Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
22 July 2021
Atlanta man sentenced for submitting fraudulent COVID-19 test to employer and for a separate bank fraud chargeRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Santwon Antonio Davis has been sentenced for wire fraud related to a scheme to defraud his employer, and on a bank fraud charge related to a scheme to defraud a mortgage company.
“Davis defrauded his employer twice by requesting and receiving paid time off from work for the alleged death of his child, and then claiming that he had tested positive for COVID-19,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Kurt R. Erskine. “Both of those claims were false. After he was arrested for defrauding his employer, and while he was under court supervision, he committed yet another crime, by filing a fraudulent mortgage application. Davis’ actions show he had little regard for the law.”
“Davis’ history of lies caught up to him when he took advantage of a pandemic and caused undue harm to the company he worked for and their employees,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “While receiving numerous complaints of wrongdoing during this pandemic, the FBI and our federal partners remain determined to detect, investigate and prosecute any fraud related to this crisis.”
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Erskine, the charges and other information presented in court: Davis, who was employed by a Fortune 500 company with a facility located in the Atlanta, Georgia area, falsely claimed to have contracted COVID-19 and submitted a fake medical record to his employer. In concern for its employees, the corporation closed its facility for cleaning and paid its employees during the shutdown. This caused a significant financial loss to the corporation and the unnecessary quarantine of the defendant’s coworkers.
During the COVID-19 fraud investigation, agents uncovered a previous incident in which Davis had submitted fraudulent documentation to obtain benefits from his employer. Specifically, in late 2019, Davis created and submitted false documentation to support a claim for bereavement leave for the alleged death of his child. That child never existed., Davis fabricated the claim so that he could obtain benefits to which he was not entitled.
Finally, while on pretrial release in this case, Davis submitted a mortgage application with numerous fraudulent statements, including a falsified earnings and employment history. The mortgage company discovered the fraud, in part, after seeing news stories related to his original COVID-19 charge.
Santwon Antonio Davis, 35, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge William M. Ray, II to serve three years in prison and ordered to pay $187.550 in restitution to his former employer. When he is released from prison, Davis will be required to serve five years on supervised release.
This case is part of Georgia’s Coronavirus (COVID-19) Fraud Task Force, aimed at better protecting the citizens of Georgia from criminal fraud arising from the pandemic. Formed by Georgia’s leading state and federal prosecutors, the task force serves to open channels of communication between partner agencies and more rapidly share information about COVID-19 fraud, while ensuring each fraud complaint is reported to the appropriate prosecuting agency. The task force member agencies include the Office of the Governor of Georgia, the Office of the Attorney General of Georgia, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia. Georgia’s three U.S. Attorneys, the Attorney General of Georgia, and the Executive Counsel for the Governor’s Office serve on the task force. If you think you are a victim of a scam or attempted fraud involving COVID-19, contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via email at www.justice.gov/DisasterComplaintForm.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Inspector General provided valuable assistance in the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Klapman and Russell Phillips prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Army National Guard recruiter indicted for molesting child while living on Joint Base Lewis-McChordRead the Press Release
Tacoma – A former Air Force Special Agent was arrested today on a grand jury indictment charging him with five counts of sexual abuse of a child under the age of 12, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Joshua Carl Harrod, 42, of Spanaway, Washington, will make his initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Tacoma at 2:30 today.
According to the indictment, between October 2017 and April 2018, Harrod sexually molested a young child left in his care. The conduct occurred in the location where he resided on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, an area of exclusive federal jurisdiction. Harrod separated from the Air Force in 2018 and currently serves as a recruiter for the Army National Guard in Lakewood, Washington.
Sexual abuse of a child under the age of 12 is punishable by a mandatory minimum 30 years in prison and up to life in prison.
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by the FBI with assistance from the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI), Joint Base Lewis-McChord Military Police Investigations, the Lakewood Police Department and the Washington State Patrol.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristine Foerster.
Arkansas Man Sentenced to over 16 Years in Federal Prison for Interstate Transportation of A MinorRead the Press Release
FORT SMITH – A Harrison man was sentenced yesterday to 200 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release on one count of Transportation of a Minor with Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity. The Honorable Judge P. K. Holmes III presided over the sentencing hearing in the U.S. District Court in Fort Smith.
According to court documents, in July 2020, Edgar Benjamin Davidson, 32, transported a minor, across state lines from Harrison, Arkansas to multiple states. During this time Davidson sexually assaulted the minor on multiple occasions. Davidson was arrested in November 2020 and pled guilty in March 2021.
Acting U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
The Boone County Sheriff’s Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigations investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tyler Williams prosecuted the case for the United States.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website @ www.pacer.gov
Arizona Man Convicted of Controlled Substance OffenseRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – A federal jury in Tallahassee has convicted Daniel Gutierrez, 37, of San Luis, Arizona of possession of methamphetamine and fentanyl with the intent to distribute. The guilty verdict, returned yesterday, at the conclusion of a three-day trial, was announced by Jason R. Coody, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Evidence introduced at trial revealed that on September 19, 2020, Gutierrez was driving a tractor trailer loaded with vehicles on I-10 in Madison County, Florida. A Trooper with the Florida Highway Patrol noted the license plate on the trailer was obscured and initiated a traffic stop. While conducting the traffic stop, a canine was deployed and alerted to the presence of narcotics.
During a search of the vehicle, Troopers recovered a clear bag with approximately 30 grams of methamphetamine, and a separate bag containing approximately 10 grams of what appeared to be oxycodone pills. Drug Enforcement Administration laboratory analysis confirmed the presence of methamphetamine and revealed that the pills thought to be oxycodone contained fentanyl.
“The Florida Highway Patrol works tirelessly to keep us safe and serve a critical role in our efforts to remove addictive and deadly controlled substances from our communities,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Coody. “Along with our partners at the DEA, they are to be commended for their efforts.”
Gutierrez’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 12, 2021, at 11:00 am at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before the Honorable United States District Judge Allen Winsor. Gutierrez faces a sentence of ten years to life imprisonment, a fine of up to $5,000,000, and five years of supervised release.
“The Florida Highway Patrol works tirelessly to ensure the safety and security for those travelling on Florida’s roadways,” said Colonel Gene Spaulding, Director of the Florida Highway Patrol. “I am extremely proud of our troopers who put their lives on the line every day to protect our communities. Our commitment to partnerships with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies are unwavering.”
“The guilty verdict demonstrates the outstanding work that is done through the successful partnership between the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Florida Highway Patrol,” said DEA Miami Field Division Acting Special Agent in Charge La Verne Hibbert. “DEA remains committed to our relationships with our law enforcement partners for the safety of our communities.”
This conviction was the result of a joint investigation conducted by the Florida Highway Patrol and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorneys Kaitlin Weiss and Lazaro Fields prosecuted the case.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Amsterdam Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Cameron Hennelly, age 30, of Amsterdam, New York, pled guilty today to one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Antoinette T. Bacon and Jodi Cohen, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
As part of his guilty plea, Hennelly admitted that, while using a social media application on his phone, he sent a graphic image file of child pornography to another individual over the internet. A subsequent search of Hennelly’s phone revealed that he was also in possession of images and video files depicting child pornography.
Chief United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby will sentence Hennelly on December 9, 2021. Hennelly faces at least 5 years and up to 20 years in prison, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of between 5 years and life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. Hennelly will also have to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
This case was investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Williams as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
4 Men Charged with Trafficking Nearly 5 Tons of Cocaine Hidden in FurnitureRead the Press Release
Audrey Strauss, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Ray Donovan, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), John B. DeVito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (“ATF”), Philip R. Bartlett, Inspector-in-Charge of the New York Office of the United States Postal Inspection Service (“USPIS”), Dermot Shea, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), and Kevin P. Bruen, Superintendent of the New York State Police (“NYSP”), announced today the unsealing of a superseding indictment in Manhattan federal court charging PEDRO GUZMAN MARTINEZ, a/k/a “Peter,” ABEL MONTILLA, a/k/a “Coche Bomba,” JORGE MIRANDA-SANG, a/k/a “Chinito,” and LUIS GOMEZ ORTIZ, a/k/a “Kiké,” with participating in a drug trafficking organization that shipped approximately 4,500 kilograms of cocaine from Puerto Rico to the continental United States, including to New York, Massachusetts, Florida, and Connecticut, for sale and distribution over a period of approximately 10 months. GUZMAN MARTINEZ and MIRANDA-SANG were arrested this morning in Puerto Rico and are expected to be presented before a magistrate judge in the District of Puerto Rico later today. GOMEZ ORTIZ was arrested this morning in Florida and is expected to be presented before a magistrate judge in the Middle District of Florida later today. MONTILLA was arrested this morning in Springfield, Massachusetts, and is expected to be presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Katharine H. Parker in the Southern District of New York later today. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel.
U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “These defendants allegedly hid nearly five tons of cocaine in furniture so they could ship it from Puerto Rico to New York City and elsewhere. As alleged, for a time, the defendants were able to hide their cocaine, but they were unable to hide the scheme from our law enforcement partners. We will continue to focus on prosecuting large-scale traffickers of illegal drugs.”
DEA Special Agent in Charge Ray Donovan said: “Traffickers have always found new and innovative methods of smuggling drugs into the United States. In this case, they allegedly concealed cocaine into hollowed out furniture. This nearly three-year investigation has dismantled an international drug trafficking organization that allegedly has been shipping thousands of kilograms of cocaine, ultimately destined for our communities. I applaud our law enforcement partners from the US Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York, the ATF and the USPIS for their efforts in bringing this organization to justice.”
