforcement and prosecutors in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, including in the Eastern District of Virginia, with their counterparts in locations where many of the firearms originate.
Acting U.S. Attorney Raj Parekh said: “Disrupting the flow of illegally trafficked firearms is critical to reducing the painful toll that gun violence inflicts on our communities and loved ones. Through our participation in the cross-jurisdictional strike force, EDVA will bring to justice gun traffickers and others who enable this tragic cycle of violence. We will also amplify our community engagement efforts to continue building the degree of trust that is required for positive and lasting change to occur. Because many of the firearm source locations for the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area overlap with the source locations for firearms recovered in the New York City area, we will work closely with our New York City counterparts to help make our communities safer for everyone.”
The strike forces represent one important, concrete step in implementing the Department’s Comprehensive Violent Crime Reduction Strategy, which was announced on May 26, 2021. The comprehensive strategy supports local communities in preventing, investigating, and prosecuting gun violence and other violent crime—and requires U.S. Attorneys’ offices to work with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, as well as the communities they serve, to address the most significant drivers of violence in their districts. In guidance to federal agents and prosecutors as part of that comprehensive strategy, the Deputy Attorney General made clear that firearms traffickers providing weapons to violent offenders are an enforcement priority across the country.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Department of Justice Announces Launch of Firearms Trafficking Strike Forces to Crack Down on Sources of Crime GunsRead the Press Release
Eastern District of Wisconsin to Participate in Cross-Jurisdictional Strike Force
Acting U.S. Attorney Richard G. Frohling of the Eastern District of Wisconsin joined the U.S. Department of Justice in announcing on July 22, 2021 the launch of five cross-jurisdictional strike forces to help reduce gun violence by disrupting illegal firearms trafficking in key regions across the country. Leveraging existing resources, the regional strike forces will better ensure sustained and focused coordination across jurisdictions and help stem the supply of illegally trafficked firearms from source cities, through other communities, and into five key market regions: New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area/Sacramento Region, and Washington, D.C.
Each strike force region will be led by designated United States Attorneys, who will collaborate with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and with state and local law enforcement partners within their own jurisdiction (where firearms are used in crimes), as well as with law enforcement partners in areas where illegally trafficked guns originate. These officials will use the latest data, evidence, and intelligence from crime scenes to identify patterns, leads, and potential suspects in violent gun crimes.
“All too often, guns found at crime scenes come from hundreds or even thousands of miles away. We are redoubling our efforts as ATF works with law enforcement to track the movement of illegal firearms used in violent crimes. These strike forces enable sustained coordination across multiple jurisdictions to help disrupt the worst gun trafficking corridors,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Department of Justice will use all of its tools – enforcement, prevention, intervention, and investment – to help ensure the safety of our communities – the department’s highest priority.”
According to gun trace data, a significant number of firearms recovered in Chicago originate from outside the city, and many originate from the Eastern District of Wisconsin, among other locations. The new strike force will help ensure sustained and focused coordination between law enforcement and prosecutors in Chicago with their counterparts in those other locations.
The strike forces represent one important, concrete step in implementing the Department’s Comprehensive Violent Crime Reduction Strategy, which was announced on May 26, 2021. The comprehensive strategy supports local communities in preventing, investigating, and prosecuting gun violence and other violent crime—and requires U.S. Attorneys’ offices to work with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, as well as the communities they serve, to address the most significant drivers of violence in their districts. In guidance to federal agents and prosecutors as part of that comprehensive strategy, the Deputy Attorney General made clear that firearms traffickers providing weapons to violent offenders are an enforcement priority across the country.
Department of Justice Efforts to Address Violent Crime
Since April 2021, the Department has taken the following steps to reduce and prevent violent crime, especially the gun crime that is often at the core of the problem:
· April 8, 2021 – Attorney General Garland, alongside President Biden, announced four concrete steps for addressing gun violence: ATF would propose a new rule within 30 days to help curb the proliferation of so-called ghost guns, ATF would propose a new rule within 60 days on stabilizing braces used to convert pistols into short-barreled rifles, the Department would publish model state extreme risk protection order legislation within 60 days; and ATF would begin preparing a thorough and detailed new public study of firearms trafficking for the first time in 20 years.
· In April 2021, the Office of Justice Programs also made clear when existing grant funds could be used to support Community Violence Intervention (CVI) programs.
· On May 7, 2021, ATF issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to update outdated firearms definitions and to help address the proliferation of ghost guns.
· May 26, 2021, the Attorney General announced the Department’s comprehensive strategy to reduce violent crime, including an overall Department Violent Crime Reduction Strategy, the strengthening of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), and a directive to the U.S. Attorneys to work with their local partners in addressing the increase in violence that typically occurs over the summer (with specific support from DOJ law enforcement agencies).
· On June 7, 2021, ATF issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to clarify that the restrictions imposed by the National Firearms Act apply when stabilizing braces are used to convert pistols into short-barreled rifles.
· On June 8, 2021, the Department published model state extreme risk protection order legislation.
· On June 22, 2021, the Attorney General announced that the Department would be forming five Firearms Trafficking Strike Forces within 30 days.
· On, June 23, 2021, the Attorney General, alongside President Biden, announced steps that ATF would take to hold rogue gun dealers accountable for their actions. They include applying a “no tolerance” policy for federal firearms licensers (FFLs) that willfully commit violations that endanger public safety; designating points of contact for state and local government officials to report concerns about rogue FFLs; formalizing the use of public safety factors for inspection prioritization; sharing inspection information with states that regulate firearms dealers themselves; resuming the practice of notifying revoked dealers on how to dispose of their inventory and the potential criminal consequences of continuing to engage in the business; increasing ATF’s resources for inspections (see, FY 2022 Budget request); and publicly posting disaggregated inspection information to ATF’s website.
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For Additional Information Contact:
Public Information Officer Kenneth Gales 414-297-1700
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Defendants plead guilty in cocaine-distribution scheme revealed after I-95 traffic stopRead the Press Release
BRUNSWICK, GA: Two men implicated in a cocaine-distribution scheme after a traffic stop have admitted guilt on federal charges.
Avon Shuttleworth, a/k/a “Havan,” 46, of Rosedale, N.Y., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty in U.S. District Court in the Southern District of Georgia to Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine, while Courtnay Anthony Drummond, 52, of Brunswick, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Cocaine, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The pleas subject the defendants to statutory sentences of five to 40 years in federal prison, along with substantial financial penalties, followed by a period of supervised release.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“It’s truly incredible how so many elaborate criminal schemes fall apart because of a simple traffic violation,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “Thanks to an alert Georgia State Patrol trooper and outstanding work from our law enforcement partners, an operation that moved kilos of illegal drugs in the northeastern United States has been brought to a halt.”
Beginning in March 2020, agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, led by agents from the Savannah Resident Office, initiated an investigation of cocaine trafficking from Jamaica into the New York City area. As described in court documents and testimony, Drummond met with Shuttleworth and another conspirator on March 14, 2020, at Shuttleworth’s home in New York, when Drummond agreed to deliver two kilograms of cocaine to a buyer in Baltimore, Md. Drummond is a native of Jamaica and legal resident of the United States; Shuttleworth is a citizen of Jamaica.
On March 15, 2020, a Georgia State Patrol trooper pulled Drummond over on Interstate 95 in McIntosh County, Ga., for tailgating another vehicle, and during a subsequent search of the car troopers found the two kilogram bricks of cocaine. Drummond told investigators that he had been unable to contact the Maryland buyer and was headed to his then-home in Riviera Beach, Fla. Agents on a federal search warrant later searched Shuttleworth’s New York residence and found a ledger detailing drug transactions and a large press used to make kilo-sized drug bricks.
“This traffic stop led to the seizure of almost five pounds of cocaine, ensuring this dangerous and potentially deadly drug never reached the seller, and more importantly, the consumer,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “This case was successful because of the hard work and dedication between DEA and its law enforcement partners.”
“This case demonstrates the success of collaborative efforts between state and federal agencies,” said Vic Reynolds, Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. “We continue to work with our partners to investigate drug trafficking and keep Georgia safe.”
The case is being investigated by the DEA, including agents from the DEA Atlanta Field Division Savannah Resident Office and New York DEA Task Force Group 43, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Georgia State Patrol, and is being prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer G. Solari.