ATF Special Agent in Charge John B. DeVito said: “The defendants are alleged to run a drug trafficking organization which conspired to flood our streets with unprecedented levels of illegal narcotics. Thankfully, through the diligent efforts of our law enforcement partners, their alleged operation has been disrupted and dismantled successfully. ATF is committed to the fight against the illegal drug trade and will stand shoulder to shoulder with all of our local, state and federal partners to see that these organizations are eradicated from our communities. I would like to thank the United States Attorney’s Office for their leadership during this investigation.”
USPIS Inspector-in-Charge Philip R. Bartlett: said: “Winning the battle against illicit drugs is a top priority for the Postal Inspection Service and our law enforcement partners. Our objectives are to rid society of illicit drug trafficking and the associated violence, and most importantly, provide a safe environment for the American public.”
Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said: “Today’s charges demonstrate that the investigative efforts of New York City law enforcement are far-reaching, precisely-focused, and patient. As long as individuals – wherever they are based – are involved in illegal narcotics trafficking, the NYPD and our partners will relentlessly work to stop the spread of illegal narcotics on our streets. I commend our colleagues at the United States Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York, and our law enforcement partners at the DEA, ATF and USPIS for their dedication and hard work to bring these individuals to justice.”
State Police Superintendent Kevin P. Bruen said: “These arrests are the result of a sustained investigation into a narcotics trafficking organization that was allegedly shipping large quantities of cocaine into the United States, including New York. I want to thank our members and our law enforcement partners for their work on this case and their commitment to stopping the flow of illegal drugs into our country.”
According to the allegations contained in a Superseding Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court and other filings in the case[1]:
Between at least September 2018 and June 2019, GUZMAN MARTINEZ, MONTILLA, MIRANDA-SANG, and GOMEZ ORTIZ were members of a drug trafficking organization (“DTO”) who conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms and more of cocaine.
The defendants operated the drug trafficking scheme by arranging for the shipment of approximately 70 large parcels from Puerto Rico to the continental United States. The cocaine was concealed in custom tables and other furniture, and the packages containing the cocaine were represented to be furniture on shipping documentation, but the hollowed-out furniture in fact concealed hundred-kilogram quantities of cocaine. In total, the trafficking organization shipped approximately 4,500 kilograms of cocaine, worth approximately $144 million on the street.
GUZMAN MARTINEZ was responsible for delivering the packaged cargo (containing hollowed-out furniture filled with cocaine) to co-conspirators whom GUZMAN MARTINEZ hired to facilitate the shipping logistics using a false company name.
MIRANDA-SANG and GOMEZ ORTIZ identified and hired individuals in the continental United States to receive and sign for DTO shipments, to unpack and distribute the cocaine to other DTO members as directed, and to dispose of the packaging materials to evade detection by law enforcement.
MONTILLA was a Massachusetts-based coordinator of cocaine deliveries who traveled to many delivery locations and coordinated the delivery of cocaine shipments with package recipients. At least a dozen packages were sent to addresses affiliated with MONTILLA.
* * *
MONTILLA, 48, of Springfield, Massachusetts, and GUZMAN MARTINEZ, 47, MIRANDA-SANG, 42, and GOMEZ ORTIZ, 29, all of Puerto Rico, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute narcotics, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison. The statutory maximum sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencings of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding investigative work of the DEA, ATF, USPIS, NYPD, and NYSP in this investigation.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Juliana N. Murray, Ryan B. Finkel, and Peter J. Davis are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Superseding Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Superseding Indictment and the description of the Superseding Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
21 July 2021
Virginia Man Sentenced to 24 Months in Prison for Fraud Scheme and Possessing Fraudulent Austrian PassportRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Tyrone Grandberry, 61, of Woodbridge, Va., has been sentenced to 24 months in prison on charges of wire fraud stemming from a scheme to defraud people who trusted him to invest money on their behalf, and possessing a fraudulent immigration document.
The announcement was made by Acting U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips, Robert E. Bornstein, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division, and Carlos F. Matus, Acting Director of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service.
Grandberry pleaded guilty in July 2019 to one count each of wire fraud and possessing a fraudulent immigration document. He was sentenced on July 20, 2021, by the Honorable Paul L. Friedman in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Upon completion of the prison term, he will be placed on three years of supervised release. He also must pay restitution to victims totaling $3,622,185.
According to the government’s evidence, Grandberry and others solicited investments totaling approximately $4 million and diverted money for their personal use. In some cases, Grandberry “repaid” or “refunded” prior victims with money that he obtained from new investors. He also obtained and possessed a fraudulent Austrian passport in another name.
In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillips, Acting Special Agent in Charge Bornstein, and Acting Director Matus commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service. They also commended the efforts of those who handled the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Jessica McCormick and Assistant U.S. Attorney Demian Ahn, who prosecuted the matter.
Turkish National Indicted for Wire Fraud and Illegally Exporting Defense Articles to TurkeyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Turkish national was indicted today in Boston in connection with his scheme to illegally export defense technical data to foreign nationals in Turkey for the fraudulent manufacturing of various United States military parts, in violation of the Arms Export Control Act. The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) later determined that some of the parts were substandard and unsuitable for use by the military.
Arif Ugur, 52, formerly of Cambridge, Mass., was indicted on two counts of wire fraud, two counts of violating the Arms Export Control Act and one count of conspiring to violate the Arms Export Control Act. Ugur will make an initial appearance in federal court in Boston tomorrow before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Jennifer C. Boal.
The indictment alleges that in 2015, Ugur founded and was the sole managing partner of the Anatolia Group Limited Partnership (Anatolia), a domestic limited partnership registered in Massachusetts. Beginning in approximately July 2015, Ugur bid on and acquired numerous contracts to supply the DOD with a variety of machine parts and hardware items intended for use by the United States military. Many of these contracts required that the parts be manufactured in the United States. In his initial bids and in subsequent email communications with DOD representatives, it is alleged that Ugur falsely claimed that Anatolia was manufacturing the parts in the United States. In fact, Anatolia and Ugur had no manufacturing facilities in the United States or elsewhere. Instead, Ugur contracted with a Turkish manufacturer to make the parts and then passed them off to DOD as if they had been manufactured by Anatolia in the United States.
It is further alleged that Ugur shared technical specifications and drawings of various DOD parts and components with employees of the Turkish manufacturer so that they could produce the parts for Anatolia. Ugur also allegedly provided employees of the Turkish manufacturer and other Turkish nationals with access to DOD’s online library of technical specifications and drawings. Many of the parts that Ugur contracted to provide, and did provide to DOD, were designated as defense articles under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and the United States Munitions List (USML). Thus, an export license was required to export the parts and related technical data (drawings, specifications, etc.) from the United States to Turkey. The charging documents allege that Ugur knew of these restrictions, but nonetheless exported technical data controlled under the ITAR and USML to employees of the Turkish manufacturer without an export license.
The charge of violating the Arms Export Control Act provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. The charge of conspiring to violate the Arms Export Control Act provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Patrick J. Hegarty, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Northeast Field Office; Matthew B. Millholin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; and William Higgins, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Export Enforcement, Boston Field Office, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason A. Casey and Timothy H. Kistner of Mendell’s National Security Unit are prosecuting the case.
Details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Truck driver charged with smuggling 115 in refrigerated trailerRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 43-year-old resident of Rosharon is set to make an appearance in Laredo federal court on allegations he attempted to smuggle dozens of undocumented non-citizens, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Michael Warren Mccoy is set to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christopher A. Dos Santos at 1:30 p.m. today.
According to the charges, authorities encountered a tractor hauling a white refrigerated trailer on U.S. Highway 59 approximately eight miles east of Laredo. Law enforcement allegedly conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle bearing Texas license plates due to a failure to drive in a single lane.
At that time, they cut the seal on the trailer doors and discovered a total of 115 undocumented individuals, according to the charges.
The complaint alleges Mccoy expected to be paid $250 for the transport. He also had allegedly made three previous, similar trips.
If convicted, Mccoy faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Homeland Security Investigations, Texas Department of Public Safety and Border Patrol are conducting the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Garrie Brown is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.Three Charged in Prison-Based COVID-19 Unemployment Benefits SchemeRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — On Thursday, July 15, a grand jury returned an indictment against three defendants for a scheme to submit over $1.4 million in fraudulent unemployment insurance claims in other inmates’ identities to the California Employment Development Department (EDD), Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
The indictment charges Daryol Richmond, 30; Telvin Breaux, 29; and Holly White, 30, with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. Richmond and Breaux are inmates at the Kern Valley State Prison and California Correctional Institute, respectively. White resides in Los Angeles. The indictment was unsealed today following White’s arrest.
According to court documents, the underlying applications for the claims falsely stated that the inmates worked within the prescribed period as clothing merchants, handymen, and other jobs, and were available to work. To avoid detection, the defendants created fictitious email accounts and used different physical addresses throughout Southern California for the fraudulent claims. In some cases, they paid family members and associates up to $1,000 to use their physical addresses. The actual loss to the EDD and United States is over $270,000.
This case is the product of an investigation by the FBI and EDD. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Barton and Melanie Alsworth are prosecuting the case.
If convicted of the conspiracy to commit mail fraud, the defendants each face a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. If convicted of the aggravated identity theft, they each face a mandatory two-year consecutive sentence. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after considering any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account several variables. The charges are only allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Syracuse Man Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud and Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Glen Zinszer, age 51, of Liverpool, New York, pled guilty today to committing wire fraud and willfully filing false tax returns, announced Acting United States Attorney Antoinette T. Bacon; Thomas Fattorusso, Acting Special Agent in Charge, New York Field Office, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”); and Jodi Cohen, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
As part of his guilty plea, Zinszer admitted that he began operating the Brazzlebox company in 2012, which he represented to investors would be like a Facebook for business. Beginning in April 2013 and continuing until approximately the summer of 2016, Zinszer made false representations to investors about how Brazzlebox was doing to cause them to invest more money and remain invested. In pleading guilty, Zinszer admitted that he inflated Brazzlebox’s user numbers and told employees to create fictitious user accounts to inflate those figures, misrepresented purportedly revenue-generating strategic partnerships, forged documents to support those falsehoods, and forged a letter of intent to purchase Brazzlebox for millions of dollars.
From 2012 through 2016, Zinszer used a substantial portion of the money invested in Brazzlebox to finance his lifestyle rather than to operate the business, including paying mortgages on his homes and purchasing concert tickets and jewelry. Although Zinszer used money from Brazzlebox to finance his lifestyle, he willfully filed false tax returns underreporting his income in tax years 2013-2016.
Sentencing is scheduled for November 29, 2021, in Syracuse before Senior United States District Court Judge Frederick J. Scullin, Jr. Zinszer faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years for his wire fraud conviction, and 3 years for his conviction for willfully filing false tax returns, a maximum fine of $250,000, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
This case was investigated by IRS-CI and the FBI, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael D. Gadarian and Geoffrey J.L. Brown.
Stratford Man Admits Role in Heroin Trafficking OperationRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that NADYAR MALAKA, 34, of Stratford, pleaded guilty today in New Haven federal court to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin.
According to court documents and statements made in court, an investigation revealed that Eddy Antonio Torres Morel was trafficking narcotics from Big Daddy’s Deli and Jamal’s Market, two stores he operated on East Main Street in Bridgeport. During the investigation, law enforcement made two controlled purchases of a half-kilogram of heroin from Torres, first at Jamal’s Market on October 29, 2019, and then at Big Daddy’s Deli on January 24, 2020.
Malaka assisted Torres’ drug trafficking operation by storing and packaging narcotics at his residence, storing drug proceeds at his residence, and transporting narcotics and drug proceeds to Torres and others.
The investigation also revealed that Malaka engaged in the interstate trafficking of untaxed cigarettes.
Malaka was arrested on February 27, 2020. He is released on a $250,000 bond pending sentencing, which is scheduled for October 14, 2021, in Hartford federal court.
Torres, 50, of Meriden, pleaded guilty to the same charge on June 28, 2021. He awaits sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by the FBI’s Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bridgeport Police Department and the Stamford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Vizcarrondo.
St. Louis Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun and Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – Lamondra Beckley, 43, of St. Louis, Missouri, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Beckley has been under federal indictment since April 6.
As part of his guilty plea, Beckley admitted that on March 11, 2021, he possessed approximately 114 grams of methamphetamine, which he intended to sell to a customer at a gas station in Fairview Heights, Illinois, before being arrested by DEA agents. At the time of his arrest, Beckley also possessed a Taurus Model 709 Slim handgun. Beckley has a prior felony conviction that prohibits him from lawfully possessing a firearm.
Sentencing is scheduled for November 10 at 10:00 a.m. in East St. Louis. Under federal law, Beckley faces at least 5 years imprisonment. United States District Judge David W. Dugan will determine any sentence after considering the federal sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
Beckley is one of two co-defendants named in the indictment. The other man – Deandre Young, 42, of
St. Louis – is charged with aiding and abetting Beckley in the possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and with possessing a Beretta Model .25 Panther handgun in furtherance of the offense. Young’s trial is scheduled for October 4. Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely a formal charge, and all criminal defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.The case against Beckley and Young is being investigated by the DEA in Fairview Heights.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel T. Kapsak is prosecuting the case.
St. Croix Man Sentenced to Prison for Aiding and Abetting Possession of a Firearm by a Defendant Under IndictmentRead the Press Release
St. Croix, USVI – U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced that a St. Croix man, A’keem Stanley, age 27, appeared before Judge Wilma A. Lewis in District Court and was sentenced on the charge of Aiding and Abetting Possession of Firearm by Person Under Indictment. Judge Lewis sentenced Stanley to 14 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, a $1,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment.
According to court documents, on November 4, 2016, Ameade Williams was charged by information with felony offenses in the Superior Court of the Virgin Islands. On May 23, 2018, the Superior Court entered an order releasing Williams into the custody of A’keem Stanley and required that they reside at Frederiksted, St. Croix residence. On May 25, 2018, Stanley signed a document acknowledging his consent and obligation to monitor Williams’ compliance with his terms of release as a third-party custodian.
During a search of the Frederiksted residence on September 11, 2018, while the charges were still pending against Williams, police seized a Kel-Tech pistol from the living room and a Taurus 9mm pistol in the bedroom where Stanley was located. The Kel-Tech firearm contained a magazine with 29 live rounds of ammunition. According to court documents, Williams, who was present, stated that the firearms belonged to him and that other persons had nothing to with the firearms.
During a post arrest interview, Stanley told police that he had made the arrangements to acquire possession of the Frederiksted residence where he and Williams resided and that he observed the firearms being brought into the residence two weeks earlier. However, Stanley did not report Williams’ possession of the firearm to appropriate officials, thus permitting Williams’ possession to remain undetected by law enforcement. Both firearms were manufactured outside of the United States Virgin Islands.
The Virgin Islands Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel H. Huston prosecuted the case.
This case is part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide initiative that brings together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement officials, prosecutors, and community leaders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in a community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. For more information on the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods, please see: https://www.justice.gov/psn.
Springfield Man Charged with Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Missouri, man who was identified when his photo was broadcast by local TV stations was charged in federal court today with bank robbery.
Charles Edgar King Jr., 56, was charged in a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Springfield, Mo., on Tuesday, July 20. His initial court appearance was held today and King remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing on Monday, July 26.
The federal criminal complaint alleges that King used a note to steal $8,815 from Guaranty Bank, 2109 N. Glenstone Ave., in Springfield, on July 10, 2021.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, King entered the bank at about 10:30 a.m. and went straight to a teller counter, where he handed the teller a handwritten note that read, “I have a gun this is a robbery.” The teller handed over cash, the affidavit says, and King left the bank and walked away through a parking lot.
Surveillance cameras in the bank captured good quality video, which allegedly show King, who was not wearing a mask, and images of his bare hands that show a tattoo of a cross on the back of his right middle finger. On the same day as the robbery, July 10, 2021, the FBI released one of the surveillance images to the media and requested assistance from the public in identifying the bank robber. King’s former probation officer saw the media coverage and contacted the FBI the same day and identified King, the affidavit says.
On July 19, 2021, an anonymous source contacted law enforcement with a tip that King was staying at the Springfield Inn near Kearney and North Glenstone in Springfield. Springfield police detectives and FBI agents conducted surveillance on the hotel and saw King leave the hotel driving a purple Scion Cube with no license plate. Springfield police officers conducted a car stop and detained King on an investigative arrest for robbery.
According to the affidavit, King told an FBI agent that he used the stolen money to buy the used Scion Cube for $2,400, and that he gave some of the money away and spent the rest.
The charge contained in this complaint is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the Springfield, Mo., Police Department and the FBI.
South Carolina Investment Fund Manager Sentenced to 63 Months in Prison for $20 Million Securities Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A South Carolina investment fund manager was sentenced today to 63 months in prison for his role in a scheme to fraudulently obtain over $20 million from investors through misrepresentations about trading strategy and fund performance, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
George Heckler, 65, of Charleston, South Carolina, previously pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo to an information charging him with one count of securities fraud. Judge Arleo imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Heckler managed, controlled or was involved with multiple investment funds, including Conestoga Partner Holdings (Conestoga), Cassatt Short Term Trading Fund LP (Cassatt), CV Special Opportunity Fund LP (CVSO), and TA1 LLC (TA1).
From 2014 to 2018, Heckler misrepresented to investors that he would invest their funds in particular trading strategies. Instead, he diverted their funds out of Cassatt and TA1 for purposes inconsistent with the trading strategies, including to pay out millions of dollars to other investors. Heckler also used investors’ funds to cover investment losses suffered by other funds under his management and/or control.
Heckler solicited investments from Victim-1, claiming the investments would be invested in Cassatt, which employed a “first loss” trading strategy intended to protect investors from losses. However, as of December 2013, Cassatt no longer had a brokerage account that was necessary to employ the represented trading strategy. Despite Cassatt no longer having a brokerage account, in 2014, Heckler represented to Victim-1 that Cassatt was still engaged in a first loss trading strategy and solicited Victim-1’s investment in Cassatt. In September 2014, Victim-1 invested approximately $9.1 million in Cassatt, relying on Heckler’s representation that Victim-1’s money would be invested consistent with Cassatt’s first loss trading strategy. Heckler used $4.6 million of Victim-1’s investment to repay existing investors and the remainder to satisfy other obligations Heckler owed that were unrelated to Cassatt.
Heckler also approached Victim-2 about the possibility of creating a hedge fund that would deploy capital to first-loss traders, who would serve as the “first loss” protection for investors’ capital. In late 2015, Victim-2 formed a hedge fund, utilizing the concept proposed by Heckler (Entity-1). In 2015 and 2016, Entity-1 invested $10.1 million in TA1 via a participation agreement that provided that Entity-1’s investment would be used for an “options arbitrage dividend recapture trade,” otherwise known as the “skate trade.” In fact, none of Entity-1’s investment was used for the “skate trade.” Entity-1’s investment was used for other purposes, including repaying others who had previously invested with Heckler.