Council Bluffs Businessman Convicted of Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
COUNCIL BLUFF, IA – On Friday, July 23, 2021, Hershal James Ratliff, age 71, long time businessman and owner of Jimmy’s All American Malt Shop and Grill in Council Bluffs, Iowa, was found guilty of four counts of sex trafficking minors, two counts of sex trafficking adults and two counts of distributing a controlled substance to a person under twenty-one years of age. The verdict came after a four-day trial before United States District Court Chief Judge John A. Jarvey.
Evidence presented at trial showed that RATLIFF, over the last ten years, would have minor girls come to his house an perform sex acts on him and with his friends in exchange for money, drugs, and other material things. The testimony showed that Ratliff provided the minor girls with alcohol, prescription Xanax, and marijuana both before and after they participated in sex acts at his residence.
In addition, the evidence showed that Ratliff obtained sex acts for his friends from adult women by the use of force and coercion. No sentencing date has been set.
The investigation was conducted by the Council Bluffs Police Department with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Acting U.S. Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Five FirearmsRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge William Jung has sentenced Christopher Calkins (29, St. Petersburg) to five years in federal prison for possessing firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon. The court also ordered Calkins to forfeit the firearms and ammunition involved in the offense.
Calkins had pleaded guilty on January 22, 2020.
According to court documents, on October 11, 2018, law enforcement officers executed a narcotics-related search warrant at Calkins’ home, where the officers seized 12 pounds of marijuana, $7,900 in cash, five loaded firearms (including two assault rifles), and 63 rounds of additional ammunition. The firearms were located out in the open and unsecured and Calkins was babysitting a small child at the time. Calkins later confessed to possessing the marijuana, the firearms, and the ammunition. Because Calkins had a prior felony conviction he was and is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, and the St. Petersburg Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charlie D. Connally.
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.
California Man Sentenced for Violating the Federal Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that DAVID MORA, age 60, a resident of California, was sentenced on July 22, 2021 to 120 months imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Barry W. Barry Ashe for conspiracy to distribute and distribution of 100 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing heroin as well as one kilogram or more of a mixture or substance containing fentanyl. Additionally, MORA was ordered to serve five years of supervised release and pay a $100 special assessment fee. No fines were imposed in this case.
According to court records, in November 2019, during an investigation by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, co-defendant, Zoraida Lara, a/k/a Zoraida Trinidad, communicated with a special agent working in an undercover capacity about the transportation of illegal narcotics to the New Orleans, LA area. Shortly after their conversation, LARA arranged for MORA to deliver the narcotics to the New Orleans area. MORA delivered the narcotics, which included 959.4 grams of heroin and 1402.2 grams of fentanyl and he was subsequently arrested. LARA flew from California to New Orleans to collect payment for the illegal narcotics and was subsequently arrested upon her arrival.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with the assistance of the Louisiana State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Bayonle Osundare oversaw the prosecution.
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California Man Charged with Violations of Federal Narcotics LawsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that JOEL ALEXANDER FABRE, age 33, of California, was charged with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to the indictment, between March 16, 2021 and March 20, 2021, FABRE, shipped a pound of methamphetamine via USPS. FABRE received $3000.00 for the methamphetamine via a MoneyGram, in violation of Title 21 United States Code, Section 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)A), possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
U. S. Attorney Evans reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, FABRE faces a maximum term of imprisonment of life, a fine of up to $10,000,000 and at least five years of supervised release after imprisonment, as well as a $100 special assessment.
U. S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Homeland Security Investigations in investigating this matter. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Maurice E. Landrieu, Jr.
Bond Denied for Alleged 77th Street Gang Member Charged with Federal Gun and Covid-19 Fraud CrimesRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – Reversing a federal magistrate judge’s ruling, United States District Judge Robert N. Scola, Jr. has ordered that Kenny Terlent, 19, will remain in a federal detention center without bond pending his trial on charges of illegally possessing a machine gun, identity theft, and Covid-19 benefit related fraud.