Over the course of the scheme, Heckler sent out statements to investors that misled them into believing the value of their investments was increasing, when, in fact, the value was declining. Heckler took approximately $1 million in fees and distributions from the fraudulently obtained investments for his personal use.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Arleo sentenced Heckler to three years of supervised release and ordered forfeiture of $19.25 million.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has filed a civil complaint against Heckler based on the allegations underlying the securities fraud charge.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Driscoll, Philadelphia Field Office, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine R. Murphy of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division.
Shooting in Edenton Gets Man 10 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – An Edenton man was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for felon in possession of ammunition. On April 19, 2021, Daniel Lee Herrar, age 38, pled guilty to the charge.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, the Edenton Police Department responded to the ABC Store on North Broad Street for a report of shots fired. Video surveillance from the store captured Herrar and another man in a truck engaging in a verbal altercation. Herrar then pulled a handgun and fired at the man in the truck before it sped away. Officers recovered several spent shell casings from the scene. Herrar was found at a residence a short distance from the store and arrested. Herrar is a convicted felon, having prior felony convictions for possession with intent to sell or deliver cocaine and assault inflicting serious injury. He also has at least 35 misdemeanor convictions.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Edenton Police Department, and Elizabeth City Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Dodson prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:20-CR-26-M.
Second Canadian Citizen Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Canadian man pleaded guilty today to possessing a firearm as an alien illegally or unlawfully in the United States, announced Acting U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk.
According to court documents, on January 10, 2021, Muzamil Aden Addow, 30, and his co-defendant Dayne Adrian Sitladeen, 29, were stopped by a Minnesota State Patrol Trooper near Fergus Falls, Minnesota. The defendants were traveling between 95-100 miles per hour in a Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck with Texas license plates. When the Trooper approached the vehicle, Addow provided an Ontario, Canada, driver’s license with a false name.
According to court documents, after detecting the odor of marijuana in the vehicle and receiving suspicious and inconsistent statements from Addow and Sitladeen, the Trooper searched the vehicle. As a result of the search, law enforcement officers recovered a total of 67 firearms and numerous pistol magazines, including 15 high-capacity pistol magazines, from four bags in the truck—one pistol magazine was partially loaded with live ammunition rounds.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Minnesota State Patrol.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Samantha Bates.
Richlands Man Sentenced to Prison Time for Possessing and Manufacturing an Unregistered Explosives DeviceRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va.- Cole Carini, a Richlands, Virginia man who appeared at a hospital in June 2020 with severe injuries to his hands and fingers, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Abingdon to 84 months in federal prison.
Carini, 24, pleaded guilty in January to one count of possessing and manufacturing an unregistered explosive device.
“When he stockpiled bomb-making materials and actually designed and manufactured an improvised explosive device designed to cause significant harm, the defendant put the safety of the community at risk and committed a serious federal crime,” Acting United States Attorney Daniel P. Bubar said today. “Today’s sentence ought to send a clear message that such behavior will not be tolerated. We appreciate the great work of our federal and state partners that brought Carini to justice.”
“Mr. Carini suffered serious injuries when explosive devices he possessed detonated in a residential area. The danger of such devices and potential for additional explosions and casualties could have been more devasting if responding law enforcement personnel were not able to properly dispose of the devices and chemicals,” Special Agent in Charge Stanley M. Meador said today. “Through our partnership, the residential area was made safe again; and Mr. Carini was held accountable for his illegal activity.”
According to court documents, on June 3, 2020, Carini went to a hospital in Richlands suffering from extensive injuries to his hands, and shrapnel wounds to his neck and throat. After being interviewed at the hospital by authorities, Carini reported that his injuries were caused by a lawn mower accident at his home.
During a search of Carini’s home, agents found the lawn was overgrown and found no other evidence indicating a lawn mower had recently been used. They did, however, find evidence of an explosion in Carini’s bedroom that was more consistent with the types of injuries Carini had suffered. Agents also discovered drawings of improvised explosive devices, significant quantities of Triacetone Triperoxide, which is an explosive substance used in the creation of improvised explosive devices, exploded and unexploded components of pipe-bomb devices, fusing, and a partially constructed pressure-cooker explosive device similar to that used in the Boston Marathon bombing.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Virginia State Police, the Richlands Police Department and the Tazewell County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant United States Attorneys Zachary T. Lee and Whit D. Pierce are prosecuting the case for the United States.
Raytown Sex Offender Indicted for Sending Obscenity to MinorsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Raytown, Missouri, sex offender was indicted by a federal grand jury today for transferring obscene material to minors after he was identified in two separate and unrelated FBI investigations in Chicago, Illinois, and St. Louis, Mo.
Brent Deadmon, 44, was charged in a two-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo. Today’s indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Deadmon on June 17, 2021. Deadmon is a registered sex offender with prior convictions for statutory sodomy, statutory rape, child molestation, sexual misconduct, and furnishing child pornography to a minor. He remains detained in federal custody without bail pending trial.
The indictment charges Deadmon with two counts of transferring obscene material to a minor.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, Deadmon sent obscene photos and video of himself using a smart phone application to two persons he believed to be 14 years old and 15 years old. In reality, Deadmon was communicating online with covert employees of the FBI in Chicago and St. Louis, who were engaged in two separate and unrelated investigations.
Deadmon allegedly sent additional pornographic images and videos. During his online communication from March 8 to 29, 2021, Deadmon also engaged in graphic sexual conversation and expressed his desire to meet the 14-year-old victim for sexual contact, the affidavit says. During his online communication from April 17 to June 7, 2021, Deadmon also expressed an interest in meeting the 15-year-old and her 10-year-old sister to pay them $500 to have sex.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Barnes. It was investigated by the FBI.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Riverton Man Sentenced for Assaulting Bia Police OfficerRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Bob Murray announced today that LEO MICHAEL DURAN, 26, of Riverton, Wyoming, was sentenced to 18 months of prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for assaulting a federal law enforcement officer. The sentence was imposed by United States District Court Chief Judge Scott W. Skavdahl, after Duran pleaded guilty to the charge on May 14, 2021.
During the early morning hours of January 23, 2021, security staff at the Wind River Hotel and Casino were in the process of escorting Duran from the premises, and a Bureau of Indian Affairs officer arrived on site to assist. While the officer was placing handcuffs on him, Duran turned on the officer and began throwing punches, causing both he and the officer to fall to the ground. Duran got up and ran away, heading down Highway 789 toward Riverton. The officer made his way back to his patrol vehicle and pursued Duran, finally completing the arrest with the assistance of Fremont County Sheriff Deputies.
“We are extremely proud of BIA Law Enforcement and recognize the dangers they face while protecting the citizens of the Wind River Reservation,” said Acting United States Attorney Bob Murray. “Duran’s actions show his complete disregard for law enforcement and a lack of good decision making. This type of assault is not something we take lightly, and such cases will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
“FBI Denver thanks our partners at the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every day to keep our communities safe. Mr. Duran’s violent response to contact from a federal law enforcement officer jeopardized the officer’s safety and that of the community they serve,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Michael Schneider. “The FBI stands by our law enforcement partners against violent criminals who pose a threat to the community.”
This crime was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance from Fremont County Sheriff’s Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Timothy W. Gist.
Portsmouth Man Sentenced for Firearm and Fraud-Related CrimesRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Portsmouth man was sentenced today to 18 years in prison for illegal possession of a firearm as a convicted felon, aggravated identity theft, and credit union fraud.
“With today’s sentence, the defendant has been held accountable for the serious nature of his crimes, including his recruitment of over 50 co-conspirators to participate in an extensive fraud scheme involving the Dark Web that inflicted significant financial loss on numerous victims,” said Raj Parekh, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Thank you to our law enforcement partners for risking their lives to apprehend the defendant following his reckless high-speed chase during which he placed community members in danger. We appreciate the hard work and dedication of all our partner agencies who helped bring the defendant to justice on behalf of the victims in this case.”
According to court documents, between December 2018 and January 2019, Armad Jamall Gatling, aka “Peso Chapo,” 26, a dealer for a drug trafficking organization based in Portsmouth, sold cocaine to a cooperating source four times. In July 2019, Gatling sold an AR-style rifle to the cooperating source, who Gatling knew to be a convicted felon.
On September 11, 2019, after he was federally indicted, Gatling fled in his vehicle from pursuing Chesapeake Police Department law enforcement officers, traveling as fast as 120 mph, running red lights, driving into oncoming traffic on a bridge, and finally abandoning the vehicle and fleeing on foot, at which point he was arrested. Police searched his vehicle and recovered nine credit cards in other people’s names, a credit card swipe reader, a license with Gatling’s photo but listing a different name, and a security baton.
A court-authorized search of Gatling’s social media accounts and electronic devices revealed that, from January 2019 to September 2019, he was part of a check fraud scheme in which he recruited others to open credit union accounts, then deposited counterfeit checks into those accounts and quickly withdrew the funds before the fraud was detected. He also spearheaded a scheme in which he used Personal Identifying Information (PII) illegally obtained from the Dark Web to create cloned credit cards, and then used the credit cards to purchase trailers, lawn equipment, motorcycles, and other property, which he resold. One of Gatling’s devices contained PII for dozens of victims. Gatling recruited more than 50 co-conspirators to participate in his scheme, resulting in at least 50 victims suffering financial losses totaling more than $368,000.
Raj Parekh, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Charlie J. Patterson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division; George D. Purefoy, Resident Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Norfolk Resident Office; Gregory Scovel, Special Agent in Charge of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Norfolk Field Office; and Col. K.L. Wright, Chief of Chesapeake Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Rebecca Beach Smith.
This case is part of Operation High Tide, a proactive, large-scale narcotics trafficking and firearms investigation that focused on high-impact targets driving crime in some of the hardest hit neighborhoods in Hampton Roads.
Assistant U.S. Attorney William Jackson prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:19-cr-153.
Peoria Business Owner Sentenced to 36 Months in Prison for Tax OffensesRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – Alaa Iwaisi, 30, of Peoria, Ill., was sentenced on July 20, 2021, to 36 months in federal prison for filing false federal personal tax returns, aiding in the filing of false federal corporate returns, and mail fraud for mailing false small business corporation tax returns to the State of Illinois for tax years 2015, 2016, and 2017.
Iwaisi, who formerly owned and operated the MacArthur Corner Store Food & More in Peoria, pleaded guilty on March 3, 2021, to the nine-count indictment charging him with underreporting sales from the store on both federal and state returns. At Iwaisi’s sentencing hearing, Senior U.S. District Judge Michael M. Mihm found that even though Iwaisi had actual receipts reflecting the store’s sales, he provided false information about the sales to his return preparer. The judge also found that Iwaisi often paid employees and himself with cash straight from the cash register, despite being advised by the return preparer to issue company paychecks.
Also at sentencing, Judge Mihm further ordered that Iwaisi’s prison term be followed by concurrent one- and three-year terms of supervised release on the tax and mail fraud charges, respectively. And the judge ordered Iwais to pay unpaid taxes amounting to $108,125 to the Internal Revenue Service and $86,105 to the Illinois Department of Revenue.
Until July 18, 2021, Iwaisi had been on bond, subject to conditions including that he refrain from transferring or dissipating any assets. Following the filing of petitions to revoke his bond for violating those conditions, Iwaisi was detained pending a hearing on the issue.
At the hearing, Judge Mihm revoked Iwaisi’s bail and found that he had obstructed justice by encumbering and dissipating assets. The government presented evidence at the hearing showing that Iwaisi had used $5,000 as down payment for the purchase of a $62,000 Range Rover, sold a 2004 BMW for $4,500, transferred title of a Recreational Vehicle, sold a 2015 Range Rover for $35,000, and used assets to pay for inventory at a convenience store recently purchased by his ex-wife. The government also presented evidence that in seeking financing for the Range Rover, Iwaisi falsely claimed that he had monthly income of $10,000 from managing a liquor store. However, Iwaisi had reported to U.S. Probation that he was unemployed and receiving unemployment compensation from the State of Illinois.
“Paying taxes is a civic duty that allows our society to thrive and for us to care for those who need it the most,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Douglas J. Quivey. “People who cheat the tax system will be held accountable to include serving prison time.”
“This sentencing is a direct result of the excellent partnership IRS Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Attorney’s office has in combating violations of Federal law,” said Donald “Trey” Eakins, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Chicago Field Office. “This sentence should serve as an example to those who might think about trying to cheat the US tax system by under-reporting income. You will serve jail time for stealing from hard-working Americans.”
The Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Division; United States Postal Inspection Service; and Illinois Department of Revenue, Criminal Investigations, conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Darilynn J. Knauss and Katherine G. Legge represented the government in the prosecution.
Pennsylvania Man Sentenced to 124 Months for Attempted Enticement and Coercion of a MinorRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK - Peter N. Allen, age 33, of East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania was sentenced today to serve 124 months in prison for attempting to arrange for a sexual encounter with a minor. The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Antoinette T. Bacon and Jodi Cohen, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
As part of his previously entered guilty plea, Allen admitted that between February 2020 and May 2020, he exchanged multiple sexually explicit messages online with an undercover officer posing an 11-year-old girl to entice the child into having sex with him. Allen also admitted that on May 14, 2020, he traveled from Pennsylvania to a fast-food restaurant parking lot in New York near where he believed the child lived to meet her for sex.
Senior United States District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy also sentenced Allen to a 15-year term of supervised release to begin following his term of imprisonment. Allen also will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Gadarian as a part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Paterson Felon Admits Trafficking and Unlawfully Possessing 16 FirearmsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Paterson man with prior felony convictions today admitted illegally transporting and selling 16 firearms for over $8,000 on four occasions beginning in July 2019, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Floyd Henry, aka “HK,” 36, pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Katharine S. Hayden to an information charging him with one count of illegally engaging in the business of dealing in firearms and four counts of possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From July 15, 2019, through Sept. 25, 2019, Henry engaged in the business of dealing firearms, while not being a federally licensed importer, licensed manufacturer, or licensed dealer. On four occasions, in Passaic County, Henry sold or attempted to sell a total of 16 firearms, including two semi-automatic rifles, three revolvers, and 11 semi-automatic pistols, as well as over 100 rounds of ammunition, in exchange for over $8,000. Henry had purchased or obtained the firearms and ammunition in other states, transported them to New Jersey, and sold them to an individual in Passaic County.
The charge of engaging in the business of dealing firearms, while not being a federally licensed importer, licensed manufacturer, or licensed dealer carries a maximum potential penalty of up to five years in prison. Each of the four counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm carries a maximum potential penalty of up to 10 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 23, 2021.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited Special Agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Toby C. Taylor, Newark Field Division; officers with the Passaic County Sherriff’s Office under the direction of Sheriff Richard H. Berdnik; the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes; and the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Colonel Patrick J. Callahan, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher D. Amore of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Government Fraud Unit in Newark.
Palm Coast Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Illegal Possession of A Firearm and Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine BaseRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Jerard Keaton Davis (35, Palm Coast) to 15 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and for possessing with the intent to distribute cocaine base. The court also ordered Davis to forfeit the firearm and ammunition he had possessed as part of the offense.
Davis had been found guilty on April 14, 2021, after a bench trial.
According to court documents, on July 26, 2018, during the execution of a search warrant at Davis’s place of business in Palm Coast, Davis was found in possession of a loaded .380 caliber pistol, a quantity of cocaine base, and drug distribution paraphernalia. At the time, Davis had multiple prior felony convictions, including four convictions for sale of narcotics or possession of narcotics with the intent to distribute them, and was therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal law.
“We greatly appreciate our Safe Neighborhoods partnership with ATF, the Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida,” said Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly. “Jerard Davis had been terrorizing the nearby businesses and selling poison in our community for a long time. We appreciated the significant sentence he received to federal prison.”
“Removing firearms and ammunition from the hands of armed narcotics traffickers, especially those who are convicted felons, is at the forefront of ATF’s mission,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Craig W. Saier. “This sentencing is another great example that working jointly with our law enforcement partners makes our communities safer.”
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David B. Mesrobian.
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.
Palm Bay Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Transporting and Possessing Child Sex Abuse Material Using Cloud Storage on the InternetRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger today sentenced Xzavier Scholtens (20, Palm Bay) to 10 years in federal prison for using the internet to transport and possess videos depicting the sexual abuse of young children. Scholtens was also ordered to serve a 25-year term of supervised release and register as a sex offender.
Scholtens had been found guilty after a jury trial on April 28, 2021.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, this case arose from an online undercover operation conducted by agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in McAllen, Texas. The undercover operation targeted individuals who were using a particular social media platform on the internet to trade and distribute child sex abuse images and videos.
On November 19, 2019, Scholtens directly messaged one of the undercover agents and offered to “trade.” The undercover agent responded that Scholtens should send something first, in order to receive something in return. A short time later, Scholtens sent a hyperlink that led to a cloud storage folder that contained 12 videos. Each of the videos depicted the sexual abuse of young children whose ages ranged from 1 to 15 years old.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in McAllen, Texas and Rockledge, Florida and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily C. L. Chang.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Ozark Man Pleads Guilty to Assaulting Postal CarrierRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – An Ozark, Missouri, man pleaded guilty in federal court today to assaulting a postal carrier who was delivering his mail.
Peter Harrington, 55, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to one count of assaulting an employee of the United States.
By pleading guilty today, Harrington admitted that he assaulted a U.S. Postal carrier on Dec. 4, 2020. As the carrier stopped to deliver mail to the assisted living facility where Harrington resided, Harrington charged toward him, demanding his mail. Harrington began hitting and striking the postal carrier in the head. The carrier turned towards his mail truck and tried to cover up to protect himself, but Harrington continued to strike him repeatedly. When the carrier gave Harrington his mail, Harrington was angry that he only received one envelope and walked away while being verbally belligerent.
An Ozark police officer observed bloody abrasions and contusions to the postal carrier’s ears, face, and the back of his left hand.
Under federal statutes, Harrington is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Ozark, Mo., Police Department.
Operation X-Nation: Two Men Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug and Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – Two more defendants were sentenced today for their roles in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) operating in Mercer County.
Keith Blakely, also known as “Bumpy,” 43 of New York, was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute cocaine, oxymorphone, oxycodone and hydromorphone. Jan Rucker, 29, of McDowell County, was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute hydromorphone and using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. Blakely also forfeited $69,962 in proceeds generated from his drug trafficking activity along with several firearms, while Rucker agreed to forfeit $1,543 and two firearms. Both men previously pleaded guilty to the charges that resulted from a long-term, multi-state investigation known as Operation X-Nation.
Between August 2017 and August 31, 2019, Blakely was participating in a DTO that was operating in and around Princeton. Law enforcement officers intercepted telephone conversations in which Blakely was discussing the distribution of controlled substances with other members of the drug trafficking operation, including the pricing and quantities of substances to be distributed. Blakely also made several drug distributions to informants that were cooperating with law enforcement. On August 30, 2019, law enforcement officers conducted a search of the apartment Blakely was living in near Bluefield and found large quantities of oxymorphone, oxycodone, and hydromorphone pills that he intended to distribute, along with three firearms and approximately $69,962 in cash. Blakely admitted that the cash was proceeds from his drug trafficking activity and agreed to forfeit the cash and the firearms to the United States.