According to the indictment and criminal complaint affidavit filed in his case, Terlent and other members of the 77th Street gang exploited programs that offered unemployment compensation benefits to people suffering Covid-19-related job loss. As part of their scheme, Terlent and his co-conspirators obtained stolen identities (names, social security numbers, dates of birth and other personal sensitive information) from the dark web and other sources, says the affidavit. With the stolen identities, Terlent and his co-conspirators filed for unemployment compensation benefits meant for individuals who had lost jobs during the Covid-19 pandemic, then used bank cards in other people’s names to collect the money and transfer it to bank accounts that they controlled, it is alleged.
On June 24, law enforcement officers executed a federal search warrant at Terlent’s residence. According to the affidavit, Terlent ran from officers who approached him outside and threw his cellular telephone into a nearby lake. Law enforcement recovered the phone, searched it pursuant to a warrant, and found that it contained stolen identity information. Inside Terlent’s home, in addition to other evidence of fraud, officers found a stolen Glock 19 handgun with an auto-sear device affixed to it, says the affidavit. When installed on a handgun, an auto-sear, colloquially called a “switch,” allows a handgun to expel more than one bullet by a single pull of the trigger, turning the weapon into a fully automatic machine gun. Terlent does not have a permit to possess a machine gun, according to the charges.
Law enforcement officers arrested Terlent, and a South Florida federal grand jury returned an indictment charging him with possessing 15 or more unauthorized access devices, aggravated identity theft, and the illegal possession of a machine gun.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Brian Swain, Special Agent in Charge, United States Secret Service (USSS), Miami Field Office, George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, and Robert Cekada, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Office, announced the charges.
A multi-agency gang task force consisting of the Miami Divisions of USSS, FBI, and ATF, as well as the Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD) and City of Miami Police Department (MPD) investigated the matter.
AUSA Frederic “Fritz” Shadley is prosecuting this case.
This case stems from Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In 2017, PSN was reinvigorated as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Anyone with information related to possible gun crimes is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS.
This case also stems from the Department of Justice’s efforts to combat Covid-19 fraud. 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.
Indictments and criminal complaints are mere allegations. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 21-cr-20380.
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Beckley Man Pleads Guilty to Heroin DistributionRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – William David Reid, 46, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to distribution of a quantity of heroin.
According to court documents, Reid sold a quantity of heroin to a confidential informant in Beckley on August 3, 2020. As part of the plea, Reid also admitted to possessing approximately 20 grams of methamphetamine on August 12, 2020 that he intended to distribute in and around Raleigh County.
Reid faces up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on November 5, 2021.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess is handling the prosecution.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:20-cr-00156.
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Beckley Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Zachary Mitchem, 36, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to possession with the intent to deliver methamphetamine and heroin.
According to court documents, Mitchem was found passed out in a car parked in front of a local business near Beckley on July 5, 2019. When a law enforcement officer came to check on Mitchem, she observed what she suspected to be controlled substances in Mitchem’s car. The officer then conducted a search of the car and found approximately 21 grams of methamphetamine and approximately 14 grams of heroin. The officer also found a gun which Mitchem was prohibited from possessing due to previous felony convictions. After his arrest, Mitchem admitted that he intended to distribute the drugs in and around Raleigh County.
Mitchem faces up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on November 5, 2021.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Beckley Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess is handling the prosecution.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:20-cr-00032.
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Amazon Marketplace Seller Pleads Guilty to Price Fixing DVDs and Blu-ray DiscsRead the Press Release
A Tennessee man pleaded guilty today to fixing the prices of DVDs and Blu-ray Discs sold on Amazon Marketplace.
According to court documents filed in Knoxville, David Camp was charged with conspiring with others to fix prices of DVDs and Blu-ray Discs sold through Amazon Marketplace. The price-fixing conspiracy was ongoing from at least as early as May 2018 until at least Oct. 29, 2019. Camp is the first individual to be charged and the first individual to plead guilty in the ongoing investigation.
“American consumers deserve the benefits of competitive pricing, whether they’re shopping in brick-and-mortar stores or in an online marketplace,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Richard A. Powers of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “By their actions, the defendant and his co-conspirators denied purchasers of DVDs and Blu-ray Discs free and open competition, and instead lined their own pockets. The division remains dedicated to safeguarding online sales from collusion, especially as online shopping becomes increasingly ubiquitous.”