Rucker was stopped by law enforcement officers on August 30, 2019, while driving his truck in Princeton. The officers found approximately 507 hydromorphone pills, $1,543 in cash and two firearms during the traffic stop. Rucker admitted that he intended to distribute the pills and that he used and carried the firearms during the drug trafficking crime. As part of the plea agreement, Rucker agreed to forfeit the firearms and the $1,543 that he admitted was proceeds of drug trafficking activity.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Southern Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, which is composed of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Mercer County Sheriff’s Department, the Princeton Police Department and the Bluefield Police Department.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentences. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess handled 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 Nos. 1:19-cr-00307 (Blakely) and 1:19-cr-00308 (Rucker).
###
Omaha Man Sentenced to Prison for Drug and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA -- An Omaha, Nebraska man, Daniel James Haacke, age 35, was sentenced yesterday by United States District Court Chief Judge John A. Jarvey to 160 months in prison for drug and firearms offenses. His term of imprisonment is to be followed by four years of supervised release.
According to court documents, Haacke pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking in February of 2021.
Acting United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Council Bluffs Police Department, Southwest Iowa Narcotics Task Force, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.
Omaha Man Sentenced for Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that Robert G. Mann, 63, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha for receipt of Child Pornography. United States District Court Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Mann to 66 months’ imprisonment. Mann will also be required to pay special assessments of $5,100, and a fine of $7,500. There is no parole in the federal prison system. After his release from prison, Mann will serve 5 years of supervised release. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.
In October 2018, members of a Homeland Security Investigations task force began investigating a Cyber Tipline Report from Pinterest stating that a user had uploaded an image of child pornography. On March 2, 2020, officers contacted Mann and seized several electronic devices and various storage media. Mann was employed as a custodian in the Millard Public School District. Forensic examinations showed at least 142 sexually explicit images of child saved on Mann’s devices. Mann’s devices also contained non-sexually explicit images of at least one Millard student and images of photographs of female students and others displayed around Millard schools.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case was investigated by the Bellevue Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations.
Ohio Man Charged with Hate Crime Related to Plot to Conduct Mass Shooting of Women, Illegal Possession of Machine GunRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury has charged a self-identified “incel” with attempting to conduct a mass shooting of women and with illegally possessing a machine gun.
Tres Genco, 21, of Hillsboro, Ohio, allegedly plotted to commit a hate crime, namely, a plan to shoot students in sororities at a university in Ohio. He was arrested by federal agents today.
Genco identified as an “incel” or “involuntary celibate.” The incel movement is an online community of predominantly men who harbor anger towards women. Incels seek to commit violence in support of their belief that women unjustly deny them sexual or romantic attention to which they believe they are entitled.
According to the indictment, Genco maintained profiles on a popular incel website from at least July 2019 through mid-March 2020. Genco was a frequent poster on the site.
In one post, Genco allegedly detailed spraying “some foids and couples” with orange juice in a water gun. “Foids” is an incel term short for “femoids,” referring to women. According to the charging document, Genco compared his “extremely empowering action” to similar conduct by known incel, Elliot Rodger. In May 2014, Rodger killed six people and injured 14 others, including shooting individuals outside a University of California, Santa Barbara sorority house. Prior to his mass attack, Rodger shot a group of college students with orange juice from a water gun.
Genco also allegedly wrote a manifesto, stating he would “slaughter” women “out of hatred, jealousy and revenge…” and referring to death as the “great equalizer.” As part of this investigation, law enforcement agents discovered a note of Genco’s that indicated he hoped to “aim big” for a kill count of 3,000 people and intended to attend military training. Searches of Genco’s electronics revealed that the day he wrote his manifesto, he searched online for sororities and a university in Ohio.
It is alleged that in 2019, Genco purchased tactical gloves, a bulletproof vest, a hoodie bearing the word “revenge,” cargo pants, a bowie knife, a skull facemask, two Glock 17 magazines, a 9mm Glock 17 clip and a holster clip concealed carry for a Glock.
Genco attended Army Basic Training at Ft. Benning, Georgia, from August through December 2019.
In January 2020, Genco allegedly wrote a document entitled “Isolated” that he described as “the writings of the deluded and homicidal.” Genco signed the document, “Your hopeful friend and murderer.”
The charging document claims Genco conducted surveillance at an Ohio university on Jan. 15, 2020. That same day, he allegedly searched online for topics including “how to plan a shooting crime” and “when does preparing for a crime become attempt?”
On March 12, 2020, local police officers responded to Genco’s residence in Highland County. At the residence, in the trunk of Genco’s vehicle, police officers found, among other things, firearm with a bump stock attached, several loaded magazines, body armor and boxes of ammunition. Inside the residence, police officers found a Glock-style 9mm semiautomatic pistol, with no manufacturer’s marks or serial number, hidden in a heating vent in Genco’s bedroom.
Genco is charged with one count of attempting to commit a hate crime which, because it involved an attempt to kill, is punishable by up to life in prison and one count of illegally possessing a machine gun which is punishable by up to 10 years.
Vipal J. Patel, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Chris Hoffman, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Cincinnati Division; and Roland Herndon, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), announced the charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Gaffney Painter and Assistant Deputy Criminal Chief Timothy S. Mangan are representing the United States in this case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
Norwell Man Enters Guilty Plea in Child Sexual Exploitation CaseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Norwell man entered a guilty plea yesterday in federal court in Boston to sexually exploiting children.
Derek Sheehan, 51, agreed to plead guilty to three counts of sexual exploitation of children. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns deferred acceptance of the plea until sentencing, which has not yet been scheduled by the court. In October 2018, Sheehan was charged by criminal complaint and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury.
On Aug. 17, 2018, during a search of Sheehan’s home, investigators seized several electronic devices that revealed evidence of child pornography. Video evidence later recovered from the devices showed that Sheehan, a Norwell youth football coach at the time, had videotaped himself sexually abusing three minors while they were 11 and 12 years old while they slept in his home between March 2017 and July 2018.
The charge of sexual exploitation of children provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, a minimum of five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz; Cape and Islands District Attorney Michael D. O’Keefe; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Norwell Police Chief Edward Lee made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne Paruti, Deputy Chief of Mendell’s Major Crimes Unit and the Project Safe Childhood coordinator, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Dell’Anno are prosecuting the case.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
North Carolina Man Who Used Snapchat to Solicit Minors in Galax Sentenced to 210 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. - A North Carolina man, who used the popular social media messaging app Snapchat to solicit minors to send him sexually explicit photographs and videos in exchange for expensive gifts, was sentenced today to 210 months in prison.
According to court documents, Jason Kelly Inman, 41, of Mount Airy, N.C., used Snapchat to solicit minor victims living in Grayson County, Virginia, to send him sexually explicit photographs and videos of themselves. Inman targeted at least four minor, male victims, all who resided in Galax, Virginia, and ranged in age from 14 to 16 years old.
“This case demonstrates the lengths sexual predators will go seek out, win the trust of, and then victimize children. It also is a reminder of the dangers that exist for children online,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Bubar. “I commend the hard work and partnership of the Grayson County Sheriff’s Office, the Virginia State Police and the FBI, which brought Inman to justice to face his heinous crimes and will ensure he can no longer victimize children.”
“Through our community outreach programs the FBI is committed to bringing attention to the dangers associated with online sexual predators and providing educational tools and resources for parents and educators to help keep our children safe,” Special Agent in Charge Stanley M. Meador said today. “FBI Richmond is appreciative of the dedicated efforts of our partners which led to the capture and successful prosecution of this predator.”
Inman admitted that between June 2020 and December 2020, his general pattern of behavior was to exchange messages with his victims using Snapchat and provide the victims with gifts, including alcohol, marijuana, vape cartridges, money, and cell phones. Inman would then turn the conversation toward sexual issues, eventually requesting and receiving sexually explicit photographs and videos from his victims via Snapchat, in exchange for the victims continuing to receive gifts. Inman also traveled to Grayson County to deliver gifts to his victims. There is no evidence of actual physical contact between Inman and the victims.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Grayson County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Virginia State Police.
Assistant United States Attorneys Lena L. Busscher and Whit D. Pierce are prosecuting the case for the United States.
New York Man Indicted on Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Ethan Ashong, age 28, of Fishkill, New York, was indicted on July 20, 2021, by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking charges.
According to Acting United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, the indictment alleges that Ashong conspired to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute over 500 grams of methamphetamine between January 2021 and July 2021 and distributed over 50 grams of methamphetamine on multiple occasions between March 8, 2021 and July 15, 2021.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security, the Pennsylvania State Police and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny P. Roberts is prosecuting the case.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 40 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.
# # #
New York Man Admits Role in Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud and Conspiring to use Unauthorized Access Devices.Read the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A New York man today admitted to his role in conspiring to defraud a home improvement retail store with stolen credit card information, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Telwin Vincent, 32, of Bronx, New York, pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Court Judge Stanley R. Chesler to an information charging him with one count of conspiring to commit bank fraud and one count of conspiracy to use unauthorized access devices.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From November 2017 through May 2019, Vincent and his conspirators placed online orders with a home improvement store using stolen credit card information and arranged to pick up those goods in person at various store locations throughout New Jersey and New York. Vincent directed his conspirators to pick up the goods using dozens of false or stolen identities and then return the goods at different store locations or sell the goods at a discount to third parties for cash.
The bank fraud conspiracy charge to which Vincent pleaded guilty carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, a fine of $1 million or twice the gross gain to him or loss to others, whichever is greatest. The conspiracy to use unauthorized access devices count carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain to him or loss to others, whichever is greatest. Vincent’s sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 1, 2021.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Acting Inspector in Charge Rodney M. Hopkins in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray Mateo of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit in Newark.
New Orleans Man Charged with Drug Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that DAVID SINGLETON, age 62, of New Orleans, was indicted on July 16, 2021 by a federal grand jury for violations of the Controlled Substances Act. Specifically, SINGLETON was charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine hydrochloride, and one count of possession with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine hydrochloride, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B) and 846.
According to the indictment, SINGLETON possessed over 500 grams of cocaine hydrochloride on or about October 20, 2017. If convicted of this charge, SINGLETON faces enhanced penalties of a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years of imprisonment, up to life imprisonment, a fine of up to $8,000,000, and at least 8 years of supervised release. For each count, SINGLETON must pay a mandatory special assessment cost of $100.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely an allegation and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan L. Shih is in charge of the prosecution.
* * *
New Hampshire Man Sentenced on Interstate Stalking and Domestic Violence ChargesRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine—A New Hampshire man was sentenced today in federal court for stalking and traveling interstate to violate a protection order, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.
U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Lawrence Keenan IV, 31, to 33 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Keenan entered a guilty plea on February 10, 2021.
According to court documents, beginning on June 3, 2020, Keenan began sending a recently former girlfriend and her family harassing text messages in an effort to reconcile. When the victim, who resided in South Berwick, Maine at the time, refused to respond, Keenan also sent threatening messages to the victim and her former husband, which caused them both emotional distress. The victim then obtained a temporary protection order from the Maine District Court in York on June 4, 2020. The order, among other restrictions, prohibited Keenan from contacting the victim or entering the premises of her residence, which Keenan later did on June 14, 2020, resulting in his arrest. The temporary order was made final by the Maine District Court on June 17, 2020. Keenan was released on bail on June 24, 2020, with a new condition that he not return to South Berwick.
Between June 28-29, 2020, Keenan left approximately 23 harassing and threatening voicemails for the victim in violation of the final protection order and state bail conditions. In the last message, Keenan warned the victim that he was on his way to her South Berwick residence. Keenan drove from New Hampshire to Maine with the intent to violate the protective order. In the early morning of June 29, 2020, the South Berwick police responded to a 911 call and located Keenan inside the porch of the victim’s residence. She was not home at the time.
The South Berwick and Somersworth, New Hampshire police departments; the York County District Attorney’s Office; and the FBI investigated the case. The prosecution was 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.
Nepalese Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Attempting to Entice and Meet A Pregnant 12-Year-Old Child for SexRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Sanjay Lama (32, Jacksonville) to 10 years in federal prison for using the internet to attempt to entice a 12-year-old child to engage in sexual activity. Lama was also ordered to serve a 10-year term of supervised release and register as a sex offender. Lama was arrested on September 25, 2019, in Jacksonville and has been detained since that date. Lama is a citizen of Nepal who, at the time of this offense, was legally residing in Jacksonville and working as an information technology specialist for a local company.
A federal jury had found Lama guilty on March 26, 2021.
According to evidence and testimony introduced during the trial, on September 25, 2019, an undercover FBI agent, posing online as a pregnant 12-year-old child, was contacted by Lama, who was using the screen name “Awesome_Jack.” Lama and the undercover agent engaged in online conversation using a social media app known both for its anonymity as well as for being a way to meet others online for sex. Throughout that day, Lama sent 160 text messages expressing his desire to meet the 12-year-old “child” to engage in sexual activity. Lama provided graphic descriptions of the sexual acts that he wanted to perform on the “child.” Later that afternoon, Lama left his workplace in downtown Jacksonville and rode his motorcycle to a prearranged location at a shopping center in south Jacksonville to meet the “child.” His plan was to take her to her nearby residence for sex. When he arrived at the meeting location, Lama was approached by FBI agents as he was texting with the “child” on his cell phone and was arrested.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Jacksonville. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Monmouth County Man Admits Defrauding Department of Veterans Affairs of $200,000Read the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Monmouth County, New Jersey, man today admitted he defrauded the Department of Veterans Affairs of over $200,0000 in survivor’s pension benefits over 12 years, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Melvin Greenspan, 72, of Perrineville, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti in Newark federal court to an information charging him with conversion of government funds.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
The Department of Veteran’s Affairs provided survivor’s pension benefits to Greenspan’s mother because of Greenspan’s father’s prior military service. Those benefits, intended only for surviving spouses of military members, were made through electronic funds transfers into Greenspan’s mother’s bank account beginning in September 1971 and continuing after that date. After Greenspan’s mother died in 2006, Greenspan did not notify the Department of Veterans Affairs about his mother’s death and made withdrawals of the survivor’s pension benefits from his mother’s bank account between 2006 and 2018, totaling $201,166.
The charge of conversion of government funds carries a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 22, 2021.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Christopher F. Algieri, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Levin of the Violent Crimes Unit in Newark.
Milford Man Admits Receiving Child Sex Abuse Images Through the InternetRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ROBERT C. HARRINGTON, 55, of Milford, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to receipt of child pornography.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in January 2019, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) received information from Australian and Canadian law enforcement authorities that two usernames associated with an Internet Protocol (IP) address at Harrington’s Milford residence were sending and receiving images depicting the sexual abuse of girls through a web-based application. On May 15, 2019, investigators searched Harrington’s residence and seized his tablet computer. The tablet contained images and videos depicting child sex abuse.
Harrington has been detained since his arrest on May 15, 2019. Judge Hall scheduled sentencing for October 14, 2021, at which time Harrington faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
This investigation is being conducted by HSI with the assistance of the Joint Anti-Child Exploitation Team (JACET), South Australia Police, Australian Federal Police and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria del Pilar Gonzalez.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
Mexican Citizen Sentenced in Drug Trafficking RingRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that Pedro Aguirre-Ortiz, 27, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska after his arrest in a drug trafficking operation. Aguirre-Ortiz was convicted of one count of distributing methamphetamine and one count of distributing cocaine. United States District Court Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Aguirre-Ortiz to 135 months’ imprisonment. Aguirre-Ortiz will serve a 5-year term of supervised release following his release from the Bureau of Prisons. There is no parole in the federal system. Aguirre-Ortiz is from Chihuahua, Mexico and will be deported at the completion of his prison term.
In November 2017, the FBI began investigating a suspected drug trafficking ring operating out of the El Catrin restaurant at 6500 Railroad Avenue in Omaha and the surrounding Omaha metro. This case was part of that larger operation. On three separate occasions between August 2018 and February 13, 2019, Aguirre-Ortiz sold several ounces of cocaine to a confidential source. On October 16, 2018, he sold a confidential source 8 ounces of methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Memphis Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Fraud Scheme Targeting NonprofitsRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Jaime Walsh, 53, has been sentenced to 78 months in federal prison for one count of bank fraud in connection with a scheme perpetrated against over 100 entities, most of which were nonprofits. Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph C. Murphy Jr., announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, between June 2013 and March 2019, Walsh defrauded various organizations including charities, churches, nonprofit environmental entities, and the Peace Corps. Walsh would, for example, make an online donation of $4500 to an organization. He would then contact the organization, claiming he intended to donate only $45, and ask for a refund of $4455. The organization would issue the requested refund and Walsh would immediately withdraw the money from his account.
Meanwhile, the original donation made by Walsh would be rejected due to insufficient funds and the targeted organization would suffer a complete loss of the refunded amount. Walsh attempted to defraud victims of $863,736.69. He succeeded in defrauding victims of $241,397.33.
On March 2, 2021, Walsh pled guilty to bank fraud.
On July 20, 2021, U.S. District Judge Mark S. Norris sentenced Walsh to 78 months in federal prison to be followed by three years supervised release. Walsh was also ordered to pay restitution to victims in the amount of $203,840.70. A money judgment for $241,397.33 was entered against Walsh.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Tennessee Highway Patrol, U.S. Secret Service, and the Peace Corps Office of the Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Smith prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
###
McKeesport Man Charged with Violating Federal Drug LawsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of McKeesport, Pennsylvania, been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal narcotics laws, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.
The two-count Indictment named Brock Cochran, age 30, formerly of N. Grandview Avenue, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on or about June 29, 2021, Cochran attempted to possess with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine. Also, on June 29, 2021, Cochran possessed with intent to distribute fentanyl.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than 40 years, a fine not to exceed $5,000,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Christopher M. Cook is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
McAllen man who threatened partner sent to prison for narcotics distributionRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 60-year-old McAllen resident has been ordered to federal prison for his role in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Jorge Arturo Gonzalez pleaded guilty Feb. 4, 2020.
Today, U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez ordered Gonzalez to serve a 235-month sentence to be immediately followed by four years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional testimony from witnesses. They described Gonzalez’s role in receiving, storing and distributing kilogram quantities of cocaine at his residence for further distribution since early 2018.
At the time of his arrest, Gonzalez had also threatened his co-conspirator. Today, the court heard how shots had been fired at the co-conspirator’s family home and that someone had killed his dog. In addition, a bullet with the co-conspirator’s name was on his front porch.
The court also determined Gonzalez was responsible for distributing at least 7.97 kilograms of cocaine as part of the conspiracy. Judge Alvarez enhanced the sentence, finding he maintained a residence for the purpose of distributing controlled substances and possessed a firearm in connection with the offense. She further found Gonzalez used credible threats of violence against his co-conspirator and obstructed justice.
On Sep. 13, 2019, authorities conducted a search of Gonzalez’s residence in McAllen and discovered 3.46 kilograms of cocaine along with a firearm, ammunition, a drug scale, thousands of dollars in U.S. currency and multiple cellphones. There also were numerous videos on his cellphones depicting him in possession of a firearm and large quantities of cocaine and other controlled substances.