According to the one-count information, Camp and his co-conspirators agreed to raise and maintain the prices of DVDs and Blu-rays sold in their Amazon Marketplace stores. Amazon Marketplace is an e-commerce platform that enables third-party vendors to sell new or used products alongside Amazon’s own offerings. Amazon Marketplace is owned and operated by Amazon.com Inc.
“Honest, competitive pricing of goods allows consumers to purchase products at fair market value, which provides an overall benefit to the individual customer and the market as a whole,” said Assistant Director in Charge William F. Sweeney Jr. of the FBI’s New York Field Office. “Partnering with competitors to fix prices of goods at higher-than-necessary rates removes this protection for consumers — it’s also illegal, whether it happens on an online platform or in a face-to-face transaction. Today’s guilty plea should remind other like-minded individuals that they will eventually have to answer for this type of behavior.”
“Activities related to collusion, bid rigging and market allocation do not promote an environment conducive to open competition, which harms the consumer,” said Acting Executive Special Agent in Charge Steven Stuller of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) Office of Inspector General. “Along with the Department of Justice and our federal law enforcement partners, the USPS Office of Inspector General will aggressively investigate those who would engage in this type of harmful conduct.”
A criminal violation of the Sherman Act carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $1 million criminal fine for individuals. The maximum fine may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the crime, if either of those amounts is greater than the statutory maximum fine. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Antitrust Division’s Chicago Office is prosecuting the case, which was investigated with the assistance of the FBI’s New York Field Office and the USPS Office of Inspector General’s Great Lakes Regional Investigations Office in Chicago.
Anyone with information concerning price fixing or other anticompetitive conduct related to the sale of DVDs, Blu-rays or products sold through Amazon Marketplace should contact the Antitrust Division’s Chicago Office at 312-984-7200, the Citizen Complaint Center at 888-647-3258, www.justice.gov/atr/contact/newcase.html, or the FBI’s New York Field Office at 212-384-1000.
Accused Levelland Shooter Federally ChargedRead the Press Release
The man who allegedly shot and killed a SWAT officer during a standoff in Levelland, Texas earlier this month has been charged with assaulting a federal officer who responded to the scene, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Prerak Shah.
Omar Soto-Chavira, 22, was charged via criminal complaint on Friday with one count of forcibly assaulting a federal officer engaged in the performance of official duties. Mr. Soto-Chavira has also been charged by the state with capital murder.
“The state acted swiftly to charge Mr. Soto-Chavira in the murder of Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Josh Bartlett. Were Mr. Soto-Chavira to post the $500,000 bond set in the state case, he would be immediately transferred to federal custody, where criminal defendants can be detained without bond, ” said Acting U.S. Attorney Prerak Shah. “We believe this defendant is a threat to the community, and needs to be kept behind bars. We mourn the loss of Sgt. Bartlett, who served with honor for nine years, and we pray for the other officers who were wounded in the standoff, including Sgt. Shawn Wilson.”
Local law enforcement has confirmed that during the almost 11-hours standoff, the defendant repeatedly opened fire at agents and officers. Lubbock County Sheriff’s Department Sgt. Josh Bartlett was shot in the neck and killed; Levelland Police Sgt. Shawn Wilson was shot in the head and rushed to the hospital, where he remains in critical condition; and two other officers were also shot and wounded.
Though the federal criminal complaint against Mr. Soto-Chavira remains sealed, the federal arrest warrant was unsealed shortly after it was filed this morning.
A complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Like all defendants, Mr. Soto-Chavira is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
If convicted in the federal case, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison. He faces a potential death sentence if convicted on state charges.
The Levelland Police Department, Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office SWAT, and Lubbock Police Department SWAT conducted the investigation with the assistance of Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Texas Rangers, and the Hockley County District Attorney's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Long is prosecuting the federal case.
Accountant Sentenced to More Than Eight Years in Prison for Misappropriating $1.1 Million from Employers and LendersRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago accountant has been sentenced to more than eight years in federal prison for misappropriating more than $1.1 million from four employers and three lending institutions.
PAUL ERIC COLLINS, 55, of Naperville, Ill., pleaded guilty last year to wire fraud. U.S. District Judge Elaine E. Bucklo imposed a 98-month prison sentence Wednesday after a hearing in federal court in Chicago. Judge Bucklo also ordered Collins to pay $1,159,414 in restitution to the victims.
The sentence was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.
“Collins stole funds from his employers, even though he knew that they desperately needed those funds to operate their businesses,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacqueline Stern argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “Collins stole from the victims for his own wholly selfish ends.”
Collins was an accountant who handled the finances for four employers from 2013 to 2018. During that time, Collins stole more than $1 million from the companies by writing corporate checks to himself, his wife, and phony companies he created. Collins also fraudulently withdrew money from ATMs and charged personal expenses on company credit cards. He attempted to conceal the thefts by making Ponzi-type payments to certain victims.
Collins also stole more than $70,000 from three lenders by obtaining loans based on false representations. Collins fraudulently used the identity of one of his employer’s owners and falsely represented that the owner personally guaranteed the loans. When Collins failed to repay the full amount of the loans and the lenders sought repayment, the owner was left having to dispute the fraudulent guarantee.
Abbeville Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Scott Grigsby, 41, of Abbeville, Louisiana, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Robert R. Summerhays to 102 months (8 years, 6 months) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release.
A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment charging Grigsby with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and he pleaded guilty to the charge on April 9, 2021. According to information presented in court, on January 28, 2020, deputies with the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Task Force were conducting surveillance of a residence in Kaplan, Louisiana and observed a vehicle being driven by Grigsby arrive at the residence. Law enforcement officers approached the vehicle and Grigsby attempted to flee the area driving at a high rate of speed in reverse. His vehicle struck a marked police unit and lost control and came to rest in a ditch. Officers arrested Grigsby and his passenger. Grigsby admitted to police that he had thrown a firearm out of the window of the car while attempting to flee. After a brief search of the area, officers located the 9mm pistol near the vehicle in the ditch.
As a convicted felon, Grigsby is prohibited from possessing any firearms or ammunition. His prior felony convictions were for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine (2017); identity theft, simple burglary, and aggravated flight from an officer (2010); and simple robbery (2003).
The ATF and Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Task Force conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig R. Bordelon prosecuted the case.
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22 July 2021
Worcester Man Pleads Guilty to Purchasing MBTA Passes Using Others' IdentitiesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Worcester man pleaded guilty yesterday to charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with using stolen identities to fraudulently purchase MBTA passes.
Kokou Kuakumensah, 31, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and four counts of aggravated identity theft. U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman scheduled sentencing for Nov. 10, 2021. Kuakumensah was arrested and charged on Jan. 13, 2021.
Between approximately January 2019 and March 2020, Kuakumensah used other individuals’ credit card accounts to fraudulently purchase Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) commuter rail passes. Kuakumensah purchased the passes using stolen credit card numbers at MBTA fare kiosks. Kuakumensah then re-sold these fraudulently-obtained passes for less than their face value in a variety of ways, including advertising them on Craigslist. Kuakumensah sold the passes at MBTA stations, including the station in Grafton. The combined value of the passes Kuakumensah fraudulently obtained was approximately $157,000.
The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory sentence of two years in prison to be served consecutively to any other sentenced imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; and Chief Kenneth Green of the MBTA Transit Police made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Mulcahy of Mendell’s Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
West Virginia Man Charged with Making False Statements to FBIRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on July 21, 2021, Christopher B. Tolley, age 35, of Hinton, West Virginia, was charged in a criminal information with making false statements to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
According to Acting United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, the information alleges that on May 22, 2019, Tolley represented to a task force officer with the FBI that he was unaware of a bank account held in his name at Sun Trust Bank. That statement allegedly was false, because Tolley had personally opened the bank account and deposited a stolen check for $95,154.54 into the account.
The case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip J. Caraballo is prosecuting the case.
Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is five years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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West Texas Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Pornographic Image of 11-Year-Old RelativeRead the Press Release
A Muleshoe, Texas man who sexually exploited an 11-year-old girl was sentenced today to 30 years in federal prison for child pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Prerak Shah.
In April, after two days of trial, a federal jury found 25-year-old Felipe Mata-Benavidez guilty of production of child pornography. He was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix.