Considered a danger to the community and a flight risk, Gonzalez has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Kristina Pekkala prosecuted the case, while AUSA Matthew Redavid handled the contested sentencing hearing today.
Maryland man indicted on firearms theft chargesRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Richard Lee Tyndall, Jr., of Oldtown, Maryland, was indicted today on firearms theft charges, Acting United States Attorney Randolph J. Bernard announced.
Tyndall, 43, was indicted on two counts of “Stealing Firearms from a Dealer” and two counts of “Unlawful Possession of Firearms.” Tyndall, a person prohibited from having firearms because of a prior conviction, is accused of stealing eight firearms from a licensed dealer in Mineral County on September 4, 2019. He is also accused of stealing five firearms from a licensed dealer in Mineral County on September 27, 2019.
Tyndall faces up to 10 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 for each count. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the West Virginia State Police investigated.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Manhattan Businessman Charged in Manhattan Federal Court for Fraudulently Obtaining Government Procurement ContractRead the Press Release
Audrey Strauss, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and William W. Richards, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Air Force Office of Procurement Fraud Investigations, Joint Base Andrews, announced today that RAYMOND WHITE, a/k/a “John Raymond Anthony White,” a/k/a “Raymond Alexander White,” was arrested by agents from the Air Force Office of Special Investigations and the Army Major Procurement Fraud Unit this morning at his residence in New York, New York. WHITE is charged by complaint with submitting false information regarding WHITE’s general contractor business’s finances and prior performance of contracts in order to obtain a contract to build a munitions load crew training facility at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, and submitting false information to the United States Small Business Administration (SBA) in order to induce the SBA to guarantee 80% of the performance and payment bonds issued in connection with the contract. The contract was worth in excess of $4.8 million.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “As alleged, Raymond White lied and provided false documentation and credentials to the military and the Small Business Administration in procuring a multimillion-dollar contract he was not qualified to fulfill. Among other fabrications, White allegedly provided a report from an independent accounting firm that appears not to exist. White also allegedly provided as a reference the owner of a prior $9 million contracting project, but both the owner and the prior project appear to have been made up out of whole cloth. As alleged, Raymond White’s actual specialty appears to be the construction of fantastical falsehoods.”
Office of Procurement Fraud Investigations Special Agent in Charge William W. Richards said: “The Office Procurement Fraud Investigations, along with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners, will work tirelessly to combat fraud threatening the Department of the Air Force.”
According to the allegations in the Complaint unsealed today in Manhattan federal court[1]:
Beginning on or about May 12, 2019, through at least in or about September 2020, WHITE, president and chief executive officer of a construction management and general contractor company (the “Contractor), submitted a bid to the District of Columbia Army National Guard (“DCARNG”) on a contract (the “Contract”) to build a munitions load crew training facility at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. Between September 21, 2019, and September 30, 2019, in response to a pre-award questionnaire sent by the contract specialist, WHITE emailed several documents, including an “Independent Accountants’ Report,” a “Construction Contractor Experience Data,” and a “Firm Dossier” to the contract specialist for the DCARNG. The contract was awarded to September 30, 2019, to the Contractor for $4,801,000. These documents contained false financial reports regarding the Contractor’s finances, false information regarding past performance of contracts by the Contractor, and false information regarding members of the management team for the Contractor. The contract was terminated on or about September 16, 2020, for providing false information to the DCARNG, and no construction work had been performed yet on the site.
As required by federal law, WHITE was required to obtain performance and payment bonds provided by an insurer (generally referred to in the business as a surety) for the Contract. On or about October 23, 2019, the Contractor received a performance and payment bond from a bond insurance company (the “Surety”), and the Surety required that the Contractor obtain a guarantee of the bond from the United States Small Business Administration (“SBA”), so that in the event of default on the bond, the Surety would be reimbursed 80%-90% of any loss incurred by the SBA. In or around October 2019, WHITE emailed the SBA bond guarantee application materials to a surety bond broker to submit to the SBA. The application materials included, among other documents, financial statements and a statement of personal history for WHITE. These documents contained fictitious financial reports regarding the Contractor’s finances and false information regarding past contracts performed by the Contractor. WHITE also falsely represented in the Statement of Personal History that he never had been convicted of any criminal offense, when WHITE was previously convicted on April 21, 2011, in the Southern District of New York of mail fraud (18 USC § 1341), major fraud against the United States (18 USC § 1031), false statements (18 USC § 1001(a)), and tampering with a witness (18 USC § 1512(b)(3)). WHITE also listed his name as “Raymond Alexander White” and provided a social security number and date of birth different from those listed in his Bureau of Prisons records. On or about October 31, 2019, the Contractor obtained a guarantee from the SBA of 80% of the payment and performance bond. As a result of Contract termination, the SBA has fulfilled three claims that the Surety has submitted to the SBA pursuant to the guarantee provided by the SBA to the bonds issued by the Surety, totaling $242,827.53 as of January 26, 2021.
* * *
WHITE, 56, of New York, New York, is charged with one count of major fraud against the United States, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in the prison, and two counts of wire fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Ms. Strauss praised the work of the Air Force Office of Procurement Fraud Investigations and the Army Major Procurement Fraud Unit in this investigation.
The case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Edward C. Robinson Jr. is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint, and the description of the Complaint set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described herein should be treated as an allegation as to the defendants charged in the Complaint.
Man Arrested in Connection with Alleged Role in Twitter HackRead the Press Release
A citizen of the United Kingdom was arrested today in Estepona, Spain, by Spanish National Police pursuant to a U.S. request for his arrest on multiple charges in connection with the July 2020 hack of Twitter that resulted in the compromise of over 130 Twitter accounts, including those belonging to politicians, celebrities and companies.
Joseph O’Connor, 22, is charged by criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
According to court documents, in addition to the July 15, 2020, hack of Twitter, O’Connor is charged with computer intrusions related to takeovers of TikTok and Snapchat user accounts. O’Connor is also charged with cyberstalking a juvenile victim.
O’Connor is charged with three counts of conspiracy to intentionally access a computer without authorization and obtaining information from a protected computer; two counts of intentionally accessing a computer without authorization and obtaining information from a protected computer; one count of conspiracy to intentionally access a computer without authorization and, with the intent to extort from a person a thing of value, transmitting a communication containing a threat; one count of making extortive communications; one count of making threatening communications; and two counts of cyberstalking. If O'Connor is convicted, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L. McQuaid of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Stephanie Hinds for the Northern District of California and Special Agent in Charge Craig D. Fair of the FBI San Francisco Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI San Francisco Division is investigating the case, with assistance from the IRS-Criminal Investigation Cyber Unit; the U.S. Secret Service, San Francisco and Headquarters; and the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office and its REACT task force.
Assistant Deputy Chief Adrienne Rose of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Frentzen and Andrew Dawson of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California are prosecuting the case.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs is providing significant assistance. The U.K.’s National Crime Agency and the Spanish National Police provided assistance in the investigation and arrest.
The allegations of a criminal complaint are merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Man Arrested in Connection with Alleged Role in July 2020 Twitter HackRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO - A citizen of the United Kingdom was arrested today in Estepona, Spain by Spanish national police pursuant to a U.S. request for his arrest on multiple charges in connection with the July 2020 hack of Twitter that resulted in the compromise of over 130 Twitter accounts, including those belonging to politicians, celebrities, and companies.
Joseph O’Connor, 22, is charged by criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
According to court documents, in addition to the July 15, 2020, hack of Twitter, O’Connor is charged with computer intrusions related to takeovers of TikTok and Snapchat user accounts. O’Connor was also charged with cyberstalking a juvenile victim.
O’Connor is charged with three counts of conspiracy to intentionally access a computer without authorization and obtaining information from a protected computer; two counts of intentionally accessing a computer without authorization and obtaining information from a protected computer; one count of conspiracy to intentionally access a computer without authorization and, with the intent to extort from a person a thing of value, transmitting a communication containing a threat; one count of making extortive communications; one count of making threatening communications; and two counts of cyberstalking. If convicted, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting U.S. Attorney Stephanie Hinds for the Northern District of California, Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L. McQuaid of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Special Agent in Charge Craig D. Fair of the FBI San Francisco Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI San Francisco Division is investigating the case, with assistance from the IRS-Criminal Investigation Cyber Unit; the U.S. Secret Service, San Francisco and Headquarters; and the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office and their REACT task force.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Frentzen and Andrew Dawson of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California and Assistant Deputy Chief Adrienne Rose of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section are prosecuting the case.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs is providing significant assistance. The U.K.’s National Crime Agency and the Spanish National Police provided assistance in the investigation and arrest.
Lincoln Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that Carlos Jesus Lorenzana, 35, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge John M. Gerrard to 17 ½ years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine actual (pure) and 500 grams or more of methamphetamine mixture between June of 2019 and February of 2020. Lorenzana was also ordered to forfeit any interest he had in $3,910.00 in United States currency. Following his prison term, Lorenzana will serve five years on supervised release. However, he is likely to be deported to Guatemala at the end of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Information provided to law enforcement indicated that Lorenzana was responsible for the distribution of at least 150 grams (approximately 5 1/3 ounces) of methamphetamine actual (pure) and at least 45 kilograms (99 pounds) of methamphetamine mixture in the Lincoln area. On February 18, 2020, Lorenzana gave a Lincoln Police Department officer permission to search his pickup truck. During the search, a plastic bag containing approximately 183 grams (6 ½ ounces) of methamphetamine was found. Testing at the Nebraska State Patrol Crime Lab showed at least 170 grams (6 ounces) of actual (pure) methamphetamine. A search of Lorenzana’s wallet resulted in the finding of $3,910 in cash along with a leather journal containing suspected drug sales records.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).