According to evidence presented at trial, Mr. Mata-Benavidez attempted to sexually assault an 11-year-old relative at her home in Muleshoe. During the assault, the victim’s mother walked in on Mr. Mata-Benavidez attempting to have sexual intercourse with the minor.
The young girl’s mother stopped the assault and fled the residence with her daughter. A short time later, a concerned neighbor notified law enforcement after hearing about the incident.
The Muleshoe Police Department then interviewed Mr. Mata-Benavidez. He showed detectives his cell phone, which contained his messages with the young girl.
In those messages, Mr. Mata-Benavidez instructed the 11-year-old to send him explicit photographs of herself. When she refused, Mr. Mata-Benavidez bullied the girl until she conceded, texting Mr. Mata-Benavidez a lewd image. He said the child was beautiful and told her not to “share with anybody else… because it’s mine.”
The defendant then continued to ask the 11-year-old to send him more explicit images.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, Lubbock Resident Agency, the Muleshoe Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations - Lubbock Computer Forensic Analysts conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Callie Woolam and Matthew McLeod prosecuted the case.
Waterbury Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Drug and Gun OffensesRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that ALEJANDRO VELEZ, 41, of Waterbury, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for narcotics distribution and firearm possession offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in January 2020, Waterbury Police made two controlled purchases of cocaine from Velez. Velez was arrested on January 29, 2020. On that date, a search of his residence revealed more than 200 grams of cocaine, quantities of crack cocaine and marijuana, and approximately $5,900 in cash. A search of Velez’s car, which was parked at the residence, revealed approximately 840 grams of cocaine, two loaded firearms, gun magazines, and five boxes of ammunition.
Velez’s criminal history includes convictions for felony drug and firearm offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
On March 24, 2021, Velez pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base and 500 grams or more of cocaine, and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Velez, who is released on bond, is required to report to prison on August 25, 2021.
This matter was investigated by the Waterbury Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha Freismuth.
Vineland Boys Gang Member Sentenced to 31 Years in Federal Prison for Racketeering Conspiracy, Attempted Murder of Rival GangstersRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A member of the San Fernando Valley-based Vineland Boys street gang was sentenced today to 372 months in federal prison for committing multiple felonies, including the attempted murders of three rival gangsters.
Jesus Gonzalez Jr., 28, “Lil Chito,” “Gunner” and “Chuy,” of Sun Valley, was sentenced by United States District Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald.
Gonzalez pleaded guilty on January 22 to five felonies: one count of conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, two counts of violent crime in aid of racketeering, one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, and one count of discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
According to court documents, to consolidate control over their “territory” in Sun Valley, North Hollywood and Burbank, the Vineland Boys shot and brutally assaulted rival gang members, controlled and conducted drug and firearms trafficking activity, and extorted money in the form of “taxes” from drug dealers, and trafficked narcotics.
Gonzalez conspired with Vineland Boys members and associates to engage in acts of racketeering in the form of attempted murder and drug trafficking. Gonzalez admitted that he was involved in multiple gang-related shootings, including a December 2015 shootout in South Los Angeles with rival gang members.
In early April 2016, Gonzalez shot and severely wounded one victim and injured others in a drive-by shooting outside a party in Sun Valley after Gonzalez believed the victim had insulted the Vineland Boys gang. A few weeks later, Gonzalez stalked and shot a rival gang member on Lankershim Boulevard in North Hollywood, firing several shots at close range at the victim, who survived. In May 2016, Gonzalez and other Vineland Boys members drove next to a vehicle in North Hollywood near Lankershim Boulevard, and Gonzalez confronted and shot the other vehicle’s passengers because he believed they were rival gang members.
Gonzalez also sold methamphetamine and illegally sold numerous firearms, including an AR-style rifle bearing no serial number – commonly known as a “ghost gun” – that he sold in May 2016 outside a McDonald’s restaurant in San Fernando.
In January 2019, a federal grand jury indicted 31 Vineland Boys members and associates. So far, prosecutors in this case have secured 17 convictions and multiple prison sentences exceeding 10 years.
The FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, IRS Criminal Investigation and the Los Angeles Police Department investigated this matter. 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.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Chou and Sara Milstein of the Violent and Organized Crime Section prosecuted this case